Investigators witness strange activity during ghost hunt

For those of you who've already picked up Preview today, you know I spent last Friday night meandering through the Municipal Auditorium's hallways, tape recorder in hand, searching for paranormal activity.

I wasn't alone. I joined a group of 60 participants who accompanied Louisiana Spirits on their second investigation through the historic music hall. Although my tape recorder picked up a lot of laughs, it failed to capture the whispering of any spirits. However, Louisiana Spirits says the investigation yielded more evidence for their organization. The group is still reviewing evidence and isn't in any hurry to classify their findings as paranormal. But here's what they've told me about the evidence they've recovered so far and experiences they had Friday night.

• Shelly Mills, an investigator with Louisiana Spirits, shared of her experiences with me through e-mail. During the investigation she said she and another investigator were sitting alone in the upper balcony of the auditorium when they heard what sounded like a metal key dropping directly behind them and to their left. The investigators turned on their flashlights but after walking several aisles, were unable to find anything metallic on the ground.
• Another experience took place in the basement. Four investigators were in a room rumored to have recent activity. The group was doing EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) work and after a little provoking, a loud scratch was heard. The sound came from behind Todd Weaver, co-founder of Louisiana Spirits. Others directed their flashlights to the area and saw a large pipe swaying heavily.
• One member may have caught a few EVPs. Investigators are going over the evidence to make sure the sounds/voices are not causes of anything electrical or simply other voices.

Louisiana Spirits should have all the evidence collected and posted on their Web site by next week. You can check out what the ghost hunters have captured previously at the Municipal and other locations at laspirits.com. Or check back with the IN blog for more information on the investigation next week.