Brushy Mountain Prison Investigation

Equipment setup: No equipment was setup; instead we used all hand-held equipment such as: Melmeters, K-II Meters, digital recorders and cameras, Nightshot camcorders with supplemental IR illumination, Ovilus X, Phasma Box, Ghost Boxes, Estes Method, Dowsing Rods, Laser Grids and cameras for Live Facebook sessions.

Experiments performed: EVP, Phasma Box, Ovilus X and the SB-11 Ghost Boxes were used near Cell 28, hospital ward area, Gymnasium, Museum and the Chapel.

Personal experiences:

Kelly Griffey: I was partnered with Dale, in training and following him throughout the entire Brushy Mountain investigation until the group went into the Chapel. 

I used my POV full spectrum camera and Zoom H2 audio recorder.

I took pictures and practiced recording EVPs.

I recall three personal experiences that I had, one experience was hearing noises near James Earl Ray’s Cell, one incident was hearing noises in the gymnasium and the last one I was feeling very ill.  I will outline below.

My specific duties were to learn, observe Dale and the others’ investigative techniques and practice recording & documenting this report.

Outline of my 3 experiences at Brushy Mountain Prison.

On 06/06 at 9:39 PM standing with Dale, Jason, Courtney at the cell of James Earl Ray I took a burst of 3 pictures (20200606_213924_01 Brushy Question 1 Burst 1 of 3, 20200606_213924_01 Brushy Question 1 Burst 2 of 3, 20200606_213924_01 Brushy Question 1 Burst 3 of 3) aimed at the row of cells directly upstairs and to the right.  Courtney’s attention was drawn to that area several times while Dale and Jason performed an EVP and Phasma Box session.  I thought we had also heard a whistle sound while standing in that room, and if so this picture was taken before we heard the whistle.  Directly outside the entry door to the left of Mr. Ray’s Cell were stone pillars and a staircase to the upper level (accessed from the outside).  I indicated to Courtney that it felt like someone was out there, peeking around the corner/pillars & so she took a collection of pictures of that outside area.  I did go outside and look around to see if a real person was out there and did not see anybody.

In the Gymnasium I heard the sounds like someone was throwing a pebble or rock.  When we were on the first side near the office, I heard it several times coming from the opposite side, but not in any pattern and no source was found.  When we moved to the other side of the Gym, I heard the sound again but from the original side we were standing on.  There was no wind, there were no rain drops, and no trees nearby that could have been scraping or tapping on the building.  There was, however, an office on the first side that had a ceiling with large gaping holes in it.   The office had a grill in it, and decorations for events.  This ceiling for the office was a lot shorter than the height of the Gymnasium ceiling, and I couldn’t tell if the tiles were opened by the people to work in the ceiling or if it rotted.  I did not notice anything on the floor that would fall from animals climbing in and out, and I didn’t notice any animals or birds inside the closed and locked office (looking through the glass because the office door was locked).  

Lastly, I had my last experience in the church.  I followed Dale as all members of the team met in the Museum Building at Brushy. This museum was adjacent to the Chapel we had been looking for all night.   We sat in the Museum area and I stayed on the side near the entrance, on a bench.  I did look around a little & I noticed an outlaw bandana and ring in a display case.  Others were walking around looking at the museum displays and I just had to sit.  I brought my notebook to write, and cleared my mind and started to feel unwell. The group performed either an EVP session or another kind of session (I don’t recall).

We, as a group, moved to the chapel area.  It was freezing in the chapel, later I confirmed with the director that it was air conditioned.  There were pews in rows (the center row faced the front, and the right and left side rows were angled to face inward/front) with a TV or screen in front of the room where the pulpit normally would be.  I looked around for a place to sit, heard someone comment about the integrity of the wooden benches and I felt very ill.  This is when I decided to leave and went back to the main lobby.  I walked through the building, through the courtyard and to the main lobby/area to sit down and needed to breathe.  I was scared to walk through the courtyard, passing tall bushes alone and feeling very nervous anticipating someone jumping out from behind.  My imagination didn’t best me and despite feeling sick, nauseous and dizzy, I made it to the lobby.

