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Who Ya Gonna Call: Local society taps into history by connecting to the beyond
Submitted photo - Paranormal Society Investigators travel throughout Texas investigating historical landmarks and buildings.
By Kelley Chambers, kchambers@acnpapers.com
Jason Gentry has had a fascination for the unknown since he was 8 years old.
Today, the Plano resident leads a group of ghost trackers on a mission to discover why inexplicable things happen, and how history has a hand in allowing the souls of the departed to stick around.
"I lost a family member when I was young, and one night I was woken up and all of a sudden it felt like someone was trying to communicate with me," said Gentry, 28. "It ended up being one of my grandmothers. She wanted to let me know she was OK. After that I didn't hear a word from her. Ever since then I just got real curious and when I got older I wanted to discover even further."
"It's a thrill, it's really a thrill. A lot of people think we are crazy but it's a big adrenaline rush," Gentry said. "It's like being on the highest roller coaster, because when something like that happens you want to go see exactly what it is, you're not going to want to go away from it. Whenever we get an opportunity, we take advantage of it."
For the past two years, PSI has traveled throughout Texas investigating historical landmarks and buildings, never passing up an opportunity to communicate with entities from beyond the grave. Inspired by higher-profile groups like The Atlantic Paranormal Society [TAPS] and its hit TV show Ghost Hunters, PSI is also dedicated to research in order to provide solid evidence without the smoke and mirrors characteristic of other amateur trackers.
"A lot of these places we talk to they ask how old we are because they're very skeptical. One person we talked to let a group of 17-year-olds come through and I was like, 'why,'" Gentry said. "They're not doing anything for good, they're not there for the right reasons."
Building upon leads and contacts from previous investigations, Gentry and his crew talk to property owners and historical societies before embarking on an investigation. The research allows them to be more in tune with major events that happened in the area and who lived there, giving them a better feel for what to expect. Through their research and evidence, the group's mission is to bridge historical gaps by making contact with entities typically not picked up by the human eye or ear.
"We do open up to see if we can get deeper communication to see what else we can discover; you'd be surprised what kind of history you can find out that way," Gentry said. "Really old, abandoned historical locations are kind of what we do. You can kind of open up a historic door and find more detail that kind of helps historical societies."
The group managed to tap into a bit of Texas history when it conducted an investigation at the Stonehouse Bed and Breakfast at the Stockyards in Fort Worth a couple of weeks ago. Considered one of the most active places in the area, "Cowtown" holds a rich history dating back to the mid-1800s, known for a its disreputable entertainment district throughout the Old West as "Hell's Half Acre."
One of the local haunts frequented by the crew is the Old Alton Bridge, the location where, according to legend, a goat herder was hung by the Ku Klux Klan in the early 1900s. Today, the herder's soul is rumored to still haunt that bridge. The team is currently gearing up for an investigation at Moxley Manor, a haunted house located in Bedford.
Like Gentry, fellow investigator Eve Gagnard's affinity for all things paranormal evolved from a personal experience she had when she heard someone or something call her name. She has been seeking answers ever since, and although she may never find out where that ethereal whisper came from, she hopes her research will help explain others' experiences.
"I've always been curious about it and I enjoy every minute of it," Gagnard said. "Usually if someone hears something they run, I want to go see what it is. But I've got to have proof. We go through tons of stuff and if I second guess it, I'm not going to put it out there."
Four months ago, PSI started its satellite radio show on the PARA-X Network, which has gained considerable momentum in such short time. Members' commentaries about their own experiences have also attracted the interests of several notable and professional societies, as Gentry has an upcoming interview with Ghost Hunters International's lead investigator Barry Fitzgerald on Feb. 22.
Gentry and his crew are also official crew members of Ghost Adventures, of which benefits include the opportunity for selection to assist in potential cases on future episodes on the Travel Channel. The status is "a huge honor to investigation groups," as it also recognizes PSI as a true paranormal group that provides solid evidence and works toward helping their community, Gentry said.
With their support growing and their evidence mounting, PSI expects 2012 to be an even bigger year. They recently received clearance from the owner of Bobby Mackey's Night Club in Kentucky for an investigation in September.
The building that now houses Bobby Mackey's was a slaughterhouse for more than 40 years during the 1800s. During its history, the location was the continual site of bloodshed and its location on the banks of the Licking River -- one of two rivers in the world that flow north -- allegedly attracted a hoard of Satan worshippers who used the site for sacrificial grounds.
The visit is one the team has dreamed of, as it is said to be the second most haunted place in the United States. The team was notified at an eerie time, however, one that Gagnard (who is pregnant and due in April) felt is a sign that the spirits of Bobby Mackey's welcome them.
"When I was five months pregnant, [the owner] got in touch with us and said we could come. All of the incidents involving the women were five months pregnant, so we think it's meant to be," Gagnard said. "We've been wanting to get in there for a while. We want to push it to that next level."
Fellow ghost hunters can tune into PSI's radio show every Tuesday night from 8-9 p.m. on the PARA-X Network, or visit www.para-x.com or www.psinvestigators.net.
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