Now that the updated reboot of The X-Files is in full swing, the startling possibility of extraterrestrial life, mutated creatures, and government cover-ups is, once again, heavy on our minds. And for those who live in places made popular by infamous UFO sightings, like Roswell, New Mexico or Colorado cities known for Sasquatch sightings, investigating these paranormal topics with a Spooky Mulder façade is a common activity.
But what about those who don’t live in UFO hotspots or Sasquatch populated areas? This type of phenomenon isn’t commonly discussed in this part of the country, but rather swept under the rug as media focuses on other normal, earthly topics.
But we at Louisville.com know the truth is out there, so we’ve found some leads to help our fellow Louisvillians discover it. If you have any leads of your own, please share them in the comments!
January 7, 1948 – Approximately 35 miles south of Louisville in Fort Knox
Image: NBC
It didn’t take long for the United States military to get involved in this unexplained UFO encounter after hundreds of calls poured into local law enforcement offices to report a slow-moving, massive object hovering above a Kentucky highway. Soldiers at Fort Knox were stunned by the object after detecting it, so they decided to fly out and investigate up close. Military Captain Thomas F. Mantell flew his plane as close as possible to the object, all the way to Maysville, Kentucky. He reported that the object was moving half the speed of his plane, was made of a metallic material and was enormously large. But before he could reach the object’s extreme altitude, Captain Mantell’s oxygen supply ran out, his plane crashed and he died tragically with questions unanswered. Later that year, his autopsy was rumored to show strange wounds on his skin that were popularly assumed to be related to his encounter with the infamous UFO. You can read about the rumors here.
January 6, 1976 – Approximately 95 miles southeast of Louisville in Stanford, Kentucky
Image: Ufoandalientruthnetwork.com
You’ve seen Agents Mulder and Scully investigate stories of alien abduction, but you’ve never heard of anything like this real-life encounter before. Three adult women were traveling through Stanford on a drive back to their homes in Liberty, Kentucky from a restaurant in the town of Lancaster on a cold January night around 11pm. According to all three women, they remember seeing a startling red light appear above the road before losing control of the car. Each woman reported remembering a beam of fog being shot into the car and then being taken aboard the object which continued to hover above the road. The next thing the women could remember was being back inside the car with visible burns on their skin. And though the recollections of the night are enough to intrigue any skeptic, this case continued to grow in popularity for decades after the abduction as the three women suffered severe health problems which medical professionals believe to be related to the UFO encounter. Learn more about the discoveries in this case here.
October 26, 1986 - Approximately 100 miles east of Louisville in Williamstown, Kentucky
Image: Cryptidz.wikia.com
Late one night, a woman was traveling north on I-75 when she saw a creature emerge from the woods surrounding the road ahead of her. She decreased her speed to avoid hitting the animal, but came to a complete stop when she saw what this creature actually was. Covered in dark brown hair and crouched on its hind legs was a terrifying giant humanlike creature. Once noticing the car, the creature raised itself to a fully standing position and walked back into the woods. Overwhelmed with fear of this mysterious creature, the witness contacted the Kentucky Bigfoot Research Organization and reported her sighting. And oddly enough, this peculiar research foundation receives hundreds of similar sighting reports every year. You can check them out here.
February 27, 1993 - Louisville
Image: anomalien.com
Two Louisville Metro Police officers weren’t expecting to chase down an official unidentified flying object when reporting for duty on a dark February night, but that’s exactly what happened. And what started as a simple UFO sighting lead to a full-blown battle in the night sky between a police helicopter and a remarkably fast, fire-shooting spacecraft. And though several witnesses reported observing the oddity, an explanation for the event was never given. And if this story sounds familiar, you may have seen it featured on Syfy’s Paranormal Witness.
July 28, 2011 - Approximately 50 miles east of Louisville in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Image: Smrtenglish.com
Everyone knows to watch for deer as they drive along Kentucky's windy roads, especially at nighttime. And if a deer happens to leap out into the road, it's best to brake as quickly and safely as possible. But what are you supposed to do when you bring your car to a sudden standstill in fear of hitting a deer, but witness another creature cross the road in front of you instead? A mother and daughter reported watching a tall wolf-like figure cross a Central Kentucky road one hot summer night. Still unsure of what this creature truly was, it undeniably shares similarities to the werewolves described by timeless folklore. Learn more about this encounter here.
Image: Updatednews.ca
