Local resident Ricky Sorrells had experienced a close encounter that while hunting in the woods. A massive metallic-like object hovered directly over him, then took off in the blink of an eye.

Steve Allen, a pilot and respected businessman, also saw a huge UFO with friends while they sat around a campfire. It was so dramatic they were a bit shook up by it.

Dozens of other citizens eventually came forward, including several law enforcement officers.

County Constable Lee Roy Gaitan was one of the peace officers who stepped forward early in the sightings, reporting that he and his young son saw strange light patterns in the night sky.

Soon, the Associated Press, CNN and other national and international media were following the Stephenville UFO story. Surprisingly to many, the press covered the situation in a mostly serious, responsible and professional way.

Then, the Erath County incidents took some unexpected and somewhat ominous turns.

Witness Sorrells said he received calls telling him to stop talking to the press. He said helicopters were buzzing his rural home at all hours of the night and a menacing intruder approached his home in the early morning hours.

Joiner left the Stephenville newspaper after management there apparently became concerned that reports on the UFO sightings were overshadowing more routine area news coverage.

However, she continued to report on the situation as a writer for a Web site and a reporter for a local radio station.

LOCAL PEACE OFFICERS

By February, Joiner obtained information indicating that law enforcement officers in the region had videotape of unusual objects taken by patrol car "dashcams."

In addition to Constable Gaitan, Sgt. Jim Clifton of the Erath County Sheriff Department came forward to say that he, too, had seen unusual phenomena in the sky during the same time frame.

He provided details to Joiner for her reports.

Then, Mike Zimmerman, a retired veteran officer of 25 years with the Texas Department of Public Safety who served on the protective detail for five Texas governors came forward.

Zimmerman told Joiner that he also saw things in the sky he could not explain and described them.

Another local officer, who Joiner identified as "Officer X" told her that he had clocked one low-flying UFO with his radar gun used to ticket speeders.

The UFO was moving at 27 miles per hour, Officer X stated.

There were indications that other local officers had also seen things but they preferred to keep a low profile.

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