TRACECAT Case Directory
  Category 6, Physical Traces 
 
  Preliminary Rating: 5  

                                   
     

Lavonia /Tallulah Case (Radiation)
June 29, 1964
Lavonia, Georgia

Richard Hall:
June 29, 1964; Lavonia, Georgia
Late evening. Businessman Beauford E. Parham was driving home when he spotted a very bright light in the sky coming directly toward his car. The next instant it was directly in front of his headlights - a top-shaped object, spinning and emitting a hissing sound "like a million snakes." It was amber colored, about 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide, with a mast-like protrusion on top and small portholes around the bottom through which "flames" were visible. The UFO disappeared, then quickly reappeared and stayed directly in front of the car, just in front of the lights (estimated 5 feet), for at least a mile while the car was traveling 65 m.p.h. The top of the UFO was tilted toward Parham, who said he followed it in a "near trance-like state." Next the UFO went up over the car leaving a strong odor like embalming fluid and a gaseous vapor. Then the UFO appeared for the third time, again heading directly toward the car; the motor began to miss and Parham stopped. The UFO spun "like crazy" and then took off, disappearing in a "split second." Parham began to feel a burning sensation on his arms, so he drove to an air base and reported the incident to FAA officials. They reportedly detected some radioactivity on the car (no formal report made). Parham's arms continued to burn even after he washed them. An oily substance on the car persisted after many washings, the car hood was warped with bubbled up paint, and the radiator and hoses deteriorated after the incident. (Trace case [cat 5] E-M [3] Radiation [10].

Mike Swords:
Other than Lore's coverage, the only other things in my file which were public were the FATE story of November 1964, a sloppy report by Moseley in Saucer News of December 1964, and a mention by Vallee in Challenge To Science. Vallee's thing comes directly from the other two and adds nothing. Where I am of some use here is that NICAP had a file from which Lore drew his material, but which is more detailed. I've culled the seven useful pages out of what McDonald had in his file --- he couldn't make any further headway on this case as Parham had died of a heart attack. The seven pages are attached in the order they appeared in Mac's file. (*)

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