ArtRojasDesign

Nick and Katrina visit the Scutt Mansion in Joliet, Illinois. The home was built in 1882 by Hiram Scutt, but he died in the home at the age of 47 after being thrown from a horse. Shortly thereafter his wife died. The home has since had multiple owners with each falling into ruin. For example, Seth Magosky bought the home in 2003 with the intent of making it a museum. He died in the home in 2007 at the age of 39. His father took up the mantle to open the museum, but fell down the stairs and broke his back in 2012.

Other activity includes a lady in black, supposedly Mrs. Scutt, the sound of children playing in the house and a dark presence in the basement.

The investigation starts by talking to Andrea Magosky, who immediately says the house is both haunted and cursed. She blames Hiram for the curse, but there is no cause.

Day 1 starts by placing 16 cameras around the house. They will record the entire investigation from each room. While setting up, Katrina says she hears a groan and footsteps. There is very little activity for the first day, so Katrina will sleep in Mrs. Scutt’s room, while Nick will be in Mr. Scutt’s.

For Day 2, they have Greg and Dana Newkirk bring in a series of haunted objects to stir up the energy. Among the items is a Dybbuk box, which they place in the basement. Billy the Idol,  a possessed voodoo idol, which goes in the hallway where Seth died. There is the Crone which is placed in the tower, where Seth’s dad fell and broke his back. Finally, a dark mirror is placed in the doll room. All these items are said to be haunted and dangerous because Greg and Dana don’t know exactly how they work.

As they try to channel the energy they get the phrase, "Hiram tried to kill me" on the device. Even with all these cursed items, the activity remains light.

For Day 3, Katrina sets up the 3D mapping software and captures an extremely tall figure. Also, there are voices that begin to talk about the curse, but it becomes inaudible and doesn’t offer any sort of answer.

Before they leave, Andrea returns to the house with her daughter. Before anything is said, Andrea makes a comment about capturing the tall man. Did she jump the gun with her scripted response? Turns out, her son Seth, was 6’6 so they believe the figure they captured was him. Andrea then changes her stance and is now happy her son is at peace looking after the home he loved.

This is an odd episode to be sure. The house has a curse that originates from nowhere. Blame is focused at Hiram, but how did he cause this curse? An accident is simply an accident?

After 100 years, there is a sad accident, but how is this part of the curse? Then five years later, there is another unrelated accident. This is the work of a curse?

That aside, there is no evidence captured. A stick figure and some inaudible burps from a speaker don’t add up to much.

Additionally, I find it quite interesting that these haunted items, which are so dangerous no one can go near them, are perfectly safe to be handled in the house.

Again, it’s a terrible thing that Seth died in the house while trying to preserve it’s history. But there is absolutely nothing to suggest this house is cursed, haunted or anything else. It’s merely an old home that needs some upkeep. Oh yeah, and it was just recently sold.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Paranormal Lockdown – White Hill Mansion – S02E08
• Paranormal Lockdown – Hinsdale House – S01E05
• Haunted Collector – Uncivil Spirit & Revolutionary Ghost – S01E05
• Paranormal Lockdown – Oliver House – S02E03
• Ghost Adventures – Ripleys Believe It or Not – S16E01
• Paranormal Lockdown – Kreischer Mansion – S01E06
• Paranormal Lockdown – Monroe House – S02E01
• Ghost Adventures – Sin City Exorcism – S15E15
• Paranormal State – Paranormal Detour – S05E07
• Paranormal State – Do Bad Things – S05E10

Nick and Katrina head to New Orleans to investigate the murder/suicide surrounding the small house on Rampart Street. When you read stories related to hurricane Katrina, this one will inevitably come up. It involves the relationship between Zack and Addie who came together during hurricane Katrina. After they survive the storm and chaos, things go terribly wrong with Zack killing Addie and then taking his own life. Rumors abound over what drove Zack to kill and the natural suspects are voodoo and demonic possession.

The apartment used to be on the top floor with the voodoo shop on the lower floor. Now, it’s basically a shell of a building. However, to Katrina’s mind, the old appliances and fixtures from the apartment still remain. It’s very unlikely those are the same appliances from a decade ago, nobody would be that morbid.

