• About
  • Archer Paranormal Investigations (API)
  • Contact
  • Equipment
    • Go-To Tools
  • Media
  • The Haunted Librarian Show

The Haunted Librarian

~ Researching, investigating, and writing about the paranormal.

The Haunted Librarian

Category Archives: Hoaxes

Amityville Horror Murderer Dies

16 Tuesday Mar 2021

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in amityville horror, Crimes, Hoaxes, Not Haunted, True Crime

≈ Comments Off on Amityville Horror Murderer Dies

Tags

amityville horror, ronald butch defeo

1. Undated photograph of the DeFeo family. 1. The exterior of the infamous house. 3. Ronald “Butch” DeFeo, Jr. in handcuffs.

Ronald “Butch” DeFeo, Jr. is dead at the age of 69. On November 13, 1974, DeFeo murdered his parents and 4 siblings. One of his defense theories was that he was possessed at the time. The Court did not entertain the idea. Instead, DeFeo was sentenced to serve 25 years to life. On February 2nd, he was transported to the Albany Medical Center, and his death was reported on March 15.

The combination of a horrible crime coupled with the farfetched defense theory spawned one of horror movie genres most successful and lucrative franchises. However, it was build upon a hoax. (See my blog from 2014: https://thehauntedlibrarian.com/2014/03/19/amityville-horror-hoax/)

Prison officials nor the hospital provided a cause of death stating that one would be released only to immediate family. We may never know how he died. Honestly, I’m okay with that. Let’s focus on the victims instead.

British Spiritual Medium Derek Acorah Dead at 69

05 Sunday Jan 2020

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Hoaxes, In the News, Psychics, R.I.P.

≈ Comments Off on British Spiritual Medium Derek Acorah Dead at 69

Early today, Derek Acorah’s wife Gwen posted a tribute on FaceBook stating her husband was dead. Born Derek Francis Jason Johnson in 1950, Acorah died after entering a septic coma caused by contracting pneumonia. His death closes a chapter on one of Britain’s controversial psychics.

Nearly 20 years ago, Acorah began using his psychic gifts for entertainment purposes. In 2001, he landed the role of lead medium in a new TV show titled Haunting Truths. The show’s name was changed to Most Haunted the following year. Acorah appeared for 6 series. He was ousted after claims of fakery emerged from some crew members. The members fed Acorah “facts” about some purported spirits. Two were named “Rik Eedles” and “Kreed Kafer.” The names were anagrams for Derek Lies and Derek Faker. Acoroh was swiftly removed from the show.

In the past year, Acorah faced new allegations of deception by contacting families of recently deceased people claiming to be able to speak with the decedents. This violated advertising standards.

Not withstanding the above, Acoroh will probably be remembered as hosting one of the worst TV shows in recent history. In 2009, Acoroh live broadcasted Michael Jackson: The Live Séance, where he attempted to make contact with MJ’s spirit. According to media outlets, it was a car crash of epic proportions in bad taste.

Acorah is survived by his second wife, Gwen, and their two children.

Another Segment from Paranormal Caught on Camera Called Out

22 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Hoaxes, Poltergeists, Scams, Travel Channel, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Another Segment from Paranormal Caught on Camera Called Out

Tags

Deerpark CBS School Cork Ireland, Green Gallows, Old Greenmount School, St. Finbarr's

Hallway--WetFloor

Screen capture of the “poltergeist.”

Another Segment from Paranormal Caught on Camera Called Out

Travel Channel debuted the overhyped series Paranormal Caught on Camera this week. The series profiles numerous “paranormal” incidents occurring around the world. “Experts” are interviewed proclaiming the incidents legitimate with very, very little debunking. That’s a pity. The other day I cast suspicion upon the “Russian Bigfoot” segment. Now I’m calling out the Deerpark CBS School “poltergeist.”

First, I would like to express my deep dismay that no one at the popular cable channel did any Internet searches on these locations. Granted, I hold a M.A. degree in Library Science; however, I’m merely rooting through various credible websites—something someone at Travel Channel should have done.

