Final Report & Analysis
Black Diamond Paranormal Society©
"We are the light that cuts the darkness. Therefore, when you see... truth must be honored."
Final Report and Analysis
Case 021
Zepp Home
May 8, 2010
Grundy, Virginia
Investigators
Rodney Shortridge, Mick Brown, Matt O'Quinn, Heather Lamantia & Nathan Rasnick
On May 8, 2010 the BDPS team investigated the Zepp Home located in Buchanan County near the town of Grundy, Virginia. I would like to take this moment to thank the Zepp's for giving us permission to investigate their home. We decided because of the size of the home that each team member would investigate a separate room at the same time and one member would investigate outside of the home while one member would watch the camera monitor. We started our investigation around 9:00 p.m. and finished around 3:30 a.m. Each team member would work on a rotation. This was a huge experience and very helpful in our training of the new investigators.
Equipment used at this site included (6) DVR's (Digital Voice Recorders), (1) Microcassette Recorder, (4) Zero Lux low lever IR (infer red) cameras, (2) Kodak digital cameras, (1) Nikon camera, (1) K2 Meter, (1) EMF (Electro Magnetic Field) Meter, (1) Laser Thermometer.
We placed (1) DVR (Digital Voice Recorder) in each of the rooms which consisted of the attic, daughters' bedroom, kitchen-dining room area, master bedroom, laundry room and the sons bedroom. (2) IR camera's were placed in the kitchen-dining room area focusing on the hallway and kitchen-dining room, (1) IR camera was placed in the daughters' bedroom, (1) IR camera was placed on the outside deck focusing on the gate, (1) Microcassette Recorder was placed by the gate on the front deck. Also, each team carried along with them during their investigations one of the following: K2 Meter, EMF (Electro Magnetic Field) Meter or Laser Thermometer.
History & Reports & Claims: Interview with the Zepp's conducted by Matt O'Quin
Q: When was the house was built?
A: In 1986.
Q: How many previous occupants before you moved in?
A: The original house burned down. They met the neighbor down the street and he said he lived there in the house that used to be there a long time ago. He grew up in this same spot.
Q: There was an older house that burned down correct?
A: Yes, before this house was built. The house burned down so she had built this house. Then she moved here and no-one died in it.
Q: No-one has died in the new house?
A: No-one has died in the new house.
Q: Did anyone die in the fire that caused the old house to burn down?
A: No. She didn't say anybody had died in it. And I don't know if anybody died in the other house that was here or anything before that.
Q: Are you the current owners?
A: We're renting to own.
Q: Can you tell me the name of the current owner?
A: The name is Mr. Gamot, he's in Florida.
Q: He owns it there in Slate Creek?
A: He owns it right now and we're getting ready to close on May 31st.
Q: What kind of extraordinary or unexplained experiences are you having and how long has it been going on?
A: Since the day we moved in on 12/8/09.
Q: Can you explain some of the activity you're having?
A: Footsteps in the attic, dragging noises in the attic, banging like repetitious ‘bang bang bang' quickly, dishes rattling, footsteps on the front deck, the gate opening and closing even though its locked, we look out and it's not moving but we can hear it opening and closing. It's kind of like residual or something. I'm not sure. It's locked but we can hear it open and close all night long and footsteps.
Q: Have you ever seen any apparitions or anything have you?
A: No, just out of the corner of your eye you catch once in a while. I've heard old 40's 50's music in the living room, a dog barking and growling in the dining room, and something off the fire place is broke, footsteps walking up and down the hallway. My daughter's closet door opening and her bedroom door opened and shut, cold air on her neck, freezing and she felt freezing on her neck, voices in the boys bedroom, our door vibrates, banging around like someone's trying to get in, the laundry room door opens and closes, there's something in every room.
Q: Have you talked to the people that lived here before? Did they ever have any experiences like that?
