The Cash/Landrum UFO CE2 Case

Around 9 p.m., on the night of December 29, 1980, near Huffman, Texas, Betty Cash, 51, was at the wheel of her 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass with passengers Vickie Landrum, 57, and Vickie’s 7-year-old grandson Colby. They were returning home to Dayton, driving a two-lane road, known as highway FM 1485, when they observed a large light off in the distance. They initally though that it was an airplane on its way to Houston International Airport. They lost sight of it and then as they came around a curve onto a straight stretch they decided otherwise. Ahead of them was a large upright diamond-shaped object, a dull metallic surface, silver in color, belching flames from the bottom. It was less than treetop in altitude, and it was approaching them! Betty Cash slowed down. Soon the object was within an estimated 130 feet distance from the car. Both women got out to look closer. Cash walked to the front of her car and stared, feeling almost entranced by the unearthly sight. Vickie Landrum stepped out, by because her grandson became very frightened she soon climbed back into the car. Vickie declared that they were seeing the Second Coming of Christ.

The UFO was described as intensely bright, about the size of the water tower in Dayton. Its top and bottom appeared to be flat. Small blue lights ringed the center. Periodically, every few minute, flames would shoot out of the bottom and the object would float up a few feet and then after the flames subsided it would gradually descend, and then the flames would appear again and the same pattern of activity would repeat itself.

Although the night air had been chilly, the UFO was giving off quite a bit of heat. In fact, the women soon noticed a burning sensation on their faces, and the car soon was too hot to touch! Vickie Landrum once was leaning out the window and steadied herself with both hands on the dashboard, which actually molded to the shape of her fingers! (This was confirmed later by ufologist John F. Schuessler, who inspected the car) When Cash tried to get back in the car she burned her fingers on the door handle. She had to use her leather coat as a hot pad to get in.

With a final blast of fire, the UFO rose slowly up into the air and as it cleared the treetops, helicopters flew in from all directions. Soon the UFO moved off, accompanied by circling helicopters. Cash started the car engine, and later when she arrived at the intersection of FM 1485 and FM 2100, the UFO and helicopters were again visible. She pulled over to the side of the road and proceeded to count the helicopters. She counted 23. They were clearly visible from the light of the UFO reflecting on them. Many of the helicopters were later identified as large, double-rotor Boeing CH-47 Chinooks, a model used by both the Army and the Marines. Some of the other helicopters were the single rotor variety, possibly Bell-Huey types. The whole incident lasted approximately 20 minutes.

Soon after the sighting, Cash dropped the Landrums off at their home. When she got to her house she was already feeling sick. For the next few hours she suffered a headache and nausea. Large knots appeared on her neck and scalp. Soon they became blisters. Her skin was reddening, and her eyes swelled. She vomited repeatedly and had severe diarrhea.

The Landrums had similar symptoms, but not as severe. Their skin looked and felt badly sunburned, and their stomachs were upset. By morning, friends feared Cash was dying. She was in a state of near unconsciousness. On January 3, 1981, she was taken to Parkway Hospital. She couldn’t walk on her own. She had lost large patches of skin and clumps of her hair. At the end of 12 days she was released as she was doing better, but soon returned and was hospitalized for another 15 days. The Landrums improved slightly, though skin sores and eye damage persisted. Vickie suffered illness for the next few years, and never entirely recovered her eyesight. Colby suffered with chronic illness, sores, and hair loss.

A radiologist who reviewed the medical records of these witnesses informed MUFON (Mutual UFO Network): “We have strong evidence that these patients have suffered damage secondary to ionizing radiation. It is also possible that there was an infrared or ultraviolet component as well.”

John Schuessler, an aerospace engineer with NASA, learned of the case when the witnesses contacted a NASA representative in Houston. Schuessler and other MUFON members initiated a prompt investigation, and soon turned up other witnesses who had seen the UFO and the helicopters for as much as an hour and a half. A policeman and his wife had seen 12 Chonook helicopters in the Huffman area that night, though inquiries of area Army, National Guard, and the Army Reserve received only denials that it was their helicopters. Cash and Landrum engaged in a long and drawn out campaign to find answers, inquiring of local officials and military installations. Then they spoke with a couple of their senators who spoke on their behalf with representatives of the Department of Defense. The senators then advised the women to take their complaints to the Judge Advocate Claims Officer at Bergstrom Air Force base in Austin. They did so and were provided forms to fill out and told that if they could find a lawyer willing to represent them, then they could file a claim with the U.S. government for compensation for their injuries. New York attorney Peter Gersten voluntarily helped the witnesses in court, taking the case through the military and federal courts over the next few years, until August 21, 1986, when a U.S. District Court judge dismissed the case, stating that expert testimony had established that no such craft as the UFO existed in the U.S. military arsenal. No reference to the helicopters was made though.

As I was compiling information on this case for this column, I noticed while surfing the Internet that noted skeptic Robert Scheaffer of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, had contributed something on this case. Checking it out (you can too, at: http://www.csicop.org/si/9809/scheaffer.html) I was reading along his remarks on the case and then came upon one of his main gripes...no other witnesses reported seeing anything at all! Huh? But, of course, they did, like the policeman and his wife and others, so how could he say they didn’t? Is this the best CSICOP’s UFO expert could do?

References:

The UFO Encyclopedia: The Phenomenon from the Beginning, Vol. 1:A-K, 2nd Edition, by Jerome Clark. Omnigraphics, Inc., Penobscot Building, Detroit, MI 48226. 1998. ISBN: 0-7808-0097-4.

Check out this website report: http://www.skiesare.demon.co.uk/c-l.html