Author: Alex Matsuo

The REAL Story of Valak the Demon

Alex Matsuo1 Comment

If you follow my team’s website, Association of Paranormal Study, you might recall the article I wrote titled, What is the True Story of Valak the Demon? on September 6, 2018. Since then, there’s some misformation about Valak’s involvement in the Enfield Poltergeist.

I saw the following meme floating around Facebook:

I get that it’s a meme and it has to keep things short and high level for the sake of keeping it short and sweet. After reading the comments, I saw that there a lot of assumptions made that could be harmful for people who don’t know what they’re doing. Granted, I think summoning an ancient demon might be a bad idea anyway.

I take issue with the statement, “who in actuality is a demon named Valak.” Anyone who has watched “The Conjuring 2” and “The Nun” knows that the demon’s name is Valak. It’s a major plot point in “The Conjuring 2.” Why is this being presented as new information?

The Real Enfield Poltergeist

First of all, there was no demonic activity with the Enfield Poltergeist. This means that the family was not tormented by a demon named Valak. If you want more info on the case, I highly recommend reading the book, “This House is Haunted” by Guy Lyon Playfair, to get a detailed account from the team involved in the case. There’s also “The Enfield Poltergeist Tapes” by Dr. Melvyn Willin. For anyone interested in the case, it’s considered an essential read.

The Warrens’ true involvement in the Enfield Poltergeist has been a center of controversy. There are conflicting reports. Many folks said they showed up on the front doorstep and were quickly sent away. Others claim they had time to interview the family. I recommend researching this on your own and come to your own conclusion, and you can also contact me personally to talk this out.

Boy with Angel Wings

Valak isn’t a nun at all. Valak wasn’t present at Enfield. There is no lore that has ever portrayed Valak as a nun. Instead, he is depicted as more of a cherubim-like creature, or, “a boy with angel wings, riding on a two-headed dragon.” But don’t let the angelic look fool you into thinking he isn’t fierce. He rides a two-headed dragon, which is a strong indication that he’s a bad*ss. Depending on which book you’re looking at, Valak has been spelled as Valac, Volac, Valu, Ualac, Volach, and even Coolor and Doolas.

Original Text

The first time we see Valak appear in written form is in “The False Monarchy of Demons” (or Pseudomonarchia Daemonum) which was an appendix in Johann Weyer’s “On the Tricks of Demons” (De praestigiis daemonum). It contains a list of 69 demons with the rituals needed to conjure them. In this text, he is referred to as President Volac. Weyer was a Dutch physician, occultist, and demonologist who was one of the first to speak out against the persecution of witches.

In “The Book of the Office of Spirits” (Liber Officiorum Spirituum), Valak is referred to as Coolor and Doolas. Why the drastic change in name? Well, it looks like Weyer used Liber Officiorum Spirituum as a reference. The traits of Valak/Coolor/Doolas and their rituals were the same. I have to wonder if Weyer is responsible for the sinister name we have now.

“The Lesser Key of Solomon” was written in the mid-1600s, and it is a grimoire on demonology. “The Lesser Key of Solomon” is compiled of older books. One could argue that the content is much older.

Who Was Valak?

“The Conjuring” franchise has made Valak the great connector between The Conjuring 2 and The Nun. This was purely for entertainment purposes, as Valak, let alone a demonic nun, has never appeared in the Warrens’ case files. From a filmmaking standpoint, I love Valak as a character. I have to admit that I’ve enjoyed all of the movies in the franchise. While I think the movies are very well done, we can’t look at them as true.

The majority of these historical texts refer to him as, “President Valak.” In “The Lesser Key of Solomon”, Valak is referred to as the Grand President of Hell who rules over legions of demons. He governs 38 legions of demons, and he can locate, summon, and control serpents.

If you try to summon Valak, it might not be worth your while, especially if you’re not worth HIS while. We don’t know how Valak measures worth, and all I can tell you is that he will ruin your life. As with most demon interactions, you’re at risk of getting possessed. I’m not going to tell you how to summon Valak. If you’re dying to know…it’s on the internet. Good luck with that.

Why a Nun?

James Wan completely owns that he made up Valak’s depiction as a nun. When he overheard Lorraine talking about how a dark entity was following her, and it was a swirling vortex of darkness, Wan realized that it would have to be CGI if he made it true to the story.

Here it in his words:

“I remember hearing that and my first thought was, ‘Oh crap, that’s going to be a CGI character.’ I didn’t want to do that,” said Wan. “And so, it kind of took me a while to cement in my head what this vision was. And it came across eventually in a very organic way. Because it is a demonic vision that haunts her, that only attacks her, I wanted something that would attack her faith. Something that would threaten the safety of her husband. And so that was eventually how the idea of this very iconographic image of a holy icon cemented in my head.”

The Monastery

The Cârța Monastery is the location where the movie, “The Nun”, takes place. Yes, this is a real place. It is located in Transylvania in Southern Romania. The monastery is considered to be haunted and is known as “The Haunted Abbey.”

You won’t find demons there. The abbey is a Cistercian monastery that was built in the 1200s. It was built in the shape of a cross. Sadly, the abbey was damaged because of the Mongol invasion of 1241. Since then, it has been restored numerous times throughout its life.

The abbey stopped running in the 1500s. This means it was not active when “The Nun” took place. Only the church building still stands today. If you were to visit the site now, it is a Lutheran Evangelical Church!

There have been reports of vibrating walls and moving chairs. There are reports apparitions of monks in white robes. Every day, the monks wore these white robes. These monks worked very hard every day, and their life expectancy was around 40 years old. Today, the monks are buried on the property along with soldiers from World War I.

What do you think of the true story of The Nun?

Sources

What is the True Story of Valak the Demon?

https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/the-nun/

The Real Story Behind ‘The Nun’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lesser_Key_of_Solomon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liber_Officiorum_Spirituum#Demons_shared_by_this_and_other_grimoires

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudomonarchia_Daemonum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valac

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Manual_of_Demonic_Magic

The Bone-Chilling True Story Of The Demon Valak, Who Terrified Audiences In ‘The Nun’ And ‘The Conjuring’

https://www.ranker.com/list/how-to-summon-valak/joesph-langdon

Why You Should Change the Way You Ghost Hunt

Alex Matsuo

I have to confess something; I make mistakes too. Maybe more than the average bear. It’s all part of the “trial and error” life of being a paranormal investigator. You try things that work, and you toss the things that don’t work. But the problem here was I was using a technique that had been VERY successful for the past several years.

When I’m out there doing a ghost hunt/paranormal investigation, I’m constantly trying to do it right. Sometimes, that ideal gets me into hot water. This isn’t with the living. But instead, it’s with the ghosts.

I got called out by a ghost for the first time.

