CAPS Appears on WCNC News Channel 36

In January of 2008, CAPS was contacted by Rachel Clapp, producer for WCNC36.  She wanted to do an informative piece about ghosthunting and ghosthunters.  For her production, she enlisted the help of the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society.  

On Thursday night, February 7, 2008, Frank Burns, Kathy Crowley, Tina McSwain, Kimberly Raines, and Nancy Weisberg of CAPS first took the news crew to Cemetery Bravo.  This cemetery, which was code named for its protection, is a favorite and most active spot.  Frank actually had his first paranormal experience this night when he saw legs walking between the old tombstones of this long abandoned cemetery.  (The news crew and all CAPS members were accounted for, and no one else was in the area when Frank observed this paranormal phenomenon.) 

The evening did prove most eventful.  We were only in the cemetery from approximately 7PM until 9PM. We attempted EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) work, performed EMF (Electro Magnetic Field) sweeps, took numerous digital and 35mm shots, and monitored the temperature and surroundings with IR Temperature guns, and a FLIR Thermal Imaging Camera.  No fluctuations or unexplained hot or cold spots were observed.  At one point during our investigation, we were using a K-II EMF Meter.  Our Sensitive felt there was someone in our vicinity.  I had asked the spirit to make the lights on the meter go red for 15 seconds, to our surprise, this occurred.  In an effort to repeat this event and eliminate it being the result of a fluke, I asked the same question again, but said to do it for 30 seconds.  This occurred as well!  Rachel looked as if she would collapse, and asked if it was time to leave.  The following is a picture taken when conducting the EMF sweep.

From front to back:  Kimberly, Tina, Bobby Sisk, and the cameraman to the left.

Above and to the left of the cameraman, is an orb. Could a spirit have wanted to get in the picture?

 It was also during this investigation that Kathy Crowley took the above picture that caused quite a stir in the newsroom of WCNC36. 

In this picture, we believe this could be the Native American spirit reported to have been seen by many visitors to Cemetery Bravo.

Click below for a link to the Video of our Investigation of Cemetery Bravo: 

http://www.wcnc.com/video/index.html?nvi d=221496shu=1==

Our second destination was the Lake Todd Fish Camp in Kannapolis.  Our news crew was met by Dale Freeze, one of the proprietors of the restaurant.  He told us the history of the building.  It was once a “speakeasy”.  A den of gambling, prostitution, and illegal liquor.  Dale told of how his family used to have a restaurant closer into town, but the building caught fire and burned to the ground.  His family bought this current building after it had been abandoned for years.  The Sheriff’s Department had closed it years before to keep the riffraff away.  Dale told of opening up the old building for the first time, and seeing blood all over the floor. 

You see, there were murders here, and Dale believes the victims are the souls who haunt his restaurant today.  Locals told him the story of that fateful night when violence invaded the Saturday night poker game.  There was always a lookout at the door.  He would nod to the bartender, who then in turn pressed a buzzer to alert patrons that the law was coming up the drive.  All illegal activities ceased just before the police entered the building.  On this particular night, a man accused another of cheating and pulled a gun.  The bartender then shot the armed man.  He rose from the table, fell to the floor, and began to crawl out toward the door.  He died in a pool of his own blood.  (It was his blood that Dale Freeze discovered when he unlocked the building and entered for the first time.)  The patrons ran for cover to the women’s room as it was the closest room out of the line of fire.  The bartender ran from the scene, tossing the gun away into a grove of trees as he ran down the road.

Locals also told Dale of a prostitute that went missing.  She had been rumored to be the girlfriend of the owner of the place.  People who were there that night tell of gunshots coming from the back bedroom, and hearing a splash down by the pond.  There were also whispered stories of shallow graves near the pond as well.

Years later, Dale’s family found a gun.  It is displayed in a case under the cash register.  It is an older type British weapon from 1912.  The story of these tragic events can be read on Lake Todd’s menu.

Our Sensitive had not been told of these events.  She picked up on a tall man lurking in the back dining room who was wearing a very old British Officer’s Uniform, from the turn-of-the-century (Was the 1912 gun that was found in the woods his?). She then sensed a man who had been shot in the chest and crawled away.  She even pointed at the doorway and said that was where he died.  Lastly, she felt the presence of a woman, possibly Asian, who may have been a prostitute and who was murdered.  Although, this is great input, it is not evidence of paranormal activity.

Dale had told us that staff and customers alike have heard strange noise in the building.  Very loud noises that have no source.  Sometimes pots and pans bang around in the kitchen when no one is in there.  His wait staff have reported hearing their names whispered in their ears and no one be standing beside them.  He has also seen things.  Glimpses of figures, and shadows.  A toy airplane that rises and falls and spins by itself when “they really get riled up”, as Dale put it.  “They don’t like any remodeling done”, says Dale.  He told us of one time a carpet layer was bending down laying carpet and heard a voice tell him to “Get Out!”.  He did!  Dale says they will get active even if they see a paint can and paint brush. 

We were grateful for the opportunity to conduct our investigation for Dale and his family.  We began with our walk-through, then started unpacking and surveying the area to decide where to place cameras and recorders.  We placed our equipment, finished and recorded preliminary notes, secured the location, went with lights out, and started the investigation around 10PM. 

In an effort to capture our evidence, we started out by taking base readings.  We set up analog and digital voice recorders, video cameras, and DVR’s.  We set out “trigger objects”.  (Trigger Objects are objects that are from the period in question and may somehow be familiar to the spirits.)  For this investigation, we chose playing cards, ashtrays, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and book of matches, some old liquor bottles, and certain music that was reported to cause increased activity when played.  We measured, taped off items, and waited and hoped they would elicit a reaction. 

We sat in the dark and observed.  One by one, we would move about and conduct our respective sweeps.  I continually ran my EMF meter.  I got a few spikes near the salad bar.  One of the wait staff had told me she had several experiences near the salad bar.  Team members reported seeing some movement, but we did not hear any strange noises.  We did get the following pictures of the inside of the restaurant.

Some people report seeing a black anomaly in this area.

                                                                     There is an apparent light anomaly in this photo.                                                                        This picture was taken immediately after.

The following link is to Bobby Sisk’s Blog about his adventures with the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society and their search for ghosts.

http://www.beloblog.com/WCNC_Blogs/blogg er/2008/02/bobby-sisk-ghos.html

The following link is to Rachel Clapp’s Blog about her experiences with the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society and her exposure to the paranormal.

http://www.beloblog.com/WCNC_Blogs/blogger/2008/02/bobby-sisk-save.html

Tina McSwain

Copywrite 2008 - CAPS

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