The Cash-Landrum Case

[theSOURCE]

This case has interested me for years.

Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum, and 7-year-old grandson Colby Landrum were driving home through a secluded area on the night of December 29, 1980, when they came across a huge, diamond-shaped UFO in the middle of the road. The UFO was emitting an intense flame from the bottom. The three of them got out of the car to have a closer look, but because of the extreme heat, Vickie and Colby climbed back into the vehicle. Betty remained outside to watch the UFO as it hovered. The heat eventually became unbearable, and as Vickie tried to reenter the car, she found she had to use her coat to open the door, since the handle had become too hot to touch. As the UFO flew away, they watched as it become surrounded by 23 black helicopters.

Within hours after returning home, they began suffering with burns, nausea, headaches, hair loss, and eyesight damage. They went to the hospital several times, and eventually the doctors began to suspect they had been exposed to radiation. Betty Cash eventually developed cancer and continued to suffer from the ill effects of her encounter until her death in 1998.

Betty Cash and Vickie Landrum set an historical precedent by being the first people ever to sue the government over a UFO incident. Unfortunately, the case was rejected after the government claimed it has nothing to do with UFOs.

I believe the UFO they encountered was not an alien space craft, but a top secret experimental vehicle that was malfunctioning. This would explain why it was being escorted by the helicopters. In the second link below, UFO investigator Brad Sparks points out that their illness may have been the result of exposure to a chemical agent - rather than radiation.

This would be just another simple UFO encounter the government swept under the rug, if it weren't for the fact that these people suffered terrible injury and illness because of it.

The Full Story

Not Ionizing Radiation

[Added rant] I think this a tragedy. I watched the Kecksburg special on the Sci Fi channel last night and it occurred to me; it's easier to put on a show about a halfhearted attempt to investigate a UFO incident that happened decades ago, than it is to look into a recent encounter. I was surprised to find out there are not alot of people who have even heard of the Cash-Landrum incident.

I was ranting about wanting proof in another thread ... well, here it was. Here was an individual who suffered ill effects because of a close encounter with a UFO. She dealt with this for 18 years. But instead of being given the attention this case deserved, it was reduced to a footnote in the annals of UFO history.

I can imagine ten years from now, after all those involved have pass on, some lame documentary will show some idiot scratching the ground look for evidence.

I think it was snuffy that said maybe there are things we're not meant to know. He might be right, but I think the ones keeping it a mystery are as human as you or I.

Edited October 25, 2003 by theSOURCE

[reese2]

Sarkypi-

I believe the Gov't just washed their hands of the whole thing. They never admitted culpability on any level, for anything that had to do with this incident. The case was dismissed before it ever went to trial. (If I am remembering correctly)

The reason that it was suspected to be a Gov't controlled UFO, was due to the sparks and flames that witnesses saw coming from the bottom. There was a helicopter in close proximity to the UFO, and continued to follow it, while it flew away. I believe someone investigating this case years ago, did track down a pilot.

From what I have read about this case, they actually did have an exuberant amount of evidence to support their claims. (Well, comparatively speaking in terms with other cases)

I have done reading up on this case, a while ago. It burns me up too, that more isn't being done now to at least gather evidence of a more present situation, which would do wonders for the credibility of UFO phenomena. (Government controlled, or otherwise)

Reese

[Nancy]

SOURCE added:

[Added rant] I think this a tragedy. I watched the Kecksburg special on the Sci Fi channel last night and it occurred to me; it's easier to put on a show about a halfhearted attempt to investigate a UFO incident that happened decades ago, than it is to look into a recent encounter. I was surprised to find out there are not alot of people who have even heard of the Cash-Landrum incident.

I have to admit, I am one of those who had never heard of this, until now.

Thank you for waking me up SOURCE.

I'm not certain I agree that this was a malfunctioning top secret vehicle, however.

I tend to lean towards the possibility of a 'real live' UFO.

I DO agree, the way this has been mishandled is no less than unbelieveable!

Makes my stomach churn, to say the least.

gadzzzzzzzzzzzz..........

[Kryso]

This just confirms the fact that the government sees everyone as expendable. They will do anything from keeping the truth (whatever it may be) from the public. People are just figures and numbers to them. And you can understand why certain people (who claim to have been abducted) are fearful. Sometimes as fearful of their own government as they are of the aliens that supposedly abducted them!

