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3 Hour Marathon Of Paranormal And Unexplained Stories - 3 · Mystery Archives Episodes

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There are many seemingly normal places in this world, but hidden
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behind the veil of normalcy can lie many, many secrets.
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This is the tale of one such place, and this tale intertwines
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history with myth and first hand accounts of experiences and much
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more. From strange Cryptid encounters
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to bizarre cult rituals and UFO sightings, there is much to
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uncover within. So join me as we decode the
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untold story of Black Star Canyon here on Mystery Archives.
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Black Star. Canyon is known by many
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throughout the state of California as a wide open space
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full of family friendly trails. However, it should be known for
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much more than just this. Unlike many of Southern
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California's trails, Black Star has been the site of a plethora
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of horrific events that have taken place throughout history,
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as well as a multitude of strange sightings.
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Which we'll get into later. Located in Orange County,
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California in the Santa Ana Mountains, the Canyon was
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originally known as Canada de Los Indios under Spanish rule,
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and then later under Mexican rule as part of Alta, CA or
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Nueva, California. The first known recorded
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negative event that took place there was in 1831.
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Local ranchers were being terrorized by horse thieves from
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the Shoshone tribe, a Native American tribe that was active
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in the area at the time. Unable to track the thieves down
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themselves, they banded together and were aided by a local
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mountain man named William Wolfskill.
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Over several weeks, Wolfskill and the ranchers tracked the
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thieves down until they came upon their encampment.
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Here they discovered much more than they had bargained for.
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Not only had the tribesmen ate their horses, but they found
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several still cooking human limbs over the crackling
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campfire. Disturbed and angered, the
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ranchers overwhelmed the natives they encountered there and
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massacred them before then desecrating and leaving their
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remains. But this would be only one of
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many shocking events that would take place here and add to the
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darkness of the Canyon. The land in which the massacre
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took place on would eventually fall into the hands of William
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Wolfskill and eventually a man named James Irving.
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After discovering coal deposits in the Canyon, James Irving
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would Co found with a man named August Wit the Black Star Coal
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Mining Company in 1879, which gave the Canyon its current
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name. The mine would pull an estimated
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6 tons of coal each day and was almost exclusively employed by
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the canyons few residents. Many accidents would take place
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within the mine, including one incident where a man who was
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seemingly intoxicated fell to his death.
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This was later investigated by the law at the time and the
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mining company was not found to be at fault.
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Many locals at this time of the operation believe the mine or
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the land could be haunted due to the frequent experiences of
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seeing apparitions and hearing disembodied voices throughout
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the mouth of the mine and the surrounding area.
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Many of the apparitions were described as natives adorned in
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tribal. Garb.
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The mining operation, like many during this era, soon became
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unprofitable and the Black Star Mining Company was soon sold by
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Irving. It would later be replaced by
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the Santa Clara Mine, a much more successful and sustainable
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company that would lead to the sustainment of the town of
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Carbondale, located nearby. It would go on to operate until
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it closed for good in the early 20th century.
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Another unfortunate event that took place upon the land
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happened on June 9th, 1899 at a place called Hidden Ranch
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located within the Canyon. Hidden Ranch was owned by a man
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named Henry Hungerford of Norwalk and George Howard of
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Anaheim on June 8th, 1899. James Gregg, his brother-in-law,
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and a teenage boy by the name of Clint Hunt arrived to drive out
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cattle that Greg owned and paid passage for on the land.
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That evening, a dispute broke out over unsettled debts between
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Greg and the property owners. Howard owed Greg $10 on a horse
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trade and Greg had an outstanding passage bill of
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$17.50, a total sum that would equal approximately $98,000 in
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today's money. While Greg insisted that Hunger,
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Ford and Howard accept a settlement of $7.50, or about
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$26,000 in today's money. A heated exchange broke out
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between the two, but they eventually would go their
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separate ways and ultimately would go to bed for the night.
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However, the following morning, upon reconvening, the argument
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simply started back up. Amidst the resumed dispute,
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Henry Hungerford would ultimately fatally shoot and
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kill James Gregg. It wasn't long after this
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incident that Hungerford was arrested and brought to the
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trial for the murder before Judge JW Ballard.
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Initially convicted of the murder.
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The trial results were overturned due to the judge
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granting a motion for a new trial on the grounds that not
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enough evidence had been produced to convict beyond a
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reasonable doubt. Since no new evidence was
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available upon the start of the new trial, the District
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Attorney, a man named Ry Williams, had no choice other
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than to dismiss the case. Henry Hungerford would get away
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with the murder of James Gregg, and since then many have claimed
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to see Gregg near Hidden Ranch in Considering the circumstances
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in which he died out of a lapse of judgement, heated emotions
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and reaction, it wouldn't surprise me if.
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His soul was still. Wandering the land even to this
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day. Besides events of the distant
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past, there have been more modern tragedies to take place
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within the Canyon as well. I'll be focusing on the ones
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that took place directly in the geographical area of Black Star
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and not the surrounding areas. It's been rumored, but cannot be
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confirmed, that in the 1970s, a bus driver lost control of the
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bus that transported local children to and from school.
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The bus then subsequently crashed into the Black Star
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Canyon, killing everyone who was on board.
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The corpse of the bus then sat within the Canyon.
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For more than 40. Years until it was removed in
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2013, many people have reported being pushed by what felt like
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child's hands and hearing children whispering and laughing
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near the bus when it was still there, but there was never
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anyone around. In 2001 and a brazen act of
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evil, two men and three boys associated with the gang known
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as the LTK crew were arrested after the beating of two teenage
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boys and the violation of their teenage girlfriends within Black
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Star. The suspects confessed to being
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under the influence of alcohol prior to the attack and began
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also taking drugs while the attacks were in progress and
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after they had taken place as well.
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In 2002, a very sad and unfortunate event also took
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place. Nicholas Anderson and his
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brother Glenn Anderson entered the Blue Light Mine in hopes of
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exploring the abandoned mine and having an adventure, but the two
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brothers tragically would never make it out alive.
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Oxygen levels inside the mine were recorded at only 4%.
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The mine, which has a total of 11 entrances, only had three
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properly blocked off at the time of the Anderson brothers deaths.
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There has since been a project in place to seal the additional
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entrances to prevent any further tragedies from taking place.
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Of just the several events that we've covered so far, As I've
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mentioned before in previous videos similar to this one as
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well, some believe that unspeakable events of evil such
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as murder or massacre or even untimely death can oftentimes
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leave a wound upon the land. And A haunting, as some believe
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is similar to a scar upon the land where the event has long
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since passed, but the energy of it once having taken place there
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still exists. One theory that's been discussed
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is that the majority of the Canyon is comprised of
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limestone, which has long since been debated by the paranormal
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community since the 1970s to be a type of stone that captures
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and stores bursts of energy like those that would have been
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discharged at the prior events mentioned.
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Could this possibly be contributing to the hauntings
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and other strange events taking place within Black Star Canyon
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today? Another theory is that many
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believe the Canyon to be a kind of portal.
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Whether that's to another dimension, the other side, or
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something else entirely, such as a different universe, it's hard
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to say, but the following stories may pique your interest
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as to why they feel this way. Satanic rituals and strange cult
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activity have long been associated with Black Star
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Canyon, with many visitors reporting hooded figures,
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unexplained fires, and chanting. Some have even reported
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witnessing the sacrifice of an animal.
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Hikers have discovered satanic imagery carved into various
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stones along trails, used black handles, animal skulls, and
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bloody objects. Many of these claims could be
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dismissed as legend or an overactive imagination according
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to most. But could there be more to these
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claims than mere speculation? Through some digging, I found a
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reference as noted in the book The Truth About Freemasons, the
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Illuminati and the New World Order by SDS and CMW.
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An individual who used the alias Pendar claimed to be a member of
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the Illuminated Brotherhood, also known as the Illuminati to
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most. This individual claimed to be
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from the Alsace Lorraine region of France and would attend major
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satanic ceremonies in Europe and parts of the United States
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regularly. One such ritual was said to have
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originally been hosted on a regular basis and the Trabuco
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Canyon in California. However, urban sprawl and
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development led the organizers to move the rights to Black Star
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Canyon instead. If this were true, it could
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possibly tie in or contribute to some of the legends that you're
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about to hear. Many strange things have been
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spotted within Black Star. One of those is a sighting of an
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ape like creature within the Canyon and throughout the
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surrounding area. Aside from dozens of reports by
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locals and tourists alike having claimed to have seen the
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creature, it is also been documented as being seen on four
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different occasions by 4 different Rangers.
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This is a photo of 1 alleged encounter.
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Could the activity of one or several dark cults have brought
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forth something into our world that isn't supposed to be here?
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Or is it something that's lived here all along?
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Another strange creature that has been witnessed draws from an
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old Spanish. Folk.
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Tale. The Spanish of course controlled
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the area prior to Mexico and the folk tale is that of La La Rona.
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There are many origin tales, but from my research it seems that
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La La Rona or the Weeping Woman was a woman named Maria who
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married a wealthy man who she eventually bore two children to.
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As time went on she began to see her husband less and less and
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when he was home he only ever paid attention to the children.
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Eventually she would see her husband with another woman out
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of jealousy and mania. One night she drowned her two
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children. Immediately regretting this
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horrid decision, she then drowned herself.
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She was denied entry through heaven's gates and now searches
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the world for her lost children, often being seen in a white
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bridal gown with a disfigured or animal like.
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Face. She's typically seen floating in
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bodies of water and attacks children as well as adults.
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There is a well that is rumored to exist within the Canyon where
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she lives, and she's been rumored to have manifested and
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come out of that well only to drag whoever or whatever she
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preys upon deep into its depths. Black Star Canyon also seems to
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be a hot spot for Evps, or electronic voice phenomena
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disembodied by audible voices have been heard and recorded by
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many individuals while visiting. The sounds of distant chanting,
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weeping, and even growling have been reported as well, all with
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no visible origin. Many people have also reported
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seeing things out of the corner of their eye only when they
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turn. There's nothing there.
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This activity could tie into the limestone theory or even the
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occult activity that's taken place there.
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Perhaps energy over the ages has been.
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Stored within the stone. Or.
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Perhaps an otherworldly vortex exists within the Canyon itself.
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Whether it's always been there or was open due to evil
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practices is anyone's guess. This vortex that I've mentioned
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could be a spiritual one, but others have often speculated
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that it could be some kind of wormhole or interdimensional
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portal instead. Many people wanting to escape
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the urban lifestyle of Orange County have taken to places like
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Black Star Canyon due to its relatively quiet environment and
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unparalleled views of the sky. A place where things aren't
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obstructed by city lights. Over the years, a plethora of
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UFO activity has been documented and reported over Black Star,
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and although there is occasionally planes overhead due
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to John Wayne Airport nearby, many have noted very strange
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craft with pulsing lights unlike anything they've ever seen
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before within the night sky there.
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As previously mentioned, many people have reported seeing
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things out of the corner of their eye, only for there to be
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nothing there. But people have also reported
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being stalked and even pursued by something aggressive and yet
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unseen. Could this perhaps be something
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that was dropped off by a UFOA terrifying and abhorrent
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creature created in an alien lab somewhere?
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Or is this a spirit or something else completely unknown?
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Those who have encountered such entities and have lived to tell
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the tale, I'm sure will not be going back anytime soon, and I
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can't blame them. Many creatures have been
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mentioned due to Black Star Canyon being a hot spot of many
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different types of supposed activity, but there is another
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type of creature or creatures that I'd like to mention as
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well, although these certainly seem less menacing.
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Originally spotted on January 23rd of 1995 by a group of
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friends hunting within the Canyon, they were described as
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the Black Star Waddlers. These were small entities that
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were approximately 2 feet tall, dark in color, and had a notable
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waddle as they walked by. They typically would be seen in
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groups and were spotted several times by the 1st party prior to
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their hunt being over. The creatures would also be
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spotted by another group later that year and again in 1998, and
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although not much is known about them, they don't appear to be
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hostile. But for those who witnessed
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them, it would certainly make for a very strange trip and even
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a stranger story indeed. While many of the trails and
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open spaces of Black Star Canyon are still regularly traveled
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during the day, many refuse to traverse the space at night.
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There is said to be an uncomfortable and noticeable
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shift in energy from relative happiness and normalcy to that
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of malness and uncertainty. While the majority of known
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history, legends, and sightings have all been mentioned in this
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video, there are old details that we may possibly never know
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and others that will be kept from us about this place.
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There are also still stories and new experiences being written
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and told as those with an insatiable curiosity for the
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unexplained continue to hike Black Star Canyon.
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So if you find yourself in California and want to
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experience the weird, the Black Star Canyon might just be the
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place for you. But if I were you, I wouldn't
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recommend staying too long because you may never.
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Leave after a flood destroys their home, a family is forced
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to relocate to a new home, which they believe is going to be a
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fresh start for them. However, it turns out to be a
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fresh new hell instead. From demonic attacks,
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nightmarish visuals and terrifying manifestations, this
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is 1 haunting story you won't want to miss.
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This is the untold story of the smirrel haunting in Pennsylvania
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and the monstrous creature that stalked its walls.
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The timeline of events is rough at best, but I've done my best
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to make the most coherent retelling of the story, so
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please keep that in mind. Raging floods as a result of
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Hurricane Agnes have destroyed the homes of many families, and
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one such family was the Smurls. The Smurl family consisted of
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Janet and Jack Smurl and their four young children, Heather,
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Shannon, Karen, and Don. With their home destroyed in the
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Wilkes Barre, PA area, Feeling as if they had been uprooted and
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tossed about like the rushing waters that took their house,
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the Smurls decide to temporarily relocate to West Pitzen, where
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Jack's parents currently lived. After explaining the situation
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and staying with the couple for a short time, they were
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surprised and ultimately blessed when Jack's parents proposed an
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idea to them. They had found an old duplex, a
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bit of a fixer upper, also in West Pitzen.
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The two of them could live on one side and Jack, Janet and the
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kids on the other. That way they could look out for
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one another and of course, spend more time together.
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Not in a position to or wanting to say no, Jack and Janet humbly
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accepted their offer. But all too soon they would be
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confronted with the question, was this blessing truly a curse?
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With Jack's parents paying for them all to move into the new
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house, they soon find themselves rehomed and living in the newly
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purchased duplex located on Chase Street there in West
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Pitzen. Although the home would need
22:15
some work, the neighborhood seemed friendly and inviting, a
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good place to raise a family. The family collectively puts
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their efforts into repainting, retooling and other repairs, but
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in no time the slightly rundown home was feeling fresh, vibrant
22:34
and modern, making the Smirrels feel ever more at home and
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hopeful for the future. However, this would not last
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forever, for it seemed that each time they banged a hammer, each
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time they drove a nail into a wall, and with every drop of
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paint they woke something up within the house itself,
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something that perhaps had been slumbering there for quite some
23:01
time. During this time, small episodes
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of strangeness began to manifest.
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Seeming rather benign at first. Tools began to disappear, only
23:13
to reappear hours later in different spots.
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Old stains that covered the walls began to seep through the
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fresh coats of pain, and several appliances in their kitchen had
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mysteriously caught fire even though they were unplugged.
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Along with these oddities, the family would also begin to smell
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awful odors that overwhelmed the entire house, like an
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omnipresent floating cloud of rotting meat that hungover them
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only to disperse mere moments later after being detected.
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But despite these weird events, the family didn't really think
23:52
much of it. They were just thankful to have
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a roof over their heads. Jack and Janet continue to
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rebuild their lives. Jack fortunately had since
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gotten a better job than the one he had had previously and was
24:07
promoted. During this time he was also
24:10
able to coach his daughter's softball team.
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The children had re acclimated to a new school and were getting
24:16
good grades and Jana had become pregnant with baby #5 and also
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helped organize an anti drunk driving group at the local high
24:25
school. And Jack's parents were doing
24:27
great as well. But all of this positivity,
24:31
unfortunately, would not last. By 1974, things began to change
24:38
for the Smurls. It began when Mary Smurl, Jack's
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mother, suffered a heart attack. This led to the entire family
24:46
struggling to make ends meet. And whether it was a result of
24:50
the renovations or something else, something paranormal had
24:55
began to manifest and make itself known.
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It began when Janet began to hear the voice of her
25:02
mother-in-law, who shortly after her heart attack was now at home
25:06
and recovering, doing what she could to help her.
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She would hear her name being called out from Mary and would
25:13
rush to her aid to help her with anything and everything that she
25:17
could possibly need. But the strange thing was, Mary
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at times would either be unconscious, sleeping, or
25:25
wouldn't have had called for her at all.
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Attributing this bizarre phenomena distress at first, she
25:31
writes it off. However, Mary soon starts
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experiencing her own strangeness.
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She too, as if the words had come from Janet's mouth herself,
25:42
would hear her name being called only when confronted, Janet
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would have no idea what she was talking about.
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But that wasn't all of course. The stains that had previously
25:54
been painted over and were thought to be covered began to
25:58
seep through yet again, and new stains began to appear as well,
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with several appearing on the hardwood floors of the home.
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As the days progressed, the oldest small child soon began to
26:11
experience the presence as well. She would often be woken up in
26:15
the dead of night, frozen with fear and unable to move.
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She would see translucent figures standing above her or at
26:25
the edge of her bed, staring and watching her.
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And although it wasn't exclusive to the midnight hour, the
26:33
activity seemed to pick up at night.
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Often when Jack was at work or gone.
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Janet began to have violent and sickening encounters with the
26:43
being that she couldn't see. She began to be molested by an
26:48
unseen force. These interactions left her
26:52
hysterical, feeling violated and unclean, trying to come to terms
26:58
with what was happening to them. The family's luck continued to
27:02
worsen. Additional appliances, including
27:06
ATV set, went up in flames, causing smoke and fire damage to
27:11
the home on several occasions. And then, like the TV, the other
27:17
appliances were not plugged in in order for the family to save
27:21
money, which makes it all the more mysterious.
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On top of this, several water pipes, which are fairly new
27:29
after the family had initially renovated the home, began to
27:33
leak, not only causing water damage to the house, but adding
27:37
to their financial. Woes as well.
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The string of bad luck will continue for the Smurls and by
27:44
1977 the activity in the home became much more aggressive.
27:50
The family's radio began to turn itself on and.
27:53
Off. Typically a strange hours and
27:57
almost always when the family was trying to sleep, the sinks
28:01
in their bathrooms began to turn themselves on, pouring what
28:05
little money they had left literally down the drain, and
28:09
their toilets began to flush by themselves.
28:13
Along with this activity, the sounds of footsteps began to be
28:16
heard all. Throughout the house.
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And even on the insides of the walls, drawers began to open,
28:24
enclosed by themselves. And coupled with these
28:28
happenings was again the stench of rotting mean, but the family
28:32
would begin to describe as the dead smell.
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Except instead of dissipating almost as soon as it was
28:39
detected before or in one particular area of the house,
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the smell would permeate all throughout the house and would
28:48
linger for minutes or sometimes even hours.
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Up until this point, besides seeing things being moved,
28:56
dealing with the stains, pipes and appliances, Jack hadn't been
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targeted, so to speak, by whatever paranormal force that
29:06
was now fully awake within the Smirrel residence.
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But one night when he was trying to get some sleep after a long
29:13
day's work, his side of the sheets were pulled from his body
29:18
and the sensation of dozens of hands touching and grabbing him
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ensured that not only was he not going to get the rest that night
29:28
due to sheer terror, but that perhaps his wife had been
29:32
telling the truth. Janet, shortly after moving into
29:36
the house, had become pregnant and this time had given birth to
29:40
two baby girls, expanding the Smurrill family to six children.
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Shortly after the twins were brought home, it seemed like
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whatever presence that had been woken up was making itself
29:52
known. It became more aggressive, more
29:56
vindictive, as if it was jealous or hated the living.
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One morning, while the majority of the children were at school
30:04
and napping and the rest of the adults were out, Janet was
30:09
headed to the kitchen to pour herself a freshly brewed cup of
30:12
coffee. As she turned around the corner,
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her blood ran cold. Standing in the middle of the
30:19
kitchen with a stain seeming to materialize directly underneath
30:24
it. It was a translucent figure with
30:28
hollow eyes frozen in place upon seeing it was if she blinked.
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Whatever this creature was, was gone.
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Was this what was responsible for the multitude of paranormal
30:41
happenings within their house? As time progressed, Janet again
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would continue to hear her name being called out when no one
30:50
else was there, over and over and over again.
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Strangely, as it was before, in the beginning, the voices would
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often sound like her mother-in-law, Mary, and even
31:04
after double or triple checking sometimes to make sure she
31:08
wasn't losing her mind, Mary would be nowhere to be found.
31:13
Janet truly was alone. Other strange things that were
31:17
heard during this time would be heard from the other side of the
31:20
duplex. Couples do argue and some fight
31:25
that just tends to happen to most unfortunately, but these
31:29
fights were something else. Jack's parents began to hear
31:33
yelling and screaming, sometimes even items breaking coming from
31:39
the other side of the duplex where Jack and Janet lived.