The Background

It was my first paranormal investigation since December (ouch). It was our second time at this particular location, and since we had moderate success during our first visit, I wanted to approach the location the same way as last time. The location is rich in history with documentation to support it all. The location is honestly a dream come true!

I can’t say where the location is due to privacy reasons. This is about the lesson I learned during my latest investigation. Don’t get me wrong, the investigation was overall successful and we got some fascinating data, but I didn’t expect the response I would hear from the man of the house himself…who is a ghost.

The Interpretation

I did a lot of prep, but at the end of the day, the ghost felt like we were asking them to perform parlor tricks. They (the ghosts) thought we were looking to be entertained. While that was far from the truth, I can see why the spirits thought that way. I made the mistake of approaching the location like I approach most places; the ghosts want to talk about their feelings. Well, not all ghosts want to sit in the dark with us and talk through their emotions.

Lessons Learned

I honestly feel bad that we came across like a group of ghost hunters that wanted the spirits to perform. That has never been my intention, nor the intention of my time. We try to approach our investigations with a research perspective and bringing questions to the table from a contextual standpoint.

Because I’m an emotional person by nature, I immediately default to this approach. I try to use an empathetic approach to my investigational skills. Most of the time, the ghosts are eager to talk because they may not have had the opportunity to talk about this side of themselves in the past. It’s been a successful approach…until now.

There are ghosts who are present to get a job done. In this case, when the spirits saw us working, they respected us and wanted to join in. I even taught a VIPKid class the next morning in the location (that was a new one). The door kept unlatching and being pushed open. The area was known to have children, and they wanted to learn as well. That was huge.

Like I mentioned before, the investigation wasn’t a bust. We did manage to get some responses and have some information to follow up on to see if it makes sense.

What I’ll Do Next Time

I learned that I can’t use the same formula every time I go on a ghost hunt. Not only do I have to have a plan ready, but I have to have a Plan B ready when A isn’t working. I also need a Plan C, D, E, F…the letters go on.

I need to go back to my roots and hit hard with historical research…that’s critical. That way, I can prepare to change gears at a moment’s notice without derailing the process. Also, most importantly, I hope the spirits feel valued and respected.

How do you prep for your paranormal investigation? What do you do to get the ghosts to talk? Share your tips in the comments!

Did TikTok’s Ripple Effect Catch a Ghost in My Apartment?

Alex Matsuo1 Comment

One recent morning, a friend alerted me to a new effect that was available on TikTok. They call it the Ripple Effect, and it creates multi colors around a moving thing, regardless of whether it’s a person, animal, or furniture. While many people were taking advantage of it for its intended person, there’s another audience that is using it to detect ghosts.

For the best viewing experience, I recommend watching the video I made on YouTube, so you can see what is being broken down. The TikTok videos are also below for your viewing pleasure.

First Round

Because I’m curious in nature, it was time to give it a try. I already had the app installed, and quickly found the effect. I turned it on and started scanning my apartment. To be honest, I hoped it would go off where Frank the Kitchen Ghost likes to hang out. But I got nothing. Absolutely nothing. I walked to the bathroom, scanned each room, and still…nada. I was starting to think that maybe other users had rigged the app to go off on inanimate objects. 

As I walked to the living room, I was intrigued to see that my bookshelf was radiating with colors. That bookshelf also happens to house my mother’s urn as well as a number of her trinkets. With the shape of the urn on the top shelf, it honestly looked like a person was standing there.

What was really interesting was that when I changed angles, the colors stopped. 

@thespookystuff

I was trying out #realityripple to see if it really detects ghost movements. The only movement was where my mom’s urn is. #paranormal #ghost

♬ original sound – Alex Matsuo

Finding the Catalyst

The next step I made was to remove my mom’s urn. Even though my mom’s urn had been moved, the bookshelf was still triggering the ripple effect. What movement could be going on? This is where I wonder whether there were vibrations in the floor, or could it be the crystals in that bowl all creating their own little vibrations?

The shape also changed, and it completely enveloped the bookshelf, since the urn was no longer there to make the share of the head.

@thespookystuff

Test #2 I moved the urn. let’s see what happens. #paranormal #ghost #realityripple#realityripple

♬ original sound – Alex Matsuo

Take It All Away

So, my third step was to remove the trinkets from the shelf. The trinkets included small statues as well as a bowl of stones and crystals my mom had. I did a video immediately after, and there was still movement. I almost decided that it was just the app itself making the ripple effect based on shape instead of movement. But then a friend told me to let the bookshelf breathe. I let the shelf sit for a bit without the trinkets, and I did another video.

This last time, there was nothing. 

@thespookystuff

#realityripple

♬ original sound – Alex Matsuo

The Explanation

I feel this kind of technology can be misleading for folks trying to find spirits. The way that apps like these are developed is that it’s creating to detect movement. If no movement is obvious, then the technology will work harder to create a pattern out of nothingness. It is very similar to the technology behind the SLS camera. Kenny Biddle does a great job explaining the technology behind the SLS camera and why it doesn’t detect ghosts. It’s all based on an algorithm. To keep it high level, it’s creating something out of nothing.

I’ve also considered the idea that all those stones and crystals my mom had, all in that bowl together, were creating some sort of vibration on their own. This is actual science. My friend actually managed to create a radio with crystals, without any electricity or frequency. 

I also think perhaps the air vent may have had something to do with it, as the vent is right above the bookshelf. I forgot to take note of whether or not the air was on when I did the video. However, there are vents all over my apartment, and none of the other vents went off.

As more TikTok users flock to the ripple effect to try to find ghosts in their own homes, it just further proves that there is a thirst for more paranormal knowledge out there. As humans, we continue to be curious about the afterlife, and it means that many will grasp onto anything they can to get a taste of that experience.

What do you think? Share your comments!

May 2020 Oracle Card Reading

Alex Matsuo1 Comment

I recently inherited the oracle card deck, “Healing with the Angels” by Doreen Virtue. I’m pretty skeptical, but I did my own reading last night and had an interesting result. So, I want to open it up to you all. We have less than 10 days left in May, but a lot can happen in those ten days!

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and ask your angels or guides what you need to focus on for the rest of the month. Then, open your eyes and choose a number. Don’t think about it. Choose the number/card you are drawn to.

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Which number did you choose?

Let’s see what message that card has for you.

Deck: Healing with the Angels Oracle Cards

#1 Surrender & Release

If you got this card, it means that you are holding onto something tightly. Let go and allow the angels to take care of it for you. When you release this, it means that either something better will come to replace it, or it will come back to you fully restored and healed. If you don’t let go, the thing you are holding onto, whether it’s finances, career, love life, etc., it won’t have enough room to heal. The angels are telling you to stop trying to control this certain situation.

