Past Cases

APC2009.13- Burrville Cider Mill, Burrville, NY (permission to post has been granted)

       On November 6, 2009, T.N.P.S. had the opportunity to investigate the historic Burrville Cider Mill.  The building was constructed in 1801 and was originally used as a saw mill.  Over the years it has also functioned as a grist mill, a card mill and a cider mill, its current use.  Paranormal activity has been reported at the site for many years but the current owners are the first to allow a paranormal investigation of the mill.  Six members of T.N.P.S. investigated the mill and we are pleased to report that audio as well as video evidence was captured.  Several investigators also had very interesting personal experiences during the investigation.

     It didn't take long for activity to begin.  T.N.P.S. worked in teams of two to investigate three separate areas and during the first shift two teams witnessed events.  While in the apple sorting/storage area, one investigator saw a shadowy figure enter through an overhead door, cross the open area and disappear into a wall.  This team also heard footsteps in the press room during the first shift.  The team that was in the attic at this time asked for a sign of a presence and received two distinct 'pops' that came from the plastic jugs stored in this area.  And before anyone says "Well, that could have been anything that caused the noise" what are the odds that in all the time T.N.P.S. was in the mill the jugs only popped those two times?  During the second shift, when teams switched areas, the experienced continued.  One of the investigators in the attic at this time experiences severe disorientation/dizziness as well as sharp pains in his head while both team members in the store experienced the very strong scent of licorice.  The owner of the mill assured T.N.P.S. that no items of this scent were in the store and a thorough search of the inventory proved that.  The third team heard odd wooden knocks coming from the press while in the press room and one investigator detected a dank, musty smell in the back part of the press room.  The smell was so strong to her that she had to leave the immediate area for fear of being sick.  The other investigator with her didn't smell this even though he was right there and no other teams reported this scent during the investigation.  The third shift had its share of events too.  The team in the attic heard bangs on a metal storage tank even though no one was touching it and one of the investigators experienced extreme dizziness/disorientation on this shift too.  The team in the store reported hearing footsteps in the kitchen area while no one was physically in the kitchen.  This team also reported detecting the licorice scent near the front of the store as well as a strong cigar scent in the back of the store.  The team in the press room had the distinct impression that they were not alone and one investigator reported the sensation of someone standing directly behind her even though her partner was on the other side of the room.

     T.N.P.S. obtained some interesting visual evidence.  While investigators were on the back decks that over look the falls, photos containing free formed/floating mist were taken.  T.N.P.S. strongly feels that these are not photos caused by breath or water vapor because the mist appears in the center of the photo and isn't "connected" to any edges.  It has been T.N.P.S.' experience, through photo recreation, that mist caused by breath or spray has a point of origination that connects it to an edge of the photo.  The team has been unable to come to a logical/physical explanation for these photos.  In the past, the team has been reluctant to admit orb photos as evidence.  It has been T.N.P.S.' firm belief that orbs that appear in photos are caused by environmental factors (dust, pollen, water vapor, or bugs).  This investigation has been part of a gradual reevaluation of our position on orb photos.  While T.N.P.S. still believes that most orb photos are caused by environmental factors, some photos obtained at the cider mill did not fall into this category.  If you look closely, you can see that the orbs in these photos seem to be made up of a solid mass like material and seem to be generating their own internal light.  None of these orbs were visible to the naked eye.  T.N.P.S. feels that these particular orb photos represent something that we cannot currently explain. They are very different in appearance from typical water droplet orbs. The team also obtained EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon) during the investigation.  Due to the extremely high level of background noise in some areas, some possible EVPs had to be discarded.  The remaining EVPs vary from class A to class C (as defined by the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomenon).  T.N.P.S. was also able to capture a K-II spike on video that seems to respond to an investigators request for proof of a presence.  And interestingly enough, a small light was also recorded in the store in the exact area, and at the same time, where the licorice scent was detected.  The final piece of video evidence that T.N.P.S. presented to the owners was a piece of DVR recording.  It was taken in the attic and shows a solid light moving very quickly and in a straight, non-wavering line from a point of origin by the metal storage tank to a point off camera.  The light simply appears in space; it does not enter the camera frame.  Because of its solid appearance, speed of movement and direct path, T.N.P.S. does not feel that it was caused by environmental factors.  The team has been unable to offer another explanation for its presence.

                                   This picture has a free floating mist that doesn't touch any photo edges. 

                      This picture has really caused a lot of debate within the group as to how we define an orb.

