Chicago’s Miracle Child
Mary Alice Quinn at a young age was visited by a religious figure. From then on she decided to devote the rest of her young life to religion and Saint Theresa.
It became apparent that she had the power to heal and she used this power on sick people through out the south side of Chicago (reason for the name Miracle Child).She made it known that even after death she wanted to be able to continue to help people from beyond the grave.
She died tragically at the age of 14. But she was very determined to keep her promise as she appeared to people across the world immediately after her death in 1935 and throughout 1940’s.Soon people were visiting her grave site on a daily basis.
There have been documented cases of miracles occurring at the site of the grave. People are overwhelmed even in the dead of winter, with the smell of roses at her grave site.
New Pages Added on the Website!!!
Just added some new pages on the website. Make sure you check this out!
Added:
“The Paranormal Experience”
This page will contain all of the Events that we will be hosting. This includes overnight public ghost hunts and tours.
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This page will be where you can purchase tickets to our Events!!
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This page contains all of our release evidence (EVP, Video, Photo)
Web Store
This is our online store. We sell Gift Cards that you can purchase for others or yourself. We also design and build our own Paranormal Equipment. You can purchase these here as well.
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Want to subscribe to our Newsletter!!??
Each month we send out a general Newsletter detailing upcoming events, news, information, new equipment, paranormal articles, and much more.
If you would like to have the newsletter sent to your email, please email us at illinoisparanormal@yahoo.com and lets us know you want the newsletter!!
Hickory Hill Plantation - Illinois’ The Old Slave House
Hickory Hill Plantation in Equality, Illinois - Also known as the Crenshaw House or the Old Slave House is a mansion that was built in 1838 by John Crenshaw (November 19, 1797 – December 4, 1871) and his brother Abraham. Crenshaw owned vast salt mines and used his slaves to haul and boil the brackish water of Southern Illinois for salt. He owned over 740 slaves and was a known member of the “reversal underground railroad”, meaning he kidnapped free slaves and sold them or used them in his salt mines. It is also said that the house once had a tunnel that connected the basement to the Saline River, where slaves could be loaded and unloaded at night. He was charged with kidnapping and slave trafficking on several occasions. He kept a number of slaves in barred, cramped cells in the third floor attic of the mansion. There were reports that the mansion was haunted as early as 1851 with reports of people hearing strange sounds, mysterious voices, and moaning coming from the attic.
Illinois’ Haunted Voorhies Castle
Located on a lonely stretch of highway in eastern Central Illinois is an isolated village called Voorhies. There is very little left of the town these days, save for a few houses, an abandoned church and of course, Voorhies Castle. While most of the stories about the place have died out over the years and the house has become little more than a forgotten curiosity, it was once regarded as one of the most haunted houses in the state. The place became the perfect model for a “haunted house on the prairie”.
The story of Voorhies Castle began in 1867 with the arrival of a Swedish immigrant named Nels Larson in America. He rented 60 acres of land from a wealthy landowner named William Voorhies and set out on his own. Later, he bought a large parcel of property from his former employer near the small town of Voorhies. Also in 1872, Larson sent for his fiancée, Johannah Nilson, who was still living in Sweden at that time. Later that same year, they were married.
Larson continued to buy more land, and lease other parcels and soon had a number of farmers working for him, renting his property in exchange for a portion of the proceeds from the harvest. The small town of Voorhies, which Larson owned, was also growing, consisting of small businesses and tenant homes rented by Larson’s farmers. The town also contained a church, a general store, a grain elevator, a corn crib and several barns. There was also a barber shop, a jeweler, a blacksmith and a postmaster.
By 1900, Larson was firmly entrenched as the “ruler” of his vast domain, consisting of tenants, farms, land, various businesses and even an entire village. He had lived in several houses around the area, but now decided that he needed a manor house to from which to oversee his property. This house, later dubbed “Voorhies Castle”, would be patterned after a chalet in his native Sweden. The house was a strange mixture of styles and eccentricities, with towers, wide doors, a huge dining room, pocket doors, massive fireplaces, two parlors (one for men and one for women), an indoor bathroom, a primitive water and plumbing system that pushed water from the basement using compressed air, a hot air furnace and a lighting system that used dangerous carbide gas.The system was very hazardous and Larson had to obtain special permission from his insurance company to have it installed. Once the system was in place, light fixtures and wall-bracketed lamps were added in most of the rooms. The house would never be equipped with an actual electrical system during the period when the Larson family lived here.