#2 Archangel Michael

If you chose this card, it means that this powerful angel is with you right now. The Archangel Michael represents power and courage from the confidence that God’s love is the most powerful love there is. He could even be making his presence known to you and letting you know that you are not alone. As you make changes and meet challenges in your life right now, Michael is letting you know that you are safe and secure. It is even suggested that you talk to Michael and unload your fears and troubles on him, and don’t worry about overloading him. He can handle it.

#3 Answered Prayer

If you received this card, it is letting you know that your prayers have been heard and they have been answered. If you feel that your prayers haven’t been answered, pay attention to any hunches, weird feelings, or something out of the ordinary that may have come to you recently. Maybe that book you’ve been meaning to read fell off the shelf. Those may be the angels telling you to read that book, as your solution is in there. The angels are asking you to be observant, and God may even enlist Earth angels to help you with your answered prayer.

#4 Emerging

If you chose this card, it means that your true self is now shining through. You are radiant, powerful, and intelligent. You are incredible and have been through an amazing journey to becoming the person you are today, in this moment. You are starting to trust and show your true self more easily than ever before. Your angels are guiding you and telling you to honor your true self and reveal your feelings to not only yourself but to others. If you are concerned about misunderstandings, the angels will help guide your words with love. You are standing on the precipice of reaching a new level of inner peace.

#5 Truth & Integrity

If you chose this card, it means that you are being guided to be honest with yourself, and to be true to yourself in your actions and activities. Remember that 98° song, “True to Your Heart”? That’s what the angels are telling you. Let go of anything that is inauthentic and anything that doesn’t reflect the highest intentions of yourself. The angels also say to expect a miracle to come to you when you are true to yourself. Once you release your worry, negativity, and trying to hide your true self, the Diving light has room to enter.

#6 Friendship

If you chose this card, it means that there are changes happening in your friendships. Appreciate the presence of true friendship in your life and being honest with yourself and your friends. Your life may be going through some changes and you fear you may lose common interests with old friends, or that you’re growing apart from your friends. While changes in friendships are natural, the angels want you to give the situation to them so that they can help you through this transition. This card also represents new friendships coming into your life with people who share your interests and ambitions.

Was the card you chose accurate to your life right now? Let me know in the comments!

Live in a Haunted House? Here’s How to Get Through the Quarantine

Alex Matsuo

This week, the New York Times released an article titled, Quarantining with a Ghost? It’s Scary. The article shared stories of different people who were dealing with hauntings and being quarantined in their home with said ghosts. I found this interesting because this has been a thought in the back of my mind when the lockdowns were being put in place. How is the dynamic between the living and the supernatural when neither are able to leave the house? If you’re in this situation, you’re not alone. Luckily, you don’t have to take this sitting down either and just accept your circumstances. It doesn’t have to be scary, and you are not the victim in this situation.

I’ve compiled a list of tips on how to get through the quarantine when you’re sharing spaces with a ghost. These tips can also help even after the quarantine is over. This is all similar to the advice we give our clients at Association of Paranormal Study. Please note that these tips are not guaranteed to resolve your haunting or make life easier for you with your ghostly roommate. 

Things to Consider

Many times when there is activity in your home, after basic home incidents ruled out, that perhaps there may be a ghost that is trying to communicate with you for some reason.

Find out if other people in your home are also experiencing activity. If it’s just you, be sure to check in with your doctor and look at the side effects of any medication you’re taking just to rule out something medical. If others in your household are having experiences as well, that will give you some validation.

1. Learn the Language of Your House

I learned this tip from one of my team members, Pat Parisi, and it’s brilliant. Learning the language of your house, or any haunted location, means that you know all the creaks, unevenness, cracks, and plumbing. basically all the sounds you hear and sensations you feel in your house. This means just sitting and listening for a bit. This is actually a really useful tip for any paranormal investigation. Once you have an idea of what sort of sounds the house makes, you’ll be able to better debunk stuff. 

2. Take Notes

John Tenney mentioned this great tip in the NYT article. Taking notes and making note of the date and time will help you see if there is a pattern to the activity you’re experiencing. It’s also helpful to take notes while listening to the language of your house. If it sounds like footsteps going up and down the stairs, make a note of the day, time, and what was happening before the incident happened. You’ll be able to rule out whether it could be anomalous, or if it happens when someone walks in the kitchen.

3. Set Boundaries

This is something we always try to help our clients with. Regardless of whether your ghostly guest is good or evil, you want to set some boundaries. This could mean anything like, “This is my house, please do not make noise at 1:00am because I’m trying to sleep.” Try to avoid phrases like, “Could you please…”, or “It would be great if you could…” because that is giving the ghost a choice. You don’t have to be mean or angry about it. Being assertive doesn’t mean being rude.

4. Open the Doors and Windows

When you’re stuck inside all day, especially with family, loved ones, pets, etc. things can get stuffy. In this situation, you have so much energy running around your space, that maybe it isn’t even a ghost. But instead, it could be just the accumulation of energy. I definitely recommend opening some windows, and maybe even a door or two to let all that energy out and let the house breathe. If you want to do other things to clear your space like sage or energy healing, be sure to keep things open so the energy has places to go.

5. Ask for Protection

Whatever religious belief you fall into, it doesn’t hurt to pray, meditate, etc. and ask for protection. For many, this may be something as simple as asking God or their deceased relatives to come protect them. If you want to add an extra layer of protection for yourself and your home, there are exercises on grounding and shielding to help keep darker entities, or all entities, at bay.

6. Avoid Communication on Your Own

It’s sort of an unspoken guideline that you should avoid investigating your own home. Even for me, as a seasoned paranormal investigator, I try to avoid ghost hunting in my own space. This is especially true if you don’t know what you’re doing. Before trying anything, try to get in touch with a paranormal team and ask them for their advice. Depending on where you live, they might even be able to come to you if they are exercising safety when it comes to social distancing, sanitizing, wearing masks, etc. I also know that there are teams doing Zoom meetings with their clients so that they can still help you from a distance.

If the ghost is trying to communicate with you, then you may want to explore the possibility of responding. Again, not without the guidance of a paranormal team. Sometimes, if you do listen to what the ghost has to say, they may end up finding peace and move on.

7. Encourage Them to Cross Over

You should have the guidance of a paranormal team or a reputable medium if you want to go this route. A spirit that is residing in your house may not realize that they’re deceased, or they are hesitant to cross over because of things that happened in life. There are a lot of resources online to help a ghost cross over. If this is unfamiliar territory for you, then don’t move forward without talking to someone experienced. There’s a chance you could make the haunting worse instead of better if this isn’t done right.