The segment on the Deerpark CBS School in Cork, Ireland was too contrived. Simply stated: It was too staged. The first video clip showed a rear door slamming closed. Then a set a lockers rocked violently. Papers fell out of another locker adjacent to the rocking set. Finally, a “wet floor” sign aggressively flipped over. In the second video, a chair levitated in the background. A student backpack flew from the top of another set of lockers. Next, a poster flung from the wall. Finally, a chair slid across the floor. All of these are elaborate hoaxes.

Watch the video clips here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tUwg2Q1fKE and https://youtu.be/vh99uSI22BU.

It’s nearly embarrassing to go through the obvious. The dramatic slamming of the door catches the viewer’s attention. The aggressiveness of the rocking lockers is absurd. The papers in the other locker did not come from within the locker. Instead, they appeared to be perched ready to fly out. None of the other items inside were disturbed. The sign was not kicked, as one would expect, but flipped as if connected to wiring. The second video is worse. Most notably are 1) the poster being pulled from the wall (as if the upper corners are connected to wires), and 2) the chair dragged by one leg to the other side of the hallway (again, orchestrated by wires). Wouldn’t a ghost push the chair?

Even without viewing the videos (posted in early October 2017), one should consider the timing of the postings. The school hosted a Halloween event, where tickets were sold, to tour the “haunted” school shortly thereafter. Aaron Wolfe, one of the deputy principals, claimed that administrators just found out that the school was built on the former Green Gallows, a popular historic location where people were hung. In public. In the 19th century when nearly everyone attended public hangings.

The Facts

A school was built on the former grounds of the Green Gallows—just not Deerpark CBS. In 1852, construction began on the Old Greenmount School. In 1855, the school opened as St. Finbarr’s. The street name of Gallows Green Lane was changed to Green Street. (Admittedly, looking online at the old map, the Green Gallows was situated on Bandon Road—still a healthy walk from Deerpark) Deerpark sits on St. Patrick’s Road, a 10-minute walk away.

gallows-green-1759

Historic Map of Green Gallows area.

Incredulously, Mr. Wolfe attempted to link Deerpark’s building to that of an historic school. Maybe he presumed no one in America would Google it.

This is another example highlighting the egregious errors and misrepresentation of paranormal events to lure viewers to watch mediocre shows. Do better, Travel Channel!

 

Uncle Sam Wants Bigfoot Trackers?

08 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Bigfoot, Cryptozoologist, Hoaxes, In the News, Para Scammers, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Uncle Sam Wants Bigfoot Trackers?

Tags

#ParaScammer, Bigfoot Tracker, Keith Barnes

UncleSam

Uncle Sam Wants Bigfoot Trackers?

Last week, news broke about Keith Barnes, a 46-year-old Arkansas man, who liked to dress up and pretend to work for the federal government. More precisely: Barnes claimed he was a “Bigfoot Tracker” for the Department of the Interior. Yes, Barnes claimed that the US government employed him as a Cryptozoologist. While he was under investigation for impersonating a federal employee, Barnes was arrested for possessing child pornography. It is unclear if the investigation as to his impersonating a federal employee continues and if the charges would be rolled into the criminal charges. Barnes’ next court appearance is scheduled for June 18, 2018.

No, the US Department of the Interior does not employ cryptozoologists. Although an interesting and ever-changing job, the position does not exist. However, should one exist, what would the job posting look like?

A Cryptozoologist is a person who studies the existence of “disputed or unsubstantiated species.” The most common are called Bigfoot, Yeti, and Sasquatch. Although a science-based college degree is not required, it is strongly encouraged that the person know about animal life. Further, by definition, it is implied that the Cryptozoologist be a “Zoologist,” someone who has an undergraduate degree in animal biology.

A “Bigfoot Tracker” is a person who tracks Bigfoot. No college degree or experience needed.

Ideally, the job would fall under the purview of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. A “Bigfoot Tracker” would probably apply for a Park Ranger position or any of the Biologist jobs. Both positions require an undergraduate degree or relevant work experience in lieu of a degree.