31:43
These fights became so violent that not only did they think
31:47
their marriage was collapsing, but they began to become
31:50
concerned for Janet and the children's safety.
31:54
One night, Jack's father couldn't take it anymore.
31:58
He walked from their front door to the other side, and with the
32:01
fight still raging, he threw the door open, only to be greeted
32:08
with silence. The entire family was asleep.
32:14
Not knowing what to make of this discovery, he simply left
32:18
bewildered. But the supposed audio of the
32:22
fights would continue. Shortly after the bizarre
32:26
discovery, Mary would experience something that almost gave her
32:31
another heart attack. One evening, while her husband
32:35
was still at work and she was alone on their side of the
32:38
duplex, she began to hear her name being.
32:41
Whispered. And it sounded like Janet, but
32:45
it was right within earshot, or several feet of where she had
32:48
been. Weirded out, as most of us would
32:51
be, she began to make her way towards the voice that was
32:55
calling out to her. And that's when she saw it.
32:59
Standing in her living room with a stain seeping underneath its
33:03
feet was the same translucent being that Janet had claimed she
33:08
had seen just a short while ago, and terrifyingly, its mouth was
33:14
mimicking Janet's voice and calling out her name.
33:20
Frozen in terror at first with her heart racing, Mary ran to
33:25
the door, exited, and immediately went into Jack and
33:29
Janet's door, absolutely petrified with fear.
33:33
The talks that followed this event in particular is what led
33:37
to most of the individual experiences being laid out in
33:40
the open for everyone to know. They would all come to the
33:44
realization that whatever force that was in their house was not
33:48
friendly. Shannon Smerl, who was only 7
33:52
years old during this time, would be the next target.
33:56
One day as she casually walked through the kitchen and into the
34:00
dining room, a large glass light fixture fell and crashed into
34:05
her, cutting her and raising the alarm bells for the entire
34:10
house. Again, it seemed like the
34:13
paranormal being or force hated life and now was possibly trying
34:19
to end it if the opportunity presented itself.
34:23
Scared but strapped for cash, they were all seemingly stuck in
34:27
what was supposed to be their fresh start, but instead at this
34:31
point was becoming their fresh hell.
34:34
Shannon would continue to experience strangeness of her
34:37
own as well and her diary, and later she would recount that
34:43
often times she would wake up and find herself floating above
34:46
her bed, literally levitating several feet above her bed.
34:52
Some nights while floating, she would suddenly be thrown across
34:56
the room and into a wall with so much force as she thought she
35:02
would be crushed. The climax of these attacks on
35:05
Shannon happened one night when she woke up to find herself
35:09
floating once again, but instead of being let back down or
35:14
smacked into a nearby wall, her door was flung open and she was
35:19
thrown out of her room and down the stairs.
35:24
Her parents heard this happen and rushed towards the screams
35:27
of their little girl to find her absolutely hysterical and in
35:32
pain. Fortunately, however, she would
35:35
be OK physically after this event.
35:38
In particular, another unfortunate sold out would be
35:41
targeted in the Smirrel duplex was the family's German
35:45
Shepherd, Simon. Simon would be found floating in
35:48
the air, confused and concerned. And this new development and
35:54
activity was not just exclusive to Shannon or their beloved dog.
36:00
Alongside the intensified attacks on Janet, she too would
36:04
begin finding herself woken up in the middle of the night,
36:07
floating in the air and sometimes horrifically without
36:12
control of her body. She would then also be
36:15
assaulted. However, Jack wasn't always gone
36:19
at this time. Frequently at this point he
36:22
would be home and sleeping beside her, but could never seem
36:26
to wake up, as if he was being kept asleep or in a state of
36:30
paralysis. Why the events took place.
36:34
Coupled along these intense and abhorrent manifestations came
36:38
activity that was plain creepy. Not a day would go by without
36:43
the family hearing scratching noises coming from within the
36:46
walls or deep drawn out breaths coming from behind them, feeling
36:52
the exhale upon their necks, making the hairs on their entire
36:57
body stand on end. Jack, at times, after a hard
37:01
day's work, would like to unwind and decompress by watching some
37:06
TV in the living room. On occasion he would fall asleep
37:10
to whatever was on before eventually waking back up and
37:14
making his way to bed. However, this night he found
37:18
himself awake and coherent but unable to move, as if he was
37:25
paralyzed or stuck in some kind of a glue trap, like an insect
37:31
unable to break free. He glanced around the room,
37:34
trying to discover the source of his distress.
37:38
It was here that he was met face to face with this being, this
37:43
demon that seemed to be plaguing their lives.
37:47
The creature grabbed him from the back and slammed him onto
37:51
the floor, began repeatedly bashing his head into the
37:54
hardwood below before disappearing.
37:59
After this, Jack didn't watch TV to unwind anymore.
38:04
As a matter of fact, no one could unwind.
38:08
They were petrified at whatever was taking place in the house,
38:13
unable to afford to move between all the adults and seemingly
38:17
stuck between a rock and a hard place.
38:20
Scared and unable to figure out what to do, they began to seek
38:24
help wherever they thought they could find it.
38:27
It was now winter and the family, besides their daily
38:30
duties, spent most of their time indoors.
38:34
While watching TV one afternoon they saw an interview with Ed
38:39
and Lorraine Warren, world renowned paranormal experts and
38:43
demonologists. Not being particularly religious
38:47
and unsure of where to turn, they decided to reach out to the
38:51
couple and we're surprised when they made contact.
38:55
After speaking with them for some time, the Warrens agreed to
38:58
come to their house to meet in person with the Smurls and to
39:02
investigate. And within a week, that's
39:05
exactly what they did. After an initial meeting with
39:08
the family, hearing their testimonies in person, and after
39:12
exploring the home the Warrens decided seems genuine and it's
39:17
worth investigating, they begin their usual process of bringing
39:22
in their team for an extended period of time to document and
39:27
Mull over potential solutions for the family.
39:30
After several months of the documenting team living with the
39:33
family and experiencing strange activity themselves such as
39:38
furniture stacking on top of itself, along with several other
39:43
previously mentioned happenings such as the stains and attacks
39:47
on individual members of the home, the rain finally comes to
39:51
the conclusion after having a vision within the house that
39:55
they were dealing with a total of 4 entities.
39:59
One was that of an old woman who she believed was not a threat to
40:03
the family but was simply being held against her will within the
40:06
home. One was a younger woman who was
40:09
angry and resentful and could be violent, and the other was a man
40:15
who took the life of his wife and his lover and had been
40:19
hanged in the same spot 100 years earlier by a vengeful
40:23
crowd. The final entity was that of a
40:27
demon, and this demon not only was strong and keeping the other
40:31
three spirits under its heel of control, but would use them to
40:35
strengthen itself and wreak havoc upon the family, to sow
40:40
discord, anxiety, and fear, All things to which you could feed
40:46
on and continue to grow stronger.
40:49
After reaching this conclusion and having gathered sufficient
40:53
information, the warrant spoke to Father McKenna.
40:57
Who was a? Vatican sanctioned exorcist and
41:00
had worked with them over 50 times on separate cases in the
41:04
past, so he was no stranger to the demonic.
41:09
But after his arrival and attempted exorcism, the activity
41:14
only increased in aggression and hostility, and for whatever
41:19
reason it was not tied to the home anymore, but rather the
41:23
family members themselves. Jack began to experience
41:27
horrific visions of the creature at work, as did his father, and
41:33
alongside the continued paranormal activity taking place
41:37
at their home, their daughter Karen fell seriously ill with a
41:40
fever that the doctors couldn't diagnose at the time and almost
41:45
died. Several of the other girls were
41:48
also visited by the sickening presence at night, as Janet also
41:53
was and continued to be. The demon also began to
41:57
physically attack the family more often, causing stinging
42:01
scratches and cuts on their bodies at random times, as well
42:06
as deep and bruising bite marks. Still trying to help the family
42:11
rid themselves of this creature and fearing for the families
42:15
continued torment, the Warrens convinced the Smurls to allow a
42:19
second exorcism to take place and McKenna again would visit
42:23
and conduct a second exorcism months later in the early
42:28
spring. During this exorcism ritual,
42:31
Evps were recorded which when played back after the fact,
42:36
would reveal multiple entities laughing at and berating them
42:41
for their efforts. Ed Warren would also be choked
42:44
during this visit and would be incapacitated for multiple days
42:49
after. Unfortunately, the 2nd exorcism
42:52
also failed, leading to even more violent manifestations of
42:58
evil. Trying to get away from it all
43:00
for even just a few days, the family went on a camping trip to
43:04
the Pocono Mountains, but the demon would follow them there as
43:09
well, tormenting them wherever they went, allowing for no rest,
43:14
no decompression, and no peace. Upon returning to their home
43:20
following this trip and getting even more desperate, they
43:24
decided to reach out to a local TV show called People Are
43:27
Talking to see if anyone could possibly help them.
43:31
They did, however. Remain anonymous during their
43:34
interview and this call for help, however, went unanswered,
43:38
but the demons seemed to retaliate against them for it.
43:42
Janet would once again be hurled against a wall and Jack would
43:46
experience something truly terrifying and new as he woke up
43:51
in the early morning to get ready for work before the sun
43:55
had come up. A light rain tapped the glass of
43:58
the windows outside as he dressed himself and began to
44:02
gather his things for his work day departure.
44:05
He came down the stairs and was greeted by a disgusting and
44:10
horrid creature. Standing in front of the door
44:13
was a monstrous being whose head almost touched the ceiling.
44:17
It resembled a horrible amalgamation of a man and a pig
44:23
standing upright on two legs. It screeched and rushed towards
44:29
him, but as he fell backwards onto the stairs, hurting his
44:33
back, the creature stood over him face to face, snarling
44:39
before it disappeared. This manifestation disturbed and
44:43
rattled Jack to his core. The same morning, shortly after
44:47
Jack had left for work because although terrified, he still had
44:51
to provide for his family if they ever wanted to have a
44:54
chance of escaping this hellscape of a home.
44:58
Janet was woken up a short while later by a hand reaching up
45:02
through her mattress and grabbing the back of her neck
45:06
and pulling her towards it and choking her.
45:09
After these events, horrific snarling noises.
45:13
Like that of a. Pig could be heard coming from
45:16
inside the walls. The time was now August of 1986,
45:22
and the Smurls felt that the risk of ridicule did not
45:25
outweigh the need for their story to reach a wider audience
45:30
so that somehow, somewhere, someone could possibly help them
45:34
be freed from this torment. They would soon be granted an
45:37
interview with the Wilkes Barre Sunday newspaper, but instead of
45:42
someone reading and immediately coming to their aid, their home
45:46
quickly became a tourist attraction instead.
45:49
The press, skeptics and curious onlookers alike began to visit
45:54
the house and camp outside of it at all hours of the day and
45:59
night, with some particularly weird people even coming up and
46:04
staring into the home's windows themselves.
46:07
Some of their neighbors who had seen and heard strange things
46:10
coming from the small residence began to turn on them.
46:14
They believed that the family was concocting some kind of a
46:17
story to try and make money. Eventually, however, despite the
46:22
torment inside and outside of the home now that they were
46:25
experiencing, the Smurls would be contacted by a medium by the
46:30
name of Mary Alice Rinkman, who offered to meet with them.
46:34
Upon meeting the family and walking through the home, it was
46:38
also Mary's conviction that there were four entities within
46:41
the house. 3 Human spirits and one who had never been human,
46:46
thus corroborating the Warrens beliefs about the situation as
46:50
well. She would however take things a
46:52
bit further. She identified the old woman by
46:55
the name of Abigail, the murderous man as Patrick, and
47:00
the violent and I'll tempered spirit as Patrick's wife.
47:05
And the 4th entity, of course, could not be identified by name,
47:09
but was indeed a very powerful demon.
47:12
The press coverage, despite the ridicule and the positive
47:15
acquaintance of Mary, also had pushed the Scranton Catholic
47:19
Diocese into action as well. They offered to take over the
47:23
investigation and the meantime the Warrens had not given up on
47:27
the family, but rather had reached out to several more
47:31
priests and had arranged for a mass exorcism to be conducted
47:35
with four priests taking part as well as multiple prayer groups
47:40
alongside this. Now Bishop McKenna came in for a
47:44
third and final time and conducted an exorcism on the
47:48
House for the family and fortunately the ritual, at least
47:52
for a time, seemed to work because following it there were
47:57
no disturbances for about 3 months.
48:00
But as winter set in that year, just before Christmas of 1986,
48:07
Jack would again see the creature that had tormented him
48:10
for all of those years. This time, however, it beckoned
48:14
him to allow it to take over. But clutching a rosary in his
48:19
pocket that had been gifted to him by the church, he prayed as
48:23
hard as he could. And thankfully, this time the
48:27
demon vanished, never to be seen again.
48:31
However, the putrid smells and violent manifestations would
48:35
return and continue day in and day out, Frustrated, hopeless,
48:42
and exhausted. The Smurls by this point had
48:46
finally saved enough to be able to leave this dreaded duplex on
48:50
Chase Street, and decided they needed the closest thing to a
48:54
fresh start as they could get. So when they finally did move,
48:58
they moved to a completely new town, one where the ridicule
49:02
would not find them. But like the terrible pattern
49:06
shown before, the demon did not seem to be tied to the property,
49:11
but rather the family. The activity started back up
49:15
almost as soon as they had moved in and laid their heads to rest
49:19
in their new home. It would take some time, but in
49:23
1988 the church finally sanctioned 1/4 exorcism, but
49:28
this time at their new residence.
49:30
And this finally seems to have given the family peace.
49:35
A few things I would like to mention, however, are these.
49:39
From my own personal experience and many other stories I've
49:42
researched, it seems like renovations, particularly on
49:46
older homes, can wake up dormant spirits or hauntings.
49:51
Perhaps this is what happened to the Smurls?
49:54
It's hard to tell if the assaults were one or multiple
49:57
demonic entities, but if they did truly exist, how did they
50:01
get in the home to begin with? My guess is that the collection
50:05
of negative energy attracts them like moths to a flame.
50:09
Perhaps they enjoy or feed off of human suffering.
50:13
This would only make sense to me, considering that they hate
50:16
humans, refuse to bow to them in the beginning.
50:19
Perhaps once they're embedded in one's life, they continue to so
50:23
said, suffering to exploit and grow stronger, ultimately trying
50:27
to take the human's life and their soul back with them to
50:31
hell. I would also like to mention
50:34
that scratching on a person and inside the walls as well as
50:38
disembodied breathing are all signs of demonic infestation.
50:43
And for one reason or another, having actually experienced this
50:47
personally, seeing the manifestation of a pig like
50:50
demon or a creature, as well as hearing pigs snarling coming
50:55
from within the walls is considered to be a serious or
50:59
incredibly strong sign of a very strong demonic infestation.
51:04
As far as the initial activity, the seeping through of the
51:07
stains, the sinks turning on, toilets flushing on their own,
51:12
and leaky pipes, those initially could be written off as poor
51:16
skill when the work was initially done.
51:18
But it seemed like with this story all of these things were
51:21
working perfectly fine for months before they all of a
51:25
sudden almost at the same time began to go wrong while costing
51:29
the family money that they didn't have.
51:32
And money at the time seemed to be their main issue as well as
51:35
the paranormal. So perhaps the demon knew and
51:38
exploited this to add to the misery it was feeding on.
51:42
But truly at the end of the day the conclusion is yours to make.
51:47
Was The Smirrel haunting legitimate or just another tale
51:50
concocted for money or inside the broken minds of individuals
51:55
who claimed to have experienced it?
51:58
Let me know down in the comments below.
52:00
They would eventually release a book about all they had
52:02
experienced called The Haunted in 1988, but financials or how
52:08
successful it was was never released, at least not from what
52:11
I could find. But what I do know is this.
52:15
It's extremely important to examine a situation from all
52:18
angles just before diving into it.
52:21
Although a place might seem like a fresh new start, it could
52:25
indeed be your fresh new hell, and those renovations that you
52:29
think are going to improve your quality of life could awaken
52:33
something that has been watching and waiting for a new host to
52:37
attach itself to and feed upon until it can wear it down, rot,
52:43
and eventually drag it back. To the depths.
52:46
From where it came? From what once seemed like a
52:53
miraculous place to its early settlers, slowly but surely
52:57
collapsed under the weight of its own profits and debauchery.
53:03
And it's now said that the land and all items within this
53:07
abandoned town are now cursed. This is a strange tale that
53:12
intertwines legend with history. This is the untold story of
53:19
Bodhi, California. The year was 1859 and mining had
53:31
began to decline along the western slope of the Sierra
53:35
Nevada. Prospectors in search of riches
53:39
beyond their wildest dreams began to cross the eastern
53:42
slope. One such man was named William S
53:46
Bodhi. During his expedition, Bodhi
53:49
would find gold near a place now known as Bodhi Bluff.
53:54
He would make camp there and continue to take his chances in
53:57
order to collect his riches. His supplies and food would grow
54:01
scarce, but his stash of gold Nuggets was growing ever larger.
54:07
Powered by his insatiable love for a better life, Bodhi
54:12
continued on. However, as the year progressed
54:16
and winter came over the area, he unfortunately would breathe
54:20
his last. Breath.
54:22
Bodhi died in a snowstorm that very winter and would later be
54:26
discovered by the future inhabitants of the town that
54:30
would come to bear his name. His story, in its own way, would
54:34
manifest within the settlement, even down to its last days.
54:39
As the search for gold continued, Bodhi's gold vein
54:43
would be rediscovered and slowly but surely, a mine was
54:47
established as well as a mill. The year was now 1861 and the
54:53
town known as Bodie was home to 20 miners.
54:57
For the next 17 years to come, its population would grow
55:01
steadily, but it would remain a rather insignificant mining
55:05
camp. And that was until the mill was
55:08
sold. Bunker Hill Mine, as it came to
55:11
be known on the West slope of Bodie Bluff, would change hands
55:15
several times within the 17 years until it came into the
55:20
possession of Standard Mining Company.
55:23
It was originally sold because the owners of Bunker Hill Mine
55:26
at the time believed that the well had run dry, so to speak,
55:30
since their profits and gold discovery had been on a downward
55:34
trajectory for many years. But after it was sold to
55:38
Standard, it was if a miracle had taken place just months
55:43
after the sale, a significant vein of.
55:45
Rich gold ore was discovered. Profits as a result rose
55:50
dramatically, and by 1878 Bodie's population had soared to
55:56
over 5000 people. It's estimated that the mine
56:00
would yield nearly $15 million worth of gold over the next 25
56:05
years, profits that would be worth an estimated $400 million
56:10
in today's money. Although all seem to be going
56:13
great in Bodie, there were many hardships yet in store for the
56:17
fledgling town and its citizens. The winter of 1878 was
56:23
particularly savage. It's estimated that over 200
56:27
people would lose their lives, either due to exposure,
56:32
hypothermia, or disease. Others would be taken by fallen
56:37
timber and one of several explosions to take place within
56:41
the mines as the powder magazine mysteriously ignited.
56:48
But despite the horror of the winter frost, Bodie continued to
56:52
grow. People of almost every walk of
56:55
life would end up there, from miners to gamblers, prostitutes
57:01
and businessmen and by 1879 it had doubled in size to over
57:08
10,000 residents. It had added an additional 2000
57:13
buildings and before long it supported over 30 gold mines, 65
57:18
salons and untold amounts of brothels, gambling halls and
57:24
opium dens. Opposite the brothels, gambling
57:28
and opium smoking, the town also had several churches, banks and
57:34
schools. 3. Breweries within the town were
57:38
day and night brewing whiskey and 100 gallon barrels because
57:42
Bodie seemed to have an insatiable thirst for alcohol.
57:47
Like a perfect storm, Bodie would soon earn a reputation for
57:51
violence, lawlessness, and debauchery of every kind.
57:57
Killings at times were daily events, Robberies, stick ups and
58:03
street fights all became frequent occurrences as well as
58:06
the town seemed to turn its back on God and worship its new found
58:11
idol, one of gold and profit. It seemed like the good times
58:17
for those who indulge themselves would never end.
58:21
But they would. Given Bodie's reputation, it's
58:26
perhaps not surprising that one little girl whose family was
58:30
moving to the mining town reportedly prayed goodbye.
58:34
God, we are going to Bodie. For all of its construction,
58:40
Bodie needed vast amounts of lumber, and the problem was that
58:45
there were scarce trees in the area.
58:47
Soon, several businessmen formed the Bodie and Benton Railroad
58:51
Company in 1881 for the sole purpose of sustaining that
58:56
appetite for much needed lumber. However, for the citizens of
59:01
Bodhi, this was not a good decision.