The most eccentric addition to the estate came in 1910, as a clock tower barn that Larson insisted be included on the property. The stories say that Larson had a fascination, or perhaps obsession, with clocks. They could be found all over the house, from the large grandfather clock in the reception area to small timepieces scattered on the top of the wooden trunk in his bedroom.
One day in 1905, he decided that he wanted to install a large clock in his barn. However, the barn that he now had would not work for this so he ordered it dismantled and sold to a neighbor. He would construct a new barn and place the clock in this one. He ordered a Seth Thomas clock from a jeweler in Monticello and began construction on the new building. The work on the barn took almost five years to complete, even longer than it took to build the house. The new structure had to be equipped with a 68 foot tall tower and had to be given enough support that it could hold the nearly two ton clock mechanism.
Legend states that the clock mysteriously struck 13 times at the moment of Nels Larson’s death, as though the man and the machine were somehow connected. The stories went on to say that the clock continued this odd activity for five decades, ringing out on the anniversary of its owner’s passing. The clock tower remained an odd landmark on the prairie until the summer of 1976, when it was destroyed by a tornado. It has been said that the now phantom clock continues to chime each March 29, at the very hour that Nels Larson passed from this world to the next.
GHOSTS & LEGENDS OF VOORHIES CASTLE
The Larson family resided in the house for a number of years and during this time, at least one of the numerous legends of the house began. The stories alleged that Nels and Johannah Larson had another child in addition to George and Ellen Larson. It was said this child was severely retarded and was kept chained in a small, hidden room in the house. It has been said that in later years, visitors to the house claimed to hear the sound of phantom chains rattling inside of the walls. The validity of this story is unknown as volunteers from the Illinois Pioneer Heritage Center searched the house for this room in the 1960’s but were unable to find it.
The most mysterious event to occur in the house took place in 1914, when Johannah died. Many have speculated that she had a heart attack on the staircase, but the real cause of her death remains a mystery to this day. One of the field hands had gone to the house one afternoon to find her lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. Nels Larson was so stunned by this event that he left the house that night and went to Ellen’s home in Cerro Gordo…. never to return. All of the clothing and furniture and even his personal belongings were left behind.He never returned to the house, abandoning everything that had been left there. The house seemed trapped in time with clothing in the closets, the table still set for dinner, Johannah’s apron hanging over the back of a chair and even food still sitting on the cold stove.
Johannah was gone…but did she ever really leave the house, even after death? Legends stated that on certain nights, an eerie light could be seen coming from the east tower of the house. Those who were brave enough to venture onto the property claimed to see Johannah framed in the window of the room.
Nels Larson died in 1923 and his will specified that the house should remain in the family. The problem was that no one in the family wanted to live there because the house had no electricity. So, the house was abandoned and remembered only by time and the elements.
Over the years, a number of tenants moved into the house but none stayed for long. It’s likely that they were chased away by the deteriorating conditions of the house more so than by the ghosts. However, the rapid succession of tenants and the spooky atmosphere of the place combined to give the Castle a ghostly reputation. The stories grew and became more embellished as the years went by. It was said that someone died of fright in the house and the imprint of his or her body was still pressed into a couch in the living room. There was also said to be a pillar in the west parlor, which once held a large fern, that would inexplicably spin around under its own power. Reports said it spun so much that it eventually wore down into a circular area on the floor.
In 1967, the grandchildren of Nels Larson donated the Castle to the Illinois Pioneer Heritage Center in Monticello. The Center opened the house as a tourist attraction, reportedly drawing up to 30,000 visitors each year. They came to view the unique architecture of the place… and to soak up some of the ghostly ambiance. The house was simply too expensive to take care of and after a short time it was closed down once again.
The Castle was once again empty, with only caretakers to watch over the house on occasion. The caretakers claimed that the lights in the house refused to stay off and that windows would often open on their own. One of them also claimed that he would often close up the house, turn off the lights and make sure all of the windows were closed and locked. By the time he would get outside to his car, the lights would be on again and several of the windows would have slipped open.
Another caretaker reported eerie sounds inside of the house and described them as footsteps on the stairs and the sound of piano keys clinking in the darkness. It was suggested rodents or animals in the house could cause these sounds, but he insisted that this was not the case. He finally quit working there, another witness told me, after he was startled one night by a shadowy figure in the east tower. He was convinced that he had seen a ghost.
