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Our Investigations

At Michigan Paranormal Encounters,
confidentiality is a primary concern in all investigations. While some
people are happy to share their experiences with our readers, others don't
and we feel it is important to respect their right to privacy. We have
included here what we hope is a good representation of our cases without
compromising anyone's privacy. In most instances, we have left out any
identifying pictures or exact locations out of respect for our clients. Each
case is unique in its way and we feel that we have learned something new
with each investigation. If you have any questions, feel free to email us
and we will do our best to answer them.
UPCOMING
INVESTIGATIONS
Business, Allegan - February
Business, Otsego - February
Business, Kalamazoo - February
Historic Site, Kalamazoo County - March
Ionia - April
Private Location, Allegan County -April
RECENT INVESTIGATIONS
Working Farm, Allegan County
Undisclosed Business Location,
Kalamazoo
Evart, MI
Battle Creek, MI
Greenville, MI
Homer, MI
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Private Case
Kalamazoo, MI
Kathy was contacted about this
property by the people undertaking the renovations. The
house, built in 1927 is a small 2 bedroom bungalow. Once
work started on the house, workmen began to report
hearing voices and seeing unusual things in the house.
On different occasions, a fog-like mass hovered near the
ceiling of the cellar and one man working in the
basement felt something move over his foot as he stood
on the cellar stairs. Both men working in the house at
various times of the day experienced the sensation of
not being alone. Photographs taken by them for the owner
with a disposable camera showed various anomalies.
Kathy did a preliminary investigation
and felt a full investigation was warranted. After
speaking with the owners, Kathy and Monty scheduled it
for the following month. Due to privacy issues regarding
the present tenant, investigators will be unable to post
the findings collected at the full investigation at this
time. Once the property again becomes vacant, data will
be posted here on the site. Investigators involved felt
that this was a very good example of an instance where
renovations seem to “stir up” paranormal activity that
had been dormant for some time.
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Abandoned Mill
1860s Grist Mill
Preliminary
Investigators, Monty and Kathy, met
with the property supervisor on December 8 for a
preliminary investigation and to determine if a full
investigation is warranted for this location. Due to
strict privacy concerns, the name and location of this
site are being withheld as is the name of the client.
Interviews with the client have revealed
both reported activity on the property and a history of
traumatic deaths in the immediate vicinity of the mill.
Some of those include a suicide, a fatal heart attack, a
child’s drowning in the mill pond, an accidental death
on the former saw mill site next to the mill itself, and
a death of a former owner at the train crossing nearby.
The client reported his own experiences with the main
building which included repeatedly hearing footsteps in
the mill when he was there alone during the day.
The day of the preliminary was clear with
low relative humidity and a temperature of about 50
degrees with no wind. Monty was the first to arrive at
the site and as he was waiting for Kathy to arrive, he
noticed that near the mill pond, he felt increased
energy which he hadn’t experienced in previous visits.
At the time he felt this, his cell phone beeped and
displayed a prompt to begin a two way radio
conversation. His cell phone does not have two way
capability so he was unnerved when this occurred. This
had never happened before. While this is not necessarily
an indication of paranormal activity, we have learned to
make note of this type of odd occurrence since they
often correspond to paranormal activity present.
There are three main buildings on the
property - the mill, which is water powered and has been
idle since 1954, a brick building once used for
auxiliary steam power, and the miller’s house which is
now rented. There is also a cement slab beside the mill
which held an open air saw mill which pre-dated the
grist mill.
In the mill, the ambient temperature was
approximately 34-40 degrees. Transient temperature
fluctuations of 10-12 degrees were noted. Photographs
were taken on all three levels as were recordings. Kathy
noted a distinct heaviness in her chest in the cellar
level. This wasn’t present in any other location in the
mill building. There were animal droppings present on
the top floor of the building which looked to be raccoon
droppings. This could account for noises coming from
there although that wouldn’t explain the client’s
experiences with footsteps during the day as raccoons
are nocturnal and wouldn’t be active during daytime
office hours. It is definitely something that should be
taken into consideration however. There were some EMF
spikes in the mill. Kathy felt a presence in the brick
building. At first she thought it was an old man because
he was very hunched over. After returning to the
building for a second time, she realized that he wasn’t
old but young - but still hunched over. He wasn’t happy
with the intrusion. There were no energy fluctuations
measured there although there were temperature
fluctuations. The building has a broken window which
could have been responsible for those. The miller’s
house on the property is currently occupied although
according to the client, may soon be vacant. He feels
that there is even more activity that occurs there and
has offered to let us into the house as soon as the
current residents move out.
