Final Report & Analysis

Black Diamond Paranormal Society©

“We are the light that cuts the darkness. Therefore, when you see… truth must be honored.”

Final Report and Analysis

Case 026

Hebrew / Bryant Cemetery II

September 4, 2010

Coopers, West Virginia

Investigators

Rodney Shortridge, Heather Lamantia, Nathan Rasnick, Micki Nelson, Dave Horn, Clayton Trout

 &

Dr. Shari Stacy

Special Guest

Tabitha Horn

     On September 4, 2010 the BDPS team investigated the Hebrew/Bryant Cemetery, for a second time, located in Coopers, West Virginia. I would like to take this moment to thank Tom Childress of the Pocahontas Historical Society for giving us permission to investigate such a historical site. BDPS was given the opportunity to investigate the Hebrew/Bryant for a second time. On our last investigation we got some great evidence but the investigation had to be cut short due to the fog that rolled in about halfway through our investigation and Mr. Childress gave us the opportunity to finish our investigation with an entirely fresh start.  We decided because of the size of the cemetery that each team would investigate separate areas of the cemetery simultaneously while one team would watch the camera monitors at our tent base that was set up near the cemetery. We started our investigation around 7:00 p.m. with a walking tour of the cemetery that was given by Mr. Childress. We started our set up around 8:00 p.m. We then proceeded to our investigation soon after dividing into teams. Team 1 consisted of me and Dave Horn. Team 2 consisted of Nathan Rasnick and Micki Nelson. Team 3 consisted of Dr. Stacy and Heather Lamantia. Team 4 consisted of Clayton Trout and Micki Nelson. And Team 5 consisted of Nathan Rasnick and Tabitha Horn. Each team was placed to investigate different sections of the cemetery and one team monitoring our cameras back at base. Each team worked on a rotation changing their location about every 2 hours. We finished our investigation around 4:00 a.m. the following morning. This was a great experience and very helpful in our constant training.

     EQUIPMENT USED AT THIS INVESTIGATION:

  • (4) DVR’s (Digital Voice Recorders)
  • (1) Microcassette Recorder
  • (3) Zero Lux low lever IR (infra-red) cameras
  • (2) Kodak digital cameras
  • (1) Nikon camera
  • (1) Canon digital camera
  • (1) Samsung digital cameras
  • (2) K2 Meters
  • (2) EMF (Electro Magnetic Field) Meter
  • (1) Laser Thermometer

     We placed (1) DVR (Digital Voice Recorder) in each of the areas of the cemetery with reports or claims of paranormal activity and also where we got EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomena) on our last investigation. (1) IR camera was placed near the Hebrew section of the cemetery. (1) IR camera was placed near the African American section of the cemetery. (1) IR camera was placed near the gravesite of an African American Buffalo Soldier, Cheshire R. Froe. (1) Microcassette Recorder was carried by me during the investigation. Also, each team carried along with them during their investigations one of the following: K2 Meter, EMF (Electro Magnetic Field) Meter or Laser Thermometer.

History

*This article of the events surrounding the Hebrew – Bryant Cemetery was written by Bill Archer of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph and was published on July 16, 2009

Town to temporarily hold cemetery deeds

By Bill Archer
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

July 16, 2009 10:22 pm

— POCAHONTAS, Va. — Two historic cemeteries located in Mercer County near Pocahontas, Va., were on the verge of being prepared for development by a land owner, but a local non-profit organization stepped up to take temporary ownership of the property until the deeds of the cemeteries could be transferred to the appropriate parties.
Thomas B. Childress, treasurer of Historic Pocahontas Inc., explained the situation to his fellow board members at the board’s regular meeting Thursday night. According to Childress, although the eight-acre tract of land that served as two cemeteries — an early plot that was used as a Hebrew cemetery for 15-20 years, and a larger section that was used as an African American cemetery called Bryant Memorial Cemetery should have been tax exempt, the plot remained on the Mercer County tax rolls and had been sold at least twice for back taxes.
The most recent buyer hired a local contractor to do the clearing process, and the contractor removed some sections of 100-year-old wrought iron fence around the Hebrew section of the cemetery. A man who lives near the cemetery, Terry Collins, told the contractor he was stripping a cemetery, and locked a gate to the property and called Childress who in turn, called David Katz, a Bluefield attorney who is also treasurer of Congregation Ahavath Sholom, a Jewish congregation in Bluefield.
Katz, Childress and Collins spoke with Mercer County Assessor Bill Blankenship, who determined that the original property owner, Isiah Johnson, as well as his heirs had failed to properly deed the cemetery as a cemetery. The developer wanted to get the property back into the hands of the appropriate parties, but wanted to make sure the cemeteries went to a not-for-profit entity.
“We are coming here tonight with hat in hand,” Katz said to the board. “Please help us.”
Acting on a motion by Art Hewitt, chairman of Historic Pocahontas, the board voted unanimously to temporarily hold the deeds to the cemeteries until the appropriate parties could receive the deeds.
Katz expressed thanks to Collins and Childress for preventing any more damage to be done to the Hebrew and Bryant cemeteries.
– Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

 

Personal Experiences:

Heather Lamantia

I had two experiences to mention about the Hebrew-Bryant Cemetery Investigation. The first occurred in the area where "Bertha" was buried. This was the woman whose husband was removed from the cemetery by a family member. I had put brand new batteries in my camera before starting to investigate. While in this area my battery power suddenly dropped to low power. The next day, Sunday, my camera battery power registered full power. The second experience I had was near the grave of the only African-American buried on the Jewish side, and a Civil war veteran. While investigating I heard footsteps and a rustling in the trees and foliage that are right along the gravesite. It sounded like someone walking in there, but it is too dense to walk in, and Micki and I were the only ones in the area at the time.

