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An investigation methodology involves two elements...(1) the overall approach
and philosophy of the investigators and (2) the specific steps taken during the investigation.
OVERALL APPROACH AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE INVESTIGATORS
There were slight differences in the approaches that Stewart Blackwell, Mike Cross,
Chris Stevens, Dave Bryant, Shawn Geabhart, Mark Stinson, Edward Kann, and Valerie Kann individually brought to
the investigation at the 1859 Jackson County Jail Museum. But one thing remained very consistent...
We were constantly searching for a natural explanation for anything that happened that appeared to be out-of-the-ordinary.
For something to be considered paranormal, all natural explanations must be examined and excluded as possibilities.
There were some great examples of this methodology during the 1859 Jackson County Jail investigation.
- Buildings that are around 150-years-old, whether they be jails or houses, are
drafty places. The doors don't quite fit, there's little or no insulation, and the windows are leaky. Even though
"cold spots" are known to be signs of paranormal activity, we do not consider drafts in drafty buildings
to be proof of the paranormal.
- When shooting video with the camera light on or using the IR nightshot technology...even
the slightest bit of dust, dander, pollen, or any other particulate matter can cause "orbs" to appear
in the video. These "orbs" weave and dodge all over the place as they float around on drafts and air-currents.
These "orbs" are not ghosts and they are not spirit energy. We filmed hours of these dust "orbs"
during this investigation...but we never make more of them than what they are.
- Several investigators came across odd odors within the 1859 Jackson County Jail.
When two of the investigators identified the smell as possibly being a tobacco smell, we immediately began polling
our investigators as to who smokes tobacco. Only one of our investigators smokes (though never during the investigations),
so we pieced together his movements during the times in question to see if he had travelled through the areas where
the unexplained "tobacco" odor was detected.
So while we all differed a little in our approach or motivations, our standards
and scientific approach were consistent throughout the investigation.
As we gathered evidence, every piece of evidence or reported activity had to be put into context and evaluated
in relation to the rest of the evidence or reported activity. This is something we will do on all our investigations.
MAPPING OUR PHOTOS
We went into the investigation with maps of the location that we created during
a pre-investigation visit to the 1859 Jackson County Jail. These maps allowed us to accurately map our temperature
readings, EMF base-levels, and the location of each photograph we took. Below is Chris' map where he took notes
about his photography on investigation night.
SPECIFIC STEPS TAKEN DURING THE INVESTIGATION
We knew that the 1859 Jackson County Jail Museum was a very large building and
that we would only have four hours on our first visit there. So our approach to the investigation had to be very
focused and organized. This is the plan we created and how we followed it during the investigation:
- In the weeks prior to the investigation we took the information we had about
the 1859 Jackson County Jail and the reported activity there, and planned our approach to the investigation. We
decided that making a pre-investigation visit would make our actual investigation more effective and productive.
- Lindsey Gaston, of the Jackson County Historical Society, welcomed us into the
jail several days before the investigation for a visit. We spent a little over an hour touring and mapping the
entire building with Lindsey, taking notes on the history and the reported paranormal activity in the building.
- In the days prior to the investigation, the maps and information we gathered
at the pre-investigation visit were shared with all of the Ghost Vigil Investigators via the internet. They were
able to familarize themselves with the layout of the building and its history. There were a few details about the
paranormal activity that I withheld from the rest of the group to use as a control. One of these details was the
exact cell that was considered to be the most haunted in the jail.
- The night of the investigation, we met a little early at a location close by,
so that we could all arrive at the 1859 Jackson County Jail Museum on time and together. We introduced ourselves
to our knowledgable host, Lindsey. We established a base location for our equipment in the only room of the building
that was heated that night. It was also a room not known to demonstrate frequent paranormal activity.
- We explained our permission paperwork to Lindsey, and after it was signed, we
kept a copy and provided a copy for the 1859 Jackson County Jail Museum to keep. Then we interviewed Lindsey a
little bit more about his personal experiences in the location.
- Our host gave us a brief walk-through tour of every room of 1859 Jackson County
Jail Museum, further familiarizing us with the layout and history of the building. Due to our pre-investigation
visit several days before, this walk-through did not take very long. We video-taped portions of this walk-through,
took some photographs, and took some base temperature and EMF (electromagnetic field) readings as well.
- In the Jail Hallway on the first floor, the Ghost Vigil investigators were asked
to walk through each cell and give me their best guess as to which cell is known as the "haunted" cell,
above and beyond all the others.
- We returned to our base location, and broke out all of our stationary equipment.
We had chosen the locations for the three stationary IR cameras, and ran the cable from the cameras to the DVR
and quad monitor. This was the first time that Stew had brought his IR cameras, DVR, and quad monitor along...and
we were definitely looking forward to setting it up and using this equipment for the first time.
- With the stationary cameras in place, the investigators split up into teams and
sat down in different rooms to perform vigils. Throughout the night, we rotated vigil locations. While on the ghost
vigils we spent some of our time just sitting quietly. Other times we performed EVP work. We also managed to take
some photographs and video whenever we believed we might get some evidence of paranormal activity. We welcomed
Lindsey to participate in the vigils with us.
- With our time almost up, we gathered up all of our equipment, took some final
photographs, and packed up to leave. We thanked our host, Lindsey, for allowing us access to the location...and
gave him some idea of when our analysis of the evidence would be complete.
Performing a pre-investigation visit to get our mapping and information gathering
done early, really allowed us to get an enormous amount of work done at the actual investigation. Having a map
and an investigation plan ahead of time allowed us to make the best use of our time.
-Mark Stinson
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