8. Don’t Antagonize It

During this time of being stuck inside, the last thing you want to do is try to be a big, bad ghost hunter that you see on TV. Don’t do things to make it mad, and definitely don’t provoke. Antagonizing the ghost will not make it want to leave anytime soon. Plus, it will make life quite a bit more hectic and turbulent. 

9. Fill Your Space with Positive Energy

This can be hard with the current situation. One of the things I really don’t like is false and toxic positivity. Self-care is more important than ever before! I try to do something positive for myself at least once per day. That might be a dance party, exercising, eating my favorite food, watching Disney, watching something that will make me laugh, the list goes on. You don’t have to be constantly happy, but doing something to bring in a little more positivity can make a big difference. Taking care of yourself is the first step to taking care of your space.

10. Ignore It

This is advice I often see when it comes to dealing with a haunting. I don’t think this is the perfect way, but this is an option. Many will ignore their haunting long enough in hopes that the ghost will get bored and go away on its own. On the other hand, as mentioned before, if the ghost wants to communicate and has something to say, then it will continue to make a ruckus until you sit down and listen to it. 

11. Learn to Live with It

If you have a ghost that is fairly calm with the occasional activity, then you have the choice to just learn to live with it. For example, I have a ghost in my kitchen, who I named Frank. He doesn’t really do much except the occasional floating objects and pushing bread off the bar. He does make the occasional appearance down the hall that leads to the kitchen. Besides that, I barely notice him. I can live with an entity like that. If the activity is much more disruptive and volatile, then there would be no way I could continue living with the entity, and it would have to go.

Final Thoughts

Think of the ghost as a roommate. You are sharing the same space and it’s inevitable that you may bump into each other occasionally. The idea of ghosts can be scary, but what has helped me in dealing with that fear is the fact that ghosts are people just like you and me. They just exist in a different state. Think of how you treat the people that live with you and give the ghost that same courtesy. 

Do you have any tips on getting through the quarantine while living in a haunted space? Share them in the comments!

America’s First Documented Case of Spirit Possession: The Watseka Wonder

Alex Matsuo

I’ve found myself with a lot more time to research paranormal cases. Taking a page from Robert Frost, I decided to dive into cases that would be the roads less traveled. I started by looking into possession cases for inspiration. 

The topic of possession has always been of keen interest to me, especially since I’ve studied demonology extensively and may (or may not) have witnessed a few demonic possession cases in my lifetime. But demons are not the only entities to possess a human. According to several cases over the years, ghosts can also possess a person as well. How? No matter how you look at it, possession can be one of the most complicated types of cases you’ll encounter in the paranormal field and should never be taken lightly. In possession cases, we must consider many complex variables to consider, making these situations difficult and complicated.

One case in particular has piqued my interest for over a decade, but I have never had time to explore it fully until recently. Thanks, quarantine. I’m surprised that this case isn’t talked about more..The case, known as the Watseka Wonder, took place in the late 19th century. What is truly fascinating about this case is that it was well-documented by the press. Some even call this the first case of spirit possession in America.

Mary Roff

I can’t properly tell this story without first talking about Mary Roff. She was born October 8th,  1846, in Warren County, Indiana. Her family moved around between Indiana, Illinois, and even Texas. At just six months old, she had what was described as a “fit” that lasted for several hours. It seems this consisted of nausea, dilated pupils, rigid limbs, falling into a deep and catatonic sleep, and even seizures.  Then she lay still for several days and her family lost hope for her recovery. The reports I’ve read have some differences in opinion. It appears Mary seemed to recover in about two or three weeks. But then she would fall into these fits all over again. These fits happened often while Mary was growing up and greatly affected her quality of life.

In 1859, the Roff Family eventually settled into South Middleport, Illinois, which would eventually become a part of the town of Watseka, where they settled down and built the first house in the area.

Sadly, as Mary got older, her fits got worse. They actually escalated. By the time she was ten years old, she was having fits sometimes even four or five times in just a few days. In between the fits, things were pretty much normal, and Mary would sometimes sing her favorite song, “We are Coming Sister Mary.”  

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the Roffs built the house that is currently standing today in 1860.

When Mary was 15 years old, her depression grew worse as her fits increased. 

In 1864, Mary started bleeding herself for relief from what she described as a “lump of pain” in her head. Her doctors prescribed leeches to help relieve the pain. Mary even kept these leeches as pets.

More Turmoil Affects Mary

The Roff Home

Then, on July 16th, 1864, around 9am, Mary took a knife and went to the backyard and cut her arm so deeply that she lost a bunch of blooded and fainted. She was unconscious until about 2pm. When she woke up, she was described as  a raving maniac, and it took five men to hold her down to keep her from hurting herself. Keep in mind she had lost a ton of blood and barely weighed 100 pounds. Then, she became calm and slept for about 15 hours. She had blindfolds over her eyes to protect them from any unconscious scratching. But remarkably, Mary was still able to see, maybe even better than before….but not in a natural way.

After this, apparently she was back to normal, as if nothing happened. But she couldn’t recognize anyone around her. Also, she was described as losing all sense of sight, feeling, or hearing “in the natural way.” What was even more incredible is that she could read blindfolded. She was able to read the “blood” entry in the encyclopedia while blindfolded. Also, she was able to read letters blindfolded.

At this point, Mary’s reputation was becoming well-known. Even a local newspaper editor from the Danville Times brought a sealed letter over to the Roff home. Mary flipped the letter around, while blindfolded, and was able to tell who sent the letter. When the editor opened the envelope, Mary was correct. Her father and the local pastor even tried to trick Mary while she was reading her letters blindfolded and slipped in a few of his own letters. Mary was able to tell which ones weren’t hers.

A Public Spectacle

The Roff Home today.

The entire town of Watseka had known about Mary’s condition, and it seemed like the most prominent citizens thoroughly investigated her. The fits continued, even though Mary seemed to improve at times.

She started hearing voices telling her to do things; she would go into trances where she would speak with different voices. Apparently, spirits were taking over her body. Mary would be stiff as a board except for her face, leaving her free to talk. She was able to read encyclopedias while blindfolded. She was under the care of a team of doctors, who recommended a water cure for eighteen months at the state asylum in Peoria, Illinois. Unsurprisingly, the water cure didn’t help. 

Sadly, Mary’s life would be cut off prematurely. She died in 1865 at the age of nineteen. The Chicago Tribune article says she died in the house her family built in 1860…the account of Dr. Stevens seems to have her dying in the asylum so that one is interesting to decipher. Troy Taylor, the author of “The Possessed: The True Story of the Watseka Wonder”, she died in the asylum. His book is worth checking out!

Lurrancy Vennum

Eleven years later, in 1876, twelve-year old Mary Lurrancy Vennum, better known as Rancy, told her parents that there were spirits in her room calling out to her. “Rancy, Rancy” they would say, and these spirits would also touch her face. 

