When Are Diamonds Not a Girls Best Friend?

The Cash-Landrum Encounter

By: Heather N. Gibson

Betty Cash, a 51 year old restaurant owner, closed her restaurant on the evening of the 29th of December in 1980. She then invited her friend and employee, 57 year old, Vickie Landrum to accompany her on a trip to a Bingo game. They took Colby Landrum, Vickie's seven year old grandson and ward. They left Dayton, Tx. and drove to Clevland, Tx.. There was no game that night so they drove on to New Caney, Tx.. They weren't playing that night in New Caney either so Cash and Landrum decided to go home. Around 8 pm they stopped at a truck stop and had dinner, then continued home. They decided to take a back road (Farm Market Road 1485) through a wooded area in Montgomery County.

They had traveled 12 miles when they noticed a bright light in the sky moving toward them. The object moved quickly and soon was in front of them, hovering above the road. Vickie screamed for Betty to stop the car. Betty stopped the car so abruptly Vickie put her hand on the dashboard to absorb the force. Her fingers left an impression on the super heated dash of the car.

The object was extremely bright and diamond shaped. Flames appeared to shoot out of the bottom of the object. The interior of the car became so hot it had to be vacated. The trees and landscape, although, not on fire seemed to be "very brown." Fear quickly overcame Vickie and Colby and they returned to the car. Betty remained outside of the vehicle and studied the object for 7 to 10 minutes.

When Betty returned to the car, she claimed, the door handle was so hot it burned her wedding band into her finger. The whole time the object continued to gain altitude and finally moved on. It appeared the object was being escorted or followed by about 23 "military like" helicopters. Cash and Landrums description of the helicopters matches the Boeing CH-47 Chinook twin rotor helicopters.

"I've never believed in UFOs. I was the first one to laugh. I was terrified. Now I'm afraid to look up." Betty Cash

Betty had difficulty restarting her car. When it finally started she had to turn on the air conditioner to cool the uncomfortable interior. They then resumed their journey home. On their way they saw the UFO once again, still accompanied by the helicopters. The intense heat and light, coupled with the loud noise the object was making gave the trio a headache.

Colby vomited all through the night and his skin turned extremely red. Vickie suffered the same symptons. Betty (who had stayed outside of the car the longest) suffered the most. Large blisters popped up on her face and forehead. When she awoke in the morning her eyes were swollen shut. Betty was hospitalized on January 3, the first of more than two dozen extended hospital stays.

All three victims were treated for radiation poisoning. Their symptons included: Painful, watery eyes that had swollen shut, resulting in permanent eye damage. Betty developed severe cataracts. Stomach pains, serious vomiting and diarrhea. Sores, blisters and scaring on the skin which lost it's pigmentation. All three experienced extreme hair loss over the next several weeks. When their hair began to grow back it was a different texture form the rest. The witness' also lost weight and energy. They suffered from lost or damaged fingernails. Their immune systems were greatly weakened leaving them susceptible to sickness and disease.

The two top theories was that it was a military craft that had malfunctioned on a test flight. Or, it was a captured extraterrestrial craft that was under military control.

Right or wrong both theories involved the military and Cash and Landrum wanted the government to pay for their medical expenses. Betty contacted senators John Tower and Lloyd Bentsen. Bentsen hooked her up with Air Force lawyers at Bergstrom AFB in Austin, Tx. to file a claim. ( There is a transcript of a tape that was made of Betty Cash's meeting with Air Force lawyers in the possession of CUFON.)

The case was investigated by John Schuessler, Deputy Director of administration for MUFON and a Project Manager for Space Shuttle Operations for the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Schuessler found no radioactivity at the site, but did find an area where the asphalt was melted.

In 1982, Army Lt. Col. George Sarran investigated the case for the Army. He believed Cash and Landrum had an encounter. However, he could not find any hard evidence that helicopters had been in that area. There are no military bases in the vicinity. Still others did see helicopters matching the Chinooks in the area. Dayton Tx. police officer, LL Walker and his wife Marrie, both said they saw the helicopters in that area four to five hours after the Cash- Landrum encounter.

New York attorney and now director of Citizens Against UFO Secrecy, filed a 20 million dollar lawsuit on behalf of Cash and Landrum. The case was dismissed in August 1986 by District Court Judge Ross Sterling. The American government and military proved to the judge that they did not operate any object matching the Cash, Landrum description.

What happened and who's responsible for this tragic Close Encounter remains a Fascinating Mystery.