Rusty Jones of the Central Michigan Paranormal Investigations (CMPI) is my guest on this episode of Haunted Michigan. As I post this it's Friday, September 13th, a perfect day for the paranormal.

A Particularly Haunted Central Michigan Location

Rusty spoke to me about how his journey started. "I founded Central Michigan Paranormal Investigators back in 1988 after reading a book on paranormal phenomena and visiting some local sites. That got me hooked, and I’ve been doing this ever since."

Rusty spoke to some of the most active places they've investigated, and it's somewhere I've heard people bring up before. "One of the most active places we investigate regularly is the Michigan Theater in Jackson. We go there annually, and every visit brings a new experience. It’s an incredibly active site." He went on "One time, we had a guest investigator who heard me call his name from the balcony while he was near the stage. The strange thing? I was outside the building at the time. These doppelganger effects are common there, along with physical sensations like shirt tugs and footsteps in empty areas."

Another location that CMIP found active was the old Jackson prison. "We’ve done several investigations at the old prison in Jackson, which was Michigan’s first maximum-security prison, dating back to the 1800s. There’s a lot of history there, including stories of wardens mistreating inmates, which has left some residual energy. We've also investigated several businesses in Lansing, and we’re returning to the USS Edson in Bay City this weekend for another overnight investigation. (more on that later) One of the wardens in the early 1900s was notorious for his cruelty. In one story, he hosed down a prisoner in freezing temperatures, then left him naked in his cell to die. The warden himself ended up being imprisoned later and was found hanged in the same facility."

Rusty passed along one of his craziest experiences with the paranormal. "One time in Lansing, I was investigating a house where only the kids had seen the entity. I made a provocative remark, trying to stir activity, and right as I did, something told me to move my head. As I did, a frying pan flew across the room and hit the wall behind me. That’s the last time I tried provoking spirits!"

Full-Body Apparitions and Visual Encounters

I asked him if he's ever seen a full-body apparition. "I’ve only seen two in all my years of investigating. The first was at a lighthouse in Escanaba. A woman walked right out the door, solid as you and me. She walked toward the lighthouse and started ascending the stairs, but by the time she reached the top, she had faded until she was completely transparent.

Now, back to the USS Edson. He visited over the weekend and told me there was a lot of activity in their overnight stay. " It was very eventful, to say the least. It started almost as soon as we got on the ship and continued throughout the night." He went on "Well, as soon as we got on the ship, we started hearing footsteps on the deck above us while we were in the galley getting set up. We knew for a fact that we were the only ones on the ship at that point. We sent someone up to check, but no one was there. And that was only about 6:05 p.m., with the sun still out."

He said they split up into two groups. The other group was experiencing a lot of happenings. "After about 45 minutes, they came back and said they couldn’t go back down there because it felt really evil, and they started hearing voices. So, naturally, I said, "Let’s all go down there and see for ourselves!" The atmosphere in the back of the ship felt completely different from the front. It was really draining."

Rusty said there's a place on the boat that puts out a lot of energy. "It’s different every time. The first two visits, we had some interesting experiences in the ship’s woodworking shop, near what’s called the "suicide hatch." A sailor, who received a "Dear John" letter while at sea, isolated himself down there to clear his head. He didn’t realize the hatch cut off airflow, and by the time he tried to open it, it was too late. He suffocated, which is why it’s called the suicide hatch."

Really good stuff, and a great way to kick off the haunting season. You can listen to this interview, and others, by clicking the link here for my Haunted Michigan podcast.

Thanks, Rusty!!