On the first night, Nick feels pebbles are being thrown at them. It seems Nick is partially right. Things are falling from the ceiling since it’s nothing but framing and we can clearly see the stones, but they aren’t being thrown, they’re just falling.

For day two, they bring out the Wonderbox and get the words, "you’re not alone" and "strangled to death". Katrina feels very out of sorts, but she is very much caught up in the events that took place there.

For the final day, they set up motion sensors which go off a couple of times. Also notice that the Geobox is running, calling out words in the background. And those words all have a ghostly echo and reverb added to them. It seems like that has been added for dramatic effect.

Editing through the words, they get "Please don’t hurt her" and "I hate myself", which they of course attribute to Zack and Addie.

For final portion, they bring in Bloody Mary, the voodoo priestess (classy stage name) and Leo the landlord. Leo doesn’t seem too concerned about the space and the events that took place. Mary sets up a cleansing ritual to help with the healing.

There is an air of mystery about New Orleans and the same can be said for this small apartment. Unfortunately, this investigation doesn’t shed any light on matters. It has an interesting connection to voodoo, but then again, so does everything in New Orleans. In the end, the evidence brings very little to light. They get a couple of hits on the audio devices, but there is really no other evidence to go on.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Paranormal Lockdown – Kreischer Mansion – S01E06
• Paranormal Lockdown – Statler City Hotel – S02E07
• Haunted History – Katrina Cannibal – S01E08
• Paranormal Lockdown – White Hill Mansion – S02E08
• Paranormal Lockdown – St. Ignatius Hospital – S02E04
• Paranormal Lockdown – Bellaire House – S02E06
• Paranormal Lockdown – Anderson Hotel – S01E02
• Paranormal Lockdown – Monroe House – S02E01
• Paranormal Lockdown – Shrewsbury Prison – S02E02
• Paranormal Lockdown – Old Chatham County Jail – S02E12

The next lockdown takes places in Malvern, Iowa at the boarded up and abandoned Malvern Manor, built by a Captain Cullers in the 1870s. He set it up as a hotel for his sailing crowd. After his use it was turned into a mental facility and continued that way until it’s closure in 2005. Josh Heard has now taken over ownership and gives Nick and Kristina a tour and explains what has been taking place.

People claim to see apparitions and hear screams. There is the story of Inez, a little girl that was found dead in her closet, strangled by her own jump rope. They see the remnants of fire damage that claimed at least one life. And finally, there is the story of Gracie, a mental patient that tugs at people. Of course it would be nice if they could prove any of these stories were tree and not the standard urban legends that surround a place like this.

To start Day 1, Nick brings in Johnny Houser who claims a dark shadow figure rushed at during an investigation. However, they don’t get that same sort of reaction on his return visit. The first day proves to be rather quiet, so Katrina will sleep in the hall where the shadow was seen and Nick will sleep in Gracie’s room.

Day 2 starts with an analysis of the recorder that Nick had running and it appears to have loud bursts, sounds and disturbances going off all through the night. In the noise, Nick hears, "Nick get up" and some violent screams.

As an experiment, Nick set up Infrasound devices to see if they can pick up the voices again, but things seem quiet during the day.

They next try to find Inez with the 3D mapping software. Rob says he can hear scraping on the wall and reproduces the sound on the paneling. Nick becomes extremely excited as he walks through a static field. He feels this is making direct contact with someone.

For the end of the day, Katrina will sleep in the parlor under the picture of the captain and Nick will take the hallway. As another experiment, the Geobox is left running upstairs.

During the night, the Geobox recorded words referencing Johnny and his return. It also mentions Inez and that there was a witness. Nick decides to bring Johnny back to the house to confront the shadow figure, but it doesn’t make an appearance. However, he gets a lot of goosebumps and his microphone falls out of his shirt. These are both taken as signs of the paranormal.

As they get ready with the 3D mapping software, a large figure appears and then disappears next to Nick. They also get the words, "Johnny is here" and "nice to meet you" on the device. Johnny explores the hall and says that room 7 is filled with sadness.

Katrina and Nick feel Inez was trying to be heard, but was kept quiet by the captain. That really doesn’t make any sense, but that’s their interpretation.

