Kings Tavern Investigation Concludes Just After 3:00AM

Our field investigation of Kings Tavern last night was accomplished and evidence obtained.  The investigation began after set-up was complete, around 11:00pm and ended just after 3:00am.

Photo at Left:  A strange mist in upper right hand corner of photo while Team Leader Mike Chapman conducts an RT-EVP session on the back porch.  The MEL meter spiked to 5.3 (from 1.7) & was not being moved. It was laying on the deck of the porch.

Photo on Left:  This photo was taken immediately prior to the photo above.  Photos after do not show anything like this either.  "Cold air breath" or smoke was NOT the cause of this mist (none of our photos show any breath coming from any of us outside).  We also have a series of photos where we tried to recreate the scenario to try to get the same affect, but we couldn't.  Photos taken by investigator Benjie Sanders with a Vivitar camera.  The flash was on.

A MEL Meter is just below camera view, and Mike is pointing his flashlight at it, reading it as he pauses between questions.  It was pointed away from the interior of the structure toward the back yard.  This particular EVP session was targeted toward the Indian spirit that has been seen at King's Tavern, as well as Wiley "Little" Harpe, who research indicated was very likely to have been in King's Tavern often, unlike his cousin or brother (history is not clear) Macajah "Big" Harpe.  We think Big Harpe never stepped foot in Mississippi.  Arrowheads, pottery and artifacts discovered in the Natchez Area were laid out on the porch deck as well. 


This photo shows why it is so important to take wide angle shots while photographing on paranormal investigations so that if phenomena occurs around a Team Member, it can be seen on camera.  All of our investigators are trained and reminded to do this.  Mike and Benjie had the outside sub-team location on this, the first "ghost hunting" rotation.  While they were outside on the porches and grounds, two other "sub-teams" were both upstairs on the third floor and downstairs on the main floor.  A fourth sub-team of three people were also at Base, logging and watching the two four-way split screen cam monitors as well as the motion sensor cams.  We maintained coordination and extensive logging over professional level Kenwood two-way radios, which each sub-team has (as per law enforcement, we call our radios "zebras").  EVP sessions were called in by zebra and all teams stopped moving and remained quiet until each EVP session was over, then the "clear" signal was radioed in and teams could begin moving again.  We had three active rotations, which we call "ghost hunting."  Each sub-team did at least two EVP sessions per rotation.  These rotations lasted from 45 minutes to an hour each. 


In between the active "ghost hunting" periods, we have passive "ghost watching" time of around twenty to thirty minutes, in which we all gather back at the base and watch the DVR cameras and prep for our next active rotation, change batteries, gather appropriate trigger objects and talk to our next rotation partner about what we want to focus on next.  We also discuss with one another what our assignments for that rotation are, and the equipment we need to get those things done for this rotation and in our assigned location.  (We also have an ice chest with water and soft drinks as well as a bin of snacks at the Base - we know how to enjoy ourselves and we have a GREAT experience on field investigations!)  We leave room to discuss spur of the moment creative ideas and flexibility if things change and other investigative ideas need to happen.  We stress EMF, EVP and photography/videography by each sub team on each rotation.  While one partner does an EVP session, the other is filming or photographing.  Then they continue to move, watching the EMF readings.  If anyone experiences phenomena - a touch, a sensation, a smell, etc. - then it is called in on the radio and the base logs it as to time, who, location, and phenomena. 


Our base operates best when three people are on it, with one person controlling and aiding the sub-teams by radio and recording their call-ins, and two others are watching a monitor each, logging where teams go and things they see around them on camera.  It is an extensive log but is very detailed and helps out a lot with evidence review.  This gives us our two "areas" of phenomena and evidence: technical and non-technical.  Our technical data comes from audio recorders, cameras and meters; while our non-technical comes directly off of the log, as to smells, sensations, touches, and so forth.  We tell our investigators to radio in and log every real phenomena they perceive and experience.  As in Law Enforcement, if it wasn't written down, it didn't happen. Later, if we're trying to recall something that happened, all we have to do is go look at the log entry and what was written down and recorded at the time.


Our alternating periods of hunting and watching helps keep investigators focused and interested.  We also rotate the locations that teams go to, to keep their interest, motivation and focus on a higher level.  It's much more interesting to know you're going to get to investigate the entire site, than to repeatedly go back to the same area.  It's also good as a Team to be organized so that investigators are not just wandering around going wherever willy-nilly, and some important things don't get covered.  We find this field methodology to be a great balance so that people stay interested and enjoy their work but also the investigative goals are accomplished.

This photograph reveals great work by Benjie, who is a NAPS Investigator in training.  He is a Deputy Sheriff in the Criminal Patrol Division with the Adams County Sheriff's Department (and works on the same shift as Mike) as well as a Combat Engineer in the U.S. Army Reserve.  Benjie also collects Indian artifacts through area searches and provided many of the Indian "trigger objects" we used. 

Photo at Left:

A close-up, cropped area of the mist.  Some of our investigators say they clearly see a face, but we are aware of matrixing, and "seeing faces in clouds."  What do you see?