59:04
In order to maximize profits, the company hired an expensive
59:08
Chinese labor, much to the outrage of the locally
59:12
unemployed. So with a large influx of cheap
59:16
foreign labor, it soon helped drive the competing labor costs
59:20
into the ground, not just for the railroad, but for mining as
59:25
well. This marked the beginning of the
59:27
end of the town. The boom was over.
59:31
Just one year later, in 1882, Bodhi started to rapidly
59:35
decline. Prior to 1882, there were no
59:40
churches within the town, but there were two preachers, one
59:44
Methodist and one Catholic, who held services in their private
59:48
homes. And despite of the town's
59:51
decline, 2 churches would be built in 1882, one for each of
59:56
the two faiths. However, both would not end up
1:00:00
surviving. After the merging of Bodie and
1:00:04
the standard mining companies in 1887, the town saw a brief
1:00:09
revival in both wealth as well as population.
1:00:13
But that too would be short lived.
1:00:16
A series of fires would soon extinguish Bodie for good.
1:00:21
In 1892 a fire ravaged much of the business district, further
1:00:26
depleting the population, and in 1898 a massive fire broke out
1:00:32
and destroyed the once prosperous mill.
1:00:36
And although it was a slow burn, metaphorically speaking, as far
1:00:40
as the decline of the town, the final nail in the coffin was in
1:00:44
1932 when a 2 year old boy who had gotten a hold of his
1:00:49
father's matches ended up lighting a fire that would
1:00:53
destroy 95% of all buildings left within the town.
1:00:58
In the years to come, Prohibition and the Great
1:01:01
Depression would entomb Bodhi, and although attempts were made
1:01:06
to strike new gold companies, once record profits crashed.
1:01:12
We are thus left with a tale of a city that flew too close to
1:01:15
the sun and burned, showing that chasing prophet and vanity,
1:01:21
debauchery and lust yielded disastrous long term
1:01:25
consequences. after World War Two, only six people lived in
1:01:31
the old settlement, and five of these six would soon meet
1:01:35
strange and untimely deaths. The first was a man who
1:01:40
seemingly went mad out of the clear blue sky.
1:01:44
He woke up one day, loaded his pistol and shot his wife in
1:01:49
broad daylight in the Town Center.
1:01:52
Three men witnessed this take place and quickly took action,
1:01:56
which would lead to the death of the man who had just killed his
1:02:00
wife. And this is where things take a
1:02:03
very weird turn indeed. According to each man, the ghost
1:02:08
of the murdered man would visit them individually, tormenting
1:02:12
them and forbidding their rest. Soon, all three would die of a
1:02:17
mysterious and painful disease. Details on their condition are
1:02:23
scarce, but thick and painful boils were said to envelope
1:02:27
them, and within a matter of agonizing weeks, they would all
1:02:32
perish. But the strange happenings
1:02:35
didn't seem to stop with just those three men.
1:02:39
After this, Bodhi truly became a ghost town.
1:02:43
By 1962, after years of neglect, it was designated a state
1:02:49
historical park by the state of California, and legends about
1:02:53
this place seemingly stuck in time.
1:02:57
One such legend is known as the Bodhi Curse.
1:03:01
Supposedly, if visitors take anything from this town, even a
1:03:05
Pebble, they will forever be cursed with terrible misfortune.
1:03:10
One such victim claimed to have been struck with horrible luck
1:03:14
and tragedy until they returned an item that they had stolen
1:03:18
from a previous visit. And this isn't entirely
1:03:22
speculation or superstition. However, the park's own Rangers
1:03:26
claim it's a real phenomenon. Years ago, they began to keep a
1:03:30
log of anyone who would offer to tell them that they were taking
1:03:34
something from Bodie, and the log book also contains pages
1:03:38
upon pages of those same people returning those items and
1:03:43
claiming the notorious curse. The curse is said to be
1:03:47
perpetuated by the ghosts that live there, who guard their
1:03:51
riches against thieves as they are still searching for new
1:03:54
gold. And despite the Park Rangers
1:03:57
vouching for the happenings, many believe it's nothing more
1:04:01
than silly superstition. But I for one wouldn't want to
1:04:05
be the guy to test this out. There are many places I'd be
1:04:09
willing to go to investigate, with Bodie being one of them.
1:04:13
But why take the chance of destroying your life for
1:04:15
something that wasn't yours to begin with?
1:04:19
Another ghostly legend is that of the haunting of the JS Kane
1:04:23
house at the corner of Green and Park streets.
1:04:28
James Stewart Kane or JS Kane, had arrived in Bodhi when he was
1:04:33
just 25 years old. Soon after his arrival, he
1:04:37
entered the lumber transporting business and soon became a
1:04:41
mogul. He would go on to own the Bodhi
1:04:45
Bank, a leasing company, and became the primary property
1:04:49
owner within the town. The home is said to be haunted
1:04:53
by the restless spirit of a Chinese maid.
1:04:57
The maid apparently loves children who visit, but hates
1:05:00
adults. Adults sleeping in the old House
1:05:04
of said to be awakened, frightened and breathless,
1:05:08
feeling the weight of another person sitting on their chest.
1:05:13
Others have experienced doors opening and closing by
1:05:16
themselves, and have even seen the apparition of the spirit
1:05:20
herself knitting in the chair and the main room.
1:05:24
And this isn't the only place that's claimed to be haunted
1:05:27
that still stands there. The Mendocini house is called
1:05:31
home to several friendly ghosts, one who is thought to be Misses
1:05:36
Mendocini herself. She loved cooking large Italian
1:05:40
meals for her family. Guests and Park Rangers alike
1:05:44
have reported smelling delicious aromas emanating from the house.
1:05:49
Although no one has cooked there for over 100 years, others have
1:05:55
seen the spirit of a woman peering out of the top window of
1:05:58
the Duckenbue house, almost as if the woman is still alive but
1:06:03
trapped in another time, still dressed as though it's the early
1:06:08
1900s. And yet another ghost is known
1:06:13
as the Angel of Bodhi and her home is the Bodhi Cemetery.
1:06:18
There is an old Angel statue that sits to guard her grave.
1:06:22
The Angel was a three-year old little girl who was said to have
1:06:26
been accidentally killed when she was hit in the head by
1:06:29
slipped miners pickaxe. Visitors of her giggling,
1:06:34
feeling a small hand tugging on their pant legs, and others have
1:06:38
seen a little girl run from tombstone to tombstone, but upon
1:06:43
rushing to find her, there's never anyone there.
1:06:48
Bodhi is now in a state of arrested decay.
1:06:51
There are no permanent residents of the town except the park
1:06:54
employees, and only about 10% of the original buildings still
1:06:59
stand in this ghost town. There are no maps, no
1:07:04
restaurants or recreations here. You get the real ghost town
1:07:09
experience. So if you find yourself in
1:07:12
California and feel like taking a walk through time, Bodie just
1:07:17
might be the place for you. But just remember, don't take
1:07:22
anything. You just might become its newest
1:07:25
resident ghost. Lying dormant within the streets
1:07:32
of suburbia, there is an unseen evil.
1:07:37
Like a mouse falling into a pit of snakes, an unsuspecting
1:07:41
family disturbed a slumbering force and became enshrouded in a
1:07:47
fog of darkness. This is the untold story of the
1:07:52
Bel Air House and the terrifying malevolent entities that dwell
1:07:57
within its walls. Bellaire, OH, an area rich in
1:08:04
history, was once known as Glass City.
1:08:07
Having once been a major glass production hub in the late 1800s
1:08:13
is now known as the All American town, having been used in many
1:08:17
Hollywood productions as a backdrop for lots of movies,
1:08:22
some of which you've probably seen over the years.
1:08:26
The town that epitomizes small America's daily life has long
1:08:31
since moved past its industrial days and has become known for
1:08:35
something else. On the outskirts of the town
1:08:39
lies an old two-story Victorian home that has become famous over
1:08:43
the recent years, both among locals as well as across the
1:08:48
country, with some saying it could be the most haunted place
1:08:52
in the United States. If not the world.
1:08:56
This is a bold statement to say the least, but the countless
1:09:00
visitors to the house have reported strange, disturbing,
1:09:04
and unexplainable encounters within its antique walls.
1:09:09
But just how did the story begin?
1:09:12
Where did the legend of the Bel Air House originate from?
1:09:15
Let us first take a look. At the home.
1:09:18
'S dark history. Built in 1887 by a coal tycoon
1:09:23
named Jacob Hetherington, the house sits adjacent from ancient
1:09:28
Native American burial caves. It is also located where the
1:09:33
scene of a massacre took place during the French and Indian
1:09:37
War. It would sit on top of an active
1:09:40
coal mine. For years before.
1:09:44
There was a major explosion that took place within the mine,
1:09:48
killing multiple men working deep within the earth directly
1:09:52
underneath the house. Could the culmination of these
1:09:56
tragic deaths have opened up a portal within the Bel Air house?
1:10:00
A portal that allowed something to come through that wasn't
1:10:04
supposed to be here? Shortly after this explosion is
1:10:08
when the strange activity began. Jacob's son Alex moved into the
1:10:13
home with his daughter. Lied, but was soon stricken with
1:10:17
seizures and hallucinations. He would ultimately be committed
1:10:23
to an insane asylum for the rest of his life, claiming that
1:10:27
demons were trying to kill. Him.
1:10:31
As time progressed, Lyde would take charge of the family
1:10:34
business, being helped by her younger brother Edwin.
1:10:39
Lyde would tragically and unexpectedly pass away one
1:10:42
morning and the kitchen of the home.
1:10:46
Edwin, now alone and grief stricken, descended into
1:10:50
mysticism and the occult in search of answers.
1:10:55
He began to regularly host seances in the kitchen where his
1:10:59
sister had passed away to attempt to make contact with her
1:11:04
on the other side, and it is believed that contact was indeed
1:11:08
made. But with who or what is
1:11:12
uncertain. In 2005, Kristen Lee and her
1:11:17
family are desperate for a new home.
1:11:20
Like a curse, for the second time in less than two years, a
1:11:24
flash flood has destroyed their home and all of their
1:11:28
possessions. Kristen, her two sons, Nicholas
1:11:32
and Lane, along with their father Hefe, have been fortunate
1:11:37
enough to room with friends during this difficult time.
1:11:40
Kristen has continued to try and get the family back on their
1:11:44
feet and no longer wants to burden her friends with the
1:11:47
boarding of her family. So she constantly checks the
1:11:51
real estate listings hoping to find a home that her and her
1:11:55
family can finally settle down into.
1:11:58
Given the circumstances, the family didn't have a big budget.
1:12:02
And. Would have to rebuild their
1:12:04
lives from scratch, but soon. Her.
1:12:07
Determination seems to pay off. While at work, Kristen often
1:12:13
browses real estate websites for new listings as well as
1:12:16
foreclosures, and a new listing soon catches her eye.
1:12:22
Recently foreclosed on but now available for purchase, she lays
1:12:26
eyes on the old Victorian home for the first time.
1:12:30
It's 4 bedrooms and two bathroom setup along with plenty of.
1:12:34
Room would be perfect for her family.
1:12:38
The price seems almost too good to be true for her budget as
1:12:41
well, and although the listing lacks more details, it's like
1:12:46
her prayers had finally been answered.
1:12:49
But by what? Not wanting to lose the
1:12:52
property, Kristen arranges a showing of the home as soon as
1:12:56
possible and before too long finds herself on the front
1:13:01
steps. Of the Bel Air House.
1:13:04
She is immediately taken in by the beautiful craftsmanship.
1:13:07
Of the woodwork. The wrap around porch facing the
1:13:11
Ohio River soon has her imagining peaceful evenings
1:13:15
watching the water flow. Upon entering the home.
1:13:19
She continues to be impressed. Old marble and cherry wood
1:13:24
ordain the interior. Of the home.
1:13:26
And it seems almost too perfect, like something straight out of
1:13:30
her dreams. The family also has a dog named
1:13:34
Bella, and the large fenced in backyard is perfect for her to
1:13:38
run in and the boys to play in. Dumbfounded by her luck, Kristen
1:13:44
puts in an offer on the House that evening and it's accepted
1:13:48
the following morning. After two years of chaos and
1:13:52
uncertainty, the Lee family can finally breathe again and start
1:13:57
living a normal life. But just as all seems quiet and
1:14:01
settled, the family begins to discover that the house is
1:14:05
anything but normal at first. Upon hearing odd noises in the
1:14:10
night, the family wrote off the sounds as nothing more than
1:14:14
anxiety and an old house. Being slightly scared or anxious
1:14:19
upon moving into a new place, particularly following a very
1:14:22
uncertain time in one's life, is not out of the ordinary.
1:14:27
But these sounds soon become too much to dismiss.
1:14:30
They soon begin to hear footsteps at all hours of the
1:14:33
day and night. Kristen would later describe the
1:14:36
activity as so. I would hear footsteps above and
1:14:40
sometimes below me even when there was no one else home but
1:14:44
me, and I always felt as if there were thousands of eyes
1:14:47
staring. At me at all times, watching my
1:14:51
every move. Along with the strange noises,
1:14:55
items soon begin to go missing. From keys to towels to trinkets.
1:15:01
One moment they would be there and within seconds they would
1:15:05
vanish. And Kristen isn't the only one
1:15:08
experiencing strange happenings within the Bel Air house at the
1:15:12
time. Her 12 year old son Nicholas
1:15:15
begins to experience a malevolent force that seems to
1:15:18
dwell within his bedroom. At first, he too begins to feel
1:15:23
as if he's being watched at all times, and it seems to get
1:15:27
exponentially worse at night. He begins to have night terrors,
1:15:32
feeling someone or something covering his mouth and nose,
1:15:36
forcing him to suffocate. One night he wakes up in a cold
1:15:41
sweat. It's storming outside.
1:15:45
Flashes of lightning occasionally light up the room.
1:15:48
What he sees disturbs him to his core in the.
1:15:53
Corner of his room. Towards his closet, as a burst
1:15:57
of light fills the room, he sees a blackened figure staring at
1:16:02
him and shaking profusely. The young boy is utterly
1:16:08
terrified, rushing out of his room as fast as he possibly can.
1:16:13
He wakes up his mother and refuses to sleep there any
1:16:16
longer. The boy is so hysterical, the
1:16:20
only solution was to send him to his grandmother's house, located
1:16:24
30 minutes away. What makes this case all the
1:16:28
more compelling is that Kristen has a master's degree in
1:16:31
psychology and works as a mental health physician.
1:16:36
With this, her professional opinion of what Nicholas had
1:16:39
experienced was initially contributed to stress and
1:16:43
fatigue, both common factors that tend to make the human mind
1:16:47
see and experience things that aren't really there.
1:16:51
And these probably could explain many similar situations, and
1:16:55
most would agree. However, Kristen's view would
1:16:59
soon undergo a radical change after one terrifying experience
1:17:04
of her own. After months of strange
1:17:07
happenings within the home, it was now winter and the Lee
1:17:11
family, still tight on finances, was sleeping in the basement
1:17:16
near the fireplace to save money on the gas bill.
1:17:21
Hefe was asleep in a recliner and Lane as well as Kristen were
1:17:25
asleep on the wrap around couch located in the corner of the
1:17:29
room. All seemed normal until Kristen
1:17:32
was woken up by the feeling of the couch cushion being pressed
1:17:37
down near her legs. She then found herself face to
1:17:41
face with a terrifying figure of a man staring directly at her.
1:17:47
She would later describe the encounter as So I woke up being
1:17:51
face to face with this Gray figure of a man.
1:17:55
He was translucent, almost like a mist, but the mist had
1:18:00
features like a person. The face was completely
1:18:04
emotionless and had dark sunken in eyes.
1:18:09
Kristen asked who are you? What are you doing here?
1:18:13
What do you want? But to no response, just a
1:18:18
blank, lifeless stare. Within seconds the apparition
1:18:23
disappears, but before she can ponder what had just taken
1:18:28
place, the silence is once again shattered.
1:18:32
But by this time it was the family dog, Bella, who was
1:18:36
barking and running around the room.
1:18:39
Kristen, attempting to keep her family asleep through the
1:18:42
ordeal, tries to quiet the dog down and notices that she can
1:18:46
see her breath. In the air.
1:18:49
And although it's cold outside, it's not nearly that cold near
1:18:53
the fireplace. She then sees the figure
1:18:56
materialize once more and silently moved from one side of
1:19:00
the room and through the wall on the other side, vanishing
1:19:05
completely. No longer wanting to face
1:19:08
whatever this was alone, she woke up her husband and told him
1:19:12
what had just taken place. His response, however, was that
1:19:17
she was too tired and needed to go back to sleep.
1:19:22
Could what Kristen had experienced been a stress or
1:19:25
fatigue induced hallucination? Perhaps, but someone with a
1:19:29
professional background such as herself surely would know how to
1:19:33
differentiate, wouldn't you think?
1:19:37
Finally, knowing she's not crazy and totally convinced that the
1:19:41
home was haunted, Kristen begins to try and make plans to get her
1:19:45
family. Out of the Bel Air house.
1:19:48
And to safety elsewhere. As soon as she can, she puts the
1:19:53
home up for sale and moves the family to a nearby rental home.
1:19:58
Although she's relieved to no longer physically be in the
1:20:01
house, no one is buying it to try and cover expenses.
1:20:06
She has no other choice other than to make the house a rental
1:20:09
property. But almost as soon as the first
1:20:12
family moves in. They move out.
1:20:16
And this kick starts a revolving door of tenants seemingly stuck
1:20:20
with the house. Kristen comes to the conclusion
1:20:23
that no family will or should live there.
1:20:27
So what should be done with a haunted property?
1:20:30
Needing to make ends meet, she comes up with a unique idea.
1:20:34
She turns the home into an afterlife research property.
1:20:38
This would allow various groups to come in conduct their own
1:20:42
research on just what exactly was taking place within the Bel
1:20:46
Air House. And the idea works.
1:20:50
Soon groups from all over the United States and Canada are
1:20:54
travelling to temporarily live within the home to conduct
1:20:58
research. And from here we gain some more
1:21:02
interesting stories, to say the least.
1:21:06
One group, who calls themselves the Armchair Researchers from
1:21:10
upstate New York, consists of two women, one being a birthing
1:21:15
nurse and the other a nurse who works with dying patients.
1:21:20
They found paranormal and afterlife research to be a
1:21:23
natural extension of their day jobs for the last 15 years.
1:21:29
After hearing about the Bel Air house, they soon find themselves
1:21:32
driving to Ohio to investigate the phenomena for themselves.
1:21:37
First impressions tend to go a long way, and the first
1:21:41
impression the women got upon their arrival was very creepy.
1:21:45
The home by this point was in a moderate state of decay.
1:21:50
The fence that had once surrounded the backyard was
1:21:53
mostly blown down. And the exterior?
1:21:56
Of the home. As well as the porch was
1:21:59
weathered and rotting. But despite the odd feelings
1:22:03
initially, they make their way inside now.
1:22:07
At first they actually felt welcomed, almost invited in,
1:22:12
greeted by the same cherry wood interior that has greeted
1:22:15
everyone. But as soon as they set up their
1:22:18
equipment and prepare for their stay, as day turns to night,
1:22:23
there seems to be a shift in energy within the home.
1:22:27
The shift went from warm and inviting to dark and ominous.
1:22:33
Then began the noises, the banging footsteps and the moving
1:22:39
of furniture. The ladies also noted the
1:22:42
feeling of being watched everywhere they went while
1:22:45
asking probing questions. As they wandered throughout the
1:22:48
house, they would soon also witness strange lights in
1:22:52
various parts of the home. And along with the lights, there
1:22:56
soon also came full blown apparitions, all of which seem
1:23:01
to be centered around the basement.
1:23:03
And as the night progressed, so did their feelings of anxiety.
1:23:09
While taking a short break and sitting down on one of the
1:23:11
couches in the basement, the two heard what they described as a
1:23:15
large crashing noise above. Them.
1:23:18
As if someone or something had thrown a bookshelf across the
1:23:22
house itself, shaking the entire home.
1:23:27
Absolutely terrified and panicked, the women
1:23:30
apprehensively made their way up the stairs and rushed out of the
1:23:34
home as fast as they possibly could, leaving behind equipment
1:23:38
and personal items they were too frightened to go back.
1:23:43
Upon learning of what had taken place, Kristen wasn't at all
1:23:47
surprised. Over the years, there have been
1:23:49
dozens of teams of people who couldn't seem to last the night
1:23:53
for one experience or another. People have been scratched,
1:23:57
pushed down stairs, punched, bitten, and even in one instance
1:24:03
thrown across the room by a violent and unseen force.
1:24:09
Another noteworthy story comes from a team located locally
1:24:13
there in Ohio. They have had the opportunity to
1:24:16
visit the home and conduct investigations numerous times
1:24:20
over the years, but their experience, in particular one
1:24:24
night truly makes me question just what exactly haunts the Bel
1:24:28
Air House. There was three of them this
1:24:31
time and it was shortly after midnight when they made their
1:24:34
way into the attic to continue their investigation.
