Paranormal Investigation: Schenectady, New York - 2007

• Site Type: Private Residence - Old Commercial/Residential Building
  
• Location: Schenectady, New York
  
• Date: January 7, 2007
  
• Client Status: Anonymous
  

Case Report

The ISIS Paranormal Investigations team investigated an old commercial building in Schenectady, New York on January 7, 2007. A team of five investigators: Dayna Winters, Patricia Gardner, Justyn Staley, Angela Kaufman, and Sathish Vijayan set out to investigate a five floor location after receiving complaints of paranormal activity. Primary complaints include seeing moving shadows within the field of peripheral vision, hearing unexplained noises, and finding cabinet doors open when they were previously closed (without explanation). The anonymous client’s friends have also reported feeling odd at the location and have heard heavy footsteps from an unexplained source.

Interview:

A resident of the building was interviewed. According to the 36-year-old male, the location has had prior paranormal activity, causing him to contact the team. The male, who has chosen to remain anonymous, spoke about his experience with the team at great length. The building investigated contains several apartments as well as several businesses. No clergy had ever been called in to bless the location and the location has received no prior media attention or investigations conducted by other paranormal researchers. The client holds a profound interest in the paranormal and the occult.

The interview also reveals that the building is undergoing extensive renovations at this time. Further, the client has heard that there was at least one death on the location, of a woman, purportedly on the fourth floor. The cause of death was unknown.

According to the client, several witnesses have seen and heard things while visiting the client at the location. One woman, while relaxing on the futon in the living room, heard footsteps walking across the living room floor when no one else was in the room with her. The same woman later briefly saw a man in a flannel shirt that disappeared as quickly as he had been spotted. The client reports that the woman was “pretty freaked out” by the event. Later, another female friend witnesses the lights turning on and off by themselves in the bedroom of the location.

EVPS:

EVPs were captured at the location, ranging from A to C, with the voices of men, women, and children appearing on tape during analysis. Some EVPs were aggressive and threatening.

EMF Readings:

EMF equipment, which converts EMF waves to audio waves, was used. Positive readings were picked up on every floor near the staircase, leading the team to conclude that there was probably wiring behind the wall that ran up through the floors by the staircase.

Temperature Fluctuations:

A significant change in temperature was noted in the basement of the location. The baseline reading for the basement was 64 degrees Fahrenheit. While taking photos, several investigators noted that it was getting hotter in the large basement and conducted another reading, showing an increase of 10 degrees, to 74 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature change was brief, lasting no more than a few seconds and then disappearing.

Other temperature changes were noted as well, particularly in the basement. The temperature, at a baseline of 25 degrees C, fluctuated to 31 degrees C over a period of five minutes, and then quickly dropped to 22 degrees C.

Photos:

A photo of an apparition appears on the stairs in the basement. An EVP in the same location states, “I am coming down the stairs.” Meanwhile, another photo taken on the fourth floor reveals a strange black anomaly coming out of the wall near the ceiling.

Psychic Experiences:

One of our investigators experienced unexplained difficulty with his breathing while in the basement of the location. Two of our investigators noted having breathing difficulties and chest pains while on the third floor of the location. In the same location, an investigator felt something unseen rush past them—the sensation could not be explained by a draft or other natural causes.

A second investigator had the feeling that an unseen force was pushing them. In the basement, an investigator felt the camera in her hand moving, as if it was being manipulated while in her hand. Interestingly, when reviewing photo images, the investigator discovered that the camera video capture was turned on and several clips of footage appeared that taped the floor and the investigators conversing. ( The investigator did not turn on the video of this particular camera for any reason during the investigation, as other cameras are used for such purposes.)

On the second floor of the location, a female investigator notes difficulty breathing. Another female investigator experiences vertigo on more than one occasion, particularly near the stairs on the fourth floor of the location.

Upon leaving the location, all of the investigators begin to enter the elevator. Several investigators entered the elevator without any difficulty. When a female investigator attempted to step into the elevator the door rapidly slammed on her and refused to open. The door had to be forced open. Thinking it might be a fluke, another investigator gets on, and the same thing happens. For safety reasons, the team decides to forego the use of the elevator and to take the stairs. Later reports confirm additional problems with the elevator after this incident: it has been reported to stop between floors and not work properly ever since.

Conclusion: Location Haunted.

In total, the team captured over 40 EVPs, several photos, and investigator’s experiences have led our team to conclude the building is active. According to the client, paranormal activity continues, and about a week after our team’s visit, the elevator continued to sporadically malfunction. In addition, for reasons unknown to the client, the basement of the location flooded with water: renovations still continue, as does the paranormal activity. We will remain in contact with the client and continue to assist him in any way we can.

Additional Evidence:

• View our Photo Gallery for paranormal photos associated with this case.



• View our EVP Gallery for Electronic Voice Phenomena captures associated with this case.