The UFO Case that Shocked the World: Betty and Barney Hill

Betty and Barney Hill claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrials on September 19, 1961.

The story of Betty and Barney Hill is one of the most popular UFO abduction stories in history. Perhaps it is the relatability of a couple on their way home from a honeymoon, or maybe it's the amount of evidence that can make even the most hard core skeptic look twice, or maybe it's the otherworldly feel of it all. There is something in this tale that keeps people coming back to it decades later and it deserves to be told as factually as possible. What follows is a truncated version of their story, for more details on the Hills and the aftermath of their experience I highly recommend reading Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience: The True Story of the World's First Documented Alien Abduction by Stanton Friedman.

Life before UFOs

Betty and Barney Hill did not meet until later in their lives. Both had been through divorces when they engaged in a friendship that quickly turned into a romantic bond. They married in May of 1960, although their lives as newlyweds did not begin until much later. Distance kept them apart. Barney lived in Philadelphia, working as a carrier for the US Post Office, while Betty lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire working at New Hampshire’s Division of Welfare. Fortunately, Barney was able to get a job transfer to Boston in March of 1961. He moved in with Betty. 

Despite living in the same house, Betty and Barney did not have much time to spend with each other. Betty worked from 11AM to 8PM every day, and Barney worked the graveyard shift in Boston, sixty miles away. After several months of this rigorous schedule and having very little time together, they decided to take an impromptu honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls.

On Sunday, September 17th, Betty, Barney and their dog Delsey hopped in Barney’s blue and white ‘57 Chevy Bel Air and headed towards Niagara Falls planning on stopping in Toronto as well as Montreal. However, Barney made a wrong turn while going to Montreal, leading them to the outskirts of the city. Once they heard the announcement of the tropical storm Esther over the radio, their planned evening of experiencing the nightlife of Montreal was over. They decided it would be best to just return home and began heading towards New Hampshire. 

The Sighting

As they travelled south on Route 3 through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the sky was still clear and the storm far away. Betty looked in the sky, noticing what she thought at first was a falling star, until it came to a complete halt in the sky. She thought then that it might be a satellite as it began to move in the opposite direction towards the slowly rising moon. When it stopped yet again, Betty told Barney to stop and look at it through the binoculars. Whatever this object was, it darted to and fro across the surface of the moon before it seemingly started descending towards them.

Barney, being a pragmatic individual, believed it might be an airliner, but was readily confounded by the erratic flight pattern. It moved vertically, horizontally, ascending and descending in between bouts of remaining completely stationary. They continued on their way, trying to make it back home. As they rounded a curve near Indian Head, a granite formation resembling the silhouette of a Native American face, just south of the Franconia Notch, they noticed the object was much nearer than before. It was now eighty to a hundred feet above them. Barney brought the car to a halt, grabbed the binoculars and opened his door for a clear view of the craft. The object responded. The craft hovered over some trees in a nearby field.

Barney then took Betty’s handgun which was underneath his seat and stepped into the field. The sixty to eighty foot pancake shaped craft, hovered silently above the trees. Barney described seeing a double row of rectangular windows that stretched across its rim. Through the binoculars, he was able to make out humanoid figures walking back and forth inside the craft. Two fin-like structures extended from either side of the craft, adorned with a red light on the end. Suddenly the craft tilted towards him and began to descend. Barney felt that if he were to remain in the field, he was going to be taken. 

Barney raced back to the car, telling Betty that they needed to get out of there. Fast. He accelerated down the highway. The craft resumed its position directly above them, keeping up the whole way. Both of them recall hearing a buzzing noise from the trunk of the car, but kept driving trying to escape whatever this was. 

The couple heard the buzzing noises again and were driving on Route 3. They estimated they would arrive home by 3 AM and were surprised to find that it was a little after 5 when they finally arrived in Portsmouth.