1:24:38
During their questioning, they seem to be getting direct
1:24:41
interaction with something through their spirit box.
1:24:45
Then towards the corner of the attic, a mist seemed to
1:24:49
materialize coming up from the attic floor, slowly enveloping
1:24:55
the group. Glancing down, they were now too
1:24:58
stunned to speak. They saw what appeared to be
1:25:02
thousands of black snake like creatures, Slytherin, over their
1:25:06
feet and onto their legs. The creatures then began to form
1:25:12
a figure standing in front of one of the attic windows.
1:25:16
A creature of pure darkness that seemed to stare at them with
1:25:20
thousands of tiny beady eyes. The crew, which consisted of two
1:25:27
men and a woman, ran for their lives descending the attic
1:25:31
stairs as quickly as possible, leaving behind anything and
1:25:36
everything that they had brought with them that wasn't located on
1:25:39
their person and out of the home for good.
1:25:43
All of these stories and experiences have led many to
1:25:46
believe that the Bel Air House is some kind of magnet for
1:25:49
paranormal activity. A magnet or a host to a portal
1:25:54
for spirits. Whether that portal was opened
1:25:57
by the tragedy that took place within the mind that once
1:26:00
existed below its foundation, or one that was open due to seances
1:26:06
being conducted within the house on multiple occasions.
1:26:10
But over the years, many different entities have been
1:26:13
documented, from what appear to be human ghosts to perhaps
1:26:18
something more sinister. One such entity goes by the name
1:26:22
of Emily Davis. It is believed that Emily Davis
1:26:26
was a child that drowned in the Ohio.
1:26:28
River. That flows right by the home.
1:26:32
Her room is allegedly the same room that Kristin's son Nicholas
1:26:36
once stayed in. And besides the basement, it
1:26:40
also seems to be a hotspot for paranormal activity.
1:26:45
Through various investigations, one's contact has been made and
1:26:49
trust seems to be gained. People are often attacked, which
1:26:54
have led many to believe that Emily isn't a child at all, but
1:26:58
a demon. Perhaps it could be the same
1:27:02
demonic creature that frightened Nicholas so bad that he moved
1:27:05
out of the home. As previously mentioned, many
1:27:10
investigators also have. Claimed to have.
1:27:12
Some activity follow them home and even haunt their dreams as
1:27:18
if the house or the beings within the house are calling out
1:27:22
to them to come back for one reason or another.
1:27:27
Although many questions may never be answered surrounding
1:27:30
the Bel Air House, one thing is for certain, it continues to be
1:27:35
considered one of the most haunted places in America, if
1:27:39
not the world. It also continues to serve as a
1:27:42
place of study for those wanting to investigate the supernatural
1:27:46
forces that dwell within its walls.
1:27:50
But if you find yourself being drawn to the old Victorian, just
1:27:55
know that if you're not careful, you too could find yourself
1:27:59
being made a part of its history, whether you like it or
1:28:03
not. Demonic.
1:28:08
Possession, a phenomenon that's mostly written off in the modern
1:28:12
day by the average. Person.
1:28:15
But what happens when respected professionals see and experience
1:28:20
things that convince them otherwise?
1:28:23
Could we consider the possibility that demonic
1:28:26
possession could indeed be real? I want you to keep that question
1:28:31
in mind throughout this video, and let me know what you think
1:28:35
down in the comments below. Today we will be discussing one
1:28:40
such man whose experiences altered his skeptical view, and
1:28:45
it all began 25 years ago when he met a woman named Julia.
1:28:53
Doctor Richard Gallagher, a Princeton and Yale educated
1:28:56
psychiatrist who runs his own practice and teaches at Columbia
1:29:01
and New York universities, started out skeptical 25 years
1:29:07
ago. Due to his profession and
1:29:08
skepticism, he began to be asked to provide medical oversight as
1:29:13
a doctor of psychology to cases from different churches of
1:29:17
different faiths, cases which the churches believe the
1:29:21
individuals to be potentially genuinely possessed.
1:29:26
Several cases in particular altered his views forever.
1:29:31
A member of the local Catholic clergy approached Dr. Gallagher
1:29:35
and asked him if he would provide his medical opinion on a
1:29:38
case he was working on. Word had gotten out that Doctor
1:29:42
Gallagher was both a great doctor as well as a skeptic, to
1:29:46
which the priest commented. We understand that you're
1:29:49
skeptical, and this is part of the reason as to why we want to
1:29:53
use you. Gallagher accepted and made an
1:29:56
arrangement to meet the woman and to begin her examination.
1:30:01
The woman was claiming to be assaulted by forces she couldn't
1:30:05
see. Invisible monsters, if you will.
1:30:09
This woman was known for being kind and rational.
1:30:13
A devoutly religious Hispanic woman who had no history of
1:30:17
mental illness. She described the episodes where
1:30:21
she said she experienced an evil force that would overtake her
1:30:25
and would subsequently be her. The beatings, however, were not
1:30:30
in her mind. Bruises would materialize on the
1:30:33
woman's body seemingly out of nowhere.
1:30:38
And during the examination, Dr. Gallagher saw this happen for
1:30:42
himself. And after several days, he came
1:30:45
to the conclusion that not only was the woman completely sane,
1:30:49
not even showing the slightest indication of mental illness,
1:30:53
but that he believed what she was experiencing was genuine.
1:30:58
From this strange case, the doctor continued to assist with
1:31:01
providing psychiatric expertise and came to the conclusion that
1:31:06
the vast majority of the cases turn out not to be true demonic
1:31:10
possession, and only about one in 100 cases could even be
1:31:14
considered anything of the sort. The doctor's examinations were
1:31:18
very thorough. He not only physically and
1:31:21
psychologically examined the person's but would also
1:31:24
interview any and all family and friends who were aware of the
1:31:27
situation as to understand the story as a.
1:31:31
Whole. And out of those, one out of 100
1:31:34
cases that didn't fit into any known psychological pattern,
1:31:38
supernatural characteristics would manifest.
1:31:42
The persons who he believed were genuinely possessed would often
1:31:46
display frightening behavior, such as the person speaking in
1:31:50
languages that they couldn't have possibly known, exhibiting
1:31:53
extreme strength with no known physical cause, claiming to move
1:31:58
objects around the room without touching them, and displaying
1:32:02
unknown knowledge about people, places, and things that no human
1:32:06
being could possibly know. And we'll get into that more
1:32:10
later in this video. The Catholic Church also has a
1:32:14
strict deterministic criteria for possession as well.
1:32:18
The case has to be confirmed via moral certainty, and under moral
1:32:23
certainty a person has to enter a trance like state and a
1:32:27
demonic sounding voice must manifest.
1:32:30
The person then attacks religion and attacks the people
1:32:34
conducting the exorcism, as well as displaying demonic
1:32:38
manifestations of power such as those that Doctor Gallagher
1:32:41
mentioned. In these severe and extremely
1:32:44
rare cases, Doctor Gallagher would give his go ahead for the
1:32:49
exorcisms to proceed. The second case that would
1:32:53
change his outlook forever was that of a woman named Julia.
1:32:58
He was approached by two of America's leading Catholic
1:33:01
exorcists to consult on a case that they believed to be one of
1:33:05
the most severe demonic possessions they had ever
1:33:08
witnessed. Julia was a 39 year old woman
1:33:12
who was the self professed high priestess of a satanic cult.
1:33:17
The night before, Doctor Gallagher was supposed to go and
1:33:20
meet Julia. For the first.
1:33:22
Time to begin examining her. He was in his study with his
1:33:26
wife at about 3:00 AM. Accompanying the couple was
1:33:30
their two cats and quoting the doctor.
1:33:33
Here, seemingly out of nowhere, the cats began to go completely
1:33:38
berserk. Berserk in a way which we had
1:33:40
never seen before. We were mystified.
1:33:45
The next morning, upon his arrival, the priest introduced
1:33:49
him to Julia. For the first.
1:33:50
Time and the first words out of her mouth were Hey Doc, how did
1:33:56
you like those cats last night? Bewildered, the doctor continued
1:34:01
his examination. As the day continued, she began
1:34:05
to reveal other secrets that no human could possibly know, such
1:34:10
as how some of the doctor's patients had died, as well as
1:34:13
their names and dates and times of death.
1:34:18
Another bizarre example of this secret knowledge.
1:34:21
To quote him again, she told me when and how my mother had died,
1:34:26
that she had died from ovarian cancer, which was.
1:34:29
True. The following night, Doctor
1:34:31
Gallagher was on the phone with one of the priests who was in
1:34:34
charge of the exorcism discussing the case.
1:34:38
Julia was not on the line whatsoever, and as a matter of
1:34:42
fact, they knew where she was. She was over 1000 miles away and
1:34:47
during their discussion, the same exact voice that had come
1:34:50
out of Julia and erupted their phone call.
1:34:53
The voice stated that she was theirs and deceased, their
1:34:57
efforts at once both disturbed and amazed.
1:35:01
Dr. Gallagher said to the priest, Did you hear that?
1:35:05
And the priest replied, Oh yes, the evil spirit can even
1:35:09
interrupt our phone conversation.
1:35:12
What makes this all a little bit more weird is that this
1:35:15
conversation was also taking place on a landline, and
1:35:19
landlines aren't particularly known for picking up any
1:35:22
interference like a cell phone would.
1:35:25
The doctor conducted further examinations as to not leave any
1:35:29
medical possibility out of the equation, and during these
1:35:33
examinations, Julia was witnessed speaking multiple
1:35:36
languages she couldn't have possibly known, such as fluent
1:35:40
Latin and Spanish. She was also witnessed
1:35:44
levitating up and out of a. Chair she was placed in.
1:35:48
And had to be brought back down and secured to the chair as to
1:35:51
not hit the ceiling above. Running through all
1:35:55
possibilities and witnessing the unexplained, the doctor drew
1:36:00
only one sensible conclusion, that Julia was most definitely
1:36:05
possessed. It's unfortunate that the fate
1:36:08
of Julia and her exorcism are uncertain.
1:36:11
Or at least I couldn't find any more information about the case,
1:36:15
although I'm definitely interested in what happened
1:36:19
after being a consultant for over 20 years.
1:36:22
Doctor Richard Gallagher also had some interesting things to
1:36:26
say in regards to the possessed themselves.
1:36:29
He said that one does not simply wake up possessed.
1:36:32
These people have turned to evil in a very explicit way.
1:36:36
In the case of Julia, for example, she had blatantly
1:36:39
turned to Satanism and had invited darkness into her life.
1:36:44
The same can be said. For all the rest.
1:36:47
They had somehow, some way, invited evil into their lives.
1:36:52
He also had something to say about skeptics as well.
1:36:55
He said that people who are critical of possession often
1:36:59
require a ridiculous amount. Of proof they have.
1:37:02
To understand that these things cannot be reproduced in a lab
1:37:05
environment, and most of them have never seen a genuine case,
1:37:10
let alone spoken to an exorcist, and I don't think that's very
1:37:14
scientific of them. They say that one man's trash is
1:37:20
another man's treasure. While many people accidentally
1:37:23
purchase a haunted home without knowing it was haunted, this
1:37:27
story partially is about a man who did the opposite.
1:37:31
But the home in which he purchased was way more than he
1:37:34
bargained for. Not for him, but for a family
1:37:38
whose experiences made it infamous with a one-of-a-kind.
1:37:43
Strange. Past.
1:37:44
And a present day nasty and demonic reputation known as
1:37:49
Pennsylvania's Amityville Horror.
1:37:51
This is the untold story of the Wells House and why it's
1:37:55
considered one of the most haunted places in the state, let
1:37:59
alone the country. To properly tell this story, we
1:38:10
must first start at the beginning.
1:38:12
The notorious home on Wells St. was built by industrialist
1:38:17
Augustus C Laning. But despite his future success,
1:38:21
Laning had not LED such an easy life.
1:38:24
After arriving in the Wilkes Barre area to work for his
1:38:28
grandfather at age 14, he would soon experience tragedy.
1:38:33
His younger nephew, shortly after his arrival, would pass
1:38:37
away when the barn he was playing in was struck by
1:38:40
lightning and caught fire, trapping him inside.
1:38:44
Shortly after this happening, one of his grandfather's
1:38:48
factories would also mysteriously catch fire and burn
1:38:51
to the ground as well. Despite a series of unfortunate
1:38:55
events, the Lanings Enterprises would eventually thrive,
1:38:59
allowing Augustus to inherit land from his mother on what is
1:39:03
today well. Stream.
1:39:05
Eventually, he would build a home at 46 S Wells St. in 1861
1:39:12
and lived there until 1865, when he eventually sold his home and
1:39:18
business. He would take his last breath in
1:39:22
1875. The land in which Laning built
1:39:26
the home on as many locals would say, was soaked in turmoil and
1:39:31
blood, having been the site of numerous wars and conflicts
1:39:35
between Native American tribes as well as European settlers and
1:39:40
Native tribes from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century.
1:39:46
The house went through a series of sheriff sales which were a
1:39:49
type of public auction and would eventually sell for just $1.00
1:39:54
at auction in May of 1939, a little over $20 in today's
1:40:00
money. Although tragedy befell the
1:40:02
Laning family, especially early on in Augustus's life, any
1:40:07
happenings within the home weren't documented.
1:40:10
If they did occur, as far as we know, no death had taken place
1:40:14
up until this time, but it certainly starts to snowball as
1:40:19
the years progress. In 1940, the person who had
1:40:24
purchased the home so cheaply at auction would breathe their last
1:40:28
breath by their own hand, as would the next person who
1:40:32
purchased the home via auction in 1950, almost exactly 10 years
1:40:38
apart to the day after these mysterious deaths, there would
1:40:42
be four more that would take place on the premises.
1:40:45
The other three I was unable to dig up additional details on.
1:40:49
However, the most notable was the 4th, a priest.
1:40:53
Who was 54 years? Old and in relatively good
1:40:56
health have been walking past the home and passing when he
1:41:00
glanced at the home, and we don't know exactly what he saw
1:41:04
or experienced, but he fell to the ground and died almost
1:41:09
instantly from a heart attack right in the front yard.
1:41:14
The home would be a revolving door for quite some time,
1:41:17
sometimes vacant, sometimes with occupants, but only for a short
1:41:22
time. In March of 1975, a 27 year old
1:41:27
radio DJ by the name of Walker Bennett and his wife Mary Ann
1:41:32
purchased the home and then moved into the house from New
1:41:35
Haven with their two daughters. Almost as soon as they moved
1:41:39
into the house, bizarre activity began to manifest.
1:41:45
The family began to hear banging and scratching sounds coming
1:41:48
from inside the walls. Thinking at first they had some
1:41:52
kind of a rodent problem, Walker followed the noise and traced it
1:41:56
back to a particular bedroom wall.
1:41:59
He then knocked the wall down, but instead of being greeted by
1:42:03
this supposed rodent problem, he instead saw a small glimmering
1:42:08
tin box instead. After removing the box, he felt
1:42:12
a strange presence upon opening it.
1:42:16
Its contents were very weird to say the least.
1:42:20
It contained a red ribbon, a cross made of tied together
1:42:24
chicken bones, and a human molar.
1:42:27
The first thing that struck him was that this looked like some
1:42:31
kind of a hex or curse, but not wanting to alarm his family, he
1:42:36
would dispose of the items. But the activity nonetheless
1:42:40
would continue to persist. By 1976, the scratching and
1:42:46
knocking had continued, but soon the family began to see
1:42:50
otherworldly beings as well. On one particularly cold
1:42:54
February morning, Bennett would hear a series of bangs and
1:42:59
scratches on his front door. Upon slowly opening it to see
1:43:04
just who was there, he would be shocked.
1:43:08
Standing at the front door was the translucent figure of a man
1:43:12
with a cane with a vicious and crooked smile.
1:43:17
Freaked out with his heart racing, he quickly slammed the
1:43:21
door and tried to make sense of the interaction.
1:43:24
Within seconds, he reopened the door, only to find that there
1:43:28
was nothing there. As the days ticked by, the
1:43:32
activity intensified. The scratches and banging noises
1:43:37
now seem to be originating from the attic.
1:43:40
They now were also joined by disembodied screams, some
1:43:45
seeming to be male, others female, and some were a mix of
1:43:50
both. In the months to come, the
1:43:53
activity would be coupled with moaning and groaning sounds,
1:43:57
whispering voices, and the sounds of weeping coming from
1:44:01
inside the walls, all still tracing back to the attic.
1:44:07
Coupled with these new developments were the sounds of
1:44:09
heavy footsteps on the wooden floors.
1:44:12
The entire family would also see several apparitions.
1:44:17
Notably, they would experience the ghostly figure of a young
1:44:20
woman in a night dress drifting throughout the house.
1:44:25
Her dress seemed to be old, like those of the Victorian era.
1:44:30
Whenever she was seen, following her would be drips or spots of
1:44:35
blood either on the floor or on the walls.
1:44:40
Once she began to be seen, there was a putrid, rotting type of
1:44:44
stench that became present in the house, traveling from room
1:44:48
to room. It was, however, usually the
1:44:51
worst in the kitchen and living room.
1:44:55
Not wanting to further frighten the girls, the Bennetts met with
1:44:59
each other to discuss all of the bizarre happenings, and they
1:45:02
finally had to admit that they had purchased a haunted house.
1:45:06
Haunted by what exactly? They couldn't be sure.
1:45:11
Shortly after this revelation, the family began to suffer from
1:45:15
an unexplainable physical illness, one that left them
1:45:19
drained at all times, exhausted and aching.
1:45:24
The doctors couldn't diagnose it, leaving the family only to
1:45:28
continue to suffer with the symptoms alongside this, whether
1:45:33
it was a result of the illness on an individual basis or the
1:45:37
haunting itself, the whole family seemed to be thrown into
1:45:41
a deep, dark well of depression, submerged in its black waters,
1:45:47
leaving them feeling hopeless. Things would begin to escalate
1:45:51
further when, in January of 1977, Walker and his wife would
1:45:57
witness one of their daughters be pushed down the stairs.
1:46:01
But to their amazement, she didn't fall and crumple on the
1:46:04
various steps. Instead, she floated almost in
1:46:09
slow motion until she landed on her feet at the bottom of them,
1:46:14
unharmed. Not knowing what to make of
1:46:17
this, the adults in the house weren't getting much sleep, and
1:46:21
their condition continued to get worse.
1:46:24
They would soon reach out to the church for help and guidance.
1:46:28
Soon a Catholic priest would come out and bless the home,
1:46:32
trying to quell whatever supernatural forces that were
1:46:35
wreaking havoc upon the Bennetts.
1:46:38
But these efforts were to no avail.
1:46:41
If anything, after he left, the activity seemed to get worse.
1:46:47
Ultimately, in March of 1978, the family who had been sound
1:46:52
asleep in the night was woken up by the sound of Thunder
1:46:56
crashing. Except there wasn't a storm
1:47:00
outside. What followed this massive sound
1:47:04
was a deluge of paranormal manifestations.
1:47:07
Footsteps were pounding across the floor and in the attic above
1:47:12
them, the attic door was being pounded on.
1:47:14
From the other side, their dishes and their kitchen were
1:47:18
being removed from their cabinets as they opened and
1:47:22
slammed by themselves and thrown onto the floor, shattering them.
1:47:29
Amongst the chaos was the scratching and banging on the
1:47:32
front door, coupled with the sounds of a child weeping coming
1:47:38
from inside of the walls, following them as they ran
1:47:42
throughout the house. After enduring almost three
1:47:46
years inside the home, the Bennetts finally fled this
1:47:50
night. Leaving with just the clothes on
1:47:52
their backs, they left all of their belongings behind.
1:47:57
After the family found temporary arrangements, they immediately
1:48:01
tried to sell the home as it was, but had no luck finding a
1:48:05
buyer. After several months, Walker
1:48:09
Bennett reached out to a local newspaper in hopes of sharing
1:48:13
the family's story anonymously to find help or a buyer to get
1:48:18
them out of this haunted hell. In the interview, under the
1:48:21
pseudonym of Bucky Johnson, he claimed that he was now $40,000
1:48:26
in debt as a result of the family fleeing and being unable
1:48:30
to live in the house and then being unable to sell the.
1:48:34
House. And that he had developed a
1:48:36
drinking problem and now chain smoked as a result of the trauma
1:48:41
and stress that he had endured. He also stated that he and the
1:48:45
rest of the family were in therapy in hopes of eventually
1:48:49
putting the past behind them. Several neighbors near the home
1:48:53
were also interviewed, with some saying that they had never seen
1:48:57
or heard anything and others saying that they always had an
1:49:00
odd feeling whenever passing by the house.
1:49:04
The article was then published on Halloween of 1979.
1:49:09
Perfect timing for a local and terrifying story, no doubt.
