Joined by JUMPS Team members Kelly Roncace, Catrena Clair, and Mellie DeVault, we entered the Orphanage and immediately began a tour with the guide. Joining us was Guest Investigator Linda Lopez who is also my Mother, and Child Guest Investigators Jeremy Dark (14) and Collette DeVault (15). The tour guide immediately escorted us to the basement where the heart of the activity awaited. Once she described the activity she returned to the upper floor. We wasted no time placing the equipment and turned out all the lights to begin our investigation.
When we began the investigation, we sent child guest investigators Collette DeVault and Jeremy Dark into the dungeon. The purpose of having them on the investigation was to see if their presence would increase the activity from child spirits or the spirit of Rosa Carmichael herself. Jeremy and Collette placed a REM Pod on the floor in the center of the dungeon, each had K2 Meters in hand, and an audio recorder. The rest of the group remained outside of the dungeon, positioned on the benches placed for the tours, and observed the two teenagers. Collette began with simple questions for an EVP session. During the early stages of the investigation, all seemed quiet and calm. Then suddenly, as we all listened and observed the two teenagers in the dungeon, we heard a gasp from both of them. When asked what was wrong, Collette responded that both of the K2 Meters they were holding began to light for a few seconds then stop. I encouraged them to take the opportunity to begin instructing the spirits to do the same thing to the devices as a means of communications. Meanwhile, we began our own EVP session in the main area of the basement. Again, all was calm. I then took the opportunity to have a seat in the doorway to the dungeon while placing the Mel Meter near me to measure any changes in electromagnetic fields and temperature. I also activated the REM Pod feature on the Mel Meter and placed it in a position so that if any spirit were to approach me I would be warned immediately. Once that was in place, I began encouraging the child spirits to come forward to communicate. With that, I explained that they were allowed to speak and move around and that I would not let the “mean lady upstairs” (Rosa Carmichael) hurt them or punish them. I also invited the child spirits to come close and place their arms around me, which was a claim that I read about prior to the investigation that would occur to visitors in the basement of the Orphanage. With the invites and communication attempts, no activity occurred for some time.
Finally, I decided to stand up from the step I was sitting on in the entrance of the dungeon. As I went to stand, I placed both of my hands on each wall to pull myself up. While pushing myself up, I accidentally pushed the old wooden door to the dungeon against the wall which caused a loud bang. Instantly, all the K2 meters, the Mel Meter, and the REM Pod simultaneously came on. I immediately apologized to all the spirits as I did not intend to frighten them. The alarms continued to sound for approximately 5 seconds before stopping. Did my unintended door slam trigger some sort of residual energy in the basement of child spirits scattering to hide because they felt Rosa was coming? After this incident, the team members decided to sweep the basement to see if they could find where the child spirits may be hiding while Jeremy and Collette remained in the dungeon.
Linda Lopez, guest investigator and also my Mother, stood up from one of the benches in the area and moved over to a table full of children’s toys that was placed toward the back side of the basement. In a relaxed caring voice, she began asking any child spirit if they would like to get close to her to play with the toys. After continuing to invite, finally she began to notice her K2 meter begin to light. With that reaction, she then took a blue toy truck from the table and placed it on the floor in front of her. She then requested that if a child was near her that he/she make the device in her hand react then push and play with the toy on the floor so that she and the other investigators would know they were present. Suddenly, causing considerable surprise, the toy on the floor moved from its position as if someone pushed it using force. At the exact same time this occurred, the K2 Meter in Linda’s hand began to flash as well. The team members began to direct questions to a child spirit that they believed was present and playing with the toy. They asked questions such as the child’s name, age, how long they were in the basement, and so on. Following each question the K2 meters responded continuously for some time. After several minutes, the K2 responses began to decrease and no additional incidents occurred with the toy that moved on its own.
Meanwhile, in the dungeon, Collette and Jeremy were getting some minor activity themselves. Still holding a K2 Meter each, they also began noticing some consistency in responses with questions. However, their K2 meters would respond when questions were directed toward children and toward Rosa Carmichael. During their EVP session, Collette began provoking Rosa and the older children who were said to have helped Rosa in harming the children during the days of the Orphanage. She told Rosa that she had no power over her and asked her how she felt about that statement, as well as the other statements she made coming from a child. Again, each question had some sort of response on the K2 Meter but Collette and Jeremy were unable to determine if those responses were from a child spirit or the spirit of Rosa Carmichael herself.
After several minutes of investigating in the dungeon with our “trigger objects” Collette and Jeremy and in the main section of the basement with the table of toys, I felt it was time to switch areas. Therefore, I moved Collette and Jeremy into the main area while Kelly, Mellie, Linda, and I moved into the dungeon. Catrena remained in the main section of the basement with Jeremy and Collette.