In 1877, thirteen-year-old Rancy also started suffering from cataleptic fits, and then she too would go into trances where she would start describing spirits and angels. She even described her deceased siblings, who passed when Rancy was just a toddler. In 1878, Rancy started having these fits up to 12 times per day. Her body would twist and convulse so badly that her feet would touch her head.

It wasn’t long until Rancy apparently was starting to get possessed by spirits as well. Her family was considering committing her to an asylum when they got a visit from one of the local townsfolk.

It was Asa Roff, Mary’s father.

Since Mary’s death, Asa and Ann became spiritualists, and if you haven’t caught on yet, they saw something very familiar with Rancy’s situation. The Roffs pleaded with the Vennums and insisted that they not send Rancy to an asylum. Instead, Asa brought in Dr. E. Winchester Stevens. The Vennums were devout Methodists, so you could imagine how difficult this decision was for them.

When Dr. Stevens arrived, Rancy was described as sitting like an old hag, and she had her elbows on her knees with her hands under her chin, hunched back and asking weird questions to the doctor. She was also calling her father, “Old Black Dick” and her mother, “Old Granny.”

When Dr. Stevens asked for her name, she described herself as 63-year old Katrina Hogue from Germany. There was also another spirit of a young man named Willie that also took possession of her body.

A Different Kind of Spirit

Rancy apparently came back and expressed regrets that these evil spirits were taking control of her body. It seemed like a helpless situation. It was at this time that Dr. Stevens advised Rancy to perhaps let a more positive spirit take control of her body. He told her to look around and see if there was a happier and purer spirit around. Then, Rancy said that a young woman named Mary Roff stepped forward and that the angels wanted her to come.

It was then that Mr. Roff said, “That’s my daughter. Mary Roff is my girl and she has been in heaven for twelve years. Let her come, we will be glad to have her come.”

So, Mary took possession of Rancy’s body for 100 days.

It wasn’t long before Rancy, possessed by Mary, went to live with the Roffs in their home during this time. Rancy seemed to know a lot of details about Mary’s life that she wouldn’t have been privy to. For example, she knew the nickname of Mary’s sister Minerva, which was Nervie. She also knew the married name of one of her friends…for her first husband, meaning the one she was married to when Mary was alive. 

The Little Details

The Vennum home.

Mary/Rancy even asked for her famous box of letters. She would often ask her father who used to say, “Confound it” and laugh to her heart’s content, knowing it was Asa who would say it. Mary immediately recognized neighbors and close family friends of the Roffs and knew their nicknames. Asa had Ann put a velvet headdress in plain view in the house to see if Mary recognized it. She did. She even said, “Oh this is my head-dress I wore when my hair was short!” Mary even remembered when the Roffs lived in Texas and remembered specific details of that trip.

Mary also told her parents that her brother would get extremely sick, and that if he didn’t receive medical attention, he was to surely die. At the time, her brother was pretty healthy and showed no signs of getting sick. But sure enough, her brother did fall ill, but he was able to get medical attention in adequate time.

During this time, apparently Rancy was in heaven, healing from her health ailments. From the records I read, it seemed that Rancy started to pop in and out closer to the end of her possession.

Mary wouldn’t eat with the Roffs, but instead would go into a type of trance state and other spirits would take control of Rancy’s body. One of them was even the grandmother of one of the Roff’s home servants. There was even talk of another spirit taking control of Rancy’s body for a few weeks on a trip out of state. That was out of the question.

Mary was also really affectionate with Asa and Ann. When they asked her why, she said that she wanted to hug them while she still had arms to hold them with and lips to kiss them with.

Back to Normal

Lurrancy Vennum Binning in her later years.

Finally, on May 21st, 1878, after tearful and emotional goodbyes, Mary returned to heaven and Rancy went back to her body and went home. Rancy eventually got married, moved to Kansas and had 11 children. According to Dr. Stevens, Mary would take control of Rancy’s body during childbirth as well. She would often visit with the Roffs when she was visiting her family in Illinois. Rancy passed away in Los Angeles in 1952.

Dr. E. Winchester Stevens published his account in a book published in 1887 called, “The Watseka Wonder.”

Rarely do we get happy endings in cases like these. The tragedy of Mary Roff was truly a sad ending to a horrific life of health issues. It seemed that not only did Mary get a second chance at living through Rancy’s body, but her family got redemption and a second chance to be with their daughter once more. Of course, this could have been an elaborate hoax that involved a LOT of people. 

Even famous psychologist and SPR member, William James, extensively investigated the Watseka Wonder after Lurrancy moved to Kansas and wasn’t able to debunk it. Richard Hodgson also investigated the case and said, “I have no doubt that the incidents occurred substantially as described in the narrative by Dr. Stevens…”

But if there was any shred of truth to it, then we might have one of the strongest cases for the existence of life after death.

Resources

William James’ copy of “The Watseka Wonder”: https://ia800206.us.archive.org/33/items/watsekawonderan00stevgoog/watsekawonderan00stevgoog.pdf

1928 copy of “The Watseka Wonder”: https://libsysdigi.library.uiuc.edu/OCA/Books2009-06/watsekawonder00stev/watsekawonder00stev.pdf

Chicago Tribune article about the Roff House: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-10-31-9910310328-story.html

Dark Histories Podcast: https://www.darkhistories.com/lurancy-vennum-and-the-watseka-wonder/

The Possessed: The True Story of the Watseka Wonder: https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/watseka

North Carolina Civil War History: Averasboro Battlefield

Alex Matsuo

Taking a break from my usual posts to cover some North Carolina history. I love Civil War history, and have had an ongoing love affair with this chapter in American history since I was in my early 20’s. Often, I found myself among old white men at Civil War reenactments, lectures, etc. When I moved to Raleigh, I was thrilled to be within driving distance of multiple battlefields, even if the drive is up to six hours long when I go to Gettysburg.

Just a little over 45 minutes south from downtown Raleigh is a small, but important battlefield. Located in Dunn, North Carolina, the Averasboro Battlefield was the site of a one-day battle between the Union and Confederate Army. It is noted as the first “deliberate, tactical resistance” to the march of Federal forces through the Carolinas and Georgia. Many know this as Sherman’s March. It took place three days for the infamous Battle of Bentonville and one month before the Battle of Morrisville.

Averasboro Battlefield Museum. Photo by Alex Matsuo

The Battle of Averasboro took place about 4 miles south of the Averasborough township. The goal of the battle was to delay, do damage, and slow the progress of General Sherman’s progress, and it worked. Sherman’s troops had just decimated Fayetteville, and they were heading to Raleigh. The Confederate forces behind it all were under the command of William J. Hardee. They were able to slow down General Slocum and his men in Averasboro.