1:49:14
Following the initial publicity, word eventually made its way to
1:49:17
Ed and Lorraine Warren, famed paranormal investigators and
1:49:21
demonologists who had just covered another haunting known
1:49:25
as The Amityville Horror just three years before.
1:49:29
The couple made a visit to the Wells Street house in March of
1:49:33
1980, but by this time the bank had repossessed the home from
1:49:37
the Bennetts due to their inability to make further
1:49:40
mortgage payments on the home, so the Warrens were unable to
1:49:44
enter the house due to it being entirely locked up for this
1:49:48
reason. Lorraine, however, would say
1:49:51
that she sensed a terrible despair emanating from the house
1:49:55
and that the effect it must have had on those who lived there
1:49:58
must have been very negative. Several years later, the house
1:50:03
would be purchased by a woman named Catherine Watkins from the
1:50:06
bank for $20,000 in August of 1982.
1:50:11
Her purchase subsequently prompted another newspaper
1:50:14
article to be written. When asked, she told reporters
1:50:18
that she was unafraid of the rumors surrounding the house and
1:50:22
didn't fear any ghosts that could be there.
1:50:26
She moved in with her two children shortly after her
1:50:29
purchase, and whether it was sheer determination, stubborn
1:50:33
nature, or something else, she lived in the house for the next
1:50:38
30 years until her death on October 26th of 2012.
1:50:44
Although shortly after moving in and over the decades to come,
1:50:48
she and her family also experienced unexplained
1:50:51
phenomena such as objects moving by themselves, their beds
1:50:56
shaking, lights and appliances turning on and off by
1:50:59
themselves, and seeing those ghosts that Catherine insisted
1:51:04
she wasn't afraid of, such as the woman and what looked like
1:51:08
Victorian style clothing. Her daughter would inherit the
1:51:12
home after Catherine's passing and would place the home up for
1:51:16
sale where it was then purchased by a ghost hunter by the name of
1:51:20
Tim Woods in December of 2013. Rather than repair, sell or live
1:51:26
in the property he had just purchased, Woods only wanted to
1:51:30
investigate the paranormal activity that was taking place
1:51:33
there. With his team of fellow
1:51:35
investigators. They would record hours of
1:51:38
content in the home and capture what they believed to be
1:51:42
numerous supernatural manifestations.
1:51:45
People who have joined him in the investigations have been
1:51:48
known to have scratches manifest on their skin and have their
1:51:53
clothing tugged on by unseen hands.
1:51:57
Tim would later state that the Wells House is one of the
1:52:00
scariest haunted locations that he had ever investigated.
1:52:04
Due to the. Numerous ghost sightings that
1:52:07
were caught on tape and demonic attacks that occurred while he
1:52:11
was there, he said. It is our conclusion, based upon
1:52:15
our documented research, that the house is haunted by a
1:52:19
demonic presence that cannot be removed nor is it safe for
1:52:25
anyone to live in. The strangeness of the house on
1:52:28
Wells St. doesn't end here. In the early hours of Wednesday,
1:52:33
July 25th of 2018, police were called to the home to catch an
1:52:38
intruder. Someone was outside of the house
1:52:42
trying to get in. When authorities arrived, they
1:52:46
apprehended a man in his 30s. It was caught in the act of
1:52:49
prying the wooden boards off the back door of the property.
1:52:53
He had a 24 inch sword tied to his back, had brass knuckles and
1:52:58
a pocket knife in his pockets, and was carrying a Bible.
1:53:03
The man seemed out of it to say the least, but claimed that he
1:53:07
was trying to hunt for ghosts. Upon going through his Rupsac,
1:53:12
police also found a loaded shotgun with 10 shells alongside
1:53:16
of it. He would be arrested and charged
1:53:19
with numerous offenses as a result of the episode.
1:53:23
Although we don't know who, it seems that the home was sold in
1:53:27
2020 to new owners and at half the price that Woods had paid
1:53:31
for it. There also doesn't appear to be
1:53:34
any sort of a mention of it being haunted.
1:53:37
It's listing reads like this, a home full of historical
1:53:41
intrigue. With some TLC, you can bring new
1:53:45
life to this four bedroom beauty.
1:53:47
As soon as you step over the threshold, you'll realize there
1:53:51
is truly something out of this world with this home and its
1:53:55
craftsmanship. A very fitting spin if you ask
1:53:58
me. I hope the new occupants are
1:54:01
living peacefully, although given the home's infamous story
1:54:05
and past seems highly unlikely. But the listing was right about
1:54:10
one thing though. The home certainly has lots of
1:54:13
historical intrigue. And you can bring new life into
1:54:18
this four bedroom beauty. Because as soon as you step over
1:54:22
the threshold, you'll realize there's truly something out of
1:54:26
this world with this home. Or should we say in this home
1:54:31
that's been watching and waiting for some new life to engorge
1:54:37
itself? On.
1:54:45
There was once a place where the dead whispered, where bared
1:54:50
secrets lied dormant for generations, only to unleash a
1:54:56
horrific evil once they were unearthed.
1:54:59
This is the story about a family who endured a living nightmare
1:55:04
in what was supposed to be their dream home.
1:55:06
This is the untold story of the Summer Wind Mansion and the hell
1:55:12
that dwelled within its walls. The home that would become known
1:55:19
as Summer Wind was originally built in northern Wisconsin in
1:55:23
1916 by then US Secretary of Commerce Robert Lamont.
1:55:29
Originally called the Lamont Mansion after it was finished
1:55:32
and sat upon 80 acres of property.
1:55:36
Alongside the large home which contained 3 large chimneys,
1:55:40
guest quarters and a large basement, SAT another smaller
1:55:44
building which is where the servants lived.
1:55:47
And from the beginning things just didn't seem quite right.
1:55:52
The mansion was fairly isolated, especially given the time
1:55:55
period. The road conditions were poor at
1:55:58
best, and the area in which it was in receives heavy snowfall
1:56:03
throughout various times of the year, which led to most of the
1:56:06
winters being waited out among the estate.
1:56:10
During the first long winter at the property, the servants were
1:56:13
soon being tormented by what they described as a translucent
1:56:17
woman, first seeing her staring at them from the main window of
1:56:22
their quarters, from the courtyard to her, then beginning
1:56:26
to materialize within the home itself.
1:56:29
Mr. Le Mans initially dismissed these claims as nothing more
1:56:33
than paranoia, thinking his servants were either delusional
1:56:37
or getting stir crazy given the weather.
1:56:40
And this was until 1 cold evening when he was made a true
1:56:44
believer. While he and his wife were
1:56:46
enjoying their dinner together on the 1st floor, they were
1:56:50
interrupted by the basement door shaking violently.
1:56:55
Terrified, knowing that there was no one who could be down
1:56:58
there, Mr. Lamont, pistol in hand, went to investigate.
1:57:04
The shaking door abruptly stopped as Lamont came within
1:57:08
several feet of it. Fighting through nerves and
1:57:11
anxiety, Mr. Lamont threw the door open expecting there to be
1:57:16
someone there. Instead, he was met with a bone
1:57:20
chilling silence. He was even more unnerved after
1:57:24
sweeping the basement and further confirming that there
1:57:27
was indeed no one there. Afterwards, he began to make his
1:57:32
way back towards the door to head back upstairs, when
1:57:36
suddenly the ghostly form of a man appeared and stepped right
1:57:40
in front of the exit. Scared out of his mind, Lamont
1:57:44
then fired two shots from his pistol and the apparition then
1:57:49
disappeared. When others were sent to
1:57:51
investigate to confirm that there indeed was no one there,
1:57:55
all they found were fresh bullet holes.
1:57:58
And after this incident, the Lamont family abandoned the
1:58:02
property, never to return. It then sat vacant and rotting
1:58:08
for decades. The mansion was still owned by
1:58:11
the Lamont family until Mr. Lamont's death in 1948.
1:58:17
When it was then sold. It exchanged hands several times
1:58:21
until it came into the possession of Mr. and Misses
1:58:24
Kiefer. The Kiefer family believed that
1:58:28
they had found their forever home and we're more than excited
1:58:31
to move in. But this honeymoon feeling was
1:58:35
all too short lived. The Kiefer soon began to
1:58:38
experience strange things within the house.
1:58:41
Unexplained sounds like banging that travelled all throughout
1:58:45
the home at random times of the day and night.
1:58:49
Glimpses of shadows out of the corner of their eyes and the
1:58:53
feeling as if they were being watched at all times.
1:58:58
These experiences soon led the family to their breaking point,
1:59:02
and they too would abandoned the mansion, leaving behind all of
1:59:06
their belongings, food, clothes and furniture.
1:59:10
Misses Kiefer would later state that she believed she took
1:59:13
anything with her from that house, that something horrible
1:59:17
would happen to them. And although it was still owned
1:59:20
by the Kiefer family, the estate yet again sat rotting away for
1:59:25
years to come. And not only that, but word of
1:59:28
just why it had been abandoned had reached the local community
1:59:31
as well, leading to it being called the Old Haunted House.
1:59:37
The Kiefer family, despite their unfortunate experiences, would
1:59:41
end up being the lucky ones. In 1969, Ginger Henshaw was
1:59:49
visiting a friend and was told that she had to visit the Old
1:59:53
Haunted House with her. Intrigued, she agreed and soon
1:59:57
found herself approaching in a car, catching her first fleeting
2:00:01
glimpses of summer wind. Through fingerprint speckled
2:00:04
window glass, she would later say that upon seeing the home,
2:00:09
she felt sorry for. It.
2:00:11
She felt that it was calling out to her soul, crying out to her
2:00:15
soul for her to save it. She almost immediately became
2:00:19
obsessed with the idea of living there.
2:00:22
Her husband, Arnold, owned a construction company and shortly
2:00:27
after her initial trip with her friend, would also take a trip
2:00:30
there with his wife to see just what all her excitement was
2:00:33
about. Knowing what it would take,
2:00:36
Arnold immediately saw the potential and agreed that it may
2:00:40
just be the perfect investment for the family.
2:00:43
Since they were used to moving. Due to the nature of Arnold's
2:00:46
business, the couples also figured they could use the space
2:00:49
for their six children as well as themselves.
2:00:53
They then were able to reach out to the Kiefer's and make them an
2:00:56
offer that they couldn't refuse for this massive fixer upper.
2:01:00
First impressions certainly go a long way for most people, and
2:01:04
not everyone will get the same impression either.
2:01:07
Contrary to her parents impressions of Summerwind, 9
2:01:11
year old April got a much different feeling altogether,
2:01:15
one of unease and fear. She describes Summerwind as a
2:01:20
huge, dingy and decrepit place and that she was immediately
2:01:25
overcame with a feeling of dread, like she didn't belong
2:01:29
there. Children can often be scared by
2:01:31
new experiences, but given what was about to unfold, I don't
2:01:36
think that was the case for young April.
2:01:39
Within weeks, the family moves in.
2:01:42
Ginger immediately becomes obsessed with restoring the old
2:01:45
home, so much so it was like she was being compelled by an unseen
2:01:50
force. Some of this work included
2:01:54
trying 11 different paint colors to match the woodwork.
2:01:58
It was if she had been given an assignment to restore this relic
2:02:02
back to its original glory. And as Ginger fixated on
2:02:06
renovating her husband, Arnold began to lose interest in the
2:02:10
house and grew ever more distant from his family.
2:02:14
They began to wander aimlessly in a state of confusion,
2:02:18
starting things and stopping them.
2:02:21
Just as quickly. He seemed to hyper focus on the
2:02:24
old organ that had come with the home and began to play it at all
2:02:28
hours of the night. Along with this, he began to be
2:02:33
tormented by something that he couldn't see and he believed
2:02:36
that if he stopped playing, something horrible would happen
2:02:40
to him. Meanwhile, Ginger continued her
2:02:44
work. As the days continue to tick by,
2:02:48
slowly but surely the family began to experience very strange
2:02:52
activity within the home. This began with small items
2:02:55
often being misplaced when there was no one around to move them,
2:02:59
but this soon escalated to chairs being moved.
2:03:03
One moment they'd be up against the dining table and the next
2:03:06
moment up against the wall, and no matter what room you were in
2:03:11
or what you were doing, you always felt as if you were being
2:03:14
watched. Along with this omnipresent
2:03:17
watcher, the family began to be awakened by disembodied crying
2:03:21
at odd times during the night. The crying was described as
2:03:25
something trying to mimic the crying of a baby, but it just
2:03:29
wasn't quite human and there were no children that age
2:03:33
residing within the home at the time.
2:03:37
Footsteps also followed them wherever they went and didn't
2:03:40
stop when they reached them. They would often cascade onto
2:03:44
the walls. They would also hear The Walking
2:03:46
above their heads, as if someone or something simply defy gravity
2:03:53
and walked around and above them.
2:03:56
Now, several weeks into what was supposed to be their forever
2:03:59
home, the Henshaw family was now experiencing activity not of
2:04:03
this world. Arnold had also grown more
2:04:06
distant, more reclusive. He was no longer acting like the
2:04:10
sweet man that he had once been. His personality had completely
2:04:15
shifted and he was no longer himself.
2:04:18
He had gone from a loving father to an insanely angry shell of
2:04:23
his former self. His daughter April would later
2:04:26
describe him like this. Any little thing would seem to
2:04:29
set him off and you would have to bear the brunt of his rage.
2:04:34
These possession episodes only grew in intensity and he became
2:04:37
more and more evil. An example of this is that one
2:04:43
day, the family's pet raccoon escaped, sending Arnold into a
2:04:47
frenzy. He attempted to force the
2:04:49
children into the nearby woods to look for it amidst the
2:04:53
altercation. Thankfully, their mother
2:04:55
intervened and kept him from sending them there.
2:04:59
As a punishment to the children, Arnold found and then killed the
2:05:04
raccoon in front of them. Despite the radical changes that
2:05:08
were taking place within her family and daily life, Ginger
2:05:13
attempted to regain a sense of normalcy.
2:05:16
Attempting to put the strange activity out of her mind, she
2:05:20
hosted a dinner party with some friends who hadn't seen her or
2:05:23
the family since they had moved into Summer Wind.
2:05:27
Things seemed to be going well, and that was until she made a
2:05:30
quick trip to the kitchen to get some snacks for her guests who
2:05:34
were sitting in the parlor. As she loaded a plate with food,
2:05:39
the muted warmth of company was shattered by a screen.
2:05:43
Ginger rushed to the room to find her guests screaming in
2:05:46
terror as they witnessed the ghostly form of a man with a
2:05:50
misshapen face appeared directly in front of them.
2:05:54
Within seconds, they rushed out of Summerwind and would never
2:05:58
speak to Ginger ever again. Although what she had suspected
2:06:03
all along, Ginger's worst fears were now confirmed.
2:06:07
She was dealing with something not of this realm, and even
2:06:11
though she knows she's not insane, it's of little
2:06:14
consolation. Arnold has continued to spiral
2:06:17
deeper into madness. His playing on the old organ has
2:06:22
now become more frequent than ever and has grown more
2:06:25
dissident and demonic and tonality.
2:06:29
Within two months, Arnold has gone completely berserk and has
2:06:34
lost all grip of reality. He's lost his construction
2:06:37
business because he simply stopped working, and all of the
2:06:41
family's assets are depleted, having purchased and renovated
2:06:46
the home. And now he's on the verge of
2:06:49
losing his family. His daughters, now ages 8 and
2:06:53
10, believe that the house is what is destroying their family.
2:06:58
They have both contemplated suicide, a horrific absolute for
2:07:02
anyone, but it's particularly disturbing because of their
2:07:06
young ages. Ginger now often seeks refuge in
2:07:10
the nearby woods, choosing to sleep on the forest floor rather
2:07:15
than in her own home because she's grown so terrified of what
2:07:19
inhabits the property. But this time, winter is quickly
2:07:24
approaching due to the lack of income.
2:07:27
The gas and electricity to the home have now been shut off, and
2:07:31
the family's daily life has devolved into basic survival
2:07:35
needs. A broken water pump now forces
2:07:38
them to also have to haul water from the nearby lake.
2:07:43
Along with continuing to deal with Arnold's insanity and the
2:07:46
paranormal activity, they are struggling just to stay warm.
2:07:51
They've now moved all of their mattresses into the living room
2:07:54
around the fireplace and have resorted to burning the
2:07:57
furniture, no matter how expensive, just to live.
2:08:03
While stripping part of the woodwork in her room to use as
2:08:06
firewood, April was met with a horrific discovery.
2:08:11
Upon pulling a board back, she was greeted face to face with a
2:08:15
human skeleton, it's gnarled teeth and empty eye sockets
2:08:20
staring back at her with small strands of hair still attached
2:08:25
to the scalp. Isolated and traumatized, the
2:08:29
Henshaws continue to barely exist as the icy winds howl
2:08:34
outside of the mansion. And although it's taken nearly
2:08:38
everything going wrong, Ginger finally reaches her breaking
2:08:42
point. Pride has kept her from calling
2:08:45
her father, but pride is slowly giving way to her fear.
2:08:51
Fear for herself and her children's lives.
2:08:55
So she finally does the right thing.
2:08:57
Walking through the frozen woods, she makes her way to the
2:09:00
closest neighbor's house, makes the call, and like a knight in
2:09:04
shining armor, the following morning, Ginger and the girls
2:09:08
are rescued. Arnold stays behind, but would
2:09:12
leave Summer Wind the following day to be committed to a mental
2:09:16
hospital. Whatever hope him and Ginger
2:09:19
once had for their relationship has long since been shattered.
2:09:25
He was never seen or heard from by the family again.
2:09:29
The home would be foreclosed on and resold to a new owner.
2:09:33
But just when they thought the war was over, a new chapter was
2:09:37
just beginning. In later interviews, Ginger
2:09:42
would state that she wasn't into haunted houses or the spiritual
2:09:46
world, but after what she experienced at Summer Wind, she
2:09:50
felt that she had to discover and learn about it to make sense
2:09:54
of what had happened. To her.
2:09:57
Upon being rescued by her father, Ray, Ginger told him
2:10:00
everything, every last detail of what had taken place.
2:10:05
However, her father didn't believe her.
2:10:09
He didn't doubt that there had been dysfunction and breakdown
2:10:12
within her marriage, but he did doubt that the paranormal had
2:10:16
anything to do with it. The years now 1972 and Ginger
2:10:21
and the girls are now living with Ginger's father in Ontario,
2:10:24
Canada. Ginger has become an avid
2:10:27
student of the paranormal, reading every last book that she
2:10:30
can get her hands on to try and decipher just what happened at
2:10:34
Summerwind. Since her time there.
2:10:37
She's vowed to never return under any circumstances, but to
2:10:42
the contrary, her father cannot seem to get the place out of.
2:10:46
His mind and. Without her knowledge, he
2:10:49
arranges a meeting in a showing of the mansion with the new
2:10:53
owner, a woman named Misses Murray.
2:10:57
Since purchasing the home, she's been unable to sell it and
2:11:01
refuses to go inside due to a personal experience she never
2:11:05
spoke about. Upon the arrangement, Ray and
2:11:08
his son, Ray Junior go inside. Ray Junior has just been
2:11:13
discharged from the Army after several tours in Vietnam during
2:11:17
the war and needs something to help keep him busy and help him
2:11:21
adjust back to civilian. Life.
2:11:23
Upon seeing Summer Wind like his father, he is also immediately
2:11:28
drawn to it, describing it as the most fascinating home he's
2:11:32
ever seen, like a mix of all different styles of architecture
2:11:36
and that the home looked like it needed someone.
2:11:38
To care for it. Like a puppy.
2:11:40
In the rain, both men make their way inside and it isn't long
2:11:45
until they feel like the home was watching them.
2:11:49
But despite a mysterious chill in the air, Ray decides to make
2:11:53
the purchase. But like his daughter before
2:11:55
him, he too will soon discover that he's purchased more than
2:11:59
what he could have ever bargained for.
2:12:02
Ray Junior quickly gets to work renovating the old home.
2:12:06
He calls multiple contractors to try and get assistance with the
2:12:09
work, but as soon as they would find out where the work was to
2:12:13
be done, they would stop returning his calls.
2:12:16
So Ray continued alone. One day, shortly after his work
2:12:22
had began, Ray was frightened by something.
2:12:25
He was so frightened that he refused to return to the mansion
2:12:30
and claimed that he broke all of his tools.
2:12:32
But not yet telling his father about what had happened, Ray
2:12:37
Senior continued to be excited about his plans for Summerwind.
2:12:41
As he was explaining his layout plan with his daughter and son,
2:12:45
Ray Junior seemed particularly. Nervous and kept biting his
2:12:49
nails. Having also now studied
2:12:51
hypnotism, Ginger offered to help her brother with his nail
2:12:55
biting by placing him in a trance.
