Arrival
The group arrived on location at 6:00 pm and unloaded their equipment just outside the Miller Inn. While Gravy was parking the car, Noah went to the security office to get badges for everyone. These would allow PIM members seamless access to the Miller Caves and the Miller Inn. The cleaning crew, consisting of one man, was in the Miller Inn at the time of PIM’s arrival. While he was finishing up PIM began setting up their equipment.
Every member of PIM was equipped with a Zoom H1 digital audio recorder, as a control recorder, and is on themselves everywhere they go. Control recorders are started and time stamped prior to all other equipment being started and time stamped. They are also the last piece of equipment to be turned off. Control recorders are not only used as another recording device but also to discriminate the sound contamination that an investigator might create during an investigation. Control recorders are also placed in a Faraday cage. PIM’s main goal in using these is to block radio signals from interfering with their audio recorders thus causing false EVPs. Time stamps, from a designated atomic watch, are used as a point of reference and make cross referencing easier during evidence review.
Along with control records and a UV flashlight, every PIM member it required to be equipped with an Extech RHT50 data logger. The Extech data logger measures humidity, temperature and barometric pressure at one minute intervals. This device allows us to graph these changes and compare data to other devices that might have measured or recorded an event. They are not only carried on each person but placed throughout a location as well.
PIM members began setting up equipment throughout the entire building. While equipment was being set up, started and timestamped, Jarod, Chris and Andy took outside weather conditions and baseline readings. Baseline EMF (electromagnetic field) readings and indoor temperatures were taken with a single-axis EMF MEL-8704R. A Kestrel 3500 weather station was used for outdoor weather conditions.
Two Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum cameras were placed in the Miller Caves. Both facing the Alter of the cave; one camera was placed in the middle and one at the opposite end. A trigger object bank was placed on a bench in the center of the cave. This trigger object bank consisted of a wooden rocking horse, a baseball, a crucifix, third relic card, the Bible, a rosary, a bullet, poker cards, cigar, booze, cigarette, and a Playboy magazine. Trigger objects are miscellaneous items that are strategically chosen in hopes to invoke a response. Placed alongside the trigger objects were an EM pump, Extech RHT50 data logger #2, a touch flashlight and a geophone.
Custom built by PIM, the geophone senses seismic vibrations and has adjustable sensitivity. It was placed there because of the claims of footsteps and also because of several trigger objects placed on the bench as well. If any of these trigger objects would be moved the geophone would sense the vibrations.
The EM pump emits multiple frequencies of EMF and goes with the theory that entities use the energy admitted to manifest or manipulate objects.
The touch flashlight, which is activated by two contacts being touched, thus, closing a circuit and turning the light on, was also placed on the round table with the trigger objects. 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.
Also on the bench with the trigger objects was a Tascam DR40 digital audio recorder using two types of stereo microphones. One is designed to record only sound waves while the other is sensitive to both sound and EMF frequencies. This allows a later comparison of the two sound tracks to see if anything was recorded in the EMF waves that was not recorded in the sound waves. This is done as there is a theory that Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) is actually recorded from the EMF spectrum and not the audible spectrum.
In each the Bar Room and High Life Room, a Sony HDR-5 camera and Zoom H1 were placed.
While gear was being set up, to avoid light contamination, Gravy darkened some of the lights that could not be turned off using a 3 mil black plastic sheathing.
At 8:22 pm the group finished setting and timestamping their equipment. They met in the Bar Room to discuss the night thus far and take group photos with the bar as a backdrop. At 8:29 pm, Miller security guards arrived to perform a routine check of the premises before exiting at 8:37 pm.
Investigation
Miller Caves- 8:47 pm
The group spread themselves throughout the Cave. They observed control silence before beginning an EVP session. Control silence is the practice of sitting quietly and getting accustomed to the normal sounds of the building structure. It allows for investigators to get a baseline of normal building sounds. It was noted that there was a “hum” coming from the speakers within the Cave. There was also a fan in the southwest corridor of the Cave. No activity was reported during this time and nothing was captured via audio or video recorder.
END TIME: 9:20 pm
High Life Room – 9:31 pm
The group sat at various tables throughout the room and after observing control silence for several minutes, they began an EVP session. During the EVP session a loud rattle in the northeast corner by the window was heard. Noah attempted to rattle the windows and the blinds but could not recreate the sound. It was thought that if a large vehicle drove by it could possibly shake the building enough to cause the rattling. This was later confirmed upon audio review a, what sounded like large, vehicle had driven by just as the rattling occurred. No other activity occurred during this time. Once again, no activity was reported during this time and nothing was captured via audio or video recorder.
END TIME: 10:02 pm
Champagne Room – 10:04 pm
The group sat at various tables once again. After observing control silence, it was noted traffic could be easily heard and the HVAC system was prevalent as well. An EVP session was started which would yield no results.
Upon review of the evidence, a male voice was heard talking in between some conversation a few PIM members were having. This event was not tagged, so it was uncertain whether the voice was caused by one of the PIM members or not. Detailed analysis of the audio from everyone’s control recorder revealed the voice was one of the PIM members talking under their breath. This illustrates the importance of the use of control recorders on investigations as this clip could easily have been mistaken for an EVP if other audio recordings were not available for review.
No other activity was captured via audio or video recorder.
END TIME: 10:31 pm
The group took a short break in the Bar Room.
Bar Room – 11:09 pm
Sitting at various tables throughout the room, the group observed control silence before beginning an EVP session. No activity was observed during this time and nothing was captured via audio or video recorder.
END TIME: 11:31 pm
High Life Room – 11:36 pm
The group situated themselves throughout the room. Sitting in different parts of the room then before, they began an EVP session. At 11:47 pm, Noah heard, what he described as, “three footsteps” near the center of the room. No PIM members where in the area of the sound and no other source of the sounds could be found. Upon evidence review, the sounds were not captured.
Shortly after that at 11:47 pm still, Denys saw a blue light in the hallway just outside the room. No source of the light could be found. Neither incident was deemed to be related to each other despite the time they occurred.
No other activity occurred during this time and the EVP session was concluded.
END TIME: 11:54 pm
Cave – 12:04 am
The group spread themselves throughout the cave for one last EVP session. No activity occurred during this time and nothing was captured via audio or video recordings. The investigation was called to an end.
END TIME: 12:30 am
PIM broke down all their gear, stopped their control recorders and packed their equipment up before leaving the premises for the night. While loading up their vehicles, a security guard approached PIM and collected their badges.
Conclusion
The claims of activity at the Miller Caves and the Miller Inn have been around for a long time. This was PIM’s second visit to the Miller Inn and Miller Caves. During our first investigation, there was some activity noted in the cave that was not replicated during this investigation. No new activity was reported, although, one hallway with one of the major claims was undergoing some renovations which may have prevented evidence capture. Two investigations are not enough to find out what is going on at the Miller Inn and Caves and PIM hopes to return in the future to continue the study of the location.
PIM would like to thank MillerCoors for entrusting us with this investigation, especially Kindra, Mollie, and Cat who helped organize this investigation. We at PIM take our investigations very seriously and we were honored to be asked to investigate these locations. It was a fantastic experience and we hope to return someday soon to continue our research. We believe there is much to be discovered at the Miller Inn and Miller Caves!