Upon reviewing photographs taken, there
were some interesting ones. Some ITC images consistently
showed up in two particular windows in the mill
building. There were some orbs but in a building of that
age, that wouldn’t be unusual to pick up dust. No EVPs
were collected on Monty’s recorder and at this time,
Kathy hasn’t gone through hers.
In conclusion, it is the opinion of the
investigators that a full investigation is warranted.
More historical research of the area will be done before
then. The anecdotal evidence is compelling in itself.
That, combined with measurable EMF, temperature
fluctuations, and investigator’s impressions would
warrant a closer look. Given the location and function
of the property now, it may be difficult to arrange a
nighttime investigation but Monty will speak with the
client to see if this is possible. If not, a full
investigation will be scheduled during the day. Given
what was experienced during the day during the
preliminary, it is Kathy’s feeling that it shouldn’t
matter when the investigation takes place. When the
house becomes vacant, an investigation will be scheduled
for there also if a preliminary indicates that one is
indicated.
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Old Jail Museum
Allegan, MI
Nancy and Tom from the Old Jail Museum
have gone above and beyond in accommodating us. Whenever we have asked for
access to the museum they have given it to us - even hanging out with us
until all hours of the night. As of the end of March 2007, we have
done two separate investigations of the property. The first night was
quiet as is often the case when we investigate a new property. Nothing
evidentiary was found from that first visit but investigators had numerous
personal experiences. While stories about the old jail include tales of a
spectral woman in the residential part of the house, we found the majority
of experiences were from the old cells. Presently the audio and video
are still being assessed from the second night. There has been one light
anomaly captured so far in the solitary confinement area of the cell block.
There is no question that the activity picked up on our second visit.
We will try to schedule a third visit in the next month. This is an amazing
place! If you get a chance, take a tour of the museum. They are there
on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. We will continue to post here on
our progress and findings.
We were contacted by the property owners regarding
an area located on the perimeter of their land that was once part of
a settlement. In the adjoining area, there are scattered foundation
remains, wells, and an old mill. The area we will be concerned with
has a foundation and well. According to the owners, the activity has
been present since they bought the land eleven years ago and
consists of a pervasive feeling of "heaviness" and an unwelcome
feeling when they hike back to the area.
Our initial visit was during the day when we hiked
around the area and took measurements and photographs. One
photograph showed a very large orb about 16 inches off the ground.
It was a clear sunny day with a slight breeze and the orb was very
distinct. Investigators felt clear temperature fluctuations and made
notes of particularly active areas for later investigation.
Sensitives felt areas of activity which were noted as well.
The well has been covered and the foundations is
covered with debris. While we were measuring, one investigator was
drawn to a particular area. She feels that there is a burial ground
in the vicinity. With all of the leaves on the ground it won't be
readily apparent but we will make a note to look closer on our next
visit.
We are fortunate that the owners have been so
cooperative in giving us the history of the area. We contacted the
town historical society and dug a little deeper. It seems that this
was a settlement for Rogerenes, a religious group that settled in
the area to escape religious persecution. We were able to obtain old
town maps from the period for reference.
Our first formal investigation date is scheduled for
November when our group will return. We are hoping to get some basic
information before the bad weather sets in. In the meantime,
additional research will be done to supplement what we have so far.
It was agreed that this is a very interesting site, to say the
least. All investigators present felt strong activity around the us
from the moment we entered the area until we left. Even our group
"skeptic" couldn't explain his sudden uneasiness halfway through the
afternoon. This should prove to be a great location to investigate.
We will post updates as we get them.
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Three Oaks, MI
On March 2, 2006, we received an email detailing a case
in Three Oaks involving some unexplained activity in and
audio recordings from a home there. We agreed to
investigate the case.
