Behind the scenes of Destination America's "A Haunting"

http://www.examiner.com/article/behind-the-scenes-of-destination-america-s-a-haunting?cid=db_articles

From the actual case file of "A Hauntings" "Demon Revenge"

I am more than pleased with how “A Haunting” aired.  Demonic haunts are few and far in between.  So I decided to take the time to fill in the blanks on how we came to this conclusion.

When Tiffany first contacted me, she was scared, and so was Georgia.  There was a tremendous amount of turmoil between her and Billy.  She explained to me in great detail the changes that she had seen in him since moving in.  She reached out to me at the time her animals were dieing with no explanation.  I can confirm that what you saw on television were just some of her actual reports.

I took this case for two reasons.  One, being there was a child that was scared.  The second being that her animals were dieing without an explanation.  Unfortunately, she called me when we were slammed, and I indeed had to put her on a waiting list.

Tiffany contacted me daily.  In that time a lot of new reports came from her.  Did I think she was crazy?  Not crazy, but I thought she may be scared that I would turn the case down because she was nearly two hours from me.  As the days followed some of her reports I began to question, as they resembled that of Amityville.  Still I had agreed to take this case, and kept my word.

The day finally came, that I rode to Franklin to meet her and Billy and take a look at the location.  It was so perfect.  A very large farmhouse with two stairwells, a wrap around porch and a breezeway, 20 acres of land and a barn.  A postcard setting.  Inside the home was clean, spacious and well decorated.  Yet, it did not have a “Warm” feeling to it.  It had the feeling of you were being watched. 

Swarms of large flies – One of Tiffany’s reports.  When going out to the barn, we went through the kitchen were Tiffany showed me flies on the kitchen counter.  They were huge, not horseflies and not regular houseflies.  I chalked this up to it’s a farm, and really didn’t think anymore about it.  It wasn’t exactly a swarm at the time but I would say around 40 all in one spot.  When we returned inside the home, through the kitchen.  They were gone.  No trace whatsoever.

The animals – In the barn she showed me Georgia’s rabbit.  (The largest rabbit I had ever seen.)  They also had an adorable puppy named Rebel, as well as her horse.  The property allowed the horse to walk all the way to the porch on the house.  Tiffany stated that the horse no longer wanted anything to do with the barn and that was not normal.  Within 72 hours of my visit, the rabbit was found dead in the barn with no explanation.  The puppy Rebel, had run from the home down the driveway and was struck by a car.  (This home sets well off the road, and had a very long driveway.)  This left her with only the horse.  Tiffany was beyond devastated when she called.

Upstairs -  In the master bedroom, this is what I would describe as feeling an actual oppression.  I was not wanted there.  Audio I ran that day, later showed that something had actually rushed up on me with heavy breathing.  (My dog flipped when I played this to my daughter.)  There was no one in the home but Tiffany and me.  Georgia was in school and Billy was out back burning a pile of brush.

Billy – When coming back from the barn, we stopped to chat with Billy and Tiffany introduced me.  He was onboard with the investigation and pretty much left it with “Get me some answers.” He would be out of town for the actual investigation.  How would I describe him?  Gruff, comes to mind.  At the time Tiffany had not reported to me the changes in his eyes.  Were his eyes blue that day?  Not that I recall.  The day we sat in the conference room of New Dominion Pictures his eyes were notably blue.  He was completely different.  Matter of fact, he did not even remember ever meeting me.

Face in the window – Tiffany did not review the photos of the day they were moving in until later on.  This is when she found that there was a face in the window.  She provided me with the actual photo taken that day.  In checking the meta tag information on that photo, we could see that the photo had not been tampered with.

On the ride home, I new that this was an “Aggressive” haunt.  I needed all of my investigators onboard and every piece of equipment we had to penetrate the entire location.  There was no doubt in my mind that this location would produce, I just wasn’t sure “What” it would produce.

The history – One of my best friends, Linda Silk lives in Sussex Virginia.  She spent the day with me at the courthouse pulling property deeds.  We found how far the land went back to we could no longer read the handwritten deeds.  Interestingly enough, we also found that somewhere on the land was an old family cemetery.  Tiffany and Billy were renting this farmhouse.  Tiffany spent time at the public library researching what she could.  She found the public record showing the people that had moved in and out of the location, with most not staying 12 months.  We collaborated on our findings often.

