Spooky Time, a local paranormal investigative team, visited the Capitol Theatre on Oct. 20 to conduct a certain investigation. They were invited by Magnolia Gramling, a member of Warren County Public Library’s management team, because of the old legend that the Capitol Theatre is haunted.
9:00 p.m.
The Spooky Time team began to set up. They picked a room upstairs in the theater and laid out all the equipment needed for the night.
“You can still do investigations without gear,” Spooky Time member Matt Tinsley said. “Our first one we did without any gear and we still got some crazy experiences.”
They tested and brought out equipment such as electromagnetic field detectors, radiating electromagnetic pods, laser grids, night vision cameras, cat motion balls, and a lot of batteries, ensuring everything was functioning properly.
Electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors can indicate a potential spike in paranormal activity by measuring electromagnetic fields. The detector lights up colors from green, which is low level, to red, which is the highest.
Spooky Time member Easton May from Springfield, Tennessee said REM pods have a two-foot radius, lighting up and buzzing when sensing electromagnetic fields. They also have a temperature sensor that detects when there are temperature drops. May said that laser grids project beams across a space, and would be obstructed if shadows pass through. Additionally, cat motion balls are sensitive devices that light up when triggered by movement, mostly used by cats, and can help detect unseen entities passing by.
9:15 p.m.
The investigators worked together to establish a plan of action for the night and go over standard protocols for an investigation.
“We want everyone involved,” Spooky Time member Austin Yewell said. “We want everyone to have a good time and not feel like a side character and foster a community of paranormal investigators.”
Starting the investigation in the auditorium, the Spooky Time crew set up REM pods around the stage and had everyone introduce themselves to any spirits present.
9:30 p.m.
The activity began as the investigators began the Estes method, where one person used a radio that scans through frequencies, announcing whatever messages came through, while all other members asked questions. Yewell, who was using the Estes method said he was unable to hear the voices of those posing questions, ensuring they were not being led to answers.
During the Estes method session, Yewell called out the name “Casey,” which sparked heightened activity as cast member Casey Baker from “The Haunting of Hill House” play, currently showing at the Capitol Theatre, became a focal point of the investigation.
10:00 p.m.
The investigators invited Baker to come on stage and perform a scene from the play, hoping the act would stir up activity on the stage. May said that sometimes acting out scenes that would be relative to spirits can cause them to interact more.
After planning which lines from the play to perform, the REM boxes lit up with activity.
Baker ran through lines, sparking more REM box activity, and then the investigators invited cast member Lajahnni-Matthew Von on stage. As Von sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” May said the REM boxes sparked more activity.
10:15 p.m.
The group asked questions to any entities that may have been present. During the questions, the group faced many interruptions from people outside on the street. The REM boxes had more activity after these interruptions stopped.
Finishing up questions, paranormal investigator and retired WKU professor Tamela Smith asked the spirit whether they should sit on the balcony or not. She received a response of the box lighting up, indicating that should be the next location they investigate.
10:30 p.m.
While the group prepared to move to the balcony, they noticed lights on their EMF meters spiking in the stairwell. Laying down three EMF meters on different levels of stairs, Von and others began prompting a scenario of patrons exiting the balcony after a show to see if the activity would continue.
The EMF meters pinged one by one down the stairs.
“It’s rare for us to get multiple pings in multiple devices,” May said. “So it’s pretty crazy and rare to get such a back-to-back ping in one moment.”
Smith said she had investigated the Capitol Theatre before, where she had also experienced paranormal behavior. She said she once saw a woman at the Capitol Theater but also heard other voices of little girls. When she turned around she noticed the little girls, but when checking for them again, the little girls disappeared.
11:00 p.m.
After setting up REM pods on the balcony and settling into spots, Smith brought out her dowsing rods.
Dowsing rods are L-shaped rods that were used in the European Middle Ages for finding water sources, minerals, and even buried remains, Smith said. While still used for that purpose, it is also used for divination and talking to spirits. Smith said the spirit can move the rods in an outward or inward direction, answering yes or no questions. In this instance, moving the rods outward meant yes, and inward meant no.
Smith asked multiple questions, establishing that there were several spirits present, identified as children.
“I’ve never seen so much force used to move the rods before,” Smith said. “I wish I could see how much power was being used.”
1:00 a.m.
Everyone gathered around the downstairs men’s bathroom after Smith noted EMF activity.
Spooky Time set up to perform the Estes Method again. However, the bathroom was small, so everyone else listened from outside. The EMF meters were still going off, and everyone began to ask questions.
The team discovered that the spirit they were talking to was sick. They discovered the spirit went to the bathroom but never made it back out. During the Estes method, May asked how the spirit was doing and Yewell, who repeated what he was hearing through the radio channels, immediately said “I’m dead.”
“I just heard a very demanding voice say get out,” Yewell said. “I think we should wrap it up.”
1:30 a.m.
After a long night, the Spooky Time team packed up and began to head out.
“Sometimes we don’t get home until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning,” May said, “and then the next day some of us have work to go to.”
For more on the Spooky Time team as they document their experiences with the paranormal, interests can subscribe to their YouTube, RealSpookyTime.