We contacted the family and set up an
appointment to meet with them at the house on April 1st
at 8:00 PM. The investigators present at the first
meeting were Cindi, Monty, Sherrie, and Kathy. Kathy
and Sherrie sat down with the family to discuss their
experiences and go over a listing of previous owners of
the property. Sherrie recorded the names and dates to
research at a later date. The audio tape was also
discussed. It was a cassette recording of the son,
breathing patterns while asleep that had been ordered by
their physician for diagnostic purposes. Upon playing
the tape back, the family heard voices that didn’t
belong to anyone present that night and they were
curious as to where the voices were coming from. Kathy
was given the tape for analysis. During this time,
Cindi set up her video camera in the children’s bedroom.
It is the same bedroom used by the son while living at
home. The audio recording was done in this room also.
While the camera was running, the lights were turned off
and the door closed. The camera was angled towards the
wall and closet opposite the door. Monty and Cindi then
took photographs of the exterior and interior of the
house.
The video tape was reviewed by the group. It
contained moving light anomalies that weren’t consistent
with bugs. One light in particular moved from the closet
toward the window and then stopped and changed
directions.
Audio recorders were set up as well and Monty
captured what sounds like EVP. While a whisper is heard,
unfortunately the content is unclear.
The cassette tape that was recorded
approximately 6 years ago was also reviewed. Both sides
were examined but the first side was the one that
contained the unexplained “voices.” Aside from the
phrases that the owner mentioned hearing, Kathy heard
“he knows me” after the expletive that Shannon, Rodney
and Penny heard. Unfortunately, with time it seems that
audio tapes often lose their clarity and it is sometimes
hard to hear the same sounds that were heard when the
tape was newer. That may be the case here. The “voices”
heard were consistent in sound to many other instances
of EVP.
Monty and Cindi found no photographic
anomalies other than orbs inside and outside the house.
Some are believed to be dust but there were some that
could be paranormal in origin.
The history of the property as recorded on the
property deed is interesting and varied. Owners are
recorded back to the mid 1800’s. The property changed
hands many times and the current owner, had possession
for the longest period of time. Nothing showed up in a
search done on the parcel of land but the whole area
does have a varied and sometimes tragic history. There
are many Native American burial grounds in the area.
There is also an account of many European settlers who
died there of diphtheria. It was a very marshy area
that, while a good place for vegetable farming, was also
a breeding ground for disease. It is said that a
garrison that was originally located there was moved to
St Joseph for the same reason.
We also feel that there could possibly be a
connection to the owner’s son. He was present at our
second meeting and Monty caught some interesting
photographic anomalies around him.
The family has since sold the house and moved.
This farm has been
in a state of disrepair for better
than 10 years. Kathy has been drawn
to it several times. It is now
slated for demolition.
Kathy and I
received permission and entered the
home for a daytime preliminary
investigation. Unfortunately we were
armed with our cameras only.
Upon entering
through the basement I immediately
felt as if I was not alone. I took
several pictures and then proceeded
to the first floor. One of the
basement pictures shows a yellowish
fog like substance in the rear of
the basement which is not found in
the next picture.
When I reached the
first floor landing I clearly heard
a woman tell us to "Get Out." We
reassured her that we were not a
threat. We proceeded to the front
entrance where the temperature
dropped dramatically. It was
approximately 45 degrees outside,
yet suddenly we were shivering and
could see our breath! The woman's
presence was extremely strong in
this area. We continued through the
house gathering more photographic
evidence and impressions.
The team concluded
the house deserves a full
investigation and at this time we
are seeking permission to do one.
Barbara
Follow - Up
As of August 2006, the house
is still standing. A full
investigation was done a few months
after Barbara's posting above.
Valuable evidence was collected but
unfortunately since the house is
still standing we are respecting the
current owner's privacy we won't be
making it public at this time.
I will say that after the
investigation, for the first time I
feel that I was followed home by an
entity. I woke during the
night and felt the strong presence
of an elderly woman standing next to
my bed. I sensed her confusion and
anger. I didn't feel that it was
directed at me. It seemed that the
woman didn't realize that she had
passed and no longer lived in the
farmhouse. She couldn't understand
why people (the property has been
vandalized a few times recently)
continue to enter her home without
being invited. I tried to
explain the situation to her and
apologized if we had upset her by
our visits. The energy faded
soon after. I don't know if
she understood me but I think it is
because she was so confused and
upset that she actually followed me.