If you participated in the weekend ghost hunts in Fayetteville at the Sandford House that my team hosted in October, the name Slocum should sound familiar! During the Battle of Averasboro, the Union lost about 682 men while the Confederates lost about 500.

At the Averaboro Battlefield & Museum, they have quite the collection of artifacts that were nothing but impressive. I admit that I enjoy the smaller Civil War history museums, as their artificats usually come from donations from local families. You also get to learn stories that you won’t hear in the larger museums.

Photo by Alex Matsuo

Just down the road is the Chicora Cemetery, which holds the remains of 54 unidentified Confederate soldiers. There is also an recreation of a house from the Civil War era along with several monuments.

Another thing I particularly appreciated and treasured during this visit was the chance to hold actual bullets from the battle. The kind gentleman working behind the desk brought them out to me. I got to feel how heavy they were, and I couldn’t help but think about the soldiers that had to lug these around. This was unexpectedly emotional for me. I couldn’t help but wonder who it was that shot these bullets, who or what these bullets hit, and what they look like today.

The five bullets I got to hold in Averasboro. Photo by Alex Matsuo

One question I do want to address…is Averasboro haunted? The short answer is I don’t know. I haven’t had the opportunity to investigate it yet. I also haven’t seen much in terms of reported hauntings. If there was weird activity occurring, I would probably assume there is something there. However, the lack of reports make me question whether something is there. I will say that when I visited the battlefield, it was very peaceful.

I do plan on visiting the Averasboro Battlefield. This is a wonderful piece of North Carolina Civil War history that is just a short drive away from the Triangle. While the battle was short, its impact continues to last to this day over 155 years later.

See my complete Facebook albums below for more photos!

Before you go, please take a moment to vote for me in INDY Week’s Best of the Triangle for Best Local-Interest Website and Blog! Voting take less than a minute, and it would help me a great deal.

The Ghost Hunter’s Quarantine Survival Guide

Alex Matsuo1 Comment

Before you start reading, please take a moment for vote for me for INDY Week’s Best of thee Triangle! I was nominated for Best Local Interest Website/Blog. Click here to vote, and it takes less than a minute. I so appreciate it!

It’s a weird time right now. Most of the world is under some sort of “stay at home” order, whether’s it a complete lockdown, quarantine, etc. Movie releases are being delayed indefinitely. TV shows are putting productions on hold. Essential businesses like grocery stores, auto repair, the post office, etc. are still open. But non-essential businesses like parks, hair salons, gyms, etc. are closed until further notice. 

Unfortunately, haunted locations are closed as well. While it may be hard to stomach, ghost hunting is not an essential business. Truly…it’s not. Does it mean that ghost hunting doesn’t matter? Of course not. It’s just not something we need to survive like food, medical needs, etc.

Impacts of COVID-19

All of these new orders are for good reason. It sucks My ghost hunting plans for spring and summer of 2020 are pretty much shot. I truly feel for the ghost hunters who are out there doing fieldwork several times a month. I know there are several teams that go out on a weekly basis (you are rock stars). This current time has got to be hard.

Taking a Forced Break from Ghost Hunting

But guess what? You don’t have to go out there doing fieldwork to be considered a ghost hunter or a paranormal researcher. If you’re truly looking for something to do to help amp up your ghost hunting skills and resume, there are things you can do! I compiled this list based on what I’m currently doing at the moment. Most of these are free.

Research

Is there a paranormal topic you’ve been wanting to learn more about? Do you want to understand why orbs aren’t ghosts? Want to know where the “woman in white” legend came from? This is the perfect time to research a legend or area of the paranormal. If you need an idea of where to start, think of different areas of paranormal research. Choose the one where you feel the most uncomfortable, or you can’t define in more than two sentences. That’s the topic you pick!

Go Through the Evidence That You Haven’t Watched, Listened to, Etc.

I’ll be the first to admit that data and evidence review is something I dread. Especially for longer investigations. For me, I’ve been spending 1 hour each day reviewing my backlog. 1 hour is pretty much my limit right now.

Read a Ghost Hunting Book

This may seem…too simple. For some, it is. For others, especially the ones doing fieldwork, reviewing evidence, networking, planning, etc. reading a book may be on the back burner. Take this opportunity to read about the ways other people are ghost hunting. I’ll take this opportunity to shamelessly plugin my book, The Brave Mortal’s Guide to Ghost Hunting.

Give Back to the Community

If you’re in a position where you can throw a few dollars at a paranormal location (especially if they’re non-profit), it would be a huge help. Many of these locations will be suffering significant financial loss because of canceled ghost hunts. If you’re not able to give financially, spreading the word and sharing content can make a big difference. You can even do live streams on Facebook and fundraise for the location.

Plan Your Next Ghost Hunting Adventure

Sure, we’re not sure how long this is going to last, especially in the United States. But, we can get ahead of the game by already planning our next adventure. Whether it’s mapping out where you’re going to go, your ghost hunting plan, equipment list, etc., planning your next ghost hunt will also give you something to look forward to in the future.

Take Inventory & Tidy Up

I know for me, at the end of an investigation, I sometimes will throw my equipment into some random bag or case, mainly because I’m packing up quickly. I’ve been taking this time to reorganize my equipment and make a list of what I need like batteries, new flashlights, etc.

Watch TV

Yep. Watch some TV. I do sometimes watch ghost hunting shows, but not for anything educational (sorry). Ghost hunting shows are meant to be entertainment. I’m watching them to be entertained, find new locations to check out, and also review their investigation skills and see what I could do better. Watching how other investigators do things, even if it’s on TV, can be valuable. You’ll either get validation for your own methods, get new ideas, or know what NOT to do.

Network

If there was any time to network with other ghost hunters, this is the time to do it. Whether it’s through Facebook or some other social media platform, take the time to meet other ghost hunters. Ask to have an online meeting on a platform like Google Hangouts and chat for a bit. This is also super helpful mental health-wise, as conversing with friends during this time can really help you. Most therapists are recommending that we connect with people for about 30 minutes per day.

Create Content

If you have the energy, definitely create content. This means creating images, videos, memes, videos, blogging, writing, live streaming, webinars, basically creating things that people can enjoy. If you’re a paranormal team, this can drive people to your page and website. If you’re a solo ghost hunter, same deal. Right now, we have to move to an all-digital platform, and creating appropriate content can still drive engagement with your work.

Self-Care

Most importantly, take care of yourself. If you’re not able to do anything on this list…that is okay! If you need to just veg on the couch and just exist…that’s okay. If you need to clean everything, that’s okay. Basically, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to accomplish things. This is a very trying time in our world right now, and we’re not quite sure when it will all be over. People are also on edge and many are feeling angry and need someone to lash out at. If you have to walk away from a discussion, argument, etc., do it! Take one day at a time, and we’ll get through all of this together!

