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INVESTIGATION #023
West Virginia Penitentiary
Moundsville, Wv.
Date Of Investigation: March 7, 2009
Time: 11:00pm - 6:00am
Investigators on Scene: Marty Seibel, Lisa Rose, Shea Willis, Ann MacLeod-Lambert, Robin Tapley,
Kelley Davis, Jesse Johnson, Randall Paugh, Gidget Jeppesen, Kelly Hoynoski, Richard Bond, Jessica
Griffin, Dewayne Griffin, RJ Deacon, Spurgeon Hudgins, Dustin Besendorfer,
Angela Besendorfer, Adrian Woodson
Weather: Overcast, 68 degrees, 42% humidity, Wind: 17.3 mph West with gust up to 35 mph,
Moon Phase: waxing gibbous with 85% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated
Featured on MTVs FEAR, the West Virginia State Penitentiary is known as one of the most haunted locations in West
Virginia. Our second investigation here at the penitentiary with 18 SVPS members participating. This time we
would have complete access to the penitentiary all to ourselves!
Background History
Construction on the penitentiary began in 1866 and it was opened for full operation in 1876. A total of 94 men have been
executed in the prison since it opened. From 1899-1949, eighty-five men were hung. In 1951 the State began using an
electric chair. The state abolished the death penalty in 1959. Prisoners were kept in 5' x 7' cells and when over-
crowding became a concern, three prisoners were kept in a cell. A interesting side-note, in 1983 Charles Manson
wrote to the warden requesting a transfer to the West Virginia Penitentiary. Claiming he had family in the area
and also this was the only place that the guards had treated him well were his reasons.
Conditions here were poor and with the over-crowding they became worse. Violence certainly increased in the latter years
of operation. Many, many brutal killings and beatings took place here. That combined with the number of horrible
executions, it leaves a lasting impression of pain and suffering. It is impossible to imagine what everyday life was
like for these inmates. The doors on the penitentiary were finally closed in 1995.
Investigation Objective
This was the second trip to the penitentiary for SVPS. However it would be the first time where SVPS had the entire
penitentiary all to themelves for the evening. We were very excited to have this opportunity and 18 members attended
the investigation. Our primary objective was to come away
with tangible evidence to suggest life after death does
exsist and that the penitentiary was indeed haunted. We wanted to put their reputation to test.
We split our group into 5 smaller groups. Group 1 consisted of Marty Seibel, Lisa Rose and Richard Bond. Group 2
consisted of Jesse Johnson, Randall Paugh,Gidget Jeppesen and Spurgeon Hudgins. Group 3 consisted of Shea Willis,
Ann MacLeod-Lambert, RJ Deacon, and Kelly Hoynoski. Group 4 consisted of Robin Tapley, Adrian Woodson,
Angela Besendorfer and Dustin Besendorfer. Group 5 consisted of Kelley Davis, Dewayne and Jessica Griffen.
Investigation Data
Video
Camcorders throughout various locations in the penitentiary revealed absolutely nothing. The dvr system and IR cameras
that were set up in the Sugar Shack for the entire evening revealed no unusual activity. Quite a bit of dust was observed
in the Sugar Shack via the IR cameras.
Photographs
Photographs both digital and 35 revealed no unusal activity. A few dust orbs, nothing more. Some photographs of the
penitentiary can be viewed below. The photographs below are of the Alamo (maximum security), the Hole (solitary
confinement) and the Wagon Gate (hanging area). The Alamo was maximum security, where the worse kind of inmates
were kept, the hole used as a place of punishment and last the Wagon Gate is claimed where some inmates were hung.
The Alamo
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The Alamo
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The Hole
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The Hole
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Wagon Gate
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Audio
Several evps were recorded in various locations throughout the penitentiary, mostly being in the class B-C range.
One area that one of our better evps that was captured was in the cell of Red Snyder in maximum security. Maximum
security was named the Alamo by inmates and was where the toughest, most harden inmates were kept. Red Snyder was
a member of the Aryan Brotherhood ( a white prison gang numbering 15,000 members) and was in competition for a leader-
ship role within the gang. He was brutally stabbed to death by a fellow inmate in his cell with an ice pick. It is said
that he was stabbed a total of 37 times.
Shortly after 2 am., Lisa Rose, Marty Seibel and Richard Bond conducted an evp session in Red's cell for a period of about
10 minutes. Using 1-2 minute short question and answer sessions, it is here that we captured our first evp. We classify
it as a class B evp as we agree it can have different interuptitations. Please listen to it below with a few other evps we
recorded in the penitentiary.
Active areas for evp seemed to be Maximum Security (The Alamo), the Sugar Shack and an area known as the Hole,
where inmates were kept as a form of punishment, solitary confinement.
Red Snyder's cell where evp was captured.
Personal Experiences
Many personal experiences were recorded from the investigation during the night. All were experienced in areas where
evps were later discover and seemed to again be the active areas mentioned above. The Sugar Shack, the Alamo and the
Hole were these active areas. Different groups had different experiences and at different times. All happened in areas in
conjunction with evps from those areas. Maximum security known as the Alamo, one group member early in the evening
while doing audio recordings in Red's Cell, felt a heavy pressure against his chest. He felt very uncomfortable and as if
something told him to get out, the pressure continued upon his chest. He did leave the cell and basically removed himself
from the investigation for the night. Just an hour later an evp was recorded in that cell from another group. Another
member got quite uncomfortable in the area known as the Hole and was touched numerous times. He too basically
removed himself from the investigation for the evening. It should be noted that both of these investigators are of sound
mind, strong and big men with rational personalities, not easy to upset. Yet something or someone forced them to leave
the investigation for the evening.
Final Conclusion: Haunted
While we were unable to obtain any concrete photographic or video evidence, we certainly did capture many evps. All of
which seemed to respond intelligently or answer to most questions. It is our belief that there are intelligent hauntings
within the walls of the West Virginia State Penitentiary, not anything that we would classify as a residual haunt. This
combined with two experiences that had a great effect on two of members, of which they both had to remove themselves
from the investigation. It is certainly of our opinion that the West Virginia State Penitentiary is indeed haunted.
Copyright © Marty Seibel & SVPS
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