I get asked all the time if I worry
about "something" following me from
a location and since it has rarely
happened to me, I don't. This
was one of the few exceptions and
that is why I mention it here.
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A look at the architecture |
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Yellowish Fog or Streak |
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This beautiful resort
inn was built in 1902 and is the
only location in Connecticut to be
designated as a Historic Hotel of
America. Many tales of reported
paranormal activity in the century
old inn have circulated for years.
Two of the main ones being of a
young bride who fell to her death on
the main staircase and some young
children who may have met their
death during a hurricane. The bride
has been sighted and felt by guests
- especially the young women who are
preparing for their weddings in a
second floor room. She is also said
to visit the bridal suite where she
has been known to shake the bed of
sleeping couples. The laughing
voices of children are heard outside
on the beautifully manicured grounds
but when guests look out their
windows to catch site of the playing
children, they are nowhere to be
seen. The Travel Channel did a
segment on the inn recently.
Our investigation
took place in June at midnight.
Kathy, David, Lauren, and Andrew
were present. After speaking to the
night manager, who related that
employees seemed to be particularly
uncomfortable in the one area of the
basement, investigators set up their
equipment there. Photographs were
taken throughout the hotel but the
majority of the activity did take
place in the basement. We have
included three photographs here,
taken by Lauren - two in the
basement and one in the bedroom once
belonging to the building's owner.
EMF readings were in the normal
range and video still has to be
evaluated. Temperature fluctuations
outside of what we would normally
expect occurred frequently in the
basement.
Due to the intense
activity in the basement,
investigators have decided to return
and focus the investigation there.
The results of this investigation
will be posted here.
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This historic
property in Westerly was built in
1888 and has not operated as a hotel
since the 1950's, since then it has
been home only to occasional
vagrants. In spite of its air of
neglect and disuse, it still retains
the echo of its former beauty and
charm. It also appears to retain the
spirits of former guests and
inhabitants.
Kathy did a
preliminary investigation two weeks
prior to the investigation date and
found that the old hotel definitely
warranted a second, more extensive
look. Permission was sought and
granted by the building's owner for
Encounters to do an investigation on
May 21, 2004.
Investigators,
Kathy, Barbara, Michelle, Kathie,
and Cookie along with David, met at
the hotel on May 21st. Groups formed
and walked through the building,
measuring energy levels and
temperature to determine the best
areas on which to concentrate.
Definite "hot
spots" were found throughout the
hotel. Temperature fluctuations were
between 10 and 25 degrees. Equipment
was set up in these areas.
Sensitives picked up on the presence
of entities in three main areas of
the hotel. Evidence collected by
investigators seems to support this
theory. On the second floor, Barbara
sensed the strong impression of an
agitated woman pacing in front of
one particular room. The presence of
a former occupant was felt strongly
by Kathy and Michelle. Kathy felt
the presence of the same entity on
her previous visit. He made his
presence felt immediately upon her
arrival on the 21st. Investigators
spent 5 hours in the building.
Evidence collected is currently
being evaluated and will be posted
here when the process is completed.
There is no question in the minds of
investigators that the building is
teeming with paranormal activity.
Given the size of the building, a
second visit is probably warranted
and once a date is decided upon, it
will be posted here.
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Our name was given
to this family in RI who in turn,
contacted us with the details of the
activity taking place in their home.
They moved into the home six months
ago and immediately began to hear
unusual noises - the first of which
was the unmistakable sound of a
woman sobbing in the kitchen. This
was followed by sightings of a woman
in early Victorian dress in
different areas of the home during
the day as well as night. The sound
of dishes being moved in the kitchen
is also heard. Lights often flicker,
bulbs burn out regularly and
electrical appliances malfunction.
Kathy met initially
with the family and spoke at length
with witnesses. The house is 15
years old and located near the
water. It was decided that a full
investigation is in order and was
scheduled for Saturday, April 3,
2004. Investigators taking part will
be decided at a later date. The
homeowners agreed to keep a log of
any activity witnessed as well as to
do some background research on the
property. This will be added to
later investigative data.