Paranormal friends: What are you doing during your quarantine? Share your ideas in the comments.

“The Terror” in Real Life – Investigating a Haunting at a Japanese Internment Camp

Alex Matsuo

This is a blog I never thought I’d be writing. 

The title is a bit misleading, but I wanted to use a term that would be familiar to people. Tanforan was a detention center for Japanese Americans as they were waiting to be processed into an internment camp. More on that later.

I have to let you know how I ran into this story. I was looking up vintage Hollywood ghost stories for a video I was researching. I’m always drawn to vintage ghost stories, specifically, the first half of the 20th century as the dawn of modern ghost hunting was creeping upon society. During my research journey on the Library of Congress site, I found something about a haunting at the Hollywood Bowl. Bingo. That’s what I was looking for, right? 

The name of the newspaper stood out to me because it had the name Tanforan Totalizer. I knew immediately this was an article from one of the 15 newspapers that circulated around the assembly centers (temporary detention centers) for the internment camps for Japanese Americans. 

I’ve been researching this often-forgotten era of American history, and I find something new every day. This was no exception. I usually keep this area of my life separate from my paranormal life because I never made the connection. This is intentional. I feel it’s tip-toeing a line between being disrespectful and honoring my family.

Many of my followers know that the unjust treatment and internment of Japanese Americans is personal to me. For those who don’t know my background, my family is Japanese and were deeply affected by the internments. My grandfather, who was kicked out of the University of Washington for being Japanese, served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in Minnesota training soldiers in special ops. While his experience was rare for a Japanese person, he still had family in the internment camps: his first wife was sent to an internment camp, a brother sent to a prison labor camp, and another brother was in the camps as well. He had many siblings, including a third brother, Ted, who served in the 442nd as a medic and was one of the first to get injured.  The rest of his family remained in Hawaii, where they were subjected to a police state since they were so close to Pearl Harbor. 

Back to the ghost story…almost. 

The barracks at Tanforan Assembly Center. Photographed by Dorothea Lange, WRA, courtesy the National Archives and Records Administration via Densho.org [National Archives Identifier 537919])

The Tanforan Assembly Center opened on April 28th, 1942, and it was located in San Bruno, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula on the Tanforan Racetrack. It was a thoroughbred horse racing track from 1899 to 1964. During World War II, it was a temporary detention center so the American government could (eventually) process over 8,000 Japanese Americans into internment camps, where they would ultimately live for years. Many families lost everything — homes, businesses, family connections — while encamped.

During their temporary “stay” at Tanforan, the people were housed in horse stalls or in one of the 170 barracks that were quickly built. To give you an idea of the tight capacity the center was dealing with, one of the first Japanese American women to earn a medical degree, Dr. Kazue Togasaki, delivered 50 babies while she was interned at Tanforan for a month. Using the term “assembly center” is a tad too gracious in my opinion.

The Tanforan Totalizer was first published on May 15th, 1942. It was edited by Taro Katayama and produced 19 weekly issues. 

The article was called, “Ghost of Tanforan” and there was a little illustration of a cartoon ghost squeezed into the top right corner. Okay, this is what I’m looking for. The article was published on July 11th, 1942, and it was noted that the incident occurred on July 8th. As I read the article in the Tanforan Totalizer, I noticed that it talked about apartments and I thought that was interesting because the real Hollywood Bowl as we knew it didn’t have apartments. But the area where the barracks were was on the tracks, like a bowl…hence the ironic name, “Hollywood Bowl.” I was definitely not going to find an early 20th-century Hollywood ghost story, full of glitz and glam.

“Ghost of Tanforan” with a little ghost illustration graces page four of the Tanforan Totalizer

The story reports that a mob of curious people was drawn to Apartment 22 because a blue ghost was said to be haunting it. Whenever the light was dimmed, or the room was dark, a blue light appeared on the ceiling. The apartment’s occupants, the family of James Fujitas, decided to move in with a neighbor while contemplating getting farther away from the apartment. The family was quoted saying, “Well, why should we stay in our room with that thing up there?”

It was then I realized that this was a paranormal investigation on a Japanese internment camp. So, we have a classic residential case. Family experiences something extraordinary, and they can’t explain it. In this case, they believed they were seeing a blue ghost. They were so spooked by it that they left their living quarters. 

Keep in mind that this incident happened just a few months after these people were forced to leave their businesses, homes, and everything they knew, just because of what they looked like. They had to leave their lives behind, and there is no doubt they were going through incredible stress and feelings of uncertainty. In the case of the Tanforan internment camp, these folks were living in horse stalls. Using the word “apartment” to describe these living quarters is ridiculously generous.

I’m extremely pleased to read this next part. The Fujitas’ story was heard by a group of skeptics, and they were determined to find out what was going on. They examined the room and determined that a piece of wood on the ceiling had rotted and was giving off a phosphorescent light. They covered the spot with a new piece of wood and the case was solved…maybe. 

Around 11:30pm, Mr. Fujitas, still staying with his neighbor, went back to his room to grab some clothes when he saw something terrifying…the light was back, and it was covering the new piece of wood. He was so freaked out that he went to the apartment of Bob Iki, who lived in Apartment 33, and they got another person with the last name of Satow. They went back to Apartment 22 and saw that the blue light had indeed returned. They closed the door behind them, and as their eyes grew accustomed to the light, something amazing happened.

They realized the blue light was peeking through a crack in a wall. I’m guessing the skeptics didn’t stay in the apartment long enough to let their eyes adjust to the darkness so that they could have found the source of the blue light.

Fujitas, Iki, and Satow closed the crack in the wall, and the blue ghost was never seen again.

I’m sure as the families of those involved moved on to the next phase of their internment process, this was a story that stuck with them as the years went by. I have to wonder, as they covered up the light, if James Fujitas, Bob Iki, and S. Satow appreciated the temporary distraction from this terrifying period of their lives. And was this an experience that stayed with them for the rest of their lives? Or, was it eventually forgotten or lost to the wind, just like the stories of my family that has been lost because no one ever spoke of it again once they were released?

If you return to the Tanforan racetrack today, it’s now a shopping center. If you look near the main entrance, you’ll find a plaque with a commemorative small rock garden that honors those who were once imprisoned there.

At the very least, this story managed to find its way from the darkness and into the light. Maybe it isn’t blue light, but it gives us a glimpse of what life was like in literal limbo between leaving your life behind and moving on into obscurity with an unpredictable future.

For me, this is a story that will stay in my heart and soul.

via https://cmo.smcgov.org/

Sources: 

Original Article: Ghost of TanforanDownload

http://encyclopedia.densho.org/Tanforan_Totalizer_(newspaper)/

https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=25427

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/7-800-imprisoned-in-San-Bruno-for-just-one-crime-7251516.php

http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist8/tanforan2.html

Is “Courage the Cowardly Dog” Based on a True Story?

