Life in the tiny community of Stephenville, Texas has changed drastically. The farming community located in Erath county just over an hour southwest of
Fortworth, has been thrust into the international spotlight. On the night of January 8th 2008, dozens of people reported seeing unidentified flying objects in the night sky, since that time, the number of reported sightings has swelled to nearly 200.
The UFO research community, as well as mainstream media outlets, descended upon the town. The vast number of witnesses and the testimony of several prominent citizens prompted many skeptics to take a closer look at this case.
The reports state that the object was shining with an “Intense bright light” and produced “No sound”. All witnesses seem to agree that what they saw was able to move with a speed greater than any technology of current public knowledge. Several witnesses even claimed to have seen F-16 fighter jets scrambled to pursue the object. A claim denied by the government.
Major Karl Lewis, a spokesmen for the nearby Joint Reserve Naval Air Station in Fortworth offered this explanation, “I’m 90 percent sure this was an airliner.” Major Lewis says that the angle of the setting sun can play tricks and cause illusions.
However, Steve Allen, a local businessman and pilot, believes that what he saw was something unknown. Mr. Allen claims that the object, which made no sounds and issued extremely bright light, was a mile long and half a mile wide, far larger than any airliner.
One of the most verbal witnesses, County Constable Lee Roy Gaitan, claims to have seen the object moving erratically. Gaitan said that he first noticed the object’s presence in the night sky when it began flashing bright red lights, which eventually turned an incredibly bright white. When the object began to glow white, Constable Gaitan said, it moved faster than he could track with his binoculars. “…I’ve never seen anything like it.” states Constable Gaitan, “I think it must be some kind of military craft…at least I hope it was.”
Stephenville eventually faded from the national news reports, but in January of this year, 20 year old Matt Collins brought the news cameras back to the area. Matt had filmed what he claimed to be “some sort of craft” in the evening sky behind his home near Stephenville. The video, seen around the world, shows a light drifting back and forth across the sky as it pulses and changes color.
Whether or not the Collins video shows an actual alien craft is a matter of opinion, but one thing is certain, Stephenville, Texas will continue to garner international attention in the UFO community. This rural town is now widely known as a “hot-spot” for UFO activity. With reports of sightings as recent as this past February, we can expect to hear more from the area of Stephenville. Maybe one day we may even get some answers.