     The investigation was a success and the owners were pleased with the outcome.  T.N.P.S. wants to express their appreciation at being allowed to investigate such an interesting and historical location, and their gratefulness at being allowed to share the results with the public.

APC2009.14-Lowville, NY (private residential case)

     This case was referred to T.N.P.S. by a third party in hopes of helping the family involved.  This case was the first emergency case T.N.P.S. worked on.  It concerned a family, with two children under the age of twelve, who had started experiencing phenomena just 7 weeks prior to T.N.P.S. involvement.  T.N.P.S. did not feel the phenomena was threatening but the family was frightened by the events and did not understand what was happening.  It was even more stressful for the father, Jim*(name changed).  Jim was an avowed aetheist and for the first few weeks tried to rationalize the occurences since he felt that death was the absolute end of any and all sort of existence.  By the time T.N.P.S. was called even Jim could no longer maintain his stance and had to admit that some of what was happening was beyond any sort of " plausible, rational" explanation.  Several family members had seen shadow figures both in and out of the house, phantom footsteps had been heard throught the home, doors and a baby gate had been seen to move without external force applied, apparitions had been reported by the daughter and Jim had had the blankets pulled off him repeatedly.  By the time T.N.P.S. arrived, the family was very frightened, they kept lights on throughout the house from the time it started to get dark until full daylight, some family members refused to sleep upstairs, some refused to sleep alone, the children did not want to be in the upstairs by themselves  at all and Jim's wife wanted very much to sell the house and move to get away from the activity.

     T.N.P.S. investigated with a five person team and activity started quite soon after set up had been completed.  The two investigators monitoring the DVR system at command for the first shift felt distinct cold spots in the comman area and witnessed two shadows on the static camera system.  The second shadow did register on the DVR system and to this day it is the clearest, most impressive piece of video footage T.N.P.S. has obtained.  (Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to post video at this time.)  It appears in the bottom left hand corner of the frame like a person suddenly stood up and walked out of the room.  What is even more interesting is that a three person team of investigators was in that very room when that happened and did not witness anything themselves.  Later on, in the same room, a different investigator was overcome by near sobbing for no apparent reason.  She reported being overwhelmed by a feeling of immense sadness.  This room also revealed elevated levels of EMF that the team could not track to any electrical source.  The overall levels of EMF in the house were well within the normal range and the electrical system was in good repair.  Several EVPs were recorded throughout the night but the clearest, most distinct one was,once again, recorded in this room.  As one investigator was placing recorders at the start of the investigation, she said hello as she entered the room and stated her purpose for being there that night.  Upon review, a voice that sounds like a young woman or girl responds to the investigator by saying "Hello!".  It was also in this room that an investigator reported hearing a disembodied voice that appeared to be coming from just outside the doorway.  The voice was recorded by a recorder within the room but it is unintelligble.  The second shift of investigators was able to obtain answers on a K-II meter in response to questions asked.  When asked if there was a message for the family, and later specifically for Jim, the K-II showed a very clear and distinct elevation.  Again, T.N.P.S. was not able to trace this elevation to any eletrical cause within the room.  This room seemed to be the focal point of activity during the investigation but EVPs were recorded in other areas too.  No photographic evidence was obtained.  At the close of the investigation, T.N.P.S. conducted a "cleansing" ritual that Danyelle Barrett had taught them in preparation for a full house cleansning that she was scheduled to do in two weeks.

     The family enjoyed two days of calm until Jim began to try and rationalize what had been occurring for 7 weeks.  One morning, he told his wife about a new theory he had developed in regards to this.  He then went upstairs to take a shower.  While in the bathroom getting ready for his shower, he heard footsteps come up the stairs and cross to the bathroom.  He assumed it was his wife up to the point that the door, which was closed and latched, flew in with such force that it hit the wall and almost rebounded shut.  After that, Jim stopped questioning the source of the activity and the house stayed quiet.  Danyelle arrived at the house accompanied by one of T.N.P.S.' investigators.  As usual, Danyelle had not been told anything about specific activity that had occured within the house other than the fact that there had been activity.  During the course of the house cleansing, Danyelle was able to accurately describe activity that the family had experienced as well as locate the room in which so much had happened the evening of the investigation.  She conducted a full house cleansing for the family and by the end of it the room that had had the elevated levels of EMF was well within the normal range.  Since then, the family has not experienced any further activity and it gives T.N.P.S. a great deal of satisfaction to drive by the house in the evenings and not see any extra lights on.