Alex Matsuo1 Comment

Let’s kick off the first entry of 2020 with a truly weird and unexpected story that I never thought I’d write about. I was born in the ’80s, which means I was a 90’s kid. In 1999, I was 13 years old and trying to get through my last year of middle school when this awesome cartoon series premiered on Cartoon Network: Courage the Cowardly Dog. The show only lasted until 2002, but reruns continue to air. It was probably one of my favorite late-night cartoons that I watched before going to bed.

Note: If you enjoy this blog, feel free to follow me on social media at @thespookystuff on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and X. I’m also an author! Check out my books on Amazon under Alex Matsuo. All the info you need is here.

Don’t feel like reading? Take a peek at this video!

In Case You’ve Never Watched the Show

As the title suggests, Courage is this adorable purple dog that is frightened of basically everything. He lives in Nowhere, Kansas with Muriel and Eustace after he was abandoned as a puppy. Turns out that his parents were sent into outer space. Muriel is a sweet Scottish woman who uses too much vinegar in her recipes, while Eustace is your typical crabby old man that harasses Courage. Muriel is often the one who is kidnapped by the show’s villains.

What is the Show Like?

I have to say that this show is wonderfully weird. There are some weird paranormal elements to it that I absolutely adore. As a kid, I didn’t think much of it when it came to the true stories or lore that may have inspired the series. Now, thanks to the reach of the internet and more, we are discovering more interesting stories behind the series.

Is the Show Based on a True Story?

Yes and no. There have been countless theories floating around the internet for years, and it’s hard to pinpoint what is actually true and what isn’t myth. There’s no doubt that Courage terrified many of us growing up, and it’s human nature to want to find answers to the mysteries we were exposed to.

For example, this image to your left has been floating around as the real-life house from Courage the Cowardly Dog. It is supposedly located in Truth or Consequence, New Mexico and was the location of a murder and a double kidnapping. In my scouring of the internet, I wasn’t able to verify this was true. I have no doubt that old Depression-era houses like this may have certainly inspired the designers from the show. But I have my doubts that the occurrences noted happened at the location above.

And then we have this next image.

This is another one that has been floating around numerous places like Reddit and other community pages. I will have to give credit to the creator of this image because it actually gave me the clue I needed to track down the story that is commonly linked with Courage. However, I soon learned that the caption in the photo wasn’t that accurate.

Yes, there was an elderly couple that lived in a neighborhood known as Kern Place in 1957. It was a historic neighborhood in the El Paso, Texas, right next to New Mexico.

The husband, William, was described as not the nicest person. The wife, Margaret, was described as warm, friendly, caring, and also petite. Yes, this sounds eerily familiar to their supposed cartoon counterparts. They also had a pet. They were last seen March 5th and 6th, 1957 after a neighbor brought over some Girl Scout cookies to them. The neighbor, Jeri Cash, felt unwelcomed and left soon after. She described Margaret as incredibly upset and William wasn’t happy with Jeri’s presence in the house.

They owned the business, Patterson Photo Supply, and were well known in their community. William was 52 and Margaret was 42 at the time of their disappearance. To this day, their disappearance is still an open case for the El Paso Police Department. The couple seemed to have disappeared without a trace. All that was left was their cat, Tommy. The couple did not have a dog.

Some have theorized that the couple was murdered and they were buried somewhere on the property. Former El Paso County Sheriff, Leo Samaniego, thinks that the couple may have been spies and left.

Friends of the couple told police that they went on an extended vacation to Florida and had sent instructions to distribute their assets and property to their friends, family, and employees. If anything, that sounds a bit suspicious. Especially since William owned a boat, a Cadillac, and property in Mexico as well as numerous stocks.

Also, there were friends who had dinner with the Pattersons just days before their disappearance, and they made no mention of having plans to travel. The friends, the Wards, owned an automotive business. They actually made plans with said friends for later in the week. What then became strange was that when Cecil Ward opened his business on March 6th, Patterson’s Cadillac was in his driveway. When Ward asked Doyle Kirkland, Patterson’s competitor, and close business friend, why he had possession of the vehicle, he brushed it off. Kirkland said that he helped Patterson with his boat the night before and he was going on a trip.

Ward was the one who called the cops. Margaret’s fur coat and the couple’s other expensive clothes were left at the cleaners. The house was in complete chaos with piles of dishes in the sink, and the house was described by police as being devoid of life.

The Secretive Couple

Turns out that Margaret wouldn’t tell people when her birthday was. Also, William had a mistress down in Mexico, who was also questioned after the couple disappeared. There were a few odd things about the couple that didn’t really add up. Apparently, Margaret’s parents didn’t approve of William as a spouse and forced their daughter to choose them or him. Well, we know who Margaret chose…meaning she was estranged from her parents.

Margaret and William Patterson

On March 15th, the couple’s accountant, Herbert Roth, received a telegram from a “W.H. Patterson”, which was weird because William’s middle name was Duncan. He was instructed to sell a mobile home owned by the Pattersons and act as business manager for their photo business. He was to use the money from selling the mobile home to support the photo business, as well as rent out the Pattersons’ house for nine months. After that, Roth was instructed to hand off the business to none other than Doyle Kirkland.

The couple was reportedly seen in New Mexico several times, but the couple was officially declared dead in 1964.

What Actually Happened?

Kookier theories explaining the Pattersons’ disappearance also include government conspiracies, UFOs, alien abductions, and skinwalkers. I take the last one back. The urban legend going around about the “true” story of Courage links the missing couple with sightings of skinwalkers prior to their disappearance. But I haven’t been able to find a link between the Pattersons and skinwalker sightings…at least not from a more legitimate news source.

In 1984, the Pattersons’ former caretaker, Reynaldo Nangaray, confessed to seeing (and cleaning up) blood in the garage and part of a scalp on the Patterson’s boat. He also claimed to have seen an associate of the Pattersons putting a bloody sheet in the trunk of their car. The reason why Reynaldo Nangaray didn’t say anything earlier was because he feared deportation since he was undocumented. The caretaker would die in a car accident two years later.

So, here we are. You thought you were going to read about how Courage the Cowardly Dog is based on a true story, and now you’re deep into a write up about one of the most mysterious disappearances of the 20th century! While the writers may have seen this story, they were inspired by countless stories and legends that make our society a little more spooky.

Sources

https://www.abqjournal.com/964774/el-paso-couples-1957-disappearance-still-unsolved-mystery.html

https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/2017/03/06/el-paso-familys-disappearance-remains-mystery/98702680/

https://the-line-up.com/william-and-margaret-patterson