Last Night, Halloween evening, Sci-Fi channels Ghost Hunters, the widely popular reality television program, conducted a "Live" investigation at the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky. The camera's went live at 9pm EST and continued to glow until 3am Thursday morning. A full six hours of ghost busting. Captured on camera.
The Atlantic Paranormal Society,
(TAPS) headed up by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson,
(Lead investigators) chose the Waverly Hills location for its high concentration of paranormal activity and noted as one of the scariest haunted places on earth. A perfect selection indeed.
Sidenote: Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson are ghost busters at night and hold down full time day jobs as plumbers for a national chain, Roto Rooter.
The sanatorium opened in the early 1900's and in that time over 60,000 people died within the walls of the sanatorium and some believe many of these lost souls haunt the hallways still today.
The stage was set to catch some ghosts, or at least some empirical evidence that spirits do exist. TAPS even incorporated the help of their viewers via a Live Internet feed where thousands can watch multiple camera's and if any activity is spotted, click a "Panic" button alerting the TAPS team so they could send a team pronto.
Josh Gates was host to the live airing and made sure to mention his own show, 'Destination Truth' numerous times. They even invited guests to the haunts, ECW wrestler, Elijah Burke to help assist in the investigation.
The catch phrase, "Lights Out" was said and the haunt was on. For six hours straight. Each crew of two selected a floor of the sanatorium walking slowly down the hallways calling out to the dearly departed in hopes of proof that ghosts exist.
A children's bouncing ball was used in an attempt to bait one of the spirits, suspected to be a little boy, to kick the ball on camera. At least half a dozen times, camera's were trained on the bouncing ball sitting still in the hallway, with the investigators egging the spirit to kick the ball, push the ball, move the ball, anything with the ball. The ball still hasn't moved.
Other times, the crews chased shadows that could not be seen on the TV, and heard sounds, a woman crying, a child singing, spirits shuffling along, moans, groans, and wails. All of which could not be detected on television.
Elijah Burke freaked out as he supposedly saw something, a shadow, or a spirit, and felt it touch him. He bolted down the hall way running away in terror. Sadly, that was the high point of the show.
Josh Gates would break in from time to time updating the incredible amount of evidence that was being gathered,
(I think he was watching another program) and then cut to commercial.
Six hours later, it was all over but the shouting. But one more thing was left undone.
An obligatory phone call to Geraldo Rivera letting him know that he is now off the hook for his "Live" television program, 'Al Capone's Secret Vault'
(And the three hours of wasted film and time) as being the worst reality TV show ever broadcast.
Meanwhile, Fonzie, the hip beatnick from the popular sitcom 'Happy Days' was out in the Waverly Hills parking lot jumping a shark....
Happy Halloween
LURKING, IN THE SHADOWS, ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
