Private Resident in Depere, Wisconsin

Synopsis

The family has lived in the home since 1979. While they do not know much of the history of the home, they believe it was built in the 1800s. A basement was put in around 1981, an addition was built in 1988, and another in 2008.

Paranormal activity began shortly after the family moved into the house, and has continued with some frequency ever since.

Paranormal Activity Reported

Activity occurring in the home includes:

· Hearing footsteps up and down the stairs.

· Hearing noises upstairs when no one is there. This happens on an almost daily basis.

· Seeing something pass by a bedroom door at night.

· The apparition of an old man has been seen by the doorway to one of the bedrooms.

· The client has witnessed the apparition of a little girl standing by her bed.

· The client recently took a photograph of her dogs, in which there appears to be the image of a small child petting one of the dogs.

The family is not uncomfortable with the activity, but is curious to see if the WPRS can debunk the family’s experiences or find any concrete evidence to back them up.

Investigation

The WPRS investigated on Friday, April 15, 2011 from approximately 8pm to 11pm. Investigators Blaschka, Beaudry and Spialek were present. Equipment used during the investigation included digital cameras, a 35mm camera, infrared digital video recorders, digital voice recorders, Tri Field Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) meter and an infrared thermal probe.

The owner gave a tour of the residence, including the main level and upstairs, after which investigators set up two infrared digital video recorders; one aimed at the doorway of the master bedroom, where a shadow is seen passing by, and one down the stairs, where footsteps are heard.

Temperature and EMF readings were then taken. The first floor had a steady temperature of 65 degrees, with EMF readings between 1 and 1.5 Milligauss. Higher EMF readings were found directly next to aquariums in the kitchen and master bedroom, but these readings did not radiate far from the source. The upstairs also had a steady temperature of 65 degrees, with an average EMF reading of 1.5 Milligauss.

During the investigation, several EMF meters placed in different areas of the kitchen started pulsing and spiking at the same time. Upon investigation, there was a mechanical device in the basement that could be heard going off sporadically, and it is likely that the EMF detectors were picking up on that activity. No anomalous temperature readings were found during the investigation.

After taking pictures throughout the home, the investigators used digital voice recorders to try to collect audio evidence of paranormal activity (Electronic Voice Phenomena or EVP.) Spialek and Beaudry conducted an evp session in an upstairs bedroom. Spialek and Blaschka then moved to the craft room/master bedroom area near the staircase for another evp session. Finally, Blaschka and Beaudry sat in that same area for a quiet vigil to see if either could experience the footsteps going up and down the stairs.

During the investigation, an attempt was made to debunk some of the activity that the family has been experiencing. The investigators felt that some of the noises in the home (the movement of animals, aquariums, and machinery in the basement) could be mistaken for the sound of someone walking upstairs. The stairway itself, however, is loud and distinct, and investigators were unable to debunk the sound of someone walking up or down the stairs.

It is plausible to think that, due to the location of the windows in the home, movement from cars on the street could be perceived as something passing by the master bedroom door.

While the picture of the dogs is compelling, and does look a lot like a small child, it is likely that the image is actually the result of the dogs’ movement and tail wagging creating a blur on the picture. The human mind has a natural tendency to look for familiar shapes (particularly faces and human shapes) when looking at an unfamiliar image. The term commonly used to describe this process is “matrixing.”

Conclusion

There were no anomalies found in pictures or video. Because of the natural noises in the home, it was difficult to evaluate the audio taken. No distinguishable EVPs were found.

The WPRS was unable to find any scientific evidence of paranormal activity in the home.