Greg Kos: Present for this investigation from GRS there were: Mike, Kathie, Mikey, Kelly, Dale, Barbara and I. Also joining us from CCIGHS there were Jason and Courtney. The equipment I used was the EDI+ meter, the 360 Parascope, IR camcorder, and my SB7 Spirit Box. When the tour was over my group of Mikey Kathie and Barb and myself headed to Solitary to do a sweep with our meters and then settled for an Estes Method. I was the mike for the first session and nothing came across intelligently. After a small break Mikey volunteered and had a few intelligent responses from a man who worked at the prison. We went to the Theater Room and joined everyone else and the room a very heavy feel to it. There were a few sporadic responses around the hall on the 360 periscope. We went to a cell on the second floor and I was filming ahead of us. My IR camera was on when Kathie and I heard a noise from the same direction. We both watched as a cell door opened a good 3”. I did not capture it on camera because it was really out of range. I captured no evidence on film at Brushy but would love to go back. I believe Kathie has an EVP of James Earl Ray which happened at the end of the evening. Once again a great time  

Barbara Meagher: First a session was held Cell Block D with several pieces of equipment. I did a 12 minute EVP session with no EVPs heard on recording. Another EVP session was held in the Auditorium. Several time noises were heard directly ahead of the group with no explanation.  Several investigators and I went to one of the cells to do an EVP session. While we were in the cell we heard and saw one of the other cell doors close by itself. We tried to debunk this, but the cell door was difficult to move so it could not have been caused by wind and the there was no one besides our small group in that area. No one was in the cell where the door closed. One EVP was captured during an investigation in front of the cell formerly belonging to James Earl Jones. An EVP session lasting 8 min 3 sec was recorded. At 3 min and 34 seconds Kathy asks “Did you hear a noise back there? Did anybody hear that? And an EVP voice is heard answering “It’s me”.

Several other EVP sessions were done throughout the site including the museum and chapel but no other EVPs were captured.

Several photos were taken of the site but nothing paranormal was caught.

Kathie Para: GRS investigated this location on June 6, 2020 . Members present were Dale, Mikey R., Kelly, Barb, Mike W., Greg and me. We were joined by Jason and Courtney from Crawford County Illinois Ghost Hunter’s Society.

The prison was amazing with several buildings and courtyards, it is huge! The history of this location is even more amazing and sinister.

I spent time in several areas of the main building throughout the night and also Cell Block D and the Chapel. Unfortunately, I forgot my audio recorder on this trip, which is probably my most important piece of equipment to me besides my camera. Luckily many others were recording our investigation on audio, video and Facebook Live.

The only paranormal experience I had real time was seeing a cell door open several inches on its own. We could find no explanation for this.

I have this prison on the top of my list of places I want to return to.  

Mike Rosario: Introduction:  This year, we went and investigated four (4) notorious haunted locations down in the great state of Tennessee!  I, personally, haven’t been down there in a year, so it was nice to see the old state again in its everlasting glory!  This report will include the Stones River National Battlefield (3501 Old Nashville, Hwy., Murfreesboro, TN.), Hales Bar Marina & Resort (1265 Hales Bar Rd, Guild, TN.), The Old South Pittsburg Hospital (1100 Holly Ave., South Pittsburg, TN.), and The Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary (9182 TN-116, Petros, TN.).  I have never been to these sites before, but I was completely looking forward to investigating them!

Equipment and Initial Investigation:  Our investigations took off at approximately 7:45p.m. with some members of the CCIGHS team, Dale Kaczmarek, Kathie Para, Greg Kos, Mike Wright, Barb Meagher, Kelly Griffey and I on Saturday, June 6, 2020.  Weather that night was very hot and muggy.  Plenty of mosquitoes and attacking flies of all kinds were present around the place!  Equipment used was my K-II meter, a Sony Night Shot Handy-Cam DCR-TRV13 NTSC 560 Digital-8 20X Optical Zoom Video Camcorder, a Green Laser Grid, my Apple iPhone 8-Plus 256GB Smart phone, my Phillips Digital Voice Recorder (DVR), a Police Security Elite Blackout 615 Lumen Hands-free Heavy-Duty Head Strap Flashlight, and a small Red Mag-Lite Flashlight. 

For this investigation, we were guided by the owners of the facility, which was kind of a shock since their ancestors were the original owners of the building when the prison first opened!  It was just extraordinary.  We began setting up at various locations, and split up in small teams.  I was mainly with Barb, Greg, Kathie, and Mike Wright.  I set up my usual equipment in the auditorium, various hallways, cell blocks, and the most noted prison cell there at the prison, the cell of the infamous murderer, James Earl Ray, who committed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  His cell was #28.  There, our group spent some time conducting EVP sessions, and videotaping as well. 