Extensive travel would be involved. Due to the large size of the nation and the varying reports, prospective applicants would need to travel. A lot. Outside organizations are better equipped to handle such reports. They have the infrastructure and network in place to maximize personnel. The US government does not.

The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) claims to be the largest virtual community of researchers, scientists, journalists, and enthusiasts. Founded in 1995, the organization’s mission is to explore the “bigfoot/sasquatch mystery” using scientific means. Membership is by invitation-only. The organization is most known for its connection to the Finding Bigfoot TV show that aired on Animal Planet. [Barnes was admitted to the BFRO. To date the organization has not released a statement about his arrest or the other investigation or whether he remains a member.] For more information, view their website at https://www.bfro.net/.

This is not to say that the government is not interested in the paranormal. While the government has paid contractors to investigate extraterrestrial life, the government does not maintain job lines, complete with pensions and limited job protections. Instead, the government monitors developments and then investigates. If the job title sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Barnes is another example of a paranormal scammer (#ParaScammer) who fed lies to fuel his ego.

 

 

 

#ParaNews for the Week of May 7, 2018

08 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Hoaxes, In the News, Marietta, Para Scammers, ParaNews, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on #ParaNews for the Week of May 7, 2018

Tags

Bigfoot Tracker, Keith Barnes, mufon, ParaScammers, What We Do in the Shadows

Poster2

Paranormal News for the Week of May 7, 2018

#ParaNews for the Week of May 7, 2018

BarnesABN-300x239
KeithBarnes

  1. Keith Barnes, a 46-year-old man from Black Rock, Arkansas, claims to work for the US Department of the Interior as a “Bigfoot Tracker.” He dons a fake khaki ranger uniform with bogus patches pretending to be a cryptozoologist. Barnes is not a scientist. Nor does the US government employ professional trackers searching for Bigfoot. Barnes is another #ParaScammer. His story would not make the evening news, except that he was arrested for possessing child pornography. Barnes attracted the attention of law enforcement when he began wearing the “uniform” and telling people he tracked the movements of cryptids in North America. An investigation into whether Barnes was impersonating a federal employee when an anonymous source alerted authorities to the child pornography. Barnes posted bail and will appear in court on June 18th.
  2. FX has ordered 10 episodes of the TV version of What We Do in the Shadows, the 2014 mockumentary about modern-day vampires coping with adulting. The movie was set in New Zealand and starred Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, and Jonny Brugh. The TV series will be set in New York City and star Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetrious, and Harvey Guillen. The ½ comedy will debut in 2019 with Clement and Waititi serving as writers and producers. Wellington Paranormal, another TV spin-off based on the police officers in the film who investigate paranormal activity, is in development and scheduled for a 2018 release.
  3. MUFON, the Mutual U.F.O. Network, is quite active. In fact, last week I read a posting on my city’s neighborhood Facebook page where an investigator was asking for eyewitness reports of supposed U.F.O. activity in March. For more information on MUFON activity or to file a report, visit http://www.mufon.com/. Lesson: Always read your neighborhood posts. You never know what will brighten your feed.

MUFON in Marietta

ParaNews for March 12, 2018

13 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Amelia Earhart, Extraterrestrial Life, Famous People, Hoaxes, Horror Movies, In the News, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on ParaNews for March 12, 2018

Tags

Amelia Earhart, bryan bertino, michio kaku, richard jantz, strangers prey at night

AmeliaEarhart2

ParaNews for March 12, 2018

Paranormal News for the Week of March 12, 2018:

  • Media outlets seized on the Amelia Earhart disappearance by covering Dr. Richard Jantz’s overhyped article in Forensic Anthropology To be clear: Jantz does not proffer any new evidence or even support his theory that the infamous Nikumaroro Bones found in 1941 belong to the aviatrix. Read my blog titled “The Nikumaroro Bones Have Not Been Proven to be Amelia Earhart” detailing the serious flaws in his “research.”