If we are to go by the audio devices, then there are plenty of voices calling out in the night. If we look to other evidence and hold off judgment on these somewhat dubious stories, then all seems pretty uneventful.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Paranormal Lockdown – Oliver House – S02E03
• Paranormal Lockdown – Anderson Hotel – S01E02
• Paranormal Lockdown – Old Chatham County Jail – S02E12
• Paranormal Lockdown – St. Ignatius Hospital – S02E04
• Paranormal Lockdown – White Hill Mansion – S02E08
• Paranormal Lockdown – Franklin Castle – S01E03
• Paranormal Lockdown – Randolph County Infirmary
• Paranormal Lockdown – Shrewsbury Prison – S02E02
• Paranormal Lockdown – Kreischer Mansion – S01E06
• Paranormal Lockdown – Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum – S01E01

Nick and Katrina visit White Hill Mansion in Fieldsboro, New Jersey, built in 1722 by Robert Field. When he mysteriously drowned, his widow Mary and 7 children were left alone in the house. It changed hands several times to become a field hospital, a brothel and even a speakeasy with supposed tunnels leading from the house to the nearby Delaware River.

Now there are claims of the paranormal such as a child apparition running from floor to floor, voices, footsteps and the sound of a body being dragged. Some claim to see Mary Field crying at her writing desk. A tub upstairs is rumored site of a throat cutting. It is also believed a prostitute was strangled in the attic and mobsters murdered someone down in the basement and took him out through the tunnels.

But keep in mind, these are stories and while it’s almost impossible to think there hasn’t been a death in a house that has stood since 1722, the ones discussed are "believed" to have happened.

For Day 1, while in the basement, Katrina feels she sees a face sneak up behind her. When she makes a comment, there is a response of "sorry about that". In the attic, Katrina feels that something touches her arm.

With those being the main events of the day, Nick decides to sleep in the haunted tub, while Katrina sleeps in the attic. Nick puts out a motion sensor which does go off during the night. Not a big surprise considering how old, shaky and crumbling the house is. Anything moving close by could cause that.

For Day 2, they head back to the attic and as Rob sets up the 3D mapping software, there is a small stick figure under a table. They also believe they hear a child cry. The figure manages to stick around for a minute before disappearing as Nick moves in closer to touch it.

For Day 3, again in the attic, Nick asks if someone was murdered in this room. He gets an answer of "yes" and then "Cut his throat". This is followed by the equally garbled, "get out". Katrina feels this references the tub where the supposed murder took place.

As a final piece of evidence they get the phrase "Where are you daddy?" on the device.

While Katrina may be working herself into a frenzy of fear, very little seems to happen in this house. Because of ties to a field hospital, brothel and speakeasy, we’re lead to believe all sorts of dark forces are swarming around the house. What they walk away with is a stick figure on some 3D mapping software and Katrina being touched on the arm. A tap that comes in a room with low ceilings, odd angles and plaster/paint hanging off the wall for several inches.

There is certainly a want for the house to be haunted, as that would help the restoration budget. While there is no doubt the house has seen plenty of tragedy and death, the dark and sinister overtone of the voice over just isn’t there. Nick had no issues with any sort of figure behind the bar. Nothing happened to him when he slept in the tub. There were no footsteps, bodies being dragged or anything else for that matter.

Further, Nick says he found the exit to the tunnels, a bunch of debris clumped together, but not the entrance in the house itself. Does a tunnel actually exist?

Is there a child trapped in the attic as they want us to believe? That depends on how much faith you put in their 3D mapping software.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Paranormal Lockdown – Oliver House – S02E03
• Paranormal Lockdown – Bellaire House – S02E06
• Paranormal Lockdown – Malvern Manor – S02E09
• Paranormal Lockdown – S02E11 – Scutt Mansion
• Paranormal Lockdown – Shrewsbury Prison – S02E02
• Paranormal Lockdown – Monroe House – S02E01
• Paranormal Lockdown – Waverly Hills Sanatorium – S02E05
• Paranormal Lockdown – Kreischer Mansion – S01E06
• Paranormal Lockdown – Franklin Castle – S01E03
• Paranormal Lockdown – St. Ignatius Hospital – S02E04