The odd stories about the house never seemed to stop and it became a favorite “haunt” for late night curiosity-seekers. Many local adults and especially teenagers and college students from Champaign, Mattoon, Charleston and the surrounding area came to Voorhies Castle for after-dark excursions. Many of them claimed to have bizarre experiences and brushes with the supernatural. Many spoke of apparitions, seeing glowing balls of light, sounds that had no explanation, ghostly footsteps, flashlights that suddenly stopped working, and even more.
The legends, and alleged eyewitness accounts, concerning Voorhies Castle were enough to attract the attention of a parapsychology group from the University of Illinois. The tales of strange phenomena were just too bizarre, and too numerous to ignore, so they decided to enlist the aid of Chicago psychic Irene Hughes. However, once arriving at the house, she refused to stay inside or to conduct any investigations.
The house was eventually sold but over the course of the next few years, it was frequently vacant and began to deteriorate again. The decay of the mansion became the biggest problem that all of the new owners and tenants would face… along with fending off the sightseers, for whom the ghostly landmark was still an attraction. Several of the more recent owners have made valiant attempts to restore the house and have done everything possible to discourage visitors from coming to the house. If you are the sort of reader who likes to experience the haunted places you read about, you may want to give Voorhies Castle a wide berth, as trespassers are usually unwelcome.
As you can see, the legends of Voorhies Castle are as haunting as the house has always been said to be, leaving a number of unanswered questions. Is it possible that the haunting has somehow just faded away over the years? Many believe this to be the case. But what if whatever was there still remains? What if it is just resting now, and waiting for some night, perhaps in the distant future, when the haunting will begin again? I suppose only time will tell…..
Troy Taylor - http://www.prairieghosts.com/voorhies.html
Chicago’s Haunted Rosehill Cemetery
Rosehill Cemetery began in 1859, taking its name from a nearby tavern keeper named Roe, and the place becoming “Roes Hill”. In time, the name was slightly altered and became “Rosehill”. The cemetery is the oldest and the largest and in Chicago and serves as the final resting place of more than 1500 notable Chicagoans, including a number of Civil War generals, mayors, former millionaires, local celebrities and early founders of the city….. there are also a number of deceased Chicagoans who are not some peacefully at rest and they serve to provide the cemetery with its legends of ghosts and strange happenings. What many don’t realize is that Rosehill was not the first cemetery created publicly in the city. The first was located where Lincoln Park can now be found. It was disbanded the graves were moved to other sites, thus creating a cemetery at Rosehill. Perhaps the most famous ghostly site is the mausoleum that belongs to Charles Hopkinson, a real estate tycoon from the middle 1800’s. In his will, he left plans for his mausoleum to serve as a shrine to the memory of he and his family. When he died in 1885, a miniature cathedral was designed to serve as the tomb. Construction was started and then halted when the property owners behind the Hopkinson site took the family to court. The claimed that the cathedral tomb would block the view of their site. The case proceeded all of the way to the Illinois Supreme Court, which ruled that the other family had no say over what sort of monument the Hopkinson family built and they they should have expected that something could block the view of their site. Shortly after, construction on the site continued. Despite the fact that the courts ruled in the favor of Hopkinson, it is said that on the anniversary of the real estate investor’s death, a horrible moaning sound can be heard coming from the tomb, followed by what appears to be sound of rattling chains. Ghost lore is fill of tales of the deceased returning from the grave to protest the way they were laid to rest…. and Rosehill Cemetery is no exception to this sort of legend. In October of 1995, one of the grounds keepers at the cemetery reported that he had seen a woman on the grounds of the cemetery. She had been standing next to a tree near the wall that shielded the cemetery from Peterson Avenue. The man said that he got out of his truck and approached the woman. The cemetery was closed at the time and he was going to tell her that she had to leave. When he got close to her, he realized that the woman, who was dressed in some sort of flowing garment, seemed to be floating off of the ground. Then, she became a mist and slowly disappeared. The grounds keeper rushed to the cemetery office to report the incident. Strangely, the next day, a woman from Des Plaines called the cemetery office and requested that a marker be placed on the grave of her aunt. The grave had previously been an unmarked one but the aunt had appeared to her in a dream the night before and told her that she wanted her grave marked, so that she could be remembered. The grave was located in an old family plot and staff members went out to the site to verify the location and to see what type of marker was needed. They were amazed to find that the site was the exact spot where the apparition had been seen the night before! The stone was ordered and the apparition was never seen again. The Rosehill Cemetery Mausoleum was proposed in 1912 and the cemetery appealed to the elite businessmen