Print Version
Email this story
Comment
Agency investigates the supernatural
 |
| H&N photo by Andrew Mariman Kristi Johnson, left, Shawn Eads and Janna Easterling, members of Haunted Hunters, investigate possible paranormal activity at the Linkville Cemetery. |
August 24, 2006
Sometimes things go bump in the night.
And when they go bump in your home, Kristi Johnson and Kelly Flanagan are ready to help.
They are the founding members of Haunted Hunters, a paranormal investigation agency started in Klamath Falls in April to investigate claims of supernatural activity.
The group has already conducted three investigations, and is preparing for a fourth, Johnson said.
“We go in with our technical equipment and people and try to disprove whatever their claims are,” Johnson said. “Then we review the evidence when the investigation is completed, and we look it over to see if there are things we can explain.”
But sometimes, things can't be explained. That is when Haunted Hunters determine paranormal activity is going on and the place is haunted. The team's first training mission was in Johnson's own home.
“We went through and examined my house,” she said. “We didn't find anything definitive, but there were some unexplained phenomenon.”
Accredited investigators
Johnson said she and Flanagan are accredited paranormal investigators through Flamel College (flamelcollege.org), an online college in Sacramento, Calif., that teaches courses in esoteric arts and hermetic sciences.
According to the college's Web site, certified paranormal investigators must complete a home-study course. Cost is $95 and includes a manual, lessons, investigative forms, a research project and a final examination. After passing the course, students are issued a certificate and photo identification card in paranormal investigation. The process for detecting paranormal activity is relatively simple, Johnson said.
“They start giving us reports of activity in their homes,” she said. “We conduct a telephone interview and fill out a sheet while we talk to them on the phone. Then we set up time to check out their home and business.”
The investigations are done at night, and team members work in pairs.
“The size of the location determines how many team members go,” Johnson said. “There may be eight people at a specific investigation, but there are always two team members together. That is for safety reasons and validity of what they are seeing.”
Team members use a variety of high-tech equipment in the course of an investigation.
“They go through the house with night-shot camcorders, digital audio recorders, electromagnetic field detectors and digital thermometers,” Johnson said. “They'll go in and ask questions like, ‘Is there anybody here? Is there anybody that wants to communicate with us?' Then they sit in the room for a minimum of 20 minutes at a time and see if they can catch anything on video or audio. Then they check the different fluctuations from the EMF readers and check the temperatures gauges.”
A sudden drop in temperature usually means paranormal activity, Johnson said. To date, the group has done two training investigations, one in Johnson's home and another in the home of Flanagan's mother, Diane Flanagan.
“They were very professional and courteous and told me what they were going to do,” said Diane Flanagan about the group's visit to her home. Flanagan said she would recommend the group to her neighbor, who has often cited paranormal activity in her home.
The agency investigated a local cemetery Aug. 12 and plan to investigate Yesterday's Plaza at the corner of Ninth and Pine streets.
Dennis Bennett, who owns and operates Yesterday's Plaza with his wife Terry, said Haunted Hunters contacted him about investigating his building after talking with several people.
Bennett said he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about, but he'll play along anyway.
“It is a creepy old building,” Bennett said. “I have never seen anything, but I had a guy who does a lot of work for me and one time while he was up on the fourth floor he said he could have sworn that somebody was in the room with him.”
Terry Bennett said people have reported seeing a ghost in the building.
“It appears to be the old manager of the building,” Terry said. “Usually, they spot him on the fourth floor or in the basement. He is a little man, very small, wearing a three-piece suit.”
Haunted Hunters only determines if ghosts or other forms of paranormal activity are present in a home. The next step is up to the homeowner.
“If they want a blessing on the house, I am an ordained minister and I can do that,” Johnson said. “We do have a priest we are in contact with and we can refer the client to him. We also have a psychologist working on the team.”
Haunted Hunters has 18 paranormal investigators, technicians and a psychologist, Johnson said. Its office is at 2261 South Sixth St.
The group does not charge for its services, but accepts donations from clients and team members.
“Right now myself and the other co-founder foot the bill for this,” Johnson said, “but we are hoping to attract corporate sponsors.”
By GERRY BAKSYS
H&N Staff Writer
Sometimes things go bump in the night.
And when they go bump in your home, Kristi Johnson and Kelly Flanagan are ready to help.
They are the founding members of Haunted Hunters, a paranormal investigation agency started in Klamath Falls in April to investigate claims of supernatural activity.
The group has already conducted three investigations, and is preparing for a fourth, Johnson said.
“We go in with our technical equipment and people and try to disprove whatever their claims are,” Johnson said. “Then we review the evidence when the investigation is completed, and we look it over to see if there are things we can explain.”