Poster

  • The sequel in The Strangers franchise debuted on March 9th. The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018) garnered poor reviews despite landing the talent of Christina Hendricks and Bailee Madison. The US gross totaled $10.4 million. Part 2 takes Bryan Bertino’s 2008 film The Strangers and places the unsuspecting family in a mobile home. Both were “based off a true story.” Unfortunately, it seems that it’s the same story—a fairly common one where kids reported strangers knocking on doors. Bertino also cited the Manson Family murders. Neither theme is supported in the scripts. The film is rated R and runs 85 minutes.

MichioKaku

  • My copy of Dr. Michio Kaku’s new book The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond arrived last week. Give me a few days to read; however, I will leave you with the alarm that Dr. Kaku recommends to humans interacting with extraterrestrials: RUN!

Police Clarify: Photo Is an Actual Human

04 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Hoaxes, In the News, Photography, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Police Clarify: Photo Is an Actual Human

Tags

faked photographs, probolinggo police

Fake

Police Clarify: Photo Is an Actual Human

Police departments rarely issue statements regarding photographs that have gone viral. Instead, they usually wait for social media users to state the obvious: It’s fake. However, one police department felt the need to release a statement on a photograph taken on December 29, 2017. After conducting an investigation, the Probolinggo Police Station stated on December 31st that the image seen in the photograph is not a jinn or a vampire but merely a song guide covering his face from surveillance cameras.

There’s a lesson here. Rule out the obvious before claiming the extraordinary.

The Awakening Is Traditional Ghost Story

15 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Hoaxes, Horror Movies, Movie Reviews, Movies, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on The Awakening Is Traditional Ghost Story

Tags

british horror movies, horror movies, the awakening

Poster

 

Halloween is quickly approaching. I have challenged myself to watch 10 new horror movies this year.

First up is The Awakening (2011). The Awakening is a traditional ghost story. It’s contains the elements used back in the day before slasher movies exploded onto the movie screen. This English film is set in 1921 after the war. Florence Cathcart debunks paranormal frauds and works with police to expose these criminals. She has been invited to the boys’ boarding school where staff has reported seeing a child ghost. This film is a traditional ghost story. The tagline: “All the children are gone…except one” drives the film. This film satisfies horror movie aficionados and newbies who freak out over too much blood. This film was crafted in the British horror tradition.

View this movie on Netflix before Halloween ends. Rated R for horror content and running at 1 hour 42 minutes.

It won several awards including London Film Festival’s Best Newcomer for Director Nick Murphy. Mr. Murphy took home three awards at the Gérardmer Film Festival and “The Golden Raven” award at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film (BIFFF). Lead actress Rebecca Hall was nominated for “Best Actress” at the British Independent Film Award.

 

 

 

Haunted Plank from the Amityville House Makes Travel Channel Debut

02 Sunday Apr 2017

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Architecture, Curiosities, Famous Locations, Haunted Houses, Hoaxes, Museums, Paranormal, Reality TV, Travel Channel, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Haunted Plank from the Amityville House Makes Travel Channel Debut

Tags

amityville horror, mysteries at the museum, paranormal paparazzi, Travel Channel, traveling museum of the paranormal & occult

Amityville

Haunted Plank from the Amityville House Makes Travel Channel Debut

Travel Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum returned last month with new episodes. The February 9th episode titled “Amityville Haunting, Ghost Army, and Fugitive Golfer” highlighted a piece of wood from the infamous Amityville Horror house. The demonic possession story was a hoax (see previous 2014 article at https://thehauntedlibrarian.com/2014/03/19/amityville-horror-hoax/); however, it doesn’t mean that this piece of wood doesn’t give off bad vibes. It means there may be another story, based on facts, that should be considered.

Interest in Amityville has not ebbed since the 1977 publication of the book, The Amityville Horror. The movie franchise alone has grossed over $170 million dollars. Add TV adaptations and books, and that’s one healthy moneymaker. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the book’s publication. Expect more media coverage.

