Arrival
The group arrived on location around 1:20 pm. The group unloaded the van and set up base camp in the room straight across from the front door. For documentation purposes Gravy immediately started his control recorder at 1:32 pm. At 2:10 pm, Cindy showed up to collect money, have the group sign waivers and provided the key to the house behind Edinburgh Manor where PIM members will be sleeping for the next two nights. At 2:23 pm, Cindy left and the group finished setting up a few items in the Basement before unloading the van and moving their personal items into the house. PIM members then re-entered the manor and began their control recorders at 3:30 pm before beginning to set up equipment.
Every member of PIM is equipped with a Zoom H1 digital audio recorder, which is used as their control recorder and an Extech RHT50 datalogger. Control recorders are not only used as another recording device but also to document the sound contamination that an investigator might create during an investigation. Control recorders are started and time stamped first before any other equipment is started and they are turned off last to ensure any anomalous noises can be cross checked. Control recorders are also placed in a Faraday cage, if possible. A Faraday cage operates because an external static electrical field causes the electric charges within the cage’s conducting material to be distributed such that they cancel the field’s effect in the cage’s interior. PIM’s main goal in using these is to block radio signals from interfering with their audio recorders thus causing false EVPs. The Extech RHT50 datalogger takes a temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure reading once a minute and is used to try and correlate environmental data with any personal experiences an investigator might encounter, or with any anomalous recordings captured, during an investigation.
The group also went around the building making sure windows and doors were secure and attempted to eliminate any infestation of bugs that could cause natural anomalies to be captured on their recording devices. They also used this time to discuss where equipment was going to be placed. It was noted that some of the rooms have had the paint chips cleaned up compared to when PIM was last there in March of that year.
It was also noted that there were two cats roaming the outside of the building and attempting to get inside the building during the weekend. These cats could be heard throughout the investigation.
The group then began assembled their equipment. Putting cameras on tripods, recorders in Faraday cages and preparing anything else that might be used during the investigations. The group then began placing the equipment in their designated spots and adjusted accordingly to make sure the camera views and recorders were in the best suited places for covering the well-known hot spots of reported activity.
At 4:09 pm, Chris began taking outside weather conditions using a Kestrel 3000 Weather Station. The Kestrel Weather Station is a tool that measures temperature, wind speed, humidity and barometric pressure. While equipment was being set up, using a single axis Mel-8704R EMF detector, Chris also took baseline readings of particular rooms that PIM was going to investigate throughout the weekend.
Several high definition camcorders and audio recorders were placed in select areas of Edinburgh Manor.
A Ghost Pro Full Spectrum camera along with a Zoom H1 digital recorder (which was moved to the East Hallway of the 2nd Floor for Day 2) and a DM X-930 Dark Matter detector were placed in Room 105 near the bed where the purported rape occurred. The Dark Matter Detector is a device that measures EMF, temperature, barometric pressure and has a high quality audio recorder. This device also datalogs these measurements for later review should something have occurred and would need to be referenced. On the bed, a trigger object bank was set up. Trigger objects are miscellaneous items that are strategically chosen in hopes to invoke a response. The trigger object bank included a bottle of whiskey, cigar, cigarette, Rosary, Pair of Die (6 side up), assorted money, Playboy magazine, playing cards (Joker card up), harmonica, and a bullet. Placed near the trigger object bank was an EM Vortex, single-axis Mel-8704R-Vibe EMF detector, negative ion detector and a touch flashlight.
The touch flashlight is activated by two contacts being touched, thus completing a circuit and turning the light on. The touch flashlight is used in lieu of a flashlight that has had the battery compartment or on/off switch manipulated to function in a way that is not intended and as a result, can create false positives.
A Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum camera was placed in the Kid’s Room (Rm 106). This camera was placed at the northeast corner of the room and was aimed toward the door of the room were the reported suicide of the man who hung himself from the doorknob occurred. A Zoom H1 digital recorder was placed on a table in the middle of the room.
Just outside the Kid’s Room, a Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum camera was placed capturing views down two hallways, one hallway leading to the Men’s Rec Room (Rm 108) and the other leading towards the main entrance. A single axis MEL-8704SDD EMF/shadow detector was placed in the hallway leading to the Men’s Rec Room. The shadow detector has an IR light curtain, that when disrupted or blocked causes the device to emit an audible alarm.
A FLIR TG165 thermal camera was placed in the east hallway of the 1st Floor.
A Sony HDR-CX440 full spectrum camera and Zoom H1 digital recorder were placed in the West Wing of the 2nd Floor hallway. And a Sony FDR-AX100 4k camera was placed in the 2nd Floor hallway covering the main stair well.
A Sony HDR-XR200V video camera and Tascam DR-5 were placed in Room 200 facing the bed and doorway to the room. On Day 2, the EDI+ datalogger and straight jacket were placed on the bed in this room.
A Sony HDR-CX550 camera was placed in the food prep area of the Basement.
A Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum video camera and Zoom H1 digital recorder were placed in the Dining Room. The camera was placed on the east of the room facing the hallway leading to the Laundry Room. A Ghost Pro full spectrum camera was placed just around the corner in the hallway leading to the Padded Room.
A single axis MEL-8704REM/SDD EMF detector, was placed in the Basement Hallway between the Laundry Room and Dining Room.
A SpecterCam4 full spectrum camera and a Sony HDR-SR7 video camera and Zoom H1 digital recorder were placed in the Laundry Room. On a table in the middle of the Laundry Room, a trigger object bank was established. This trigger object bank consisted of a bullet, a pair of di (1 and 2 facing up), booze, deck of cards (joker card showing), cigar, Bible, Rosary, Holy relic, crucifix, magnetic levitator, harmonica, large army man, a mug from the Dining Room, wooden rocking horse, a baseball and a touch flashlight. Many of the items are placed on graph paper and baseline photos of the trigger object are taken before and after the investigation and referenced for possible manipulation of the objects. Investigators are reminded not to touch anything on the table after baseline photos are taken.
On the same table, several environmental meters were placed. An Extech RHT50 datalogger, a geophone, a device that measures seismic vibration and lights up based on the intensity, and the EDI+ datalogger (Day 1 only) were placed around the trigger objects. Gravy’s homemade EM pump was placed near the trigger object bank. This table was in camera shot of the Sony HDR-SR7 video camera that was placed nearby.
Once all the equipment was set, the team started and time stamped all the equipment in the entire building. This was done around 6:00 pm. Time stamps, from a designated atomic watch, are used as a point of reference and make cross referencing easier during evidence review. During the setup of equipment, the group covered up any windows that could be covered up using a 3mil black plastic. This is mostly done to eliminate as many outside sources of lights as possible. Since it was still light out when the group left for dinner, IR lights would be set for illumination upon their return.
At 7:31 pm, the group locked up and left the manor to get dinner and to allow for the equipment to capture a baseline of the building without human presence. It was noted during baseline audio and video review there were many popping sounds within the building. Most likely due to the expanding and contracting of metal and/or wood as the warm day came to an end and the cooler night set in. Gravy also noted that his audio in the Basement caught sounds that he would describe as a person or possible animal moving around in the basement. While this is entirely possible, nothing was seen on video to confirm this suspicion.
The group returned to their sleep quarters and at 9:15 pm started and time stamped their control recorders. Before re-entering the building to begin the investigation, the group decided to role play a scenario and enter the building while playing out certain roles. Noah performed as an orderly, Marilsa, a nurse and Gravy, a patient in the strait jacket, while Chris recorded everything for Facebook Live and Tom helped with lighting.
At 10:03 pm, after ringing the dinner bell, the group re-entered the building while acting out the scene of introducing their new patient to the building. The trigger scenario was completed at 10:08 pm. The group then exited the building at 10:12 pm. PIM had acted this scene out in hopes to elicit a response. Nothing occurred during that time and nothing was captured via audio or video recording devices.
The group, again, entered the building at 10:26 pm and proceeded to check their equipment and set illumination of the IR lights. At 10:40 pm, while standing in base camp, Noah heard what he described as someone running upstairs. It was debunked as an uneven chair, in base camp, slightly rocking when Marilsa had bumped it. At 10:46 pm, the group went to the Laundry Room in the Basement and began to position themselves for the investigation. Noah, realizing his SpecterCam4 SD card was full, went back to base camp to retrieve an empty card to replace it.
Investigation
Basement Laundry Room – 10:52 pm
The group spread out through the Laundry Room, in visual contact with each other, before beginning control silence. Control silence is a method practiced at each new location in a building. It allows for members to get a baseline of noises the building could make throughout the night. It also allows for the group to tag outside noises heard in that area so as not to be mistaken as something paranormal later in the night. This also allows for the building to reset itself after members or PIM have been walking around. It was noted that bugs could be easily heard, paint chips falling in other rooms and the occasional car could be heard. At 10:59 pm, the group began an EVP session.
An EVP or electronic voice phenomenon session is the practice of asking questions in hopes of getting a response from something unknown. Questions are generally based on an event, the location or the claims of the location but can really be anything. It is uncertain what question will elicit a response which is why there no bad questions. Since it is unknown what is being dealt with, questions are asked in a variety of different ways. Questions can be asked in different languages, requesting knocks, singing, gender specific, sign language, writing on paper, asking for object to be manipulated and any other way the imagination allows for. It is important to experiment in every way possible and document to see what elicits a response.
At 11:10 pm, Gravy reported hearing a female moaning sound or stomach sound in the direction of the hallway leading to the Kitchen where Chris was sitting. Chris claimed it was not his stomach and this sound was not captured on any audio devices in the vicinity.
At 11:18 pm, Noah, Gravy and Marilsa heard movement in there vicinity of the Basement. Thinking it was a rodent of some sort, the three investigators looked around the Basement for a cause of the sound. Other than a large beetle, no source could be found and the group moved on to their new location.
END TIME: 11:19 pm
Basement Hallway/Dining Room – 11:21 pm
The group situated themselves down the hallway and into the Basement Dining Room. They used this opportunity to do Facebook Live of an EVP session.
At 11:25 pm, Noah heard a snap noise. No source of the sound could be found.
At 11:28 pm, Marilsa, sitting in the Basement Dining Room heard what she described as a footstep coming from down the hallway leading to the Padded Room. Again, no source of the sound was determined. Both sounds heard during this EVP session where determined to be normal building sounds. The group ended the Facebook Live session and moved on.
END TIME: 11:31 pm
Padded Room area – 11:33 pm
Gravy sat in the Padded Room. Noah sat in the office closer the stairwell and Marilsa and Chris sat in the hallway. The group observed control silence before beginning an EVP session. It was noted crickets were easily heard in this section of the Basement.
At 11:49 pm, Noah heard what he described as a shuffling noise, possible feet moving, to his left down the hallway between the Dining Room and the Laundry Room. No source of the sound was found and this was not captured via audio devices.
At 11:54 pm, Noah, again, heard shuffling noises but also running water both coming from the food prep area this time. Note: there is no running water in the Manor itself. No source of the sound was found and this was not capture on any audio devices.
END TIME: 11:58 pm
At 12:00 am, the group checked their equipment and swapped out SD cards where necessary.
At 12:21 am, the group did a Facebook Live update discussing any events that had happened thus far for anyone interested in the investigation.
Kid’s Room 106 – 12:23 am
The group situated themselves throughout the Kid’s Room in the West Wing of the 1st Floor and observed control silence. It was noted there was a lot of popping noise coming from the windows due to the temperature changes.
At 12:28 am, everyone heard a squeaking or high pitched noise. Gravy thought it sounded like an investigator’s stomach.
At 12:37 am, a large crashing sound was heard by everyone. The investigators believed the sound originated from base camp down the hall. The noise was not replicated when asked for and no source of the sound could be determined when investigated. Everything appeared to be in order. This sound was captured on audio devices but PIM does not think it to be paranormal in nature.
END TIME: 12:41 am
Room 105, East Wing – 12:45 am
The group spread throughout the room. After control silence was observed, an EVP session was started. It was noted bugs could be easily heard and, again, popping noises from the windows expanding/contracting was obvious. No activity occurred during this session and the group moved on.
END TIME: 1:05 am
The group took a short break in their sleeping quarters between 1:05 am and 1:54 am.
2nd Floor Hallway – 1:57 am
The group spread throughout the 2nd Floor Hallway and observed control silence before beginning an EVP session. Again, popping noises and paint chips falling to the floor were noted.
At 2:04 am, Noah heard what he described as a little girl quickly and quietly saying “Mommy”. Noah believed the sound to have come further down in the direction of the West Wing of where he was sitting. No source of the sound was discovered. This sound was not replicated when asked for and it was unfortunately not captured on any audio device, including Noah’s control recorder, to confirm what he had heard.
END TIME: 2:14 am
Knowing that PIM had another day and night of investigating ahead of them, the group decided to call an end to the first night of investigation. The group gathered their SD cards and batteries from their equipment and returned to their sleeping quarters before turning off their control recorders at 2:28 am.
The group dumped their SD cards on to a computer and plugged in their rechargeable batteries before calling it a night.