of the city for the funds to begin construction. These men were impressed with the idea and enjoyed the thought of entire family rooms in the mausoleum that could be dedicated to their families alone and could be decorated to their style and taste. One of the subscribers was John G. Shedd, the president of Marshall Field from 1909 to 1926 and the man who donated the wonderful Shedd Aquarium to Chicago. Shedd’s family room is one of the most beautiful portions of the building. The chapel outside the room features chairs that are carved in images depicting shells and sea horses and the window inside bathes the room with a blue haze that makes the place appear to be under water. For this window, Shedd commissioned the artisan Louis Comfort Tiffany and made him sign a contract that said he would never create another window like it. There have been no ghost stories associated with John Shedd, but there are others entombed in the structure who may not have found the peace that Shedd found. Two of them men also laid to rest in the building are Aaron Montgomery Ward and his bitter business rival, Richard Warren Sears. One has to wonder if wither of these men could rest in peace with the other man in the same structure…. but it is the ghost of Sears who has been seen walking through the mausoleum at night. The business pioneer has been spotted, wearing a top hat and tails, leaving the Sears family room and walking the hallways from his tomb to that of Ward’s. Perhaps the rivalry that plagued his life continues on after death….. The last ghostly tale associated with Rosehill is perhaps my favorite….. possibly because of the tragic and romantic aspects of the story. This tale involves a monument which was moved from the Old City Cemetery to Rosehill. It is the grave monument of Frances Pearce. It is sort of lost amongst all of the other monuments at Rosehill, but if you can find it, it is well worth the search. The monument depicts the life-sized images of Frances and her infant daughter, reclining on top of the stone. The figures are encased in one of the glass boxes that are often seen in Chicago, which are designed to protect the easily damaged marble from the elements. Frances was married to a man named Horatio Stone in the middle 1800’s. They were apparently very much in love and lived a happy life together until suddenly, France died at the age of only 20 in 1854. Four months later, her infant daughter followed her to the grave. Horatio was nearly destroyed by these events and he commissioned a memorial statue of Frances and their daughter to be placed at their mutual grave site in Lincoln Park. Later, the graves and the monument were moved to Rosehill. According to legend, on the anniversary of their deaths, a white haze fills the glass box that has been placed over the monument as the mother and daughter reach out from the other side to the husband and father who was left behind.
Jane Addams Hull House: Closing in Spring
This week, the Jane Addams Hull House Association announced it could no longer balance its books and planned to shut down this spring.
Addams noted upon moving in that the building had a “half skeptical reputation for a haunted attic.”[29] Over the years, numerous stories of ghosts and hauntings have surrounded Hull House, making it a stop on many of the “ghosts in Chicago” tours. Charles Hull’s wife had died in the house in 1860, and is sometimes thought to haunt it.[30] Other candidates for resident ghosts include the many people who died there of natural causes in the 1870s when it was used as a home for the aged by the Little Sisters of the Poor.[30]
In 1913, another Hull House ghost story began circulating. According to this legend, after a man claimed that he would rather have the Devil in his house than a picture of The Virgin Mary, his child was born with pointed ears, horns, scale-covered skin, and a tail. The mother was said to have taken the baby to Hull House, where Addams was said to have attempted to have it baptized and wound up locking it in the attic.[31] While initially annoyed about the story, which had no basis in fact, Addams became fascinated by the effect the episode had on old women in the neighborhood and used the episode as a basis for her book, The Long Road of Woman’s Memory.[32]
While a great many erroneous stories have circulated about the building, Addams is known to have spoken to several friends about one of the front bedrooms on the second floor being haunted - she and a friend once thought they saw a “woman in white” ghost there, and the same ghost was later seen by a group of girls when the room was used as a dressing room for the adjacent theatre. Though Addams called it “haunted,” she seems to have been more amused than frightened by it
Goblins and Elves
Goblins and Elves
These beings talk, laugh, are cautious, poor, rich, wise and crazy, just like all of us. They are the rough image of man, virtuous or vicious, pure or impure, better or worse.
Domestic Goblins:
They live inside houses or in the surroundings. For centuries they inhabited wild, woody, and mountainous areas, living inside caves or caverns until one of them approached the places where human beings lived, firstly for the sake of curiosity, then with the single objective of having fun. They appear preferably at night. They are about 50 cm- high and resemble man. They go out at night and love to have fun by dint of those sleeping. Even though most of them like to bother or frighten human beings, some of them, however, love to help men in domestic households. According to some experts, their names come from the Arabig word duar, meaning the one who inhabits or the inhabitant.