But sometimes, things can't be explained. That is when Haunted Hunters determine paranormal activity is going on and the place is haunted. The team's first training mission was in Johnson's own home.
“We went through and examined my house,” she said. “We didn't find anything definitive, but there were some unexplained phenomenon.”
Accredited investigators
Johnson said she and Flanagan are accredited paranormal investigators through Flamel College (flamelcollege.org), an online college in Sacramento, Calif., that teaches courses in esoteric arts and hermetic sciences.
According to the college's Web site, certified paranormal investigators must complete a home-study course. Cost is $95 and includes a manual, lessons, investigative forms, a research project and a final examination. After passing the course, students are issued a certificate and photo identification card in paranormal investigation. The process for detecting paranormal activity is relatively simple, Johnson said.
“They start giving us reports of activity in their homes,” she said. “We conduct a telephone interview and fill out a sheet while we talk to them on the phone. Then we set up time to check out their home and business.”
The investigations are done at night, and team members work in pairs.
“The size of the location determines how many team members go,” Johnson said. “There may be eight people at a specific investigation, but there are always two team members together. That is for safety reasons and validity of what they are seeing.”
Team members use a variety of high-tech equipment in the course of an investigation.
“They go through the house with night-shot camcorders, digital audio recorders, electromagnetic field detectors and digital thermometers,” Johnson said. “They'll go in and ask questions like, ‘Is there anybody here? Is there anybody that wants to communicate with us?' Then they sit in the room for a minimum of 20 minutes at a time and see if they can catch anything on video or audio. Then they check the different fluctuations from the EMF readers and check the temperatures gauges.”
A sudden drop in temperature usually means paranormal activity, Johnson said. To date, the group has done two training investigations, one in Johnson's home and another in the home of Flanagan's mother, Diane Flanagan.
“They were very professional and courteous and told me what they were going to do,” said Diane Flanagan about the group's visit to her home. Flanagan said she would recommend the group to her neighbor, who has often cited paranormal activity in her home.
The agency investigated a local cemetery Aug. 12 and plan to investigate Yesterday's Plaza at the corner of Ninth and Pine streets.
Dennis Bennett, who owns and operates Yesterday's Plaza with his wife Terry, said Haunted Hunters contacted him about investigating his building after talking with several people.
Bennett said he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about, but he'll play along anyway.
“It is a creepy old building,” Bennett said. “I have never seen anything, but I had a guy who does a lot of work for me and one time while he was up on the fourth floor he said he could have sworn that somebody was in the room with him.”
Terry Bennett said people have reported seeing a ghost in the building.
“It appears to be the old manager of the building,” Terry said. “Usually, they spot him on the fourth floor or in the basement. He is a little man, very small, wearing a three-piece suit.”
Haunted Hunters only determines if ghosts or other forms of paranormal activity are present in a home. The next step is up to the homeowner.
“If they want a blessing on the house, I am an ordained minister and I can do that,” Johnson said. “We do have a priest we are in contact with and we can refer the client to him. We also have a psychologist working on the team.”
Haunted Hunters has 18 paranormal investigators, technicians and a psychologist, Johnson said. Its office is at 2261 South Sixth St.
The group does not charge for its services, but accepts donations from clients and team members.
“Right now myself and the other co-founder foot the bill for this,” Johnson said, “but we are hoping to attract corporate sponsors.”
By GERRY BAKSYS
H&N Staff Writer
 |
||
| Two empty places |
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of HeraldAndNews.com. Comment Disclaimer: The editors of heraldandnews.com reserve the right to refuse publication of any comment posted for consideration. We may refuse for any reason, including use of profanity, disparaging comments, libelous comments, etc. Any reader who notices a comment they believe is particularly offensive, should notify us at webmaster@heraldandnews.com.
phillip wrote on Feb 1, 2009 1:43 AM:
" I'm looking for 100+ acreas of land with anual running water, stream, etc, with tree's, as forested as posible, am going to build a cabin for me to retire, thank you. "
Stephanie Patterson Southwell wrote on Oct 4, 2008 6:19 PM:
" I came across this article and find it very interesting. My grandad was the "Southwell" in Southwell & Stilwell :) My dad and uncles were raised in Klamath Falls until they moved to the Portland area. "
Margaret wrote on Apr 29, 2008 11:19 AM:
" It appears the two negative reader comments are associated with the wrong article, as they do not seem to relate. It's unfortunate they are appearing after reading such a nice article about this concert. "
RSS
skii v. wrote on Jun 26, 2009 12:51 AM: