Arrival
The group arrived on location at 2:40 pm. Nick, a caretaker for Edinburgh Manor, arrived at 3:00 pm and opened the doors to the manor and to the house, where PIM members would be sleeping, behind the building. Meanwhile, the group unloaded the van and set up base camp in rooms 100 and 125. After the group signed the waivers, Nick left the premises. The group then unloaded their personal sleep items in the house. PIM members re-entered the manor and began their control recorders at 3:35 pm before taking a tour of the building. Gravy, having been at the manor before, showed the other members where the hot spots were and where they were going to place equipment for the investigation.
Every member of PIM is equipped with a Zoom H1 digital audio recorder, which is used as their control recorder, Extech RHT50 datalogger, and UV flashlight. 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 during an investigation.
After the tour was over and everyone had time to take in the beauty of this manor and take personal pictures, the group began setting their equipment up and moving it to predetermined locations.
At 6:06 pm, Gravy collected outside weather conditions using a Kestrel 2500 Weather Station. The Kestrel Weather Station is a tool that measures temperature, wind speed and barometric pressure. While equipment was being set up, using a single axis Mel-8704R-Vibe EMF detector, the group took baseline readings of particular rooms that PIM was going to investigate.
Several high definition camcorders and sound recorders were placed in select areas of Edinburgh Manor.
A Sony HDR-SR7 along with an X-930 Dark Matter device were placed in Room 105 near the bed where the purported rape occurred. The Dark Matter device measures EMF, surface and air 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, Playboy magazine, playing cards, and a bullet.
A Tascam DR-5 was placed in the hallway outside Room 209.
A Sony HDR-CX500 was placed on the 2nd Floor landing facing the stairs and the door way to Room 200. A Zoom H1 was also placed in the hallway.
A Ghost Pro video recorder was placed in Room 200 and faced the bedroom as well as the doorway.
A Sony FDR-AX100 4K camera was placed in the Dining Hall side of the Basement along with an EDI+ and Zoom H1. The EDI+ is a datalogger that logs single-axis EMF, air temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity. The EDI+ also acts as a geophone and can detect vibration. The camera was placed on the west side of the Basement and faced the hallway towards the Laundry Room.
A Sony HDR-XR200V video camera and a Tascam DR-7 audio recorder were placed in the Laundry Room of the Basement. The camera faced the hallway entrance and covered the doorway to the Boiler Room and small Basement Kitchen Office. In view of the camera was a trigger object bank that consisted of a magnetic levitator, a Bible, a Crucifix, toy truck, Rosary, bullets, dice, touch flashlight and a porcelain cup, similar to the one that was reported to be thrown. These items are placed on graph paper and base line photos are taken before and after the investigation and referenced for possible manipulation of the objects. Gravy’s homemade EM pump, which generates a localized EM field, was placed near the trigger object bank.
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 Basement Kitchen Office, focused on the corner where the claimed apparition appeared to the building owner. No audio recording devices were used in this area.
Once all the equipment was set, the team started and time stamped all the equipment in the entire building. Time stamps, from a designated watch, are used as a point of reference and make cross referencing easier during evidence review. All lights were turned off at this point to set illumination with infrared lights so the camcorders are able to record in the dark.
At 6:35 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 a human presence. The group returned at 8:40 pm and started and time stamped their control recorders before beginning the investigation.
Investigation
2nd Floor Landing – 9:01 pm
The group spread out through the hallway and other rooms, 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 the wind could be easily heard and the occasional car could be heard. The group then began an EVP session.
An EVP session or electronic voice phenomenon 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 are 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 an object to be manipulated and any other way that can be thought of. It is important to experiment in every way possible and document to see what elicits a response, if anything.
At 9:29 pm, Gravy reported hearing a two syllable word in a female’s voice. He said it didn’t sound like wind. No one else in the group shared this experience nor was it captured via audio recorder.
No other activity occurred during this time until the EVP session was over and the group began to move to their next location. At which time, at 9:34 pm, Marilsa reported seeing, what she described as, a smoky or mist-like shape in front of her that dissipated in an upward manner over the stairwell. PIM tried to replicate the conditions leading up to the point when Marilsa saw the misty shape. After further investigating of the situation, PIM concluded that it was most likely a combination of everyone moving around, turning on their flashlights and Marilsa’s exhaled breath. Since the building was cooling down for the evening, everyone’s breath could be seen as they exhaled, and with it being dark, depth perception can easily be misconstrued. As such, PIM does not consider this to be an event of note.
END TIME: 9:32 pm
2nd Floor west wing – 9:43 pm
The group spread themselves throughout the west wing of the 2nd Floor. After control silence was observed and again it was noted that the wind could be heard, they began an EVP session.
At 9:57 pm, Jordan heard a tap to her left coming from Room 228. She believed it to be possible paint chips falling from the walls or ceiling.
At 10:02 pm, Marilsa described hearing about 10 phantom footsteps pass in front of her. No source of the sound could be found and it was too faint to be captured on her control recorder or any other audio device in the vicinity.
At 10:06 pm, Jordan thought she was hearing a low voice conversation between multiple people. Once PIM went to investigate, the conversation seemed to stop. The group believed it was sound created by the wind but once the group reset, the conversation wasn’t heard again. This was not captured via audio recorders.
At 10:08 pm, a loud crashing noise came from Room 228. Jordan went to investigate and was able to recreate the sound by dropping a paint chip onto one of the metal lockers in that room.
Falling paint chips have been an ongoing theme for both investigations that PIM has conducted at Edinburgh Manor. They can account for over 95% of the sounds heard during an investigation and should be one of the first experiments tested for sound contamination in the event of a paranormal claim of sound.
END TIME: 10:09 pm
Laundry Room (Basement) – 10:20 pm
The group sat throughout the Laundry Room. Control silence was observed before beginning an EVP session.
After control silence, Gravy described hearing a “clicking” noise coming from down the hallway. It was a constant noise at equal intervals.
No activity occurred during this time despite PIMs effort to get the Joker to respond to their questions and requests.
END TIME: 10:40 pm
Dining Room (Basement) – 10:42 am
The group situated themselves throughout the Dining Room. Gravy sat near the hallway and monitored the clicking noise he heard from the Laundry Room. The sound seemed to come from a different area than where he thought it was coming from when he sat in the Laundry Room. Upon further investigating, despite his efforts to find where it was coming from, he couldn’t find its source. Gravy described is a time card clock with its hollow metal clicking sound. The Basement Kitchen was searched for a time clock but nothing was found.
After control silence was observed, an EVP session was conducted with no activity occurring at the time and nothing captured via audio or video.
END TIME: 10:58 pm
PIM group members left Edinburgh Manor for a break and returned to the house located on the property to warm up. Upon returning to the building, equipment was checked for batteries and SD cards changed out in equipment that needed new cards.
Room 105 – 12:03 am
The group spread throughout the room. After control silence was observed, an EVP session was started. It was noted the wind could be easily heard and was much more prevalent on the East side of the building. The group took caution in carefully observing sounds that could possibly be caused by the wind and not mistaken as something unexplainable. No activity occurred during this session and the group moved on.
END TIME: 12:28 am
Kid’s Room (1st floor) – 12:41 am
The group spread throughout the Kid’s Room and observed control silence. Once again the wind could be easily heard. No activity occurred during their session and the group moved on to the next location.
END TIME: 1:07 am
Men’s Wing (1st Floor) – 1:13 am
The group spread throughout the Men’s Wing. After control silence was observed, the group began an EVP session.
At 1:26 am, Jordan thought she had heard a response to her question when inquiring about who had raped a woman in the other room. She believed to have heard “I did” as a response to her question. The response was not captured via any audio recorders and, therefore, PIM cannot confirm what Jordan heard.
No other activity occurred during this time and the group took another short break to warm up.
END TIME: 1:40 am
After the break and upon re-entering the building, the group decided to do some speed round EVP sessions. This is where the group visits several locations for short amounts of time. This allows the group to get one last opportunity to visit some of the more interesting places in hopes of capturing activity before calling it a night.
Room 200 and 2nd Floor Hallway – 2:19 am
The group spread throughout the 2nd Floor Hallway and Room 200. The group forewent the control silence in order to start pressing the questions quickly. No activity occurred during this time and the group moved on to the next location.
END TIME: 2:30 am
Room 105 – 2:32 am
The group sat in Room 105 and quickly got started with the questions. Again, no activity occurred during this time and the group moved on to the next location.
END TIME: 2:45 am
The group started to make their way to the Laundry Room to investigate that area until Jordan felt like something grabbed her arm.
The group entered the Basement Hallway from the Basement Kitchen doors. Gravy was leading, followed by Tom, Jordan behind him and Marilsa bringing up the rear. As Jordan passed through the door and moved a few feet down the hallway, she turned to say something to Marilsa whom she thought was right behind her. In doing so, she thought Marilsa had grabbed her arm to keep her from turning around. Jordan described it as a hand grabbing her arm just above her elbow. Once Jordan turned around and saw that Marilsa was still just coming through the door of the Basement Kitchen, she stopped and began to attempt to recreate the situation. Gravy approached Jordan and together they tried to see if somehow Jordan’s clothing got caught on a piece of her equipment that she was wearing. Jordan, with Gravy’s help, couldn’t recreate the incident so it is uncertain what really happened. The camera facing the hallway was too far away to capture the detail and there was no audio response captured on any audio recorders. Thus, it is an interesting experience but it cannot be independently verified via video evidence.
Basement Hallway- 2:48 am
Due to what just happened to Jordan, the group decided to forego the Laundry Room and stay to investigate the hallway. The group was hoping if what happened to Jordan was legit, whatever caused it might stick around to answer some questions. Unfortunately this was not the case and no other activity occurred during the EVP session of the Basement Hallway.
END TIME: 3:00 am
The group concluded the investigation for the night. All audio and visual equipment was broken down, window coverings removed and all PIM items were secured. All items were removed from the building and stored in the van awaiting departure later in the morning.
Conclusion
This was PIM’s second time investigating Edinburgh Manor. The building is well maintained and easy to navigate and a pleasure to investigate. Unfortunately, we were not able to document any paranormal activity during our investigation.
We were able to determine some possible natural causes for some of the claims. One of the claims at Edinburgh Manor is that some unexplained noises can be heard in rooms or floors where no one should be. PIM found that there were numerous paint chips that were falling off the walls and ceilings. Also, due to temperature changes over the course of the day and high winds, the metal frames around the windows would expand and contract causing loud popping sounds. Both of these conditions result in some loud and sudden noises that could easily be mistakenly attributed to something paranormal.
However, due to the close proximity to the Milwaukee area, the lack of environmental interference and abundance of claims, PIM is still very interested in returning to Edinburgh Manor for future investigations.