Elves
Elves are huge magical beings divided into two big categories:
The Ljsalfar (or Light Elves) and The Dopkalfar (or Darkness Elves).
Light Elves:
They dominate the change in appearance, have an etereous beauty, are one of the best disposition elves. They are translucent and blue colored.
There are other light elves with the ability to move over fire or inside wood and stone. They are called Elle-folk; can foretell the future, sing and compose a fascinating and enraptured music.
Dark Elves:
Like lobsters, they build their homes beneath the earth. They are frequently found in houses where they prefer dark corners, only visible at night. They may be of grey, brown, red or black colors. If a house has locks with no keys or small cracks in the wood, Elves shall come in through those tiny spaces. They have many names, such as Cauchemar, Qaalruter, Nachtmannle.
Gloom Elves:
They are the most numerous. They may be found in trees, plants, brooks or ponds. They are quite cautious and protected from the interference of strangers.
Imps:
These are some little devil looking- goblins, not linked to a house, but to a person to whom they assist and make him their owner. They are linked to witchcraft.
Sleep Goblins:
They belong to a strange family of aggressive and individualist goblins. They cause nightmares and choose women and children as their victims.
Demon Names and Rank in the Infernal Region
Demon Names and Rank in the Infernal Region (alphabetically)
Apollyon (Abaddon) : King of Demons
Abigor: Horseman with a scepter and lance, commanding 60 legions
Adremelech: Chancellor and High Council of Demons
Aguares : Grand Duke of Eastern region, commanding 30 legions
Alocer : Grand Duke , commanding 36 legions
Amduscius : Grand Duke, commanding 29 legions
Andras : Marquis , commanding 30 legions
Asmodeus (Asmoday) : Head of Casinos, banished to the desert by Raphael
Astaroth : Grand Duke of Western region, Lord Treasurer
Aym : Grand Duke , commanding 26 legions
Ayperos : Prince, commanding 36 legions
Azazel : Standard Bearer of Armies, also known as Satanael.
Baal : Commanding General of the Infernal Armies
Baalberith : Chief Secretary and Archivist (second order demon, Berith)
Balan : Prince
Bearded Demon : Remains nameless to avoid his use in search of the Philosopher’s Stone (King Solomon)
Beelzebub (Beelzebuth) : Prince of the Demons, Lord of the Flies, second only to Satan
Belial : Prince of Trickery, Demon of Sodomy
Belphegor : Demon of Ingenious discoveries and wealth
Buer : Second order demon but commands 50 legions
Caym : Grand President of the Infernal
Charon : Boatman who ferries souls across the river Styx
Chax : Grand Duke
Cresil : Demon of Impurity and slovinliness
Dagon : Baker and member of the House
Eurynomus : Prince who feeds on corpses
Furfur : Count , commanding 26 legions
Geryon : Giant centaur, guards hell
Jezebeth : Demon of Falsehoods
Kasdeya : According to the “Book of Enoch”, the fifth Satan
Kobal : Entertainment Director, patron of Comedy
Leonard : Inspector General of Black Magic and Sorcery
Leviathan : Grand Admiral: androgynous ( Christian myth says he seduced both Adam and Eve)
Lilith : Princess of Hell. ( Hebrew myth is that she is a succubus)
Malphas : Grand President, commanding 40 legions
Mammon : Demon of Avarice
Mastema : Leader of the offspring of fallen angels by humans
Melchom : Treasurer of the House
Mephistopheles : Some versions a servant of Lucifer, others Satan himself
Merihim : Prince of Pestilence
Moloch : Another demon of Hebrew lore
Mullin : Servant of the House of Princes, Lieutenant to Leonard
Murmur : Count, Demon of Music
Naburus : Marquis, connected with Cerberus
Nergal : Chief of Secret Police, second order demon
Nybras : Grand Publisist of Pleasures, inferior
Nysrogh : Chief of the House of Princes, second order demon
Orias : Marquis, Demon of Diabolic Astologers and Diviners
Paymon : Master of Ceremonies
Philatanus : Demon assisting Belial in furthering sodomy and pedophile behaviors
Proserpine : Princess of Hell ( some say, close to Persephone of Pagan traditions)
Pyro : Prince of Falsehoods
Raum : Count, commanding 30 legions
Rimmon : Ambassador from hell to Russia, also known as Damas
Ronwe : Inferior, yet commands 19 legions
Samael : Angel of Death, Prince of Air
Semiazas : Chief of Fallen Angels
Shalbriri : Demon that strikes people blind
Sonneillon : Demon of Hate (Michaelis )
Succorbenoth : Chief Eunuch of the House of Princes, Demon of Gates and Jealousy
Thamuz : Ambassador of hell, Creator of the Holy Inquisition, Inventor of Artillery
Ukobach : Stationary Engineer
Uphir : Demon physician
Valafar : Grand Duke
Verdelet : Master of Ceremonies of the House of Princes
Verin : Demon of Impatience
Vetis : demon who specializes in corrupting and tempting the holy
Xaphan : Stokes the furnace of hell, second order demon
Zaebros : Animal - human combination
Zagan : Demon of Deceit and counterfeiting
Interview with Ron Fabiani from Chicago Paranormal Detectives/Paranormal Cops on A&E TV
This is an interview I did with my good friend Ron Fabiani back on November 18, 2010.
I recently had the pleasure to speak with Ron Fabiani from Chicago Paranormal Detectives and former TV show Paranormal Cops on A&E TV. The following is the complete interview.
How did you get started in the Paranormal?
In 2003, I received a 911 call while on duty. It was at a local bar in the town that I work in. I had dealt with the owner in the past. He was not a man that was spooked easily, but he had been seeing figures in his business after he closed down, and had enough of it and did not know who to call. So, I returned to the bar, off duty with a few fellow officers who were curious as I was. I brought a Sony Night Vision camcorder and walked the interior of the building and filmed a figure…a black mass, minimally transparent, like black nylons. It was moving back and forth and almost interacting with questions I asked and then it vanished. We returned a few more times, trying to recreate what we had seen, but was never able to. I figured that if this is happening here, maybe this is happening elsewhere in the area. So, I decided to put a group together consisting of police officers, to investigate other claims in the area.
How many Paranormal cases have you investigated?
We have roughly investigated 30 cases. We do not conduct cases based on curiosity. There has to be an immediate need due to some form of exigence. We also do not work on cases in apartments, townhouses, or condo’s. We focus our attention on cases where visual or audible phenomena is reported. Things like feelings of being watched, dreams, or other sensations cannot be recorded. We can’t consider anything which is not recorded as evidence. Therefore, we turn down about 85% of the cases due to not meeting our group’s investigation criteria.
How many people go with you to an investigation?
Most of the time, there is four of us. Tom, Austin, Pete, and myself. Sometimes there is five if we have a medium join us.
What equipment does your team use?
We use Sony Night Vision camcorders, Internal hard drive cameras, digital voice recorders, four to five different EMF meters, thermal imager, and many temperature gauges. We also like to experiment with different devices, such as a Geo phone, Stun Gun, Infrared strobe lights, and real time EVP devices, such as our Echo device. We also incorporate some of our profession into the investigation. We will use Forensic Techniques, including dusting for finger prints, if the case calls for it.
What is your favorite piece of equipment?
My “staff” as its now being called. Its an old microphone stand that I converted. It holds a camcorder, EMF meter, and digital voice recorder.
Out of all your investigations, which case stands out most in your mind?
I would have to say the Casa Madrid in Melrose Park. Its a former Speak Easy and Mafia night club through the early 60’s. We were able to get really good EMF’s and interaction. I would also have to say that the old college in Lake Forest. Its a four story, old abandoned building. It does not have any power, but there are windows and doors. Pete became really unnerved there and there was a claim that a woman’s body was found on the front lawn in the early 1900’s.
What has been your most frightening experience?
I would have to say my first investigation at the bar. It was very eye opening to me. My most uneasiness feelings were at the Casa Madrid and the college building in Lake Forest too.
Do you believe in animal ghosts?
I really don’t know much of anything to support them. There’s many theories and speculation, and they’re wonderful, but I’ve never really given any thought to them.Therefore I do not know if I would be able to give a valid opinion on it.
What is your explanation of Shadow People?
There really is no explanation. There is just many theories and opinions. Shadow People will remain unknown until we get proof of what they really are.
Do you feel that a place is just as active in the day time as it is at night or are we just too busy to notice?
