There is still no resolution in the case of the Tennessee teacher who held nine teens at gunpoint in Tennessee. The incident involving ‘ghost hunting’ teens and high school teacher, Stacy Swallows, occurred September 5th at a cemetery near Chattanooga.

The teens stated that they read a ghost story related to the private family cemetery on the Internet, which involved a ghost called the “Pitty Pat Booger”. The teacher, Stacy Swallows, 45, who lives nearby, blocked the teens from exiting the cemetery with his car. He then held the group with an assault rifle until police arrived.

The incident sparked outrage among residents, dividing an entire community. Some residents were enraged over the actions of the teacher. Some residents said that Swallows did nothing wrong, and that the teens should be charged with trespassing. Cemetery owner, Bobby Cassidy, sided with Swallows. Cassidy said that Swallows was fully supported and “he had all the rights in the world to go down there.”

Swallows faces 19 counts of aggravated assault and false imprisonment.

General Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon said at Swallows’ arraignment on November 17th, that both Swallows and the teens made errors in judgment. He added that the case “should have been settled here instead of drug on in the courts for years as it certainly will be.”

As far as the teens are concerned, Judge moon determined that the teens were not guilty of trespassing.

“The proof conclusively shows that none of these young people got out of their vehicles, did not step foot on the cemetery property, had no weapons, guns nor contraband and committed no criminal offenses. As a result, under Tennessee law, Mr. Swallows had no legal authority to make an arrest for an offense that was never committed in his presence or anywhere else. These young people had an absolute right to be on the public road where they were illegally stopped…The Tennessee General Assembly has substantially changed the old common rules of a citizen’s arrest. A citizen can only make an arrest for an offense committed in the citizen’s presence or when a citizen has a reasonable belief that a felony has or or is about to be committed – neither of which occurred in this case.”

Directing his comments to both parties involved, he added, “Nothing good happens in a cemetery after dark.”

According to court records online, Swallows’ next court date is scheduled for January 25, 2011.

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A bizarre incident occurred in the United States, one day following the Rendlesham series of UFO incidents in the United Kingdom, in 1980. It involved two women and a child returning from an evening dining out in Texas.

The evening of December 29, 1980 started out normally for Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum and Landrum’s seven-year-old grandson, Colby. While driving home to Dayton, TX, on an isolated two-lane road in the dense woods, the three noticed a light above some trees around 9:00 pm. Within minutes the light became brighter, revealing a diamond-shaped object.

The trio noted an intense heat emanating from the object, which caused Vickie Landrum to tell Cash to stop the car, fearing that they would be burned. Cash considered turning the car around but the narrow road prevented such a maneuver. The women got out of the car, but Landrum quickly returned to it to comfort her grandson. She was not scared as she thought that it was the second coming of Christ, she would later say.

Betty Cash remained outside the car, which became too hot to touch due do the extreme heat, both on the metal body of the car and the vinyl inside. It was said that Landrum pressed the vinyl of the dashboard with her hand, leaving an imprint that remained for weeks.

Soon, at least 23 helicopters approached the object and surrounded it.  Cash returned to the car and the three returned home.

That night, all three experienced nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, burning eyes and a feeling of sunburned skin. Cash’s symptoms became worse. By January 3, 1981, Cash was admitted to the hospital. Large, painful blisters formed on her skin. She lost large patches of skin and clumps of hair. Landrum experienced similar symptoms, though not as severe.

Landrum telephoned a number of U.S. government agencies and officials about the encounter, eventually finding NASA aerospace engineer John Schuessler. Schuessler had an interest in UFOs, and together with associates with MUFON, research began on the case. Although Cash and Landrum were found to be credible witnesses, and a policeman and his wife had also come forward about seeing the helicopters on December 29th, there were no answers.

Cash and Landrum  eventually sued the U.S. government for $20 million, but a judge dismissed the case. The judge said that there was no proof that the helicopters belonged to the government and there was no diamond-shaped craft in their possession.

The case continues to fascinate, 30 years after the incident, profiled over the years in books, magazines and television shows. Colby Landrum appeared on the television show UFO Hunters last year. His grandmother Vickie Landrum passed away two years ago in 2007.

Betty Cash passed away 12 years ago, in 1998. She died on December 29th,  exactly 18 years after the incident.

Further reading: Transcript of Bergstrom AFB interview of Betty Cash, Vickie and Colby Landrum, August 1981

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Copyright 2010, Cherlyn Gardner Strong

Visit Cherlyn’s website for more paranormal posts

Residents of Victoria, the most densely populated state in Australia, were treated to a Christmas light show in the sky. The strange lights were first spotted near the Melbourne Airport around 10:15 pm on Christmas Eve, according to the Herald Sun.

Witnesses reported seeing “orange lights that formed a diamond and moved in a synchronized pattern”.  Resident David Bekesi, 52, said that the lights were visible for several minutes before disappearing, adding:”“They all grouped in one area and then went straight up into the sky.”

Although many of the witnesses used the words “unbelievable” and insisted it was not a plane or balloon, the more skeptical Herald-Sun commenters offered a plethora of explanations for the UFO sighting. One commenter reported seeing candle-like objects released from a church in the area. Some pointed out a number of celebratory fireworks displays around Victoria at the time.  Others speculated over the possibility of Chinese lanterns, or a hobby craft.

Some believers offered up the theory that the lights were extraterrestrial in origin.

Others, however, chose to place their their faith in the spirit of holiday tradition. They said that it must have been Santa.

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Copyright 2010 Cherlyn Gardner Strong

Read more of Cherlyn’s posts at her website, http://www.paranormaloldpueblo.com, Follow all of her posts via Twitter (ParanormalOP), or on Facebook.