We also went into one of the hallways of this limestone fortress, and conducted an Estes Method EVP SB7 session as well.  That was the very first time for me experiencing first hand this kind of method.  Known for the famous Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, this method of experimenting, though extremely controversial, has produced some very interesting results in the paranormal and even the psychological, and parapsychological fields.

Investigation Wrap-Up:  The investigations ended approximately around 2:30a.m. on Sunday, June 7, 2019.

Evidence:  Upon reviewing all of my evidence, I didn’t have any visual evidence on my night shot camcorder, nor anything captured during the EVP sessions, unfortunately.  I did, however, personally experienced of what looked to be like two shadow figures in the middle of the Auditorium hall, beside the office/sound rooms, just peeking out of the doorway, inquisitively!  

Conclusion/Overall:  This was a very cool ghost excursion!  Clearly, we need to visit this place again, because it is a monster of a building buried deep in a huge valley out in the middle of nowhere in Tennessee!  I believe that there is so much potential for further investigating and gathering great evidence here, and that we should try to visit more areas inside the building as well.  There is just so much to do there.  I personally would like to thank the owners who graciously had us that evening who helped us with so many things.  They were incredible!

Mike Wright: This was my first time investigating the prison.

What an incredible place it is hard to believe that a building with such a dark history is located in a beautiful picturesque mountain side.

I rode with Greg, Kathie and Barbara we stayed together for most of the evening.

The first place we went was the outside cell block to do an Estes Session on each side of the building. Greg was the listener on one side and Mikey was the listener on the other side. Mikey was responding to the questions with complete sentences which does not happen very often. He also mentioned Barbara, Michael and Courtney (members of our group).

I brought the spirit bottles, recorder, K-II and dowsing rods to the places we went.

We went into the Auditorium where the rest of the group was investigating, we were there for 40 minutes, I did not have any thing from my equipment so I took pictures throughout the jail and did not see anything. After the Auditorium we also went into a few cells to do EVP sessions and one of the doors moved about 1 foot outside of the cell.

We then went outside James Earl Ray’s Cell I had my recorder on but did not pick up anything. Barbara had her recorder and picked up what sounded like “I’m here” I did not have that on my recorder which was about 10 feet away from Barbara’s recorder.

For a final session we went into the Museum/Chapel did not pick up anything there but was absolutely amazed at the artifacts in the museum.

This was a large space to investigate we were only able to do a fraction of the space, would really like to go back to go through other areas.

Dale Kaczmarek: This was an amazing location nestled between two huge ridges and situated out in the middle of nowhere. This fenced-in facility had other multiple out buildings to explore besides the main prison. It was a little warm inside at certain locations which was to be expected in early June.

A very active area was Cell 28 which once housed James Earl Ray. Our first session was a true EVP session without any real-time devices. I picked up a scream, a voice and what sounded like talking sounds. The Phasma Box session there was even creepier with “I got shot” and “a murder.” (James Earl Ray was stabbed 22 times while a prisoner here before being transferred to Nashville.

There were a lot of audible sounds that Jason, Courtney, Kelly and I heard at various rooms including the Hospital Area, Gymnasium the outside courtyard. These audible sounds probably were heard and recorded more than the real-time devices or true EVP sessions.

During an EVP session in the Hospital Area when asking questions, a noise coming from down the hallway seemed to correspond as answers. We later debunked the noises as some water dripping from the ceiling.

We initially split into two groups; Jason, Courtney, Kelly and I and the rest of the team, Wright, Rosario, Para, Kos and Meagher. The two groups later met up for group sessions at the Hospital Area, Museum and the Chapel.

As we were touring the hospital area on route to the stage area, my 4K camcorder picked up another disembodied voice that when later reviewed sounds like “Dale.” Less than a minute later, I walked through what can be best described as a spider-web effect. I immediately spun the camera around and turned on my flashlight to see if I may have walked through some webs. Courtney and Jason examined me with their flashlights and nothing could be found.

When walking from the back of the Gymnasium to the front, the towel which was slung over my shoulder was suddenly ripped off and flung to the ground. It was squarely centered on my shoulder and I never bent over at that time.

