This investigation was done at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio on August 15, 2009. The investigators were Cindyjo, Danielle and Steve. We arrived at the prison about 6:30, and the gates were opened at 7 p.m. The first hour was set aside for sign-in, and then about 8 p.m. you were broken down into groups and taken on a tour to familiarize yourself with the building.
Before I get into the good stuff, I'd like to share some things and give you some "tips" in case you're thinking about going on an investigation to the prison. The last two bullets are the website where we went for scheduling a "hunt" date, and a map of the prison.
There's dust and lead paint everywhere, so if you suffer from allergies or asthma, be prepared.
Don't wear good clothes, and have comfortable shoes you can walk and climb stairs with. The place is big!
You need a flashlight with new batteries. Have plenty of spare batteries for all your equipment.
On our trip they did not allow backpacks; only small camera bags/butt-packs, so plan accordingly with your equipment. The first time Cindyjo and Danielle went, they were allowed backpacks. Maybe take one with you in case they allow it on your trip.
For a first-time investigation or investigator, this may be a little too much. If you take a first timer with you, don't let them wander off. This is not a "shot" at a group's or individual's investigative abilities, but the place is really big. It could be overwhelming for first-timers.
If you are a group who has done investigations, be prepared for some contaminated EVP's. When we went, there was one other group there. So out of 100 people there were quite a few who were doing this as something fun to do. Some can be loud and obnoxious which will hurt your EVP sessions at times.
The investigation started about 9 p.m. and ended at 6 a.m. We left about 3:30 for our two hour drive, so if you have a long travel distance... get a hotel.
You have not found orb heaven! You are in dust hell!
To check on upcoming tours or general information about the prison click here.
To see a map of the prison click here.
We started out in the TB ward on the 4th floor, then went to the chapel one floor below. These two places and the basement were our most productive areas for gathering evidence. We feel this was because there were no other people in there with us. We felt that everyone would basically head towards the cells to start with, and that seemed to be the case.
We took a total of 480 pictures and found one we could not "debunk". The DVR footage revealed nothing we felt warranted being placed on this page. I had a personal experience in the chapel, while Danielle had one in the basement, where she felt she was touched. In the basement we all heard what we felt was a disembodied voice. It didn't come from another floor, simply because those walls are so thick it would be virtually impossible for the sound to travel through the floor and walls. To be honest, all three of us felt like there was something in the basement playing around with us. It's hard to explain unless you were there and went through what we did.
Overall, it was a good investigation. It was my first visit to Mansfield and I really enjoyed myself. As a group, I don't know if we'll go back, but if you haven't been there yet, put it on your investigation schedule. You won't be disappointed, and that's coming from a skeptic.
The picture shows what we feel is a light "anomaly" of sorts. It was taken in the chapel with about 40 others, and nothing like this showed up in there, or anywhere else in the prison. We're not calling it paranormal, but abnormal.
In EVP#1, we're in the chapel when my camera goes dead. Right before you hear the beep signifying a dead battery, I was looking at my camera because it wouldn't take a picture. We picked up a voice that sounds like "Bud, what's wrong?"
EVP#2 takes place in the TB ward. We hear "get out of there" after Dani and Cindyjo are speaking about the amount of dust orbs showing up in our pictures. It's faint but listen closely near the end.
The TB ward is where we caught EVP#3. Cindyjo asks a question and "I guess" is the response.
The basement is the area where the next two EVP's were caught. EVP#4 was caught when as I said earlier we all thought something was playing around with us in the basement. You'll hear Cindy say "lights out" then we feel we hear a faint "lights out" near the end. EVP#5 has Cindy saying that she "just wants to talk, to come on out..." and at the end we hear "okay" and then what we feel is the word "boss."
EVP#6 was caught in solitary which is in the west diagonal. We believe we hear "shut up" once and possibly twice near the end.
The final EVP, EVP#7 is the disembodied voice we all heard in the basement. We hear either "who's here" or "who's there."
Finally, as in the Moundsville investigation, I've put together some photo's and threw in an audio track to accompany them. Watch the Mansfield clip.