The morning of the investigation my daughter (and co-founder of CVAPI) was fine.  As we began loading equipment she got sick.  She was sick for the entire investigation staying seated in the living room near the monitor.  Tiffany called to report that the heat had gone completely out.  (Billy’s out of town.)  We would move forward with the investigation by heating with the wood stove and a space heater upstairs.  Upon arrival, the power is out on the barn.  No logical explanation, just no power. 

During our setup, 4 of my investigators, including myself, were unpacking equipment in the breezeway.  A strong cold breeze came into the room.  As an investigator was speaking we were all speechless noticing that we could see his breath when he spoke.  We were in the adjoining room of the woodstove registering at 65 degrees.  A few minutes later in the same room, an investigator notices that a cup she is drinking from is now covered in condensation.  (We experimented with all of this at a later date and were unable to duplicate it.)

The door that opens on voice command – I myself, grew up in a 200 year old farmhouse.  They have wood floors, creak, make noises and generally have wiring problems.  One thing I wanted to investigate was Tiffany’s claim that a large crawl space door under the second stairwell would open when you asked it to.  Stopping everyone in their tracks….NO foot movement from ANYONE even in an adjoining room.  I stood 4 feet from that door and asked it to open.  It did, more than once I might add.

Bathroom light – Tiffany reported that the bathroom off the dining rooir that the light would come on.  (Electricians had already been into this location, by the way.)  She described it as very quick, like someone just flipped the switch.  Though we did not see it happen it was indeed caught on camera.  (See video.)

VIDEO LINK (Also at http:www.cvapi.com)

Oozing “Gunk” from the walls – Yes, she actually reported this.  During the investigation Tiffany came to get me and two other investigators to report the oozing gunk had started on one of the walls.  What did this look like?  Like Kayro syrup with a yellowish brownish tint.  Large drips, not just in one spot but the entire wall beginning at the seam in the ceiling.  We checked the floor upstairs and I sent one under the house.  No idea….  We went back to film it….GONE.  As if it never happened and never existed.  On numerous occasions I have wished to have a college science department onboard over this.  Could we have placed it in a test tube?  Would it have evaporated?  Could science tell us what this was?

Random red lights – Two investigators in the front foyer came to me in a panic that they had seen a red light from the back porch shine through the back door.  Also noted that the person at the monitor saw this as well.  I brushed this claim off.  There were two digital cameras on the premises that would cast off a red light.  Video later revealed that this indeed happened more than once.  It not only occurred at the door, but in the dining room.  (Near the bathroom.)  It occurs when we are running an audio session upstairs in the Master Bedroom.  Paranormal teams I cannot begin to STRESS the IMPORTANCE of ADJOINING camera views.  This was NOT a digital camera.  Everyone is accounted for in the location and what equipment is in their hands!

Digital recorder – The audio in the Master Bedroom.  An Olympus recorder states “Do you know your dead?”  Listen to it.  (See video).  This was my voice and a question that I asked earlier in the evening in the barn.  This actually PLAYED to us through a recorder that was in record mode.  (Another recorder beside it, captured it.)  We later confirmed from Olympus, the manufacture of this recorder that it CANNOT happen…..but it did.

The heater – (See video) This also occurred in the master bedroom when Tiffany states “I think its scared”.  I cannot tell you the time we spent trying to duplicate this.  Cameras show no one is near that heater in the room and no one is moving at the time the buzzer goes off.  We even swapped the heaters out.

The smell – (They did a WONDERFUL job on that reenactment!)  Though Tiffany never reported the smell coming from the dining room, this is where it occurred during an audio session.  It was strong, pungent and nauseating.  You certainly did not have to ask, do you smell it?  Rotten meat or a dead body come to mind.

Joseph – EVP’s (Audio files) could never deny or confirm the presence of Joseph.  I can state that the only audio captured on the entire investigation was during the questioning of Joseph.

Tiffany being pushed down the stairs – The feeling of aggression upstairs was very overwhelming.  A video clip of that stairwell shows an orb.  What was first thought to be the pixilization of the camera indeed does appear that something is moving down the stairs.  I cannot confirm that this ever happened to her.  But in the hours we spent there, none of us can deny it happened either.

Investigators – One of my investigators is a man of science and a huge skeptic.  He stated that while in the master bedroom he felt as though someone poured a cold pitcher of water down his shirt collar.  This puzzled him to say the least.  He put a lot of research into this instance and could not come up with an explanation.