Evidence collected:

A murder Brushy.MP4 – while conducting a Phasma Box session at Cell 28, the device said, “A murder.”

Breathy response strange figure Brushy.MP4 – while conducting an EVP session by the Visitor Area, a question was asked, “So nobody here wants to see their family?” A “breathy response” was audibly heard. Near the end of the clip and behind the glass, it looks like a strange figure is waving at us and then mysteriously recedes back into the darkness. I don’t believe it to be one of our group.

Deep male voice Brushy.MP4 – while walking through the Administration Area on route to the stage area, Jason said, “…we’re walking through here.” A “deep male voice” was recorded right after that comment.

Disembodied voice1 Brushy.MP4 – while conducting a true EVP session at Cell 28, a question was asked, “I got my hand in the cell block, if you want to come over and shake my hand.” In the background most people hear a “disembodied voice.”

Disembodied voice2 Dale Brushy.MP4 – just before entering into the Stage Area, I picked up another “disembodied voice 2” that sounds like “Dale.” Soon after I passed through something that felt like spider webs but none could be found.

Distant noise Brushy.MP4 – while conducting an EVP session in the Gymnasium, a question was asked, “If you’re here, all you have to do is to speak into one of these devices.” A “distant noise” was heard coming from a small room at the opposite end of the Gym.

Door slam Brushy.MP4 – while conducting an EVP session in the Hospital Area, we heard noises coming from down the hallway which were later debunked as water dripping from the ceiling. We did not know this at the time and Jason approached the hallway and said, “Hello?” An audible sound, like “door slam” in the distance was heard and recorded. (I cannot be 100% sure that this sound wasn’t caused by the rest of our group.)

Loud bang Brushy.MP4 – while conducting an EVP session in the Hospital Area, Jason asked me, “Do you have Nightshot on, Dale?” Before he finished his question a “loud bang” which sounded like metal hitting something was heard and recorded.

Male voice Brushy.MP4 – while conducting an EVP session in the Hospital Area, a question was asked, “Did you die in here?” A “male voice” was then recorded.

Noise Brushy.MP4 – while conducting an EVP session in the Stage Area, a question was asked, “Do you got the Nightshot on, Dale?” Immediately after the question a “noise” was heard coming from down the hallway that sounded like metal hitting something.

Possible scream Brushy.MP4 – during our initial walk-through and while standing out in the courtyard, a “possible scream” was heard and recorded.

Room noise Brushy.MP4 – while conducting an EVP session in the Gymnasium, a question was asked, “Are you in the room over there?” A slight sound of “room noise” came out of that room.

Scream Brushy.MP4 – while conducting an EVP session at Cell 28, a comment was made, “…was ah connected ah ‘scream’ killing Dr. Martin Luther King.”

Security team I got shot Brushy.MP4 – while conducting a Phasma Box session at Cell 28, the device said, “Security team.” A question was asked, “Do you need security? Are you gonna fight with someone?” The device then said, “I got shot.”

Talking sounds Brushy.MP4 – while conducting a true EVP session at Cell 28, a question was asked, “Here’s a chance to clear your name.” Some “talking sounds” were then heard by all and recorded.

Touched Brushy.MP4 – while Snider, Mendenhall, Griffey and I were exploring the Auditorium/Hospital area, I felt as though something touched my right arm. It felt almost like a spider web effect but I quickly dismissed that with my flashlight that there were no spider webs hanging down from the ceiling and none were evident on my shoulder, arm or back. Right after I say, “Something spider webby was right here”, a deep gruff male voice can be heard.

Words spoken by the Ovilus X in dictionary mode: Museum – thick and sum; phonetic mode – hi and here.

Conclusions: There could have been better coordination amongst the groups and use of 2-way radios which was non-existent. There was a lot of air-conditioning contamination in the Museum and a possible REM Epod alert. I tried to set it off again with a 2-way radio but it wouldn’t alert again which was a bit unusual.

One of the reasons for the 2-way radios was in case one group heard something audibly; they could then contact the other group to see if a noise had been created by them. So unfortunately some of the disembodied voices and sounds that I picked up, I cannot claim to be 100% sure that they were paranormal or natural.

The area was so immense, with so many other places to investigate; this might be one area to re-explore again sometime in the future.

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