Investigators respond to claims of alleged hauntings

By CHRIS CLINE
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Updated: Saturday, October 31, 2009 6:45 AM CDT

Reporter’s Note: On Oct. 10, 2009, the  Paranormal Task Force, visited a rural Bonne Terre residence to investigate claims of an alleged haunting. The following is the second part of a two-part series that deals with claims of paranormal activity and the group’s investigation. The names of the property owners have been changed to protect their identities.

BONNE TERRE — The Paranormal Task Force (PTF) arrived at Jim and Sandy Clark’s rural Bonne Terre home during the late afternoon hours on Oct. 10. After scouting the property the group decided on various locations to set up surveillance equipment in an effort to record and document alleged paranormal activity.

Background research about the property began weeks prior to the investigation, spearheaded by PTF’s Bobbi Govero. Before the start of the investigation Govero sat down with the Clarks and gave the couple a history lesson about their property that dated back to the 1800s. A prominent family named the Berkleys once owned the land. A daughter of the Berkleys is believed to be buried in the graveyard on the property.

All that remains of the graveyard is a broken tombstone belonging to Josephine Berkley. It’s not known how the graves, if any, are laid out in the graveyard. Gary Boyer, an investigator with PTF, is a full-time funeral director. He has extensive knowledge of burial practices that were used during the Berkley’s era on the property. He attempted to use dowsing rods in the graveyard to determine where voids in the ground might me. He admitted though, a void would be difficult to detect because of the materials used then to bury bodies. He said over the years the coffin or bag could have deteriorated, causing the void to disappear.

Govero also utilized the dowsing rods in the old graveyard.

“I did use the dowsing rods outside of the older fence line by the graveyard area due to suspected issue involving the road being cut in beside the property and actually running over the top of the original surveyed area,” Govero said in her report. “We did get two hits of possible graves outside of that fence line that would coincide with the original survey. I suspect it may be possible that Josephine Berkley's headstone and footstone were thrown over the fence line when the gravel road was cut in and their actual burial site may be located under the road or in the easement area of that road.”

Margaret Shelton, who is a sensitive with PTF, claimed to have felt the presence of a gentleman standing in the hallway of the Clarks’ home.

“I explained who I thought this gentleman was,” Shelton said. “He is in his late 60s and is the second owner of the house. He died in the house. He isn’t a mean spirit and doesn’t wish harm. He is resolved to the fact that this isn’t just his house anymore, but can’t seem to leave. He will share just because he has to. I went into the master bedroom and felt another presence.  At this time the name William and Andrew Jackson came through very strongly. I asked Sandy who William was and she said ‘that’s my father’.”

Sandy said her father did not die in the house, though.

“Sandy said ‘I loved my father very much and we had a very close bond’,” Shelton said.

She explained to Shelton that she was afraid she had lost her father in the move to the new home. Sandy also told Shelton that Andrew Jackson was her great uncle on her father’s side.

Greg Myers, the president of the PTF, also had an experience inside the Clarks’ bedroom.

“During interactive investigative sessions while in the master bedroom of the residence there were many occurrences of EMF very notable high spikes on the K-2 EMF Meter ranging from 10 to above 25 milligauss which started around 7:30 p.m. and lasted until 8:15 p.m.,” he said in his report. “These ‘spikes’ or what some shows call ‘hits’ were in direct response to questions and indicated the potential paranormal entity was female and had a historical attachment to the property as later the responses indicated it was also a slave (servant) which once served the historical family in which the cemetery upon the property was named after.”

Myers tried to get the presence to move small objects such as a ping-pong ball, but was unsuccessful.

During an investigation at the cemetery Myers also noted an incident. During the interactive investigative session an investigator (Margaret) was touched on the shoulder by something unseen at about 9 p.m. while sitting in the camping chair at the table with the Paranormal Puck operating, according to Myers.

“Shortly after, when Margaret retreated to Sandy, Sandy was then grabbed on her side (ribs) by something unseen as well while she was holding a K-2 EMF Meter which spiked at that exact moment at 5 milligauss,” Myers said. “This was the only K-2 Spike during this interactive session.”

Myers concluded his report by saying, “With the capture of unexplainable audio and data recorded by equipment coupled with unexplainable human experiences, it is the opinion of Paranormal Task Force that this alone is not enough to fully substantiate an actual haunting or existence of paranormal activity at this location. However, there is enough to state that there is a high potential that this location is paranormally active which warrants further study and investigation."

Chris Cline is a reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at 573-431-2010, ext. 114 or at ccline@dailyjournalonline.com.

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