The barn – Several trips were made out to the barn that evening.  (There is no power and no EMF’s are picked up.) 4 Voice recorders are placed on a workbench near the tool shed.  Digital cameras began to power off.  ALL of the voice recorders powered off.  Trying this again later in the evening, we still had problems out there.  On our final trip to the barn, let me see if I can describe this.  We felt SMALL…..as if what was in there was larger than life itself.  We felt threatened.  We now know whatever is occurring in the home is NOT the size of what is in that barn.  It had begun to rain, a slight mist.  The barn has a large entrance on the front and access to the horses stall on the rear.  We stood in the barn with a fresh salt lick and fresh hay, the horse would not come in.  (Actually the horse looked at us like we were nuts. A horse well generally seek shelter if nothing else under a tree, he walked off from us and headed to the pasture.)  Before exiting the barn we notice a white mist.  (Common, it has begun to rain.)  Not so common was watching it transform to an extremely large black shadow. (See video.)  Notice the height of it?  This also could not be duplicated.  We returned to the house to find there are now camera problems in the dining room. 

Was there a portal in the barn?  I have been asked this on numerous occasions.  I cannot say.  Demonologist seem to think so.  All I know is that as of today, I have never felt something that strong before, nor do I want to.

Georgia – To this day, I am horrified to think of what that child experienced in the barn.

Camera interference – All through the night.  This is why I only use a wired system.  (I never trust a wireless system). Cameras and cords are matched to one another.  The interference is noted on several cameras throughout the night.  That same system has been on countless investigations with no problems.

The flame- (See video.) Again, this is the importance of your ADJOINING camera views.  This occurs in the master bedroom, adjoining cameras show two investigators have just left the room.  What is it?  To this day, I will listen to any explanation ANYONE has to offer.

The bread – (See video.)  This occurs in the kitchen early in the morning on our tear down.  (Notice the power is now on.)  That room has not had anyone in it in a couple of hours.  It is more than the end is unraveling, it actually tilts off the table.  It has not been touched in over 4 hours.  There is a noticeable “swirl” beside it, you can see it by the stove.  That is only on camera while this is occurring with the bread.  Over the years, how many experiments have we done with a loaf of bread?  Too many to count.

The day following the investigation – One of my investigators has 4 house cats.  Two are sick and taken to the vet, and one is put down.  My daughter now feels fine and states she will not return there.  I feel exhausted, disoriented and lethargic would be a good word.  (Enough that we mixed up some cell phones when I left.)  Another investigator calls to say he is sick.  Hang up the phone, and yet another one calls to say he is sick.  My skeptic, calls me with a severe migraine and is headed to a doctor.  And, another one calls, she has two small housedogs, one is sick and going to the vet and the other has run off.  My Siberian husky, “Sasha”  is taking six foot leaps trying to climb a wall.  We stop her from doing that and she proceeds to try to dig up the bathtub.  Abnormal behavior to say the least.  At this point, we have not even reviewed anything from that evening.

Demonologist – I reached out to Bishop James Long in Kentucky on this case.  I enjoyed working with him and his assistant and learned A LOT.  As you saw on television, it was Tiffany’s decision to not bring them in, but to stay in the home.  He did state that now that we have had one of these cases, that for whatever reason, more would follow.  And they did.

Did I really say “Move out.” – I did.  This is the first and only case I have ever stated that to anyone.

NEW DOMINION PICTURES- I have to admit that when Erin Hull, of New Dominion Pictures contacted me to see if I would participate in this, I was not at ease.  A past production experience on another show, proved to me that things were twisted with added hype for ratings.  HATS OFF TO YOU ERIN HULL!  BRAVO, BRAVO for keeping to Tiffany’s story and recognizing, that the case in itself was strong enough without added “Fluff”.  As far as production, you did an excellent job on the reenactments, I was more than pleased.

Tiffany had stated in an interview, “I want people to know that it is real and not always harmless.”  I stand behind that statement 100%.   By choice we release very little on demonic cases.  We are seeing trends to them as in other cases.  However, the last thing I need is everyone yelling, “It’s a demon” to get on TV.  These cases are rare but they do happen.  To the paranormal investigators that are skeptical and think its all television, we thought the same thing at once too.  Educate yourself on these.  If not, you are putting yourselves and families in the line of fire.

Well there you have it.  An hour television show and one lengthy blog, and I still did not cover everything.  This is definitely a case that left me with more questions than answers.  In case your wondering….other than the walk thru and the investigation I have NEVER returned to that house.  (The house on television is not the actual house.)

Jackie Tomlin

Destination America - "A Haunting" this Friday August 1st

http://www.examiner.com/article/cvapi-s-case-to-appear-on-a-haunting-this-friday-august-1st