Franconia Notch - Photo provided by Aleksandar Petakov

The Morning of

The time difference was hardly their major concern at the moment. Both were in a state of shock after what they had witnessed. Barney suggested that they go to different rooms of the house and draw what they think they saw. The uncanny resemblance between their two drawings did not put their minds at ease. Barney thought it best that they tell no one about it. The story was too fantastic for anyone to believe and he did not want to be thought of as some sort of kook. Betty disagreed. 

After a few hours rest, Betty called her younger sister, Janet Miller, to tell her of what she had seen. Janet had a sighting of a strange craft herself during the 1950s, and Betty wanted to know if maybe Janet thought what she had seen was similar to what Janet had witnessed. 

As the storm rolled in, Betty noticed several highly polished spots on the trunk of the car. She brought a compass near the spots and when placed within them, the compass spun wildly. She described being filled with absolute terror in that moment. The couple also discovered that their watches were broken. Even replacing the batteries did not get them working. Barney discovered the leather strap of the binoculars was snapped. Betty also found that her new dress was torn.

Investigation

On September 21st, Betty called Pease Air Force base to report an unidentified flying object, but omitted Barney’s observation of the humanoid figures, fearing it might sound “crackpot”. Major Paul W. Henderson called them later that day and questioned them extensively. Major Henderson called back two more times to follow up their interviews with additional questions. He officially reported their sighting to Project Bluebook in Air Force Form 112, No. 100-1-61. 

Project Bluebook also received a ground-radar sighting report from the North Concord, Vermont Air Force Station that occurred on September 19th, 1961 at 5:22 PM eastern standard time. Roughly 17 miles away and less than six hours before Betty first witnessed the object.  However interested Project Bluebook initially may have seemed in the Hill’s sighting, they had ruled it as a probable weather balloon by November of 1961. 

Betty and Barney Hill visited their public library on September 23rd, stumbling upon Donald Keyhoe’s The Flying Saucer Conspiracy which introduced them to a world of people who had experienced similar things. It also inspired them to report their sighting to the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). 

A few days later, Betty began to have nightmares about the craft. These dreams mixed the recalled memories of the beeping noises they had heard in their car, as well as being captured and taken aboard the vessel. She wrote some of these dreams down to “relieve some of the pressure” and was able to arrange them in a logical and sequential order.

Shortly after their experience, Delsey, the Hill’s dachshund developed an epidermal fungus infection. Having adopted Delsey only six weeks prior to the event, they had no veterinarian history on her. Betty was also concerned about Delsey’s whimpering, shaking and leg movement while she was asleep. While many dogs will sometimes display any of the aforementioned behavior while sleeping, Delsey’s was persistent and intense. 

On October 21, 1961 Chairman of the Boston subcommittee of NICAP, Walter Webb, began his preliminary investigation into the Hills’ case. He interviewed them both individually and together for a six hour period. Webb titled his report “A Dramatic UFO Encounter in the White Mountains, NH”. This came to the attention of two IBM employees, Robert Hohmann and C.D. Jackson, who were interested in attempting to verify the origin of the strange vehicles. They interviewed Betty and Barney Hill on November 25, 1961 for a five hour period. Also present at this meeting was Major James MacDonald, who was a friend of Barney’s and former member of the CIA, who was then working as a consultant with the US Air Force. 

During this meeting, the Hill’s began to fully realize just how strange the loss of two hours of time was. They had been aware that they arrived home much later than expected, but did not place any importance on it until this meeting. It was Major MacDonald who suggested that the Hill’s undergo hypnosis to attempt to recall what happened during this two hour period that they had no recollection of. They were both insistent that there had been some sort of roadblock, as well as having a vague memory of Barney turning onto some dirt side road.