It could be. You have to wonder, are people or the locations haunted? Maybe both are haunted. We feel that investigating at night is best for us because, it minimizes contamination of possible evidence and it’s quiet. You will also see things that you normally do not see during the day time. More than that, it’s our experience and it seems that we are not so sure who’s afraid of who. We as the investigators are the intruders. You have to think, why are they obliged to answer our questions? We use the night to investigate, in hopes that it will drop their defenses, where they are more comfortable. We also do not provoke or demand anything from them. With that said, we possibly could be too busy or preoccupied during the day.
How do you feel about these “Ghost Boxes” and “Shack Hacks”?
They’re Magic 8 Balls and I don’t like them [laughing]. They really don’t conclude anything. They give you more things to consider. For instance, take the Ovilus. It has two hundred programmed words in the device. You may have forty words that make sense, but one hundred and sixty that don’t make any sense at all. Its all too suggestive to me. Even people who use them can’t tell you “how” or “why” it works or what is “it” that’s making it happen? How does a spirit know, what frequency to use? To me, its just an entertainment piece.
What is the best EVP you have ever captured?
We captured some really good EVP’s at Casa Madrid. Believe it or not, we got a lot of “4 letter” words. During an episode of Paranormal Cops, Austin and I were in a women’s bathroom and captured an EVP that said “boys can’t be in here” clear as day.
What is your take on M.E.S.A (Multi-frequency Energy Sensor Array)?
We as Paranormal Investigators tend to over analyze things. We don’t really use base EMF’s, barometric pressure, or temperature and wind outside. It is a very interesting idea though. Also, the EMF spikes really don’t mean a lot to us. It just warrants more unexplainable conclusions. I’d be very interested to see how it works from someone that is trained on it though.
How do you feel about Ouija or Spirit boards bring you good or bad luck?
Well, if you believe that the board has brought you good luck, rather than bad luck, and you have truly believed this, then just leave it alone. I mean, if you are happy with the responses, then don’t fix, what is not broken. There is also zero evidence to support the theory that they are bad. It’s really unknown at this point.
What do you think is attributed to the recent surge in popularity of paranormal on television?
The popularity created by TV and ratings is what’s made it surge. Having the paranormal shows on television and out there for the public to see, has made it boom. Since the shows aired, they’re have been groups sprung up over the years, that normally would not have. I really feel that it is a fad for a lot of people really. A lot of the shows that are on now are more acceptable for certain people to be more open about the paranormal and what has happened to them, where they would have been judged in the past. People also mimic what they see on TV. You have your thrill seekers out there going for the excitement too. There’s just so many different levels of groups out there.
It seems as if every group on TV represents a different facet of Paranormal investigations. TAPS takes a very scientific approach while Penn State Paranormal seems much more spiritual in their investigations and Ghost Adventures takes an emotional approach. How would you describe the techniques that’s used by your own group?
You have your regular hobbyists and self proclaimed investigators, where we are actual investigators in our careers. Those groups on TV, that’s their careers, the TV show. We don’t attack any groups, but there are certain groups out there that don’t care about the actual evidence, but care about feelings. We are a strictly evidence based group. We handle everything like a crime scene and conduct it like a real investigation. We also do not jump to any conclusions. We look at all evidence and don’t rush to assume anything. Just because one Orb might appear to be dust, we don’t rule out the others. We are current police men and are not former or prior anything like other groups. We are also held to a higher level of accountability. If we fail to do an investigation into the Paranormal, how would that look to the public when we as police officers are conducting a real investigation in our jobs?
Now that the TV show is over, what are your goals?
Yes, the TV show on A&E is over, but we will consider another show if it comes a long. Recently we were contacted by the Italian show Voyager. It’s pretty much the Italian version of our Destination Truth. It’s also one of the most popular TV shows in Italy. They go all over the world just like Destination Truth on the SyFy channel. They contacted us to do an episode with them. They wanted to come to Chicago and profile us for an episode of their show. We brought in psychic Chris Flemming to assist us on the investigation, which we chose the Casa Madrid. The episode will air on Voyager in Italy next year. You know, we really are just regular guys with regular jobs and regular lives. It was just so strange to us and don’t understand how we could be so huge in Italy. TV aside, our mission still remains the same. We are here to help people. There have been hints from other Networks and production companies and we would entertain the offer if it arose. We also play in a band and write our own music. We all have jobs and families and that takes up a lot of our time. So, for now, we will just focus on all of those things and see what the future will bring us.
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