By Julie Clark - Sports editor
It’s the perfect time of the year to get into paranormal investigations. A group of paranormal investigators have joined forces and interests in the subject and are ready to visit homes in and around the Centerville area.
Iowa Paranormal was founded by Steven and Amber Tracy in October of 2008. They have over 10 years of combined experience in this field. They have done much research into this subject and gone with other well established groups on investigations. The husband/wife team felt now was the time to start a group here in southern Iowa.
Eight years ago S. Tracy found an interest in paranormal activities. This interest was stemmed from always enjoying horror movies and visiting cemeteries by himself at a young age. “I did research on the subject and met up with other groups that were interested,” said Tracy.
Tracy and his wife, Amber, started the Centerville group and have a website at iaparanormal.com. Also joining the team are Tony Brozovich and Patrick Law who also live in Centerville.
Brozovich says he has always enjoyed watching T.V. shows about paranormal happenings. “I wanted to try it,” said Brozovich. Law remembers seeing things floating as a child in Missouri. He and his sister also saw an old man’s figure floating. “I want to know if what I saw as a child could have been real or just my imagination,” said Law.
The current team uses equipment such as a night vision camera, voice recorders and electronic magnetic field detectors.
When called to investigate a home or building the team will first interview the client and talk about the problems that they are encountering. They will then set up an overnight stay where they will place the cameras and other tools in the rooms that activity has been noticed by the client. They will then review the footage and discuss the findings with the client.
If there was a finding while conducting the investigation the team would research the past owners of the home and look for possibilities of who may be haunting the current establishment. They will look for answers to questions like was it an old Indian burial ground or a coal mine, any deaths within the home or on the land and any other information that would give clues to whose spirit is still alive.
Suggestions will be made to the owner on how to get rid of the orbs or voices such as simply overpowering them to leave and being firm by telling them, “this is my home and I don’t want you here anymore,” is one way of telling the spirits to leave.
Tracy said that his visit to the Villisca Axe Murders House in Villisca, Ia was the most terrifying experience that he has had. He and his wife stayed overnight in the house with other groups and seen some pretty unreal things. “There was a camera set up in the bedroom facing toward a closet and orbs were seen for seven to eight minutes. There was also a voice recorded saying “I killed them”“, said Tracy.
A weather-beaten sign leaning against the decrepit front porch warns rather than welcomes. “J.B Moore Family Home, site of the Villisca Axe Murders.” The home is the residence that eight people were murdered in during the year of 1912.
“Our goal in to gain knowledge and see the evidence,” Tracy commented. The group offers free service to anyone that is interested in having the homes investigated. It is completely confidential with respect shown to the client and their property. “It’s a passion, we’re not thrill seekers,” said Tracy. The group is also following leads on UFO’s and Big Foot and they are always looking for more members that have an interest in joining the group. They are encouraged to contact Tracy at 641-895-3696 or 641-895-5882.