2:12:59
However, things soon escalated. The lights began to flicker and
2:13:04
the same mysterious icy wind began to chill the entire room,
2:13:09
and Ray no longer sounded like himself.
2:13:14
The voice of an old gruff man now.
2:13:16
Answered Ginger. An old gruff.
2:13:18
Voice that said. I'm strong and my children are
2:13:22
weak. You were weak and I am strong.
2:13:27
I am very old and have seven children and I despise them all
2:13:32
for they are weak and I am strong.
2:13:36
Fearing that she had unleashed something she couldn't control,
2:13:39
Ginger began to panic. Once the traditional methods
2:13:42
weren't breaking Ray's trance, she commanded the spirit to
2:13:46
leave his body and give her. Back her brother.
2:13:49
With those words, things returned to normal.
2:13:53
Ray soon woke up and, besides a slight headache, had no memory
2:13:57
of what had just. Occurred.
2:13:59
Much to everyone's shock, Ray Senior was quick to dismiss the
2:14:04
event as overactive imaginations.
2:14:07
However, Ray Junior had no children and none of the
2:14:10
statements he had made made any sense.
2:14:14
The man's son then proceeded to explain to him what took place
2:14:17
to him at Summerwind and why he refused to go back.
2:14:22
He was alone in one of the hallways sweeping and he began
2:14:26
to hear voices calling out to them.
2:14:29
He began to walk towards them where he believed where they
2:14:31
were coming from. Then he heard two distinct
2:14:34
gunshots and smelled burning gunpowder.
2:14:38
Having just come back from a tour in Vietnam, there was no
2:14:41
mistaking that smell for the young veteran.
2:14:44
He quickly ran into the kitchen where he continued to smell the
2:14:47
scent. He then checked the perimeter.
2:14:50
It had rained the night before, but there were no tracks besides
2:14:54
his, which would have been impossible.
2:14:57
As he continued to check, he saw the basement door where he had
2:15:01
spotted two bullet holes, and although they looked extremely
2:15:05
old, he continued to smell gunpowder and was rattled to his
2:15:09
core. Upon turning around to face the
2:15:13
room again he was met by the apparition of an old man with a
2:15:17
disfigured face. The spirit was racing towards
2:15:21
him with hell in his eyes. Ray did the sensible thing and
2:15:27
ran to the safety of his vehicle and left for good.
2:15:31
Knowing his son was a staunch atheist and non believer prior
2:15:35
to this event, Ray Senior was astonished given all the
2:15:39
information and details both his daughter and son had now shared
2:15:43
with him. Along with his new found
2:15:45
obsession with the home, Ray now believed that there was some
2:15:48
kind of force attempting to communicate with them, but about
2:15:52
what exactly he wasn't sure. Upon her father's request and
2:15:57
although it took much longer than anticipated, Ginger placed
2:16:01
him in the same trance that she had placed her brother during
2:16:05
his hypnosis. Ray Senior finds himself it's
2:16:08
summer when searching its halls. He then began to descend into
2:16:12
the basement where he discovered a box hidden behind some old
2:16:16
stones and one of the walls. Upon opening the box he sees a
2:16:22
land grant written in 1767 signed by someone named Jonathan
2:16:28
Carver. As the trance is broken as he re
2:16:31
enters conscious reality, Ray Senior, along with his family
2:16:36
are shocked and seemingly out of nowhere they've conjured a name
2:16:40
connected to Summerwind. A name that could help them
2:16:43
solve the elusive mysteries hiding within its walls.
2:16:48
The family quickly gets to work. Heading to the local library,
2:16:53
Ray Senior finds that Jonathan Carver was an explorer in the
2:16:56
late 1700s whose crowning achievement was negotiating a
2:17:01
peace settlement between two warning native tribes.
2:17:05
As a reward for this, he was gifted a large swath of land.
2:17:09
The same land in which Summerwind now sits, but upon
2:17:13
his death, his children were unable to find any documents to
2:17:17
verify this, and thus they were unable to inherit it.
2:17:21
Could a land grant truly be sitting in a box hidden deep
2:17:24
within the basement of the mansion?
2:17:27
Although both Ginger and her brother had vowed to never step
2:17:29
foot in Summerwind again, given these new revelations, they both
2:17:34
believe that perhaps the spirits were attempting to tell them
2:17:37
where this grant was. Perhaps they wanted it found for
2:17:41
one reason or another so they could be at peace.
2:17:45
For this reason, they agreed to go back, although all were
2:17:49
fearful. They made their way back into
2:17:52
the old mansion and from here they headed to the basement to
2:17:56
search. They quickly came upon the spot
2:17:59
Ray Senior had seen during his trance and after pulling several
2:18:03
stones out. There was a space.
2:18:05
Behind them, just as Ray had seen.
2:18:08
But shock and happiness soon turned to an abyss of
2:18:12
disappointment. There was no box there, and
2:18:16
after confirming that there was no box anywhere in the basement,
2:18:19
they decided to do a deep search of the entire house.
2:18:23
But a box was never recovered. Realizing just how much of an
2:18:28
impact the entire Summer Wind experience it had upon them, and
2:18:32
how much time they had spent searching for answers to its
2:18:35
elusive enigmas, they collectively decided to preserve
2:18:39
what was left of their sanity, seemingly tormenting every
2:18:43
single person who had ever lived there.
2:18:46
Perhaps it's secrets could never be solved.
2:18:49
So the family gets in their vehicle and leaves Summer Wind,
2:18:54
never to return. The property would later be sold
2:18:58
again, and again it would sit vacant for years.
2:19:02
Then, on one stormy night in 1988, lightning strikes the old
2:19:07
mansion multiple times, burning it to the ground, forever
2:19:12
sealing its secrets within a tomb of ashes.
2:19:17
Today, all that remains are the ruins of its two chimneys and
2:19:21
some stones. Carver's descendants,
2:19:25
researchers and others still to this day have not found the land
2:19:29
deed. But the real question is, did it
2:19:32
ever exist at all? Did the spirit of Carver pull
2:19:36
any and all people he could to attempt to find him?
2:19:39
Or was he ever there at all? Or could there have been
2:19:43
something else, something that perhaps was never human,
2:19:47
stalking the grounds of Summer Wind instead causing the torment
2:19:52
and madness to the many residents who dared to call the
2:19:55
mansion their home? The truth, for now, will forever
2:19:59
remain a mystery, it seems. But the reality of what?
2:20:02
Happened to the Henshaw family will forever haunt them until
2:20:07
the day that they die. Throughout history, it has been
2:20:13
speculated that many have been plagued by an ancient demonic
2:20:18
force from Mesopotamia to more modern times.
2:20:24
This evil and terrifying entity as said to enter our world and
2:20:29
wreak havoc upon those dwell within it.
2:20:34
When a seemingly normal family disregards the warnings and
2:20:39
partakes in multiple Ouija board sessions, what happened next
2:20:44
nearly destroyed them. This is the untold story of the
2:20:49
demonic Zozo House of Oklahoma and the abhorrent creature
2:20:55
stalks its walls. Oklahoma City, a small but
2:21:12
growing city in the heartland of America known for blue collar
2:21:17
work and brick and mortar shops, red dirt and sports would soon
2:21:25
become known for something much darker.
2:21:29
A teenager by the name of Darren Evans was growing up here, a
2:21:34
normal boy by all accounts, doing things that any teenagers
2:21:39
would enjoy, hanging out with friends, shenanigans here and
2:21:44
there, and dating girls. He began dating a girl named
2:21:50
Brandy who attended school with him, and the two often found
2:21:54
themselves visiting each other as often as they could, whether
2:21:59
that was walking to and from school and between classes or
2:22:04
visiting each other's homes. One day, while Brandy's home was
2:22:10
having some plumbing work done on some pipes located underneath
2:22:14
the house, the plumber doing the work would soon make a strange
2:22:19
discovery. Located below the foundation of
2:22:22
the home, covered in dirt, was an old Ouija board.
2:22:27
The front letters were partially buried and the back of the board
2:22:33
was solid black in color. Off to the side of where the
2:22:37
board was found was an aged planchette.
2:22:42
What made this finding even more bizarre was that 4 old jars sat
2:22:47
on the corners of the board, speckled with dirt as well.
2:22:53
Thinking perhaps the kids had stashed the board away and
2:22:56
forgot about it, the worker told the young couple after his work
2:23:00
was done about what he had found.
2:23:04
And it's from here that things seemingly take a darker turn.
2:23:09
Upon examining the discovery, they began to brush the dirt
2:23:13
away from the jars. They were then shocked by what
2:23:16
they found Inside each one of the jars.
2:23:20
Sitting on the four corners of the board were the decaying
2:23:24
bodies of blackbirds, congealed blood and matter still present.
2:23:33
Bewildered but intrigued, they sat the jars off to the side and
2:23:38
picked up the board. As soon as his fingers made
2:23:42
contact with the board, Darren seemed to have an instant
2:23:46
connection with it. And with this soon.
2:23:50
Came a burning. Curiosity to examine it, and
2:23:54
this curiosity would manifest into obsession with this.
2:24:01
The couple took the board inside the home where they spoke with
2:24:05
Brandy's mother. She actively practiced the
2:24:08
Wiccan religion, but had no idea who could have put the board
2:24:13
there several days later. Curious as most teenagers are,
2:24:19
Darren was an avid music fan and one night, after building up the
2:24:24
courage to do it, he decided he was going to contact the
2:24:29
deceased singer, the popular band ACDC, a man named Ronald
2:24:35
Belfort Scott, using the board. Scott had passed away from
2:24:40
alcohol poisoning in 1980. After lighting several candles,
2:24:46
laying the board with letters facing towards him, and placing
2:24:50
the planchette upon the board, he began his session.
2:24:55
At first, nothing seemed to happen, but Darren was still
2:25:00
feeling this otherworldly connection to something within
2:25:03
the board itself. After trying for half an hour,
2:25:08
to his shock and amazement, the planchette began to move.
2:25:14
Slowly at first. It then frantically began to
2:25:18
move by itself, moving from Z to OZ to O over and over over again
2:25:29
spelling out the name Sozo. Shocked and unsure of what or
2:25:37
who he had contacted, Darren said goodbye in an attempt to
2:25:41
end the session. Before his eyes he saw the plain
2:25:46
chat spell out See you in hell and then it threw itself across
2:25:52
the room. A now terrified and bewildered
2:25:55
Darren ran out of his room and try to make sense of what had
2:25:59
just taken place. But this was just the beginning
2:26:03
of what was to come. It started with horrible night
2:26:08
terrors. He would wake up unable to move
2:26:12
or speak and would hear whispering in his ears.
2:26:17
These episodes at night were soon followed by banging and
2:26:20
knocking throughout his house during the daytime, as well as a
2:26:24
constant feeling as if he was being watched by something he
2:26:29
couldn't see. But despite the presence he was
2:26:33
feeling, Darren now sought answers to his ever growing list
2:26:37
of questions, just what exactly he had uncovered.
2:26:42
So he continued to hold sessions with the board.
2:26:47
For better or for worse. Darren would later quote this.
2:26:53
The sessions now were as intense and paranormal as anything I've
2:26:57
ever witnessed. A deep and terrible moaning
2:27:01
could be heard emanating through the walls.
2:27:03
After these sessions I developed sleep paralysis and became
2:27:09
reclusive to society in general. I was once again messing with
2:27:14
Zozo and Ouija boards, despite the terrors of my earlier
2:27:18
sessions in which I had promised myself I would never do it
2:27:22
again. But again, and again I did.
2:27:28
When not in use, the board was kept in a purple silk cloth and
2:27:33
stored in his bedroom closet. It would also often go missing,
2:27:39
sometimes for days on end. When checking back where he had
2:27:44
placed it in order to set up and initiate a new session, the
2:27:48
board would seemingly vanish, only to reappear at random times
2:27:54
as if it was the one calling the shots of when it could be seen
2:27:59
and used. The years came in wind and the
2:28:04
sessions on the mystical Ouija board continued.
2:28:09
Darren by this time started inviting his friends to partake
2:28:13
in the sessions, and although their sessions with him would
2:28:17
prove he's not insane, it's of little consolation considering
2:28:21
the tragedy they would seemingly manifest later on.
2:28:27
Darren's best friend was a man by the name of Randy.
2:28:31
The two had bonded over their love for the band ACDC in high
2:28:34
school and had been inseparable ever since.
2:28:39
Randy's idol also being the late Bond Scott, whose lifestyle
2:28:44
seemingly imprinted upon the youthful teens Once Upon a time
2:28:48
and perhaps would ultimately lead to the downfall of one of
2:28:53
them. By now, Darren was living in his
2:28:56
own apartment and working construction at a job site he
2:29:01
was on. He would make a strange but
2:29:04
familiar discovery. As he was digging down into the
2:29:08
earth, he found what appeared to be a jar.
2:29:12
Upon picking it up to discard it, he wiped away the dirt and
2:29:16
debris, only to be shocked by its familiar contents.
2:29:22
Loan. And behold, within the jar was a
2:29:25
congealed and rotting Blackbird, extremely similar if not
2:29:31
identical to the ones initially found alongside the Ouija board
2:29:36
underneath his high school girlfriend's home all those
2:29:40
years ago. It was particularly weird, not
2:29:44
just because of this, but the fact that he had found it
2:29:49
digging down deep into the earth.
2:29:51
He wondered what were the odds of this, and although he had no
2:29:56
way of knowing for sure, his gut began to tell him that there was
2:30:00
some kind of witchcraft or a cult expertise at play here.
2:30:06
Perhaps someone or a group of people were knowingly contacting
2:30:10
this entity known as Zozo. But for what remained to be
2:30:15
known, one evening in 1985, Darren and Randy were relaxing
2:30:22
at Darren's apartment when they decided to host a session on the
2:30:26
Ouija board. Randy, more than anything,
2:30:30
wanted to try and make contact with his late idol Bon Scott,
2:30:36
while wearing a Highway to Hell ACDC shirt.
2:30:40
Randy's intent was clear. The two dimmed the lights, lit a
2:30:45
couple of candles, and began the session upon the board.
2:30:50
They made contact within a few minutes once the planchet was
2:30:55
moving. Randy exclaimed.
2:30:58
We want to talk to Bon Scott of ACDC.
2:31:03
With this sentence, the planchet seemingly obliged.
2:31:09
It moved in circles, eventually spelling out Aye MATE.
2:31:17
The two looked at each other in amazement.
2:31:20
The entity was using Australian dialects and for anyone who
2:31:24
doesn't know, Bon Scott was Australian.
2:31:29
After several more questions, both of the young men were
2:31:32
convinced they were speaking with their idol.
2:31:35
The spirit seemed to know every little detail to any question
2:31:39
they asked during the session. The entity then made a strange
2:31:44
request from the men. It asked them to light a
2:31:47
cigarette and place it in the hole in the planchette.
2:31:52
What proceeded to make both of them laugh also made them quite
2:31:55
spooked as well. So they lit a couple cigarettes,
2:32:00
one for each of them and one for this entity.
2:32:05
They took a few drags to keep it lit and then placed it cherry
2:32:09
side up in the planchette hole. The Blanchett then spelled out
2:32:13
thanks. They then watched an utter
2:32:16
amazement as the cherry of the cigarette lit up as if Bon
2:32:21
himself was taking puffs off of it.
2:32:25
But this amusement was short lived.
2:32:29
Once the cigarette had seemingly been smoked, the Planchett began
2:32:34
to spell something very different.
2:32:37
It's spelled F you Randy. I will have your soul and I'll
2:32:43
see you in hell Zeo. Zeo terrified the men quickly
2:32:52
into the session by saying goodbye and tossing the board
2:32:55
outside the second story apartment balcony door.
2:32:59
Clearly scared and upset. Randy also didn't take kindly to
2:33:04
threats. He began cussing out Zozo with
2:33:08
complete and utter rage. The board would later be
2:33:11
returned by his downstairs neighbor, and after this
2:33:15
session, a series of lows for both of the men seemed to
2:33:19
manifest in the years to come. Influenced by the lifestyle of
2:33:24
his idol, Randy fell victim to alcoholism.
2:33:29
He soon would lose his wife to divorce and have split custody
2:33:33
with his son. And although many opportunities
2:33:37
presented themselves for Randy to better his life, for one
2:33:41
reason or another, he was always just too far away to be able to
2:33:45
grasp them, He often said to Darren, I feel like I'm in a
2:33:50
prison and I can't escape for old time's sake.
2:33:56
The two did one last Ouija board session together in 2005, in
2:34:01
which Randy asked the board how he would die.
2:34:06
The board responded in a car at night alone.
2:34:12
In 2007, after spending the evening with Darren.
2:34:17
The last words he would say to him were Darren, I will see you
2:34:21
in hell. The next morning, Darren
2:34:25
received a phone call from Randy's girlfriend Alicia,
2:34:28
saying that Randy never made it home after he left.
2:34:33
Instead, he had passed away in a violent head on collision,
2:34:38
ultimately passing away in a car at night and alone.
2:34:44
This devastating passing, along with the frequent contact with
2:34:48
the entity known as Zozo over the years, led to a fascination
2:34:53
and borderline obsession with the search for answers for
2:34:57
Darren Evans. During the time before and after
2:35:01
Randy's death, he had been living in a home in Oklahoma
2:35:05
City, OK that would become synonymous with the demon's
2:35:10
name. It was here that the worst
2:35:13
afflictions brought on by the entity would take place to him
2:35:17
and his family. Darren's fascination with the
2:35:21
occult led him to hanging on to and possessing multiple Ouija
2:35:25
boards and other various occult objects.
2:35:30
It was. Here that he.
2:35:31
Began to study on a much more in depth and organized basis, just
2:35:36
trying to figure out who or what Zozo was.
2:35:41
But this research would soon be interrupted and this home lived
2:35:46
himself, his wife Kathleen and their young daughter at the
2:35:51
time. During a session with his wife
2:35:54
Kathleen one evening while their daughter slept rooms away, Zozo
2:36:01
would once again make itself present in their lives, but this
2:36:05
time seemed to take possession of Darren.
2:36:09
Kathleen trembled with fear and bated breath as something stared
2:36:14
at her through Darren's eyes, something that clearly wasn't
2:36:19
human. He then turned violent,
2:36:23
attempting to attack her. Fortunately for Kathleen, she
2:36:28
was able to say goodbye and get away before any harm could be
2:36:32
done to her. Several minutes later, Darren
2:36:36
would come back to himself with no memory.
2:36:39
Of what had. Taken place after this session,
2:36:44
things seemed to escalate in intensity.
2:36:49
Sounds began to rap throughout the entire home, from knocking
2:36:55
to hissing, footsteps and banging, all seemingly with no
2:37:02
explainable origin. The family got so terrified that
2:37:07
they sectioned off a particular bedroom upstairs, calling it
2:37:12
their safe room. One night, however, not everyone
2:37:17
was within the safe room. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense
2:37:22
of terror creeped upon Darren as he was trying to sleep.
2:37:27
He rushed to the safe room to attempt to stop what he was
2:37:30
feeling. Quickly realizing he couldn't
2:37:33
leave his family behind, he rushed back out of the room in
2:37:37
an attempt to gather them and bring them to safety as well.
2:37:43
As he was heading towards the stairs, his daughter had heard
2:37:47
his cries and was now at the foot of the stairs.
2:37:52
It was here that Darren saw her being lifted by invisible hands
2:37:57
into the air and carried away from him, screaming for his
2:38:04
child as she screamed for her father.
2:38:07
Darren ran down the stairs as fast as he possibly could but
2:38:11
couldn't see her anywhere. Insight.
2:38:15
He then heard her muffled screams coming from the
2:38:18
basement. At first the door was locked and
2:38:22
wouldn't open, but after adrenaline and brute force,
2:38:27
Darren thankfully was able to open it.
2:38:30
He then retrieved his hysterical child and brought her to the
2:38:34
safety of the safe room. Once inside the room, the family
2:38:39
huddled together in fear as they continued to hear movement and
2:38:43
noises all throughout the house. After this abhorrent nightmare
2:38:48
of a situation, the family knew they had to get out of the
2:38:52
house. This situation and the many
2:38:55
other paranormal experiences had led to a lifelong fascination
2:39:00
for Darren Evans with the occult and finding out just exactly
2:39:05
what Sozo is. But was it worth jeopardizing
2:39:09
his family's safety? It took some time but the family
2:39:15
would soon relocate to another home and once his family was
2:39:19
safe, Darren was able to continue his deep dive into the
2:39:24
unknown to try and track down and decipher just what this
2:39:28
entity could be and where it came from.