9/6/10

Micki Nelson

While I was with Clayton in the top Jewish section, I had some pics that had a mist in them. I've got to see what Nathan thinks about them. I was asking questions at the site where the wife's husband had been taken and I got an answer in which I didn't make out what it was but Clayton said that he heard a "No". (Hopefully it was caught on the recorders yours and Clayton's). Also while we were there something made the back of my flash light up like I was using it.

9/8/10

Rodney Shortridge & Dave Horn

While Dave and I were investigating the upper end of the cemetery we were setting in the middle of an area that is surrounded by an old roadway that circles part of the cemetery. We were doing our EVP work and I was using the Laser Thermometer scanning the area for any changes in the temperature and was getting a reading of an average of 49 degrees. As I was scanning to my left the temperature dropped to 21 degrees. As I continued to scan the area to the left and right the temperature would rise to around 49 degrees but in an area of about 3 feet in width and about 6 feet in height the temperature would drop back down to 21 degrees. This lasted for about 2 to 3 minutes. The temperature in that area that had a dramatic drop in temperature and would raise back to 49 degrees this was very odd. We could not find any explanation for this event, a sudden drop of temperature of 21 degrees is impossible considering we were in a wooded part of the cemetery with no machinery in the area that would cause such a sharp decrease in temperature.

9/5/10 

Evidence

Photo evidence: There are photos with unexplained orbs and mist.

Video evidence: An unexplained mist.

Note:  BDPS does not support the idea of orbs as evidence of the paranormal because most orbs can be explained away as dust, bugs, rain, mist, fog, etc. There are cases that the orbs we photograph seem to move with some type of intelligent intent. We post these photos because we feel that there needs to be more investigation into the Orb Phenomenon and we shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss this phenomenon without further investigation and explanation. So we show these photos in an attempt to add another piece to the puzzle and leave this decision up to you to accept or dismiss orbs as evidence. It is also my opinion to show all evidence so we all can learn from what might be an area of the paranormal that may be getting over looked by researchers.

EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomenon)

We heard the following EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) and unexplained noises on our DVR’s (Digital Voice Recorders) & Microcassette Recorder:

Cemetery:

  • Unexplained Noise
  • Unexplained Male Voice (Die)
  • Unexplained Voice (Help)
  • Unexplained Whisper Inaudible
  • Unexplained Whisper Inaudible & Unexplained Whisper (Hey) & Unexplained Giggle
  • Unexplained Male Voice (Hi)
  • Unexplained (Yell) Inaudible
  • Unexplained Female Voice (First word Inaudible then Lockly)
  • Unexplained Male Voice (Yeah)
  • Unexplained Whisper (Fuck It)
  • Unexplained Male Voice (Yelling - Go People)
  • Unexplained Voice Inaudible
  • Unexplained Whistle Whisper Inaudible & Whistle
  • Unexplained Movement & Bang
  • Unexplained Laugh


 

CONCLUSION

     We have come to the conclusion that the Hebrew/Bryant Cemetery has moderate paranormal activity in the forms of EVP’s, interesting photographic orbs, mists, audio and video evidence which showed an unexplained mist, and personal experiences that helped us to determine our conclusion.

           I look forward to our next investigation. If anyone would like for us to do a paranormal investigation of their home, business, church, property or a family cemetery please contact us. If you would just like to speak with us about any paranormal activity you may be having we would love to hear from you. No problem is too small. We would be honored to help and we do not charge for our services. Contact BDPS to set up a time and place for us to discuss your paranormal questions and or problems.

            I feel honored to be working with such a great team. Without the team’s hard work and professionalism BDPS would not be what it has become today.

 

*Check out our Website:

www.blackdiamondps.org

I would like to thank all of the BDPS members for all their hard work. To all of our clients, a special ‘thank you’ for giving us the opportunity to be able to come in and help to the best of our abilities. I know with the team that I have formed we will have exciting investigations in the future. I would like to let everyone know that our members have become more to me than just investigators, they have become my family. Without them BDPS would not be possible. Just like a family we sometimes agree and sometimes we don’t agree but each and every member of BDPS is very special to me. Thanks guys, you all are the best!!!

     I hope everyone enjoys the photos and the analysis sheet along with the new video we are providing. Also we will have our EVP’s, photos and any video evidence on the website for everyone to view and listen to. You can judge for yourself. If anyone has any questions or comments we would love to hear from you. Let us know what you think.

Thank you,

Rodney Shortridge

Founder/Lead Investigator

Black Diamond Paranormal Society

276-988-6690

Heather Lamantia

Case Manager

276-385-2443