For a year and a half, Kyle Rosencrance and Dustin Newman have been hunting for paranormal activity. Most recent investigations of “Philippi Phantom Finders” include the Flinderation tunnels near Salem and Mount Tabor Cemetery in Barbour County – both locations which have a ghostly reputation.

 

Their next stop is the alleged grave of Rhoda Ward at Bridgeport Cemetery. That’s because legend has it that Ward was a witch, said Rosencrance, pictured.

 

“I want to see if we can clear her name,” he said. “If she is a witch, I’d like to talk to her. I’m not afraid of her. And if she’s not, I want to ask her if somebody else was covering up their witchcraft and blamed it on her.”

 

The amateur ghostbusters have many more questions for Ward, who during the late 18^th century was tried, but not convicted of witchcraft charges. They also have a plan, built on sheer determination and facilitated with interesting technology.

 

In their paranormal research, the phantom finders utilize infrared night vision cameras with both high-def digital and video capabilities, as well as audio equipment, including instrumental transcommunication (ITC) research devices. They use a PSB7 spirit box – a tool which uses radio frequency sweeps to generate white noise, providing necessary energy for spirit voices to be heard, Rosencrance said.

 

“It has AM and FM and is set to sweep through four radio stations per second. You can sweep in forward or in reverse,” he said.

 

From previous spirit box sessions – which also include West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville and the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston – Rosencrance and his partner have assembled 19 pages of transcripts containing recorded responses.

 

Those responses are single words or short phrases, some of which quite easy to understand – others understood after repeated listening. Several hours are typically spent deciphering each session. Rosencrance truly believes he has broken the communication barrier between the living and the dead and that the responses the team has gathered are direct answers to their questions.

 

One such incidence occurred at the Flinderation tunnels. Among a group of very old tombstones was one set apart, fenced in at the top of a hill and very good condition.

 

“You couldn’t read any of the rest, but this one was in pristine condition It was about five feet tall, very fancy and very well done. Maybe this guy was the foreman who built the tunnels or maybe he was in charge,” Rosencrance said.

 

When asked his name, the spirit replied “John” – the same name indicated on the tombstone. When asked how many men died in the mining accident documented on the grave marker, he replied – in a very distinctive Italian accent – “there were four people.”

 

There are various other phrases documented in transcripts of their spirit box sessions.

 

“When you’re speaking to spirits, they don’t know time. Time is gone, but they still know their names and sometimes they tell their age, how they died or when,” Rosencrance said. “And it’s very hard for them to speak. They have to use a lot of energy. You may hear a whisper, but they may be right in front of you screaming. It just depends.”

 

 

The Phantom Finders say they have also discovered residual energy, orbs, light anomalies and full-body apparitions.

 

With regard to the latter, Rosencrance said they have seen three – images, sometimes appearing as shadows, which are recognizable as human configurations.  Among the most notable is the figure of a small child, known as Lilly, seen at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

 

He describes residual energy as noise or happenings of past incidents.

 

“Say you go into a mine and no one is there, but you can hear miners mining,” he said.

 

Orbs, typically circular artifacts, occur in flash photography and light anomalies are the transformation of spirit energy. A number of light anomalies manifested when the pair conducted some research in a house where family members of the spirits sought still reside, Rosencrance said.

 

He knows most people are skeptical and that’s ok, but the seeking of spirits and the thoughts they wish to communicate have truly become a personal passion.

 

“I really didn’t choose this; it chose me,” said Rosencrance, who admits getting shook up during investigations and even having nightmares about his findings.

 

The duo became interested in paranormal research when they, on a hunch, stopped at an allegedly haunted house in the Barbour County area and stumbled upon some very strange occurrences.

 

After that, they began studying, purchasing equipment and proceeding to check out places of interest.

 

The Bridgeport Cemetery, where Ward is supposedly buried, was recently brought to the Philippi Phantom Finders’ attention. They became intrigued and contacted Bridgeport Cemetery Superintendent Kitty Sapp. They look forward to what they may discover.

 

At an undisclosed future date, the men will conduct full-scale experimentation and share what they find.

 

It may not be important to most, but it is to them.

 

“She was accused and ridiculed and it ruined her life,” Rosencrance said. “If you were called a witch in the 1700s, you were done.”

 

He has already done some spirit seeking on site, which will serve as the foundation for the all-inclusive investigation. Those findings include verification that Ward’s spirit is there, that she was accused of witchcraft and that she is ok with the team coming back, Rosencrance said.

 

Read Connect-Bridgeport’s Halloween night story about Rhoda Ward HERE.