2:39:33
And although he knew the topic was vast, I think it went far
2:39:37
deeper than he ever anticipated. Whilst trying to dig up more
2:39:42
information, he posted his experiences to an old paranormal
2:39:46
form in 2009 and since then many, many people have shared
2:39:54
their experiences with the demonic force, many of which
2:40:00
have been documented and compared by Darren himself on
2:40:04
his website. But these experiences are not
2:40:07
just a 21st or even 20th century phenomena, they date back far
2:40:13
older than that. Not every fine detail will be
2:40:17
mentioned here. But I will do my best to list
2:40:20
the most important details that I could find in regards to the
2:40:24
origin of Zozo. According to Darren and other
2:40:28
online sources, Zozo in the old Basque language means Blackbird
2:40:35
or crow. The Zo people of Haiti practiced
2:40:39
a form of voodoo whose rituals involve horrific scarification
2:40:44
as well as the intake and passing around of bodily fluids
2:40:49
and bizarre rituals. Their witch doctors are called
2:40:54
Zozo and wear demonic looking masks as part of their death
2:40:59
ritual. When someone is passing away,
2:41:02
they lift up the mask at the moment of death to take in the
2:41:06
person's final breath. This is apparently done to
2:41:10
absorb the soul of the person to gain more spiritual power.
2:41:16
Zozo also in the Malay language is the same as it is in English,
2:41:21
but it translates to wandering spirit, which is a spirit they
2:41:25
believe to steal people's souls while they sleep, which is also
2:41:31
bizarre because sleep is often considered the cousin of death.
2:41:36
Zozo has been called the minister of deception.
2:41:40
It is known to convince you that it is a deceased.
2:41:42
Loved one or friend? Or even someone you've idolized,
2:41:47
when in reality, it's not. Sessions typically start out
2:41:53
friendly and inviting, but soon turned malevolent and dangerous.
2:42:00
During his research over the years, Darren made contact with
2:42:05
and spoke to famous demonologist John Zapis who shared with him
2:42:10
that in his experience over 40 years of studying the demonic
2:42:14
and paranormal, the name Zozo and other pseudonyms of its name
2:42:20
kept coming up in his investigations, which too led
2:42:23
him to seek answers as to what it could be.
2:42:28
And some of those investigations, when questioned,
2:42:31
the demon stated that it was the son of Satan himself.
2:42:36
But Zaphis thinks perhaps is with many deities that seem to
2:42:40
be lurking in the shadows. Zozo could be an entity that's
2:42:44
existed far before the founding of Christianity.
2:42:49
Besides evidence showing up in Africa and Egypt, there's also
2:42:53
evidence found linking Zozo to ancient Mesopotamia as well.
2:42:59
Other names Zozo has gone by throughout the ages have been
2:43:03
Zuzu, Zaza, and Mamo, among many others.
2:43:10
The name Zuzu could refer to Puzzuzu, the famed demon from
2:43:14
the film The Exorcist, which in reality was a demonic entity
2:43:19
from ancient Mesopotamian religion.
2:43:23
It's incredibly strange to note the following as well.
2:43:27
Zozo was replaced in the story of the exorcism of Rolling
2:43:30
Dough, and Peter Blatty was using it as inspiration to write
2:43:35
The Exorcist. He changed Zozo to Pazuzu.
2:43:41
Zozo is believed to be the demon that possessed Roland.
2:43:46
It was described as a terrifying form that first appeared in the
2:43:50
Neo Assyrian period, roughly around 934 to 610 BC.
2:43:57
It had a monstrous head resembling a fierce lion or a
2:44:01
dog with horns, and had an emaciated human body with clawed
2:44:07
hands, a scorpion's tail, and two sets of wings.
2:44:14
One translation reads. I am Pazuzu, the son of Hambu,
2:44:20
king of the Lilu demons. I have scaled the powerful
2:44:24
mountains. They trembled.
2:44:28
The contrary winds were headed West 1 by 1.
2:44:33
I broke their wings. Pazuzu and other demons like it
2:44:38
were held responsible for ailments like disease, fetal
2:44:42
death, nightmares, and much more.
2:44:47
Could it be that this ancient demonic force is what could be
2:44:50
plaguing people all the way into modern times?
2:44:55
The demon Zozo is also mentioned in the French Demonic
2:44:58
Encyclopedia is one of the demons responsible for
2:45:02
diabolical possession and corruption.
2:45:07
The possession of a young girl in 1816 is noted as a documented
2:45:12
case where Zozo, among several other demons were present.
2:45:18
Other noteworthy possession cases over the ages ranging
2:45:21
closer to modern times that bears Zozo's name other than the
2:45:26
exorcism of rolling dough in the 1950s, are the possession of
2:45:30
Doris Blither in 1972 in Los Angeles, the Enfield Poltergeist
2:45:37
incident in 1977 in the UK, and as recent as 2012 where a
2:45:46
possession incident led to an attempted murder.
2:45:51
Other theories with how this entity could communicate with so
2:45:54
many people so quickly and across the globe over the years,
2:45:59
besides supernatural ability of its own, would be that its own
2:46:03
reach is perhaps being strengthened by an agrigor or
2:46:08
collective group of thought form created by occultists for a
2:46:13
certain purpose. However, this seems unlikely
2:46:18
considering the entity doesn't seem to serve any human interest
2:46:23
other than to destroy the person or people's lives it makes
2:46:27
contact with. Agrigors are typically formed to
2:46:31
bring control over a summon deity for the person or groups
2:46:36
bidding. But perhaps instead there is a
2:46:39
cold worshipping Zozo? I mean that would make more
2:46:42
sense to me. People who have made contact
2:46:46
with the entity via spirit or Ouija board have also been asked
2:46:50
to chant or spell out phrases in Hebrew or Latin, which has
2:46:56
convinced many of the intelligence of the being
2:46:58
they're speaking with. What is also interesting is that
2:47:03
the letter Z was actually removed from the original Latin
2:47:06
alphabet because it was considered too evil when
2:47:10
pronouncing it. It was said that one's face
2:47:13
would make a death's grimace like that of a corpse, and that
2:47:18
it mimicked the letter S like an evil twin.
2:47:23
Perhaps the entity uses this name as some sort of mocking,
2:47:27
whether to God or something else.
2:47:31
One may also ask, despite the origin, theories and historical
2:47:36
details that could be linked to this ancient demonic force, how
2:47:41
would one know if they encountered such a thing?
2:47:44
These are what's known as Zozo's calling cards when it's being
2:47:48
summoned using a Ouija board. The obvious is there that the
2:47:53
planchette will begin to move on its own, but some less obvious
2:47:57
signs are there as well, and are as follows.
2:48:02
The planchette will move in a rainbow pattern from side to
2:48:05
side, spelling ZOZO over and over again, also known as the
2:48:14
rainbow effect. It can also move in repeating
2:48:18
Figure 8 movements like an Infinity sign.
2:48:22
The planchat will spell out various versions of the demon's
2:48:25
name, like Zozo, Zozo, Zaza, Zuzu, or Mama.
2:48:34
You may also begin to see shadows moving around the area
2:48:38
where you were hosting the session, like you're seeing
2:48:41
through the thinnest sheet and to a Dark World that exists just
2:48:46
behind your vision and you and whoever you may be with.
2:48:52
And they start to feel scared, uneasy, or upset seemingly for
2:48:58
no other reason before or after this takes place.
2:49:04
When you tell this entity goodbye.
2:49:06
Typically the best way to close a session they may not truly be
2:49:11
goodbye because often times depending on how long the
2:49:16
session has been for, like an ever widening door, the entity
2:49:21
may have had just enough time to sneak in to begin to wreak havoc
2:49:25
upon your life. And thus begins what many
2:49:29
demonologists and religious leaders alike call demonic
2:49:32
obsession, which is where the entity becomes aware of you and
2:49:38
begins to crave you, which then leads to oppression or begins to
2:49:43
inflict various forms of torture upon you in an effort to break
2:49:48
you down, whether that's physically, psychologically, or
2:49:53
spiritually. It will also work to isolate you
2:49:57
from others, especially those who care about you.
2:50:02
And finally, if you're incredibly unlucky, possession
2:50:07
or the entity finally takes control of you as its vessel.
2:50:13
All of which to me are absolutely terrifying in every
2:50:17
imaginable way. Darren Evans to this day
2:50:21
continues to research the Zozo Phenomena, having been involved
2:50:25
in the number of paranormal investigations, shows, and
2:50:30
various other public and private events, as well as radio shows
2:50:34
and podcasts, many of which he goes into various degrees of
2:50:38
details regarding his encounters, other people's
2:50:42
encounters, and other various historical details.
2:50:47
He also in 2016 compiled his year's worth of research and
2:50:51
experiences into a book also titled The Zozo Phenomena, which
2:50:56
you can read and learn more about the entity and the topic
2:50:59
as a whole. If you're interested, I'll link
2:51:02
it below. I also pulled a lot of this
2:51:06
information from various interviews, which I'll also be
2:51:09
linking below, as well as an older website he runs that
2:51:13
doesn't seem to have been updated.
2:51:15
In a while. But supplied me with much
2:51:17
information to get the story as cohesive as I possibly could.
2:51:23
I also sourced the photos of the apparitions from the site, some
2:51:27
of which were taken by Evans himself over the years.
2:51:32
So does this demon or ancient force truly exist?
2:51:36
Is it some kind of elder God, a pre Christian deity or being or
2:51:43
manifestation of occult or Luciferian practices?
2:51:48
Did Darren Evans just make it up and did thousands of people find
2:51:52
it interesting enough to make up their own stories and partake in
2:51:56
a mass charade that has lasted years?
2:52:00
All of these answers may never truly be known, but my opinion
2:52:04
is this I think not only given the wide array of strange
2:52:08
coincidences and details throughout history.
2:52:12
From the origins to the stories of this creature existing in
2:52:16
distant past to the present, to literally thousands of people.
2:52:22
From casual interests in the occult to more hardcore
2:52:25
fanatics, religious scholars, demonologists, and more claiming
2:52:32
to have had experiences with this thing.
2:52:35
With all of these details in mind, I certainly think it very
2:52:39
well could be real. I do think there are things that
2:52:43
exist in the shadows, things we can't see or touch that are
2:52:48
there watching and waiting to strike when and if the
2:52:54
opportunity presents itself. So my advice to all of you to
2:52:59
avoid any possibility of opening a door that you can't close and
2:53:03
inviting evil into your life is this.
2:53:08
Don't mess with Ouija boards. These things are not toys.
2:53:12
Whether you believe it or not, these entities do exist and they
2:53:17
believe in you. So keep away from them, because
2:53:21
you might just let something in that won't want to leave even if
2:53:26
you say goodbye. Winter of 1988 in California, a
2:53:45
woman by the name of Jackie Hernandez had just left her
2:53:49
husband. Her marriage was rocky to say
2:53:52
the least. A domestic drama, a story which
2:53:56
is all too common in this world. Working with a limited budget,
2:54:01
she had a small amount of things.
2:54:03
Her two year old son Jamie, and was pregnant with her second
2:54:07
child. What should have been a happy
2:54:09
development that was now bittersweet due to being
2:54:13
overshadowed by the problems presented by an unhappy
2:54:16
marriage. She soon found a small house
2:54:19
located in San Pedro that seemed like it could be just what she
2:54:23
needed to get back on her feet. Although would take some time.
2:54:27
She was willing to do what she needed to do to get out of the
2:54:30
marriage and take care of her children before the family would
2:54:34
move into the home and begin to inhabit its walls.
2:54:38
What they didn't realize was that they already weren't alone.
2:54:43
Jackie would later say that she always had a fear of someone
2:54:46
breaking into her home, especially when she began to
2:54:49
live alone, but that upon crossing the threshold of this
2:54:52
new house, and although for a seasoned criminal it would have
2:54:56
been all too easy to break into if they had so wished, that fear
2:55:00
was somehow gone. At first she said that she felt
2:55:04
a presence, something that was not of this world, that she fell
2:55:09
almost protected and at ease, which was something she wasn't
2:55:13
used to. This presence would begin to
2:55:16
show itself in small but strange ways.
2:55:20
The very first thing Jackie said she ever experienced was when
2:55:24
she had friends over. One of her friends was sitting
2:55:27
at a table near her in the kitchen and the other on a couch
2:55:31
in the living room as she passed by another desk that held a cup
2:55:35
full of pens. Although several feet away, her
2:55:38
and her friend in the kitchen were awestruck when the cup
2:55:42
glided by itself across the table it was sat on and towards
2:55:46
Jackie. It then collapsed to the floor,
2:55:49
shattering the cup. Stricken with curiosity as to
2:55:53
how that could have happened, they were confused and surprised
2:55:57
to say the least, but not having the answers.
2:56:01
Before too long, the seemingly innocent strangeness would
2:56:05
become a distant memory. However, the presence that
2:56:09
Jackie had been feeling would begin to show its true
2:56:12
intentions. In February of 1989, the
2:56:16
activity seemed to escalate. As she wakes up, Jackie heads to
2:56:21
her children's room to see if they're still asleep.
2:56:24
Upon walking into the room, she is stopped dead in her tracks.
2:56:29
Sitting beside her sleeping sun on the lowest bunk bed is a man
2:56:34
in a red flannel shirt and jeans.
2:56:37
His skin is Gray, his face looks angry.
2:56:41
A living, rotting corpse is staring at her son.
2:56:46
She is so scared she can't even scream even if she wanted to.
2:56:51
The man glances at her menacingly and then vanishes.
2:56:56
She panics and calls several friends to help her, but after
2:57:00
they arrive, they find nothing. And this would only mark the
2:57:04
beginning of the frightening specter revealing itself.
2:57:08
Multiple of Jackie's friends and even her neighbor would witness
2:57:11
things they couldn't explain in the months to come.
2:57:15
The neighbor's name was Susan Castaneda.
2:57:18
And in her. Words she would later say.
2:57:21
At first, when Jackie said that she felt something, I didn't
2:57:25
really believe her. I thought it was her own
2:57:27
confidence in herself, but that was until the manifestations
2:57:32
began to show themselves to her and then to me.
2:57:36
I don't know what it is that I saw, but I saw it.
2:57:40
I smelled it, I experienced it. It touched me and it talked to
2:57:45
me. It even visited my house to let
2:57:48
me know that it was real. One night, as it stormed outside
2:57:53
and rain tapped the glass of the windows of her bedroom, Susan
2:57:57
was sound asleep. But as she slept, something
2:58:01
supernatural was churning like the storm outside her house.
2:58:06
She was suddenly startled awake when she heard a massive banging
2:58:10
noise in her room. However, this wasn't Thunder
2:58:13
that she was hearing. Her large antique lamp on the
2:58:16
other side of her bed had somehow been moved.
2:58:19
It had been thrown into the middle of the room and now laid
2:58:23
in pieces. As she made this discovery, a
2:58:27
flash of lightning illuminated the room, and standing before
2:58:31
her was a man. His face was like that of a dead
2:58:35
person. His eyes were angry, and
2:58:39
suddenly, as quickly as the room lit up, as the illumination
2:58:43
dissipated, he was gone. But something peculiar was left
2:58:48
in his wake, a putrid and rotting smell.
2:58:52
After the experience Susan had, which would be one of many to
2:58:56
come, another friend by the name of Darlene, who would regularly
2:59:00
babysit Jackie's children, Jamie and Samantha while Jackie was at
2:59:05
work, would have an experience of her own.
2:59:08
One afternoon as the children watched cartoons on TV in the
2:59:12
living room, Darlene got up to use the restroom.
2:59:16
As she stepped back into the hallway and headed towards the
2:59:19
small homes bathroom, she was greeted by a voice that called
2:59:23
out to her from inside the darkened room.
2:59:26
It very intensely said don't come back here later describing
2:59:31
the voices very creepy and spine chilling.
2:59:35
She did as she was told, fearing that if she didn't whatever this
2:59:39
thing was would become violent. As the days passed, Jackie only
2:59:45
became ever more restless, but the activity persisted, only
2:59:50
becoming more aggressive and more visible.
2:59:53
A strange liquid began to drip from the walls and various
2:59:57
crevices throughout the house, with no logical origin.
3:00:02
Weirded out by this, but not knowing what it was, Jackie
3:00:06
would clean it up and just try to go about her day.
3:00:09
However, whatever had been causing all of these events was
3:00:13
far from finished. One evening when placing a
3:00:17
storage bin inside of her attic to try and conserve what little
3:00:21
space she had, she felt as if she was being watched.
3:00:25
To her shock and amazement, she began to see what she would
3:00:29
later describe as a floating head coming towards her.
3:00:34
But upon seeing the spectre, it picked up speed dramatically.
3:00:38
It came at her so quickly that she panicked and fell off the
3:00:43
chair that had been propping her up to gain access to the attic.
3:00:47
Following this incident, she began to hear loud noises
3:00:50
emanating from the attic above, coupled by whispers coming from
3:00:55
the small access store above her laundry room.
3:00:59
Getting no sleep and reaching her breaking point, Jackie began
3:01:03
to get desperate for some kind of help.
3:01:06
Her friend and neighbor Susan had recently seen a show on TV
3:01:10
of a crew who investigated the haunting of the Queen Mary, and
3:01:14
after some digging she was able to find their phone number.
3:01:18
So, as Susan's recommendation, Jackie gave them a call.
3:01:23
After discussing what she had experienced, her point of
3:01:26
contact passed the information along to the group where she was
3:01:30
then contacted back and together they set up a time for all of
3:01:34
them to meet and to begin a potential investigation.
3:01:38
The group consisted of a fairly well known parapsychologist and
3:01:42
other professionals in assistive fields.
3:01:44
The parapsychologist was Barry Taft, who had been involved in
3:01:48
over 3000 cases and at one point investigated the same case that
3:01:53
would later become famous for a movie adaptation known as The
3:01:57
Entity. A professional cameraman named
3:02:00
Barry Conrad also joined them. He had previously worked for NBC
3:02:05
and ABC and had won multiple awards in his field for his
3:02:09
expert work behind the lens. And lastly, a photography expert
3:02:14
by the name of Jeff Wheatcraft would complete the main crew.
3:02:18
Having spent multiple years as a photography expert in New York,
3:02:22
he was well versed in debunking photos.
3:02:25
He was also a well known and heavy skeptic, an important
3:02:29
piece when trying to remain scientific in the field such as
3:02:32
this. All three would arrive for the
3:02:35
first time at the San Pedro home on August 8th, 1989.
3:02:40
Upon their initial surveying of the home, they would unanimously
3:02:44
agree that it felt as if there was a massive pressure around
3:02:48
them and in their ears. His pressure felt.
3:02:51
As if they were deep underwater. Alongside this, the home had a
3:02:55
very peculiar sin. A foul and rotting type of smell
3:03:00
seemed to permeate the air within its walls.
3:03:04
After an initial walkthrough, the crew would then interview
3:03:07
Jackie and Susan in the living room, where they were introduced
3:03:11
to many of the details of what they both said they had
3:03:14
experienced. Upon hearing Jackie's account of
3:03:17
a disembodied head flying towards her in the attic, Jeff,
3:03:21
although not voicing it at the time, didn't believe her.
3:03:25
But knowing what they were there to do, he suggested that the
3:03:28
group at least take a look in the attic to see if they could
3:03:31
feel anything. He then volunteered to be the
3:03:34
first to go into the attic, thinking that it would simply be
3:03:38
empty and this lady was spinning a fantasy.
3:03:41
As he climbed above the laundry room and into the space,
3:03:45
flashlight and camera in hand, he began to walk around and the
3:03:49
first thing he noticed was that he felt as if he was being
3:03:53
watched by something that he couldn't see, so much so that
3:03:57
the hair on his body began to stand on end.
3:04:00
Trying to shake the feeling that someone or something was
3:04:03
practically breathing down his neck, Jeff began to take photos
3:04:07
before he was going to descend back to the main level of the
3:04:10
house. He snapped one photo, two
3:04:13
photos, but upon snapping the third photo, something, an
3:04:18
invisible force yanked his camera from his hands.
3:04:22
Dumbstruck by what had just taken place, he screamed and
3:04:25
ran, descending the attic as quickly as he could upon seeing
3:04:30
the rest of the crew. Why does it ghost himself?
3:04:33
He took a minute or two to collect himself before working
3:04:36
up the nerve to go and retrieve his camera.
3:04:39
As he climbed back into the attic, much more cautiously this
3:04:43
time, he noticed that the camera wasn't anywhere near where he
3:04:47
had been standing. Instead, the lens was standing
3:04:50
up in one corner of the attic and the body of the camera was
3:04:54
in the complete opposite corner from where it had been pulled
3:04:57
from his hands. He would retrieve it as quickly
3:05:00
as he could and descend yet again.
3:05:03
He would later say that after his initial experience that he
3:05:07
knew, he just knew in his soul that there had to be something
3:05:10
up there. The group would further discuss
3:05:13
a plan of action and continue to speak with the ladies in the
3:05:16
living room until it was decided that Jeff and Barry would re
3:05:19
ascend into the attic together to try and record some kind of
3:05:23
video of the space. However, every time that Barry
3:05:27
attempted to take the camera up into the attic, it would shut
3:05:31
off. Thinking that this was some kind
3:05:33
of battery issue, he would go back down only for the video
3:05:36
camera to come back on. During this troubleshooting
3:05:39
process, Jeff was again targeted.