A: I talked to the woman who built the house and she said yes it is haunted. Her name is Josephine Blankenship ad her number is in the phone book. They call her Josie. She's from Slate Creek.
Q: Has anything happened since the house was blessed by Rev. Hatfield? Are you still getting activity?
A: Yes. All day long you hear noises in the attic and the dishes rattled yesterday twice and heard banging like there's a metal post or something has fallen and then dragging across the attic over our bedroom and that's during the day when its quiet and you can't get in the attic. It's a little open square, just enough to stick your head in and it's in the closet, there's insulation and stuff and no floor, just insulation and rafters. It doesn't look like there are any animals in there or anything. We don't hear anything running around. It's just footsteps walking.
Q: You live near a graveyard, is that correct?
A: Yes, right here behind us up on the hill.
Q: So you're about 50 feet 100 feet away?
A: 25 feet
Q: So you're pretty close then?
A: It's just up on the hill.
Q: How old is the graveyard? Do you know? Has it been there for a long time?
A: It's been there for a long time, yes. There's 1800 in there. It's really old.
There's?? Buried underneath the deck and a burnt desk with her mother's wedding dress buried under the house and a whole bunch more stuff and buried coins underneath the corners of the deck. And the previous owner thinks her mother is haunting the house.
Personal Experiences:
Rodney Shortridge: While investigating the outside of the home I was at the back of the house and I heard popping coming from the rocks from the cliff at the back of the house. I could not find a reason or cause for this. The rocks may have been cooling off and popping from the difference in the night temperature. Later in the night I was investigating in the master bedroom when I heard something like the front deck gate being shaken. I called on the radio and asked if anyone else in the house heard this and Heather responded that she and Matt had heard the same noise while they were investigating the girls bedroom., I asked if anyone was outside and all team members were inside the house at the time. Heather and Mike went outside to the deck to investigate the noise and found that no-one was outside and no explanation for the gate to be rattling.
Heather Lamantia: 1. My first experience happened in the little girls bedroom. There was a loud noise seeming to come from the hallway, and right after I saw a shadow "walk" in front of me.
2. In same room during same investigation session I heard continuous clicking like a ticking clock. When only a digital clock was in the room. Found no possible explanation for this.
3. Matt came into same room during same session and he had K-2 meter, measured a spike at same time heard gate outside "bang".
4. In back of house smelled a "sewage" smell off and on, in one spot on the deck only. In front of screened porch.
5. Also out back heard rocks "crack" like the sound of "pop rocks" and heard a rustling by deck, cat was at my feet so was not cat and wind was not blowing anything in that area, only a few "weeds" and dirt there.
6. Front deck area heard lock on gate rattle like someone was trying to open the gate. Cat was always at my feet, and cat disappeared. Mike came and we heard it again. Checked to see if there was another explanation for sound and found none. Cat disappeared again. There was another rattling sound from gate and Mike got pictures of orbs. Cat left again.
7. In kitchen over by tattoo area I heard a strange breathing sound, kind of labored-like. Strange sound, owner said heard same type of sound after investigation when we chatted. Was first mention of that activity by homeowners, but confirmed to me. I may have heard same thing. (Unless Mike or Nathan was snoring!!!)
8. While watching monitors with Matt heard something on roof moving.
The above statement is a true and accurate as I recall events. Heather Lamantia
Nathan Rasnick: From 11:30 to 12:30 experienced sounds (footsteps,) when I would follow the footsteps from the back bedroom to the kitchen once in the kitchen I would hear where they came. Also while watching the monitors it sounded like footsteps coming from the kitchen to the living room and no one was in the area. I did notice that the refrigerator was responsible for some of the unexplained noises throughout the night.
Nathan Rasnick
Mike Brown: The only personal experience I had was on the front porch. While watching the camera system in the front room, Heather called and said that she was on the front porch and she could hear the latch on the gate moving. I went out, and within minutes heard the exact same thing, while watching the gate. The wind had died down and wasn't blowing. The family had a cat that was outside with us. On the occasion that I heard this, before the sound, the cat was under my feet; he took off, and they shortly after I heard the sound.