Rusty Jones of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CentralMichiganParanormalInvestigations">Central Michigan Paranormal Investigations</a> (CMPI) is my guest on this episode of Haunted Michigan. As I post this it's Friday, September 13th, a perfect day for the paranormal.
A Particularly Haunted Central Michigan Location
Rusty spoke to me about how his journey started. "I founded Central Michigan Paranormal Investigators back in 1988 after reading a book on paranormal phenomena and visiting some local sites. That got me hooked, and I’ve been doing this ever since."
Rusty spoke to some of the most active places they've investigated, and it's somewhere I've heard people bring up before. "One of the most active places we investigate regularly is the Michigan Theater in Jackson. We go there annually, and every visit brings a new experience. It’s an incredibly active site." He went on "One time, we had a guest investigator who heard me call his name from the balcony while he was near the stage. The strange thing? I was outside the building at the time. These doppelganger effects are common there, along with physical sensations like shirt tugs and footsteps in empty areas."
Another location that CMIP found active was the old Jackson prison. "We’ve done several investigations at the old prison in Jackson, which was Michigan’s first maximum-security prison, dating back to the 1800s. There’s a lot of history there, including stories of wardens mistreating inmates, which has left some residual energy. We've also investigated several businesses in Lansing, and we’re returning to the USS Edson in Bay City this weekend for another overnight investigation. (more on that later) One of the wardens in the early 1900s was notorious for his cruelty. In one story, he hosed down a prisoner in freezing temperatures, then left him naked in his cell to die. The warden himself ended up being imprisoned later and was found hanged in the same facility."
Rusty passed along one of his craziest experiences with the paranormal. "One time in Lansing, I was investigating a house where only the kids had seen the entity. I made a provocative remark, trying to stir activity, and right as I did, something told me to move my head. As I did, a frying pan flew across the room and hit the wall behind me. That’s the last time I tried provoking spirits!"
Full-Body Apparitions and Visual Encounters
I asked him if he's ever seen a full-body apparition. "I’ve only seen two in all my years of investigating. The first was at a lighthouse in Escanaba. A woman walked right out the door, solid as you and me. She walked toward the lighthouse and started ascending the stairs, but by the time she reached the top, she had faded until she was completely transparent.
Now, back to the USS Edson. He visited over the weekend and told me there was a lot of activity in their overnight stay. " It was very eventful, to say the least. It started almost as soon as we got on the ship and continued throughout the night." He went on "Well, as soon as we got on the ship, we started hearing footsteps on the deck above us while we were in the galley getting set up. We knew for a fact that we were the only ones on the ship at that point. We sent someone up to check, but no one was there. And that was only about 6:05 p.m., with the sun still out."
He said they split up into two groups. The other group was experiencing a lot of happenings. "After about 45 minutes, they came back and said they couldn’t go back down there because it felt really evil, and they started hearing voices. So, naturally, I said, "Let’s all go down there and see for ourselves!" The atmosphere in the back of the ship felt completely different from the front. It was really draining."
Rusty said there's a place on the boat that puts out a lot of energy. "It’s different every time. The first two visits, we had some interesting experiences in the ship’s woodworking shop, near what’s called the "suicide hatch." A sailor, who received a "Dear John" letter while at sea, isolated himself down there to clear his head. He didn’t realize the hatch cut off airflow, and by the time he tried to open it, it was too late. He suffocated, which is why it’s called the suicide hatch."
Really good stuff, and a great way to kick off the <a href="https://wrif.com/podcasts/haunted-michigan-with-meltdown-2/">haunting season</a>. You can listen to this interview, and others, by clicking the link <a href="https://wrif.com/podcasts/haunted-michigan-with-meltdown-2/">here</a> for my Haunted Michigan podcast.
Thanks, Rusty!!

Haunted Michigan is a podcast about the creepier, scarier, spookier side of the mitten state. Join your host, Meltdown, throughout October as he speaks with some of the top paranormal people in Michigan.

The Whitney, Eloise, Jackson prison, the Bruce mansion, and many, many more. Michigan has a lot to offer when it comes to paranormal activity, as you’ll discover from some of the people who have experienced it the most.

Now sit back, dim the lights, and get ready to learn about the paranormal side of Michigan.

Haunted Michigan is a podcast about the creepier, scarier, spookier side of the mitten state. Join your host, Meltdown, throughout October as he speaks with some of the top paranormal people in Michigan.
The Whitney, Eloise, Jackson prison, the Bruce mansion, and many, many more. Michigan has a lot to offer when it comes to paranormal activity, as you’ll discover from some of the people who have experienced it the most.
Now sit back, dim the lights, and get ready to learn about the paranormal side of Michigan.

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