Upon the urgings of Hohmann, Jackson and MacDonald, the Hills began to take day trips to the White Mountains in an attempt to find the roadblock that they were certain was there. It was after one of these day long excursions, upon their return home, that they discovered a pile of brown leaves on the center of their table. All doors and windows were secured and locked and yet somehow, someone had entered their home and placed this pile of leaves on their table. As they began to discard the leaves, they found Betty’s blue earrings that she had been wearing on the night of their encounter. Earrings that matched the dress she had been wearing. They had not noticed they were missing until then. The Hill’s lived alone and no one had keys to their apartment, ruling out the possibility of a family member playing a hoax on them. They did not share this detail with any investigators at the time, as they felt vulnerable after a possible, unlawful entry into their home. 

As time continued, Barney’s health began to decline. His four hour round trip to Boston daily began to wear on him, as well as the night shift hours that caused him to sleep during the day. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure and began to suffer from headaches and insomnia. He also developed an ulcer that refused to retract in response to conventional treatment. In June 1963, Barney began to see psychiatrist Dr. Duncan Stevens, at the behest of his physician who believed Barney’s ailments were psychogenic. Although his psychotherapy progressed well, Barney’s ulcer did not regress.

Hypnosis

Dr. Stevens referred Barney and Betty to Dr. Benjamin Simon, a hypnotherapist who treated soldiers who were displaying symptoms of combat neurosis, what is now known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Traumatic amnesia is the total or partial inability to recall an event associated with trauma or stress. Oftentimes this amnesia is induced to protect the victim from memories that are too overwhelming. In a way, it is the brain protecting itself from intense stress or anxiety as a result of these memories. For many people, such as the Hills, the victims are aware of the missing time and it can be distressing and confusing.

On March 7, 1964 Betty and Barney underwent deep hypnosis to recall the events of September 19, 1961 for the first time. They recounted first seeing the object on Route 3, and how it seemed to follow them all along the route. They observed it as they drove through the Franconia Notch, watching as it passed above a restaurant on Cannon Mountain. Barney thought it was a satellite or perhaps even a military or commercial plane, however, its strange movements made him doubt it. They pulled off the side of the road, near the Old the Man of the Mountain, most likely a trailhead parking lot. Barney was insistent that it was conventional craft. He estimated it was about a thousand feet away, although he could not hear it. As they continued on they noticed the object getting closer, even as they passed Indian Head.

At this point, Barney asked to be released from the hypnosis. Dr. Simon denied this request and asked him to continue. His voice shaky, he admitted that he was scared of the object but did not want to appear so in front of Betty. Barney then began to scream frantically before sobbing hysterically. Many times, Dr. Simon had to pull the Hill’s out of the hypnosis due to situations like this. The entire process took six months with a sesion every week. 

Just one mile south of Indian Head, Barney pulled over and examined the craft through the binoculars. He described it as looking like a pancake with windows and lights. He saw several figures in the ship. One in particular, reminded him of a round faced Irish man, while the black jacket it wore reminded him of a Nazi (Barney was a veteran of World War II). He felt that this leader, who stared at him with squinting eyes, was attempting to communicate with him via telepathy. Telling him to stay there and keep looking. Barney pulled the binoculars away, running back to the car. Frantically he tells Betty they needed to get out of there or else they would be captured. The craft took its position directly above their car as they drove on. They heard the buzzing sound and felt the car vibrate and their conscious memories began to fade out. 

Through hypnosis Barney was able to recall that he got lost. He made a turn off the main road but could not remember why he felt he needed to make the turn. Barney said he was then stopped by men in the road. Betty noticed these men as well. The car stalled and then died. Barney attempted to restart it to no avail. The men in the highway began to approach the car and Betty began to weep profusely out of fear. She attempted to run out of the car and into the woods, but the men were already at her door. A group of six men split in two, three on each side helping Betty and Barney out of their vehicle. 

Betty and Barney Hill with a depiction of the craft

Abduction

The men lead Betty and Barney through the woods towards the now landed craft, telling Betty that they only wanted to do a few tests and that they would be released afterwards. Betty attempted to get away, tearing her dress in the resulting struggle before she was forced into the craft. Barney had his eyes closed after being taken out of the car, but felt his feet being bumped as he was carried into the craft. He said that he felt like he was being supported although he could not feel the men holding him. 