3:05:42
He was pushed by unseen hands. He was pushed with so much force
3:05:47
that he had to grab a hold of a wooden beam in the attic to keep
3:05:51
from falling through the entrance.
3:05:53
Upon making his way back down as well.
3:05:55
Thoroughly shocked by everything that he had experienced so far,
3:05:59
the entire group was then startled into silence when a
3:06:02
loud banging noise began to come from the far reaches of the
3:06:06
attic itself. They hushed each other to
3:06:08
listen. The following audio was taken at
3:06:11
that very moment. Quiet.
3:06:25
There has been choices in this room that come from right in the
3:06:29
center, right here. Once it finally stopped, the
3:06:32
group knew they were experiencing something they
3:06:35
couldn't explain, and they were convinced that this was the real
3:06:39
deal. Attempting to photograph
3:06:41
whatever could have been making the noise, Jeff would partially
3:06:44
put himself up into the attic to snap additional photos.
3:06:48
He would then see multiple flashes of light followed by
3:06:52
what he described as a massive black shadow or presence that
3:06:57
was huge and moving from side to side.
3:07:01
The crew would then leave for the ninth shortly after this
3:07:04
interaction and would plan to return several weeks later.
3:07:08
However, shaken by what he had experienced, Jeff did not want
3:07:12
to further participate. On August 28th of 1989, the
3:07:17
remaining crew would return and things at first seemed
3:07:20
relatively quiet, this time not nearly as active as the first
3:07:24
experience. That was until about 4:00 AM.
3:07:28
Sitting in the kitchen, they began to see a strange liquid
3:07:31
pour from inside the cabinets. This was the very same liquid
3:07:36
Jackie had described to them that she had cleaned up several
3:07:39
times before. The crew, since the opportunity
3:07:42
presented itself, decided to take samples of this mysterious
3:07:46
liquid and would have it sent off to a lab for analysis.
3:07:50
As they collected samples from all over the house throughout
3:07:54
the course of the night, they would also try and determine if
3:07:57
there was any sort of potential logical source as to where this
3:08:01
liquid could be coming from. However, they would discover no
3:08:05
pipes, no trickery, they had no valid explanation as to what
3:08:10
could be causing this strangeness.
3:08:13
The results from the lab once they were in were bizarre to say
3:08:16
the least. The liquid was actually human
3:08:20
blood plasma with a high concentration of copper and
3:08:24
iodine, and the plasma had come from a human male.
3:08:28
This stunned everyone and further deepened the mystery of
3:08:31
this very unusual haunting. After this night, the crew
3:08:35
planned to return after a short time while they examined the
3:08:39
things they had captured thus far to try and determine just
3:08:42
what could be causing the haunting.
3:08:44
In the meantime, Jackie was left alone or on rare occasion with a
3:08:49
friend. She would very often leave
3:08:51
voicemails of what she was experiencing on Barry Conrad's
3:08:54
answering machine shortly after their departure.
3:08:58
One night, as she was trying to sleep, the banging in the attic
3:09:02
began again as she sat terrified, waiting for it to
3:09:06
stop. It would, but something new and
3:09:10
equally horrifying would take its place.
3:09:13
The sound of a deep, almost monstrous breathing began to
3:09:17
manifest instead, and this manifestation made Jackie not
3:09:21
only scared for her life, but come to the conviction that she
3:09:25
wouldn't sleep in the house any longer and certainly could not
3:09:29
live there anymore. Various members of the crew
3:09:32
would stay with Jackie to further investigate when their
3:09:35
schedules would permit and the days to come.
3:09:38
However, there was one night in particular that wasn't just an
3:09:42
ordinary episode. No, this night was a matter of
3:09:46
life and death. September 4th of 1989.
3:09:50
Drained and exhausted, Jackie Hernandez was now alone in the
3:09:54
home once again. Barry had just left the previous
3:09:58
night after capturing additional footage, but upon his return and
3:10:03
after convening with his colleagues, he would soon have a
3:10:07
frantic voicemail waiting for him.
3:10:09
And this voicemail was from the woman who he had just left.
3:10:14
It was from Jackie screaming as things broke in the background.
3:10:18
She would describe what happened like this.
3:10:21
Almost as soon as Barry left, things began to go crazy in the
3:10:25
house. Items like dishes, knives, and
3:10:29
other things are being thrown across the room.
3:10:32
It was trying to hurt me. My kids toys were being
3:10:36
levitated and then being ripped apart before my very eyes.
3:10:40
Even more frightening as Jackie was leaving the frantic
3:10:43
voicemail as the activity. Surrounded.
3:10:46
Her her phone line was cut and made cry for help.
3:10:50
The crew rushed down to San Pedro, but instead of picking
3:10:53
her up and getting her as far away from the house as they
3:10:56
possibly could, Jackie was surprised when the guys rushed
3:11:01
inside the home with their equipment instead.
3:11:04
At first glance, everything seemed to be calm, almost too
3:11:08
calm. Jackie began telling the men
3:11:11
that among the more chaotic activity she had been
3:11:13
experiencing, she again had heard breathing and whispering
3:11:17
coming from inside the attic. Jeff and a colleague named Gary
3:11:22
of his decided that they would go up to investigate, with Jeff
3:11:26
feeling not so great about being back in the home once again.
3:11:30
It had been nearly a month since his initial visit and
3:11:33
experiences. At 12:50 AM, Jeff and Gary would
3:11:38
crawl into the attic. Within minutes, Jackie and Barry
3:11:42
would hear what sounded like 3 distinct snaps, like someone
3:11:46
snapping their fingers as Barry was holding his camera with both
3:11:50
his hands and Jackie was standing directly beside him.
3:11:55
They would then yell to Jeff and Gary that the activity was on
3:11:58
the surface level and to come back down from the attic.
3:12:02
Gary, who was closer to the exit, began to make his way
3:12:06
towards it and Jeff, who had been in the center of the attic
3:12:09
holding his flashlight, began to take his steps towards the exit
3:12:13
as well. However, little did Jeff know
3:12:16
that these steps would be ones that he would never forget.
3:12:20
Before Gary's very eyes and a camera lens, Jeff was hoisted
3:12:25
into the air and against the ceiling by a support beam of the
3:12:29
attic. He was being strangled by
3:12:32
something that neither of them could see.
3:12:34
As his legs kicked several feet off the ground, he dropped the
3:12:38
flashlight. Unable to see, Gary snapped a
3:12:42
series of photos to be able to see Jeff.
3:12:45
He then ran to his aid to try and free him before whatever
3:12:49
this was took his friend's life. He found that it was some kind
3:12:54
of cord that had been tied around Jeff's neck and pulled to
3:12:57
the ceiling. The cord had been secured by a
3:13:00
bent nail that he actually had to bend straight to free him.
3:13:04
Once Jeff was freed, he was then dragged as quickly as possible
3:13:08
towards the exit. As he came to, Jeff would later
3:13:12
describe what his experience was like like this.
3:13:16
I remember feeling myself being strangled and then everything
3:13:20
went black. That dark space of time that I
3:13:23
lost, I felt so out of control. Once Jeff was out of the attic,
3:13:29
the cord that was nosed around his neck, which had never
3:13:32
previously been seen by anyone that had gone into the attic,
3:13:37
was found and taken off him. These are photos moments after
3:13:40
his exit as Jeff tried to come to terms with what had just
3:13:49
happened. As everyone else was frightened,
3:13:52
Barry, the man behind the camera, was attacked next.
3:13:56
A surge of electricity from his over the shoulder camera shocked
3:14:00
him to the point of unconsciousness.
3:14:03
At this point, everyone was terrified and knew that they had
3:14:07
to leave immediately. As Jackie gathered her son and
3:14:10
four month old daughter, she and the rest of the crew began to
3:14:13
depart the house as quickly as they could.
3:14:16
Jackie's daughter was now crying due to a large red mark on her
3:14:20
forehead that came out of nowhere.
3:14:23
The activity then began to pick up in the house.
3:14:25
As they were making their way out, banging noises could be
3:14:29
heard coming from inside the house as they all exited.
3:14:33
They would all leave shortly after 3:00 AM this very night.
3:14:37
In later interviews, Jackie Hernandez would say I wasn't
3:14:41
away, forced out by a ghost, but if I would have stayed, I would
3:14:45
have been harmed or have had a nervous breakdown.
3:14:48
I couldn't see a future staying there.
3:14:51
I just knew that I couldn't stay there.
3:14:53
It wasn't very long after that Jackie made her departure from
3:14:56
the house a permanent one. It would also be the last time
3:15:00
that the crew and anyone else involved would step foot within
3:15:04
the San Pedro home. However, this would not be the
3:15:08
end. October of 1989.
3:15:12
Wanting to get as far away as she possibly could, Jackie used
3:15:15
what little resources she had to move to a modest trailer home
3:15:20
over 300 miles north of San Pedro to Welding, California.
3:15:25
And although she still feared the nights, she felt as if
3:15:28
whatever presence that dwelled within the San Pedro house had
3:15:32
been left there. But she would be very wrong.
3:15:36
The following year, in April of 1991, moonlit night, Jackie was
3:15:41
woken up by a series of strange scratching sounds coming from
3:15:45
inside the small storage shed in her backyard.
3:15:49
Thinking it was an animal, she grabbed a flashlight and
3:15:52
approached it. As she got to the door and
3:15:55
pulled it open, the scratching sound stopped and an all too
3:16:00
familiar sense of fear came flooding back.
3:16:03
Although she didn't hear anything else going bump in the
3:16:06
night, all the hair on her body stood on to end, just like it
3:16:10
had at the San Pedro house. Just weeks after this
3:16:13
development, Jackie would see a large black mist flow through
3:16:17
the hallway and towards her daughter's room.
3:16:21
Rushing to make sure her child was OK, she passed the threshold
3:16:25
of the room and immediately panicked.
3:16:29
The comforter in which her daughter was laying on was on
3:16:32
fire. Bizarrely, it looked as though
3:16:35
someone or something had touched or sat down exactly where the
3:16:40
spot was burning. Thankfully, her children were OK
3:16:44
after she very quickly extinguished the flames and then
3:16:48
snapped a series of photos as evidence afterwards, believing
3:16:52
the presence to be back in their lives.
3:16:55
The black mist, however, was nowhere to be found.
3:16:59
As a result of the past dealings at the San Pedro house, as well
3:17:03
as the resurgence in her new home, Jackie began to suffer
3:17:07
horrific panic attacks and almost constant anxiety as a
3:17:11
result of the trauma that she had endured.
3:17:14
She wouldn't be able to breathe when the knocks would begin at
3:17:17
night, and they were always in threes.
3:17:20
Having kept in touch with the guys who had been documenting
3:17:23
the San Pedro phenomenon, Jackie had kept them up to date on the
3:17:27
new incarnation. Never having seen this type of
3:17:30
haunting before, the crew wanted to come up and see for
3:17:33
themselves if this thing, this entity had indeed followed her
3:17:38
to her new home. It was midnight Friday, April
3:17:42
the 13th when Barry and Jeff arrived and later interviews
3:17:47
Jeff would say, many people have asked me, after what you
3:17:51
experienced, why on earth would you go following this woman and
3:17:55
her ghosts? The only response I could give
3:17:59
is that I was compelled to finish this case.
3:18:02
I wanted to see it through to the end to some kind of
3:18:05
conclusion. By this time, Jackie's nearby
3:18:08
neighbors had experienced some activity themselves, which only
3:18:12
began to take place after her arrival.
3:18:15
One incident that happened was that several of her neighbors
3:18:19
were moving a new television into their home.
3:18:22
When the face of an old man with evil eyes materialized in the
3:18:26
screen, it was seen by both husband and wife moving in.
3:18:31
Ward had slowly gotten around after this. 9 Some of the
3:18:34
teenage neighbors in the area noticed that there was an
3:18:37
unfamiliar van parked outside of Jackie's house.
3:18:41
After knocking on the door and getting the info as to what was
3:18:44
happening, the two teens left and quickly came back with a
3:18:48
Ouija board hoping to assist. Given the time spent coming up,
3:18:54
the desire to make contact and to try and gain some sort of a
3:18:57
resolution, and that it was a full moon on Friday the 13th,
3:19:02
the crew thought that perhaps this was their best and only
3:19:05
opportunity to contact whatever this thing was and to try and
3:19:10
elicit a response. And a response they would get.
3:19:14
As they placed the board upon a table that all of them could sit
3:19:17
around, the atmosphere was icy cold.
3:19:21
At first, nothing happened. The board sat there idle, but
3:19:26
within minutes the entire table began to violently shake.
3:19:31
The planchette began to move around the board and answer
3:19:34
questions so quickly that all they could do was write down
3:19:38
letters to try and decipher what it said.
3:19:41
The candles around them flickered as if there were
3:19:45
people running in the room, creating some kind of vortex.
3:19:49
They asked us who the entity was and it told them.
3:19:54
It said it was a man who had been murdered, held underwater,
3:19:58
and drowned in San Francisco Bay in the year 1930.
3:20:03
They asked how many spirits walk the earth.
3:20:06
It replied with phantoms fill the skies around you.
3:20:11
Jeff then asked it why are you targeting me?
3:20:14
Why do you hate me? It replied with you have the
3:20:18
likeness of my killer. They then asked who in this room
3:20:23
do you harbor hatred for? The board then spelled out.
3:20:27
Jeff. Within seconds, Jeff himself was
3:20:31
picked up multiple feet into the air and thrown into the wall
3:20:35
behind his chair. This violence concluded the
3:20:38
session. Jeff would come two minutes
3:20:41
later with an injured back and everyone would soon exit the
3:20:45
trailer to try and make sense of the ordeal.
3:20:48
When day broke, it was if the presence was weakened or went
3:20:52
back into hiding within the darkness.
3:20:55
Days after the unearthly encounter, Berry decided to take
3:20:59
the information that he had gained and visit The News Pilot,
3:21:03
the local newspaper there in San Pedro, to look through old
3:21:06
articles to see if he could verify what the specter had told
3:21:10
them. He soon found an article dating
3:21:13
back to March 25th of 1930 where the body of a man named Herman
3:21:18
Hendrickson had been discovered. His body had washed up in San
3:21:23
Francisco Bay. Police believed he had been a
3:21:26
victim of foul play due to a compound fracture in his skull,
3:21:30
but due to a lack of evidence, his death would ultimately be
3:21:34
ruled accidental. Herman Hendrickson was a seaman
3:21:38
who worked upon a lumber company vessel known as the Astoria.
3:21:43
Feeling compelled that he was on to something, Barry then took
3:21:46
photos of the cord that have been tied around Jeff's neck in
3:21:49
San Pedro to the local docks to ask around.
3:21:53
Upon speaking to an elderly and career fisherman, he was told
3:21:57
that the knot was a bowline knot, a very common knot that
3:22:01
had been used on the seas for hundreds of years.
3:22:04
It was as common now as it would have been in the 1930s and
3:22:08
prior. And that.
3:22:09
Whoever had tied. It had been connected with the
3:22:12
ocean in their profession. Given the resurgence of the
3:22:16
supernatural in her new home, Jackie's patience was paper
3:22:19
thin. She decided once again to move
3:22:22
in June of 1990 and hopes of leaving the entity behind for
3:22:26
good. She would relocate back to San
3:22:28
Pedro and move into a small apartment home on 7th.
3:22:32
Street. Not wanting to take any chances.
3:22:35
She had a local. Priest come in and bless her
3:22:37
home before she and her family would live there.
3:22:40
But again, horrifically, it had moved with her from the very
3:22:45
first night. The same phenomena began to rear
3:22:48
its ugly head again. From lights flickering, objects
3:22:52
moving on their own, and balls of light materializing and
3:22:57
moving throughout the room. Jackie was once again plagued by
3:23:00
an ethereal force. But she wasn't the only one.
3:23:05
Every time the guys would return from a separate investigation, a
3:23:09
photography shoot, or anything in between, they too were met
3:23:14
with odd happenings. The first, and one of the more
3:23:17
worrisome things to happen, was that their gas burners in their
3:23:21
apartment began to turn themselves on and ignite.
3:23:26
Following this continuous show of power, it began to rearrange
3:23:30
and move objects such as photographs.
3:23:33
It then began to scale an intensity in the weeks to come
3:23:37
as an unseen force broke multiple windows and began to
3:23:41
place furniture upside down. It would eventually reach a
3:23:45
crescendo, a blitz of violin and vulgar displays.
3:23:50
About 50 different items were moved, with Gary from the
3:23:53
previous investigation also being present alongside Jeff and
3:23:58
Barry as witnesses in the middle of the action.
3:24:02
In an effort to communicate once again, a letter and pen was
3:24:06
placed in the middle of the stove at approximately 3:58 AM,
3:24:11
only to have the burners be turned on by themselves and the
3:24:15
letter moved and ignited within 5 minutes.
3:24:19
Whatever the entity was wanted them to know that it was there
3:24:23
and that no one's home was sacred, and whatever doubt that
3:24:26
was once present had now been extinguished.
3:24:32
When the case initially began in 1989, no one could have
3:24:36
predicted the longevity and persistence of the paranormal
3:24:40
phenomena that was to take place and just how many people it
3:24:44
would affect. Today, Jackie Hernandez still
3:24:47
experiences minor bouts of spirit activity, but things have
3:24:52
long since calmed down from the days of 1989 and through the
3:24:56
1990s. Thankfully for her, now she's
3:25:00
able to exhibit a relatively normal life, although her fear
3:25:04
of what could be lurking in the darkness still sits in the back
3:25:07
of her mind. But before we go, I do have some
3:25:11
questions about the case, some that you may be asking yourself.
3:25:16
But ultimately, although I will propose these questions, the
3:25:20
conclusion is yours to make. Just what caused the spirit to
3:25:24
haunt the home in which Jackie found herself in San Pedro?
3:25:29
If it truly was a drowned and tormented soul who harbored
3:25:32
hatred as a claim to be, why would it find a residence over
3:25:36
400 miles away to haunt? And why would it pick Jackie of
3:25:40
all people? Or could it have been anyone at
3:25:43
that specific time and in that specific place?
3:25:47
Could it have been the fact that she was vulnerable?
3:25:50
Or something else. She also claimed to have never
3:25:53
opened any sort of doors or dabbled in any sort of a cult
3:25:57
activity, although most of the time that is the way these
3:26:01
entities find their way into our world.
3:26:04
But perhaps later on when they asked and received their answers
3:26:08
via Ouija board and the Weldon home, maybe they allowed the
3:26:12
spirit to become more present, although it bothered other
3:26:15
people like the friends and neighbors of Jackie, and
3:26:18
followed Jackie to multiple residences.
3:26:21
Perhaps it was. Strengthened through this
3:26:22
process, considering for a time the manifestation seemed to
3:26:26
become stronger. Although many people consult a
3:26:30
religious leader like a priest to try and cleanse a home or rid
3:26:34
themselves of these kinds of entities, why didn't that work?
3:26:37
When Jackie moved into the final apartment on 7th St., could the
3:26:41
entity have perhaps attached itself to her Or, and although
3:26:47
there is no evidence to support this, could her husband or
3:26:51
relative unhappy with the divorce have placed some kind of
3:26:55
hex or curse upon her? Just some food for thought as to
3:26:59
how she found herself in this position.
3:27:02
One of the more uncommon traits of this haunting, and one that
3:27:05
still baffles me and others alike, was how was human blood
3:27:09
plasma able to seep from various areas within the house and just
3:27:14
whose plasma was it? I've yet to find another case
3:27:18
where this has happened to me. It's absolutely bizarre.
3:27:22
But then again, these aren't normal things that we're dealing
3:27:25
with. These events are supernatural,
3:27:28
so therefore what doesn't make sense to me perhaps makes sense
3:27:33
in the grand scheme of things. And lastly, was it even a human
3:27:37
spirit at all? Or could it have been something
3:27:40
from the demonic realm, considering the knocks,
3:27:44
especially in the trailer home, came in threes?
3:27:47
This is usually indicative of the demonic.
3:27:51
Not to mention the manifestations of power and the
3:27:54
clear violent and malicious intent.
3:27:57
Along with these many questions, we still find ourselves with
3:28:01
even fewer answers than we'd like to when it comes to this
3:28:05
now infamous case known as the San Pedro Haunting.
3:28:09
But a few things are for certain.
3:28:12
These things do exist, whether you believe based on what you've
3:28:16
seen or learned. Or you're a.
3:28:18
Hardened skeptic. Sometimes it takes the other
3:28:21
world staring at you directly in the face to convince you
3:28:25
otherwise. And your fear, your
3:28:27
vulnerability, can attract and feed the things that go bump in
3:28:32
the night. And perhaps fear of the unknown
3:28:36
is a well placed fear indeed.