[reese2]

Well, my cynical self, still thinks that some of the circumstances yelped about, from supposed abductees, is dramatized for entertainment sake.

There are cases, like this one, that need no embellishment, because there are facts that speak by themselves. We just have to start learning to pick the ones out, that have real potential, and could break the lid off of UFO sightings...

(Al, I sure would like your take on this case, since you most likely are one of the few that have read up on this.)

Reese

[Athlon64]

ONE helicopter near the UFO ?!!! Try TWENTY-THREE helicopters instead. This is the number of helicopters counted by the witnesses themselves, and the vast majority were twin rotor Chinooks.

The fact that the governemt denied all responsibility in this amazing case is absolutely astonishing. Who else owns at least twenty-three military helicopters in the USA ? Frankly, it's a disgrace that these people were left to suffer whilst the government pleaded ignorance.

Wouldn't it be fascinating if this could happen again.....but with camcorder footage to prove it ?

Chris Low.

[reese2]

You're right Chris, there were over 20 helicopters in the area, I have no idea why I made it sound singular.. However, they did eventually track down one pilot.

I would like to add, that even though I agree that there is evidence of something, in this case, certain areas could have been embellished by over zealous witnesses. The number of helicopters for instance, fluctuates.. They did finally stick to a number, 23. But, without physical proof, as you say a tape of the event, it is hard to stick to facts that come by eye witness report. Witnesses, for any crime or event, have a very high probability of getting facts muttled in the excitement of the moment.

Reese

[theSOURCE]

I think this sums it up:

Believing the object to have been American in design the two adult witnesses sued the United States government for $20 million but the case dismissed on the grounds that the American did not have such an object in their possession. Senior officials of the Air Force, the Army, the Navy and the civilian space agency all testified categorically that the object was not of their making.

The case was dismissed by the judge in August 1986. Neither Cash nor Landrum was allowed to testify, nor were several independent witnesses who had also seen the helicopters that night.

The final stories on this case cannot yet have been written because the American government now appears to have a serious alternative to face; if the object was American then the law suit should succeed and a few prominent heads may well have to roll. It appears that those heads are resisting that alternative. However, the only other option is that the object was not American. Be it terrestrial or extraterrestrial this means that someone other than Americans were toting an unshielded nuclear source over Texas that night and since it clearly has not yet been identified then it must rate as an UFO. If this is the course they continue to take, the American government can therefore never again state - as they have done so often in the past - that UFOs have no national security implications. Which course the American government will choose to take only time will tell.

Info Source:

World Atlas of UFOs (Book)

The UFO Book: Encyclopedia of the Extraterrestrial

I've seen the photos and there was nothing exaggerated about their injuries (I'll try to find a site that has those pics).

An investigation was carried out some years ago at the site where the UFO encounter had taken place. It was found that the section of road where the UFO had hovered had been, not just paved over, but completely removed and replaced shortly after the incident had been reported. County records gave no reason as to why this had been done. Also, the surrounding trees had been completely cut down and removed.

The investigation also revealed that the soil had been subjected to extreme heat, although no anomalous radiation had been detected.

[Athlon64]

would like to add, that even though I agree that there is evidence of something, in this case, certain areas could have been embellished by over zealous witnesses. The number of helicopters for instance, fluctuates.. They did finally stick to a number, 23. But, without physical proof, as you say a tape of the event, it is hard to stick to facts that come by eye witness report. Witnesses, for any crime or event, have a very high probability of getting facts muttled in the excitement of the moment.

True, but the exact number of helicopters is (in my opinion) irrelevant in this case. They were almost certainly military helicopters, and that therefore makes the military (and...by inference...the US government) responsible.

Chris Low.

[reese2]

Sorry if I led anyone to believe that I thought the injuries suffered were inflated, I have seen the photo's myself, some time ago.

I was referring to that of which cannot be proven, as I stated, eye witness account of activity. The injuries do not fall into that catagory, since they were examined and well documented.

You are right Chris,

It really doesn't matter how many, persay, but it does matter that the recall of the incident stay as true to form as possible, so that every piece of the puzzle can be fitted together. It is neccessary, for the time line of events and participation of people/organizations to be firmly established.

The injuries alone, in this case, are not enough to have proven malice by either the Government, or other entity. That is then when, without photo's, witness account be taken in to establish 'probability'.

Reese