Both of them reported that there was a blueish light inside the craft and that the temperature was cooler than the night air. They were taken into two separate rooms, although both rooms were described as a hospital operating room with an operating table. Barney describes his shoes being removed and his pants being taken off. He is turned over on the table and he feels a tube inserted into his rectum and quickly removed. He felt what he thought might be a single finger, counting his spinal column. These men turned him over again and examined his mouth and ears. He could hear these figures humming all around him but could not understand them. Betty described the humming as well, but she said the leader talked in a language that she understood as English. 

Barney said that he felt like something was placed on his genitals, although there was no feeling or pleasure associated with it, he suspected that they were taking sperm. Of note is that after this encounter, Barney had growths on his groin, where he said he felt that they placed something, growths that did not exist prior to the encounter. During his 1964 reliving of the memory, the growths were inflamed and had to be removed. Originally thought to be venereal warts, the surgeon who removed them said that they were not.

Betty reported that the men took skin samples, some hair and placed a swab in her left ear. They felt her shoulders, neck and collar bone, examined her teeth, cut a piece of her fingernail off, and felt her toes and feet. She reported she had her eyes closed because she did not want to look at the men. The figure she called the examiner, told her that they wanted to compare her nervous system to Barney’s. She had to remove her dress, and they used needles that were connected to what reminded her of a large TV. These needles pressed down on her spinal column, behind her ears, her head, arms and legs, but the needles did not cause pain. Betty then described another needle, four to six inches, that was attached to a tube that they inserted into her navel. She said it was extremely painful like being stabbed with a knife.

Following her medical examination was a one on one conversation with the leader of the craft. Barney did not experience this, as the leader explained there was only one physician on board the craft so only one examination could occur at a time. It is believed Betty was examined first, then Barney. Betty told the leader that what was happening to them was so outrageous that no one would ever believe her. She asked the leader if she could take something back as proof, to which the leader agreed and told her to look around for something to take back. 

She picked up a book that was resting atop of a cabinet. The book was written in a language she could not read. She described the text as going up and down. Dots and a combination of straight and curved lines comprised the actual script with some lines being lighter and some lines being heavier. The leader said she could have the book. She then asked the leader where he had come from. In response the leader pulled out a map. The map shown to her had dots which she thought were stars or planets, and several solid lines and dotted lines connecting some of the dots together. The leader explained that the dotted lines were expeditions. When she asked where his home port was, the leader responded by asking her if she could identify where she was on the map. She responded saying she had no clue. The leader said there would be no point in showing her where he was from and then put the map back.

Shortly after, the examiner entered the room excitedly and began to examine Betty’s teeth by tugging on them. They explained that Barney’s teeth had come out and that Betty’s hadn’t and the examiner could not figure it out. She explained that Barney had been wearing dentures and that as people age they sometimes lose their teeth. The leader indicated he was unfamiliar with the aging process or with time. While Betty reported this instance under hypnosis, Barney did not. He only recalled his mouth being opened. 

Betty recalled one other humanoid on the craft. This one was smaller than the others at about 3 and a half feet tall. Its head was the size of a basketball and had a flat face. Its eyes were larger than the others and had very dark eyes. It had a thin wide slit for a mouth and sturdy build with a thick chest and broad shoulders. Betty sensed this one was hostile and it kept staring at her from the hallway outside the examining room. She expressed desire to kick this little one to show that she was not afraid of it. While leaving the craft, this small one was angry and took the book away from her. Betty suspected that it was the real leader or perhaps a military representative. 

As they were escorted back to their car, Betty had a conversation with the leader once more. She was upset about the book being taken away from her, but the leader explained this was done because it was decided that neither of them should remember this event. To which Betty replied with, I’ll remember the book if it's the last thing I do. The leader said that even if she did, Barney wouldn’t and as a result, they’ll both be confused. They both recall seeing the craft turn into a bright, orange ball and fly into the sky. 