The dungeon is a dark and low room. The darkness was so intense that you could not see your own hand in front of you without a light. To truly take ourselves back in time, we decided to shut the door to separate ourselves from the three others in the main section and to see what the children who were thrown in there felt. We were equipped with two K2 meters, the Mel Meter, the REM Pod, an audio recorder, and the Ovilous; a device that generates an internal white noise energy and if that energy is broken by some sort of audible sound, the built in dictionary will say the word it believes was heard in a robotic voice.
I placed myself down low near the REM Pod. I wanted to take the opportunity to truly connect with the children who were thrown in the dungeon and mistreated after losing their fathers in the battle. I began by introducing myself and explained that I had 3 children of my own and that I could be trusted. Kelly, Mellie, and Linda also explained that they were Mothers. I continued to also explain that they did not have to be afraid of anyone and that I was there and would be sure that nothing bad would happen if they would come out to talk. Seconds after I began to explain this, the REM Pod sounded right in front of me. What made this incident different from witnessing the REM Pod sound other times is that I began to feel a change in my surroundings as if some sort of heavy energy approached me and remained. I continued asking questions to learn more about the child. Again, a few questions were asked with no responses including, “was your father in the Union Army or Confederate Army?” Approximately 30 seconds later, the Ovilous finally said a word which was, “GRAY.” What validated this even more was that at the same time the word was said on the Ovilous, the K2 meter next to it flashed quickly. Unsure if this was a direct response saying that their father belonged to the Confederate Army (Confederates typically wore gray uniforms) or the Ovilous picked up some other word. Either way, we continued to take in and absorb the information we were gathering and continued with our session. Kelly, Mellie, and Linda began asking questions to see what responses they would receive while I remained in position near the REM Pod. A few questions passed with no responses. Finally, I interrupted and asked if the child was still present. Immediately, the REM Pod and K2 meters all responded. At this point, it seemed as if the responses would only occur if I asked them. To confirm this, Mellie asked the spirit if they only responded to me because I remind them of their father. With no hesitation, the REM Pod and other devices all sounded again. At this point, I stood up and repositioned myself closer to the wall where the bottom of the pit was located. We continued reaching out to that same spirit that seemed to be communicating with us through the devices. After I relocated my position, there was only one more additional reaction from the REM Pod before it stopped. We began discussing what had been occurring for the last 30 minutes and trying to come up with a conclusion as to who we may have been communicating with and what they were telling us. During this discussion, Linda quickly reached behind her hood on her sweatshirt. I noticed this and asked her what was wrong. She asked if she was up against a pipe or some other object in the area where she was standing. I immediately looked behind her and saw that she was approximately 2 feet away from anything and nothing was or could have brushed against her. I then checked for hanging objects or spider webs and found nothing. She then described what she felt; as if her hood was being pulled down slightly. We continued our conversation and not 60 seconds later, she interrupted by explaining that the same thing had happened again. I again checked as I did before but there were no changes and nothing was observed.
In the main section of the basement, Collette, Jeremy, and Catrena were getting their own responses on their K2 meters as well has having minor personal experiences. At this time, they were concentrating on communicating with children and using the toys on the table as trigger objects. Occasionally, during their line of questioning, they were getting some K2 responses as well as hearing some faint whispers. At one point, a whisper was so noticeable, Collette asked Jeremy if he said something. Jeremy did not but said he had heard the same thing. Also during their session, Jeremy was positioned on a bench while observing his K2 meter. He then began to notice something unusual with his shorts. He felt as if someone began slightly pulling on them. While inexperienced in investigating, he did the natural thing and repositioned his leg. Then, seconds later, he felt another tug although this time even harder. Again, he brushed away this feeling and nothing else occurred.
At this time, I decided to leave the dungeon leaving the women inside to see if they would get any responses from children. I joined Catrena, Collette, and Jeremy to see how they were making out with their investigation. Catrena began to explain that she would occasionally feel very sad and overwhelmed and the energy was becoming very strong to her. I immediately checked to be sure she was alright and asked if she needed to leave the area. Suddenly, she began to cry as if strong emotions had overcome her because of the things that had occurred in the basement where we were standing. I immediately had Collette escort her to the second floor so she could get out of the situation. At that point, everyone regrouped in the main section of the basement to let things calm down. Once Catrena was away, I began provoking any negative spirit whether Rosa or someone else who may have made Catrena begin feeling that way. I demanded that if they could make her feel that way to come forward and do the same to me. Unfortunately, after much effort, nothing occurred.
After a thorough and exciting sweep of each area in the basement of the Homestead Orphanage, it became time to switch locations. Therefore, I instructed the team to gather the equipment and I checked on Catrena who was with the volunteer on the upper levels. Catrena assured me that she was fine and that she had cried because a sudden feeling of sadness had overcome her. The Orphanage volunteer stated that what Catrena felt is something many visitors, paranormal teams, and even volunteers have felt on numerous occasions.
he rest of them team met with us in the main store and we exited to make our way to our next location; The Jennie Wade House.