Our latest paranormal investigation - Back to Cripple Creek

Nine months and 16 investigations later, the book is pretty much through. What we couldn't have guessed, though, is that we weren't through with our paranormal adventuring.

Clearly, the ghost hunting bug bit us harder than we expected!

When Hector Zeferino of Hotchkiss Paranormal Investigators (HPI) invited us to participate in their fourth investigation at the Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum in Cripple Creek, Colo., we jumped at the opportunity to work alongside a seasoned professional team.

As you may recall from our earlier accounts, we'd already spent time in Cripple Creek investigating both Linda Goodman's Miracle Inn/Last Dollar Inn and the Hotel St. Nicholas (click on either to revisit our previous findings at those establishments). But a famous haunted jail -- that was certainly worth a spot on our bucket list.

Astrologer Linda Goodman

The trip also gave us a chance to try out an experiment while in town. Earlier this year, we made  the e-quaintance of a psychic who had been friends with the now deceased Linda Goodman, and she offered to try contacting the famous author/astrologer if we ever revisited the Miracle Inn.

The experiment would be this: She would try to channel Goodman and give her three words (one of a single syllable, the second of two syllables, and the third of three syllables) to communicate to us -- words we wouldn't learn until after the experiment was over. (The psychic would email herself a time-stamped message ahead of time to preserve the integrity of the experiment.)

So we contacted her when we set a date for this past weekend and made arrangements to book the night at the Miracle Inn during our parallel investigation with HPI at the jail.

We were not disappointed by the whole experience.

Cripple Creek's old jail house

We spent the first half of the evening (until after midnight) at the jail. On previous occasions, two of the HPI members experienced harrowing physical encounters with one of the more notorious spirits there, an entity known as "Joe," who was a pedophile in life. His most concentrated presence was in the confinement cell where he spent a great deal of time before his death. That cell would provide one of our most memorable experiences that night. (More on that later.)

The jail building holds three levels -- a basement where strong shadow presences are reported, the main floor which includes two levels of cell blocks (including Joe's cell), and a third floor where supposed ghostly caretakers still remain after their time of looking after children incarcerated or else born on the site.

The second-level cell block on the main floor

The five HPI members and the two of us broke into three teams, in turns rotating from one level to the next
so everyone had a chance to investigate all the hotspots. HPI also positioned a member to oversee a command center that coordinated communication and also monitored motion detectors, static cameras, and sensors placed throughout the building.

They locked the doors and turned off all the lights in the building. The investigation had begun.

We started our rotation with HPI investigator Seth Davis on the third floor, spending most of our time in the cell of inmate/caretaker-turned-resident-ghost "Amy." Amy's spirit is known to be flirtatious with men and aloof with women. Sometimes she comes out to play and other times she ignores her visitors.

For the hour we remained on her floor, we managed to capture a number of EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomenon, sometimes occurring on audio recordings but can also be generated through a spirit box. Our EchoVox generates only random sounds -- no words -- and it's up to a spirit to assemble and create intelligible responses.) In fact, early on in the session, one EVP voice called out, "Seth."

Our spirit box

Always nice to learn they know who we are -- or maybe it isn't.

But our most interesting interaction came when we invited Amy to turn off our flashlight to signal to us she was present. Did she ever. On request, the flashlight not only dimmed but drained our new batteries dry within minutes.

Seth pulled out his two flashlights, switching on one and inviting Amy to turn it off or else to turn on the other. After a few moments with no response, Kym announced it was probably too much to have Amy turn the flashlight on. That was all it took. Like a dare, the light glared to life -- something neither of us had seen in our own previous investigations. It's impressive to have a light turn off by request (something that requires drawing from energy we provide), but to have a flashlight turn on? That's a manifestation operating on a whole other level.

It was time to rotate to the main level and the cell blocks. In the dark, all alone. With Joe.

We couldn't wait.

* * *

Be sure to visit us next week when we conclude our account of what happened to us inside Joe's cell. We'll also recount the findings when we "called" on Linda Goodman at her namesake inn, followed by our experience in the basement, where other investigators have reported a spirit portal . It was a busy (and long) night!