Update
This case is
currently on-going. Investigators
Kathy C, Barbara and Kathie M were
present on April 3. Video, digital
sound recordings and digital and 35
mm photographs were collected as
well as other equipment readings.
Along with this, group sensitives
picked up on the presence of one
woman. Some details were apparent
but the true reason for the woman's
(whom we call Rebecca) presence in
the home is still unclear. The home
owners invited us to return in May.
In the meantime, evidence was
analyzed and supported the presence
of paranormal activity in the home.
Some of the photographs taken are
included here.
May 14, 2004
On this evening,
Kathy and Barbara were joined by
Lauren and David (See News and
Events). Another attempt was made to
contact "Rebecca" and was
successful. It would compromise the
privacy of those involved to go into
detail about her purpose but we did
our best to let her know that we
understood what she was trying to
get across to those in the home and
reassured her that she was free to
move on. Follow-ups will continue.
The family involved is in contact
with investigators on a weekly
basis. Hopefully, the activity will
cease and the family will find some
comfort in the answers they
received. Since the case is not
officially closed, if any further
pertinent or interesting occurrences
come up, we will post them here. If
things remain quiet in the home, we
will consider closing this case at
that point.
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Barbara was contacted
by a family in Cranston who are
presently living in a home purchased
from their grandparents two years
ago. They are experiencing increased
unexplained activity that seems to
be connected somehow to the
construction of a dark room in the
basement. The room was built by the
owner’s brother. Both brothers, as
well as one brother’s wife, have
experienced the activity which has
consisted of the sound of pacing in
both the first and second floor
hallways and objects that disappear
only to reappear in their original
location minutes or hours later. The
darkroom is put in order at the end
of the day and closed only to be
found in disarray the following
morning. This has happened
repeatedly. The family dog has also
reacted to something present.
While the owners
feel no threat, they are interested
in having our group investigate the
situation to see if anything can be
documented.
After an initial
interview with Barbara and Kathy, it
was decided that a full
investigation is warranted in this
case. It has been scheduled for
March. Once this has taken place, an
update will be added here.
Update:
The full investigation took place on
March 5, 2004. Barbara, Kathy C,
Kathie M, and Dan were the
investigators present. We set up our
equipment in the basement. Almost
immediately we felt the presence of
spirit. This presence was measured
with both our emf meters and
temperature gauges. This happened
several times during the evening,
however each visit was short lived.
Although we are still processing all
the evidence gathered that evening,
below you will find an interesting
video clip and a few pictures. The
group will be returning in April to
close out this case.
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moving
orb
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videoclip
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Private
Burial Ground, Waterford CT |
This case is in the
preliminary stages. After various
accounts of unexplained activity in
this small secluded family cemetery,
which dates back to the early
1700's, a group of Encounters
investigators made two visits, one
during the day and one at night, to
gather some baseline data.
According to
sensitives present, the presence of
children was felt, one in particular
that was captured on film in one
corner of the cemetery that was
considered to be a "hot spot." It is
his presence that is most strongly
felt in the area.
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Undisclosed New Hampshire
Cemetery
November 16, 2003 |
Group investigators
Kathy and Michelle met with members
of AAEVP, Andrea, Karen, and Mike to
collect recordings, photographs, and
video at this active site. Previous
EVP collected here have demonstrated
amazing clarity and length.
Photographs have shown colored
energy anomalies. Data was gathered
and will be gone through and posted
soon.
The name and location
of this cemetery is being withheld
because of vandalism in other area
cemeteries.
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I was granted permission to briefly
visit this now closed and secured
area of a New England Penitentiary.
This was the area of solitary
confinement in the late 1800's and
early 1900's. It was a steel box no
bigger than 4 by 5 feet where
prisoners were sent for punishment.
The prisoners were left naked in the
dark steel box and steam was pumped
in to make their ordeal even more
horrendous.
It has not been in use since some
time after the turn of the century
when a prisoner died and opinions
started to change on what
constituted cruel and unusual
punishment.
I left my recorder in the steel box
and walked off. Attached you will
hear a disembodied voice saying the
word "No".
Barbara
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