Barney continues on driving until he is back on Route 3. They hear the beeping noises again and their conscious memories resume.

Aftermath

During the several month long hypnotherapy process, Dr. Simon questioned them repeatedly about whether this could have been a fantasy concocted while dreaming. Both of them were insistent that this happened to them in their waking life and was not merely a dream. In addition, a lot of Barney’s hypnosis details match Betty’s own, dispelling the theory that Barney was simply repeating information that Betty had told him about from her nightmares. 

A common skeptical counter argument to the description of the occupants of the craft will often try to explain it away as only being described during the hypnotic session. However, Barney had a clear, waking recollection of the occupants when he stopped just south of Indian Head. He recalled this event, years before undergoing the hypnotherapy and cannot simply be explained away as a hypnotic induced memory. 

David Baker, watercolor artist and NICAP member was the first to take Betty and Barney Hill’s descriptions of the occupants and render them out artistically. The Hill’s described the occupants as having slanted, cat-like eyes, with wide cheeks, a weak chin  and an enlarged  cranial structure. They had no hair, aluminum gray skin with spindly legs and enlarged chests. They stood about five feet and four inches in height. No ear cartilage, only ear holes possibly  covered in a  membrane. The iris of their eyes took up most of their eye, but there was a yellowish cast to the typically white area surrounding  the iris. No blinking was observed. 

Baker was able to work with Dr. Simon and the Hill’s under hypnosis to compile the  most accurate paintings he could of the otherworldly visitors. He was able to create four paintings, “The Capture”, “The Leader”, “The Examiner” and the “Fiery Orb”. Betty purchased three of the four, however, the original “The Examiner” was stolen from her home prior to her death. These are included in the “Hill UFO Collection” at the University of New Hampshire. 

The Leader by David Baker

Dr. Simon’s own interpretation of the hypnosis sessions was that Barney had merely absorbed information from Betty’s nightmares. Barney and Betty Hill both disliked this conclusion and the Hills and Dr. Simon went their separate ways. Barney and Betty more or less returned to their normal lives.

On October 25, 1965 a front page story in the Boston Traveler titled “UFO Chiller—Did They Seize Couple?” by John Luttrell, thrust the couple into the limelight and gave them much unwanted attention. Not only did the article commercialize their experience, it betrayed their trust and infringed on privacy. Their home and phone was besieged by the media for days on end. Even when attempting to escape from the press, they were bombarded by people asking for their autographs. However, the Hill’s went public with their story in November of that year, speaking publicly for the first time at Pierce Memorial Unitarian-Universalist Church in nearby Dover, New Hampshire. People from 40 miles around gathered to see them speak, and many of them were turned away due to the overflow.

In 1966, John Fuller gained the cooperation of the Hills and Dr. Simon to write the book The Interrupted Journey. This book includes the now famous star map of Betty Hill. In 1975, a made for TV movie was released starring James Earl Jones as Barney and and academy-award winning actress Estelle Parsons as Betty, titled The UFO Incident.

Despite the publicity and acceptance by the UFO community, Betty and Barney Hill began to face ailments. Betty suffered from a polyps on her vocal chords which required surgical removal, leaving her with a raspy voice with limited vocal tonations. In 1969, Barney Hill passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage. Betty lived on, giving interviews and speaking at events before passing away in 2004 due to metastasized cancer.

We may never know, beyond a shadow of a doubt what happened to them, but one thing is for certain: Betty and Barney Hill had an extraordinary experience on the night of September 19, 1961. While there have been more than a few attempts at debunking their story, the cultural impact the Hill’s had is immeasurable.

If you enjoyed this blog, please consider checking out Cryptid Campfire’s UFO abduction episode. We cover the Betty and Barney Hill case and other signification UFO abduction cases.