Photo evidence: There is a photos with orbs.
Video evidence: There was no video evidence
Note: BDPS does not support the idea of orbs as evidence of the paranormal because most orbs can be explained away as dust, bugs, rain, mist, fog, etc. There are cases that the orbs we photograph seem to move with some type of intelligent intent. We post these photos because we feel that there needs to be more investigation into the Orb Phenomenon and we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss this phenomenon without further investigation and explanation. So we show these photos in an attempt to add another piece to the puzzle and leave this decision up to you to accept or dismiss orbs as evidence. It is also my opinion to show all evidence so we all can learn from what might be an area of the paranormal that may be getting over looked by researchers.
EVP's (Electronic Voice Phenomenon)
We heard the following EVP's (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) and unexplained noises on our DVR's (Digital Voice Recorders) & Microcassette Recorder:
Attic:
Whisper Inaudible
Whisper "Julie"
Whisper "Help Me"
Unexplained Breath
Unexplained Click & "Oahu"
Male Voice "Be Cool"
Male Voice "Hello"
Unexplained Click & Breath
Daughters Room:
Unexplained Scratching
Male Voice whispering "John"
Whisper inaudible
Unexplained Door movement or scratching
Kitchen-Dining Room:
Unexplained Knock
Unexplained Door opening slowly
Female Voice whispering "Now"
Whisper inaudible
Master Bedroom:
Voice Inaudible
Unexplained "Huh"
Whisper inaudible
Male Voice "That's great"
Unexplained Voice "Stop"
Whisper "Hey" with a laugh
Male Voice "Hey .....wow"
Laundry Room:
Male Voice whispering "Inside"
Unexplained stapler sound
Sons Room:
Unexplained Breath
Whisper "Ahh Yeah"
Whisper inaudible
Male Voice whispering "Crap"
Whisper inaudible
Unexplained Outside Gate rattling
We have come to the conclusion that the Zepp Home has moderate paranormal activity in the forms of EVP's, and interesting orbs with the photographic, audio evidence and personal experiences that helped us to determine our conclusion. We look forward to one day coming back to investigate the Zepp Home with more advanced equipment. This was our twenty-first investigation and it was a great success. I feel honored to have had the success we've had and to be working alongside such a professional team.
I look forward to our next investigation. If anyone would like for us to do a paranormal investigation of their home, business, church, property or a family cemetery please contact us. If you would just like to speak with us about any paranormal activity you may be having we would love to hear from you. No problem is too small. We would be honored to help and we do not charge for our services. Contact BDPS to set up a time and place for us to discuss your paranormal questions and or problems.
I feel honored to be working with such a great team. Without the team's hard work and professionalism BDPS would not be what it has become today.
*Check out our NEW!! Website:
BDPS NEWS
1st Annual BDPS Poker Run has been changed to October 2, 2010
For more information contact us at the numbers below.
I would like to thank all of the BDPS members for all their hard work. To all of our clients, a special ‘thank you' for giving us the opportunity to be able to come in and help to the best of our abilities. I know with the team that I have formed we will have exciting investigations in the future. I would like to let everyone know that our members have become more to me than just investigators, they have become my family. Without them BDPS would not be possible. Just like a family we sometimes agree and sometimes we don't agree but each and every member of BDPS is very special to me. Thanks guys you kick ass!!!
I hope everyone enjoys the photos and the analysis sheet along with the new video we are providing. Also we will have our EVP's, photos and any video evidence on the website for everyone to view and listen to. You can judge it for yourself. If anyone has any questions or comments we would love to hear from you. Let us know what you think.
Thank you,
Rodney Shortridge
Founder/Lead Investigator
Black Diamond Paranormal Society
276-988-6690
Heather Lamantia
Case Manager
276-385-2443