TheAmityvilleHorrorCover

Given the interest in Amityville, the house makes the requisite rounds on paranormal shows. This is not the first, probably not the last either, time that Travel Channel has showcased the Amityville house. Paranormal Paparazzi (2012) incorporated the house in 3 segments in 2 episodes. One was particularly insightful. Kathy Lutz’s son and George’s step-son Christopher Quaratino claimed that George practiced black witchcraft in the home, causing the paranormal activity to spike. Needless to say, expect more books and versions to emerge.

Greg Newkirk, director of the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and Occult, appeared on the Mysteries at the Museum episode discussing the plank. Greg and Dana Matthews co-founded the website Week in Weird, www.weekinweird.com, in 2007. Both Greg and Dana contribute articles, and postings are weekly. The articles are thought-provoking and quirky, while remaining true to the blog format: concise. The site has advertisements, a source of revenue; however, they don’t disrupt the reading of the articles. They’ve segued their site into 3 entities: Week in Weird (@WeekinWeird), Planet Weird (@WeirdHQ), and The Traveling Museum of the Paranormal & Occult (@theparamuseum). In 2013, they created the traveling museum to take their stories and artifacts on the road. They’ve collected artifacts from past paranormal investigations and allow the public to handle them. The museum is the modern-day version of curiosity cabinets which featured oddities and bizarre items and peaked in interest during the Victorian era. Visit http://paramuseum.com/ for 2017 dates and more information.

While it is easy to fall back on popular tales, the paranormal world has so much more to be explored. The Amityville plank is a reminder that the original story was made-up and exaggerated for profit. Instead of focusing on the heinous murders and concocting reasons for a demonic possession, readers should question whether George exploited the murders while practicing black magic. He didn’t move into a haunted house; however, he may have created the negative energy by dabbling in something beyond his comprehension.

No, Lady Gaga Did Not Perform a Satanic Ritual during Halftime

08 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Conspiracy Theories, Demonic Possession, Famous People, Hoaxes, In the News, Sports Related, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on No, Lady Gaga Did Not Perform a Satanic Ritual during Halftime

Tags

alex jones, conspiracy theories, Lady Gaga, satanic ritual, super bowl 51

images

No, Lady Gaga Did Not Perform a Satanic Ritual during Halftime

Super Bowl LI is in the books. The Atlanta Falcons ran out of steam wasting a 25-point lead losing to the New England Patriots. Shortly before kickoff, conspiracy theorist nutcase Alex Jones of InfoWars posted a video claiming that Lady Gaga’s halftime show was going to be a satanic ritual. Offering no evidence, Jones’ claims were meant to create a boycott. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. In fact, more people tuned in to catch the show than actually watch the game.

ladygaga

Conspiracy theories are not new. In America, they can be traced back to the alleged 1835 plot to kill Andrew Jackson. Yet, there seems to be more of them in recent years. The Internet isn’t to blame; however, it doesn’t help. Anyone can post ridiculous ideas online; there’s no shortage of people out there believing it. Back to Jones. Jones is a white nationalist who frequently broadcasts easily refutable conspiracy theories. Seems his followers don’t Google. His latest video claimed that because she is Satan’s spawn and a member of the “New World Order,” Lady Gaga was going to profess her alliance to Satan via the halftime performance. There are many, many holes in his “theory.” The halftime show is actually on a delay; therefore, any ritual would have been shut down ASAP. Further, no animal sacrifices or devil rituals were reported Sunday to the Houston P.D. Jones merely wanted people to boycott the performance because Lady Gaga was a vocal Hillary Clinton supporter. His plan backfired. Spectacularly.

images-ladygaga

Lady Gaga was Sunday’s winner. Her performance was electrifying. It has gone down as the second best show after Prince’s 2007 performance. Over 117.5 million people tuned in and watched Lady Gaga’s 13-minute show. Although viewership was up 2% from last year but down 3% from 2015’s Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, and Missy Elliott show, it was higher than the 111.9 million who watched Sunday’s game. Additionally, Lady Gaga ruled Twitter: 2.2 million people tweeted during the show with over 5.1 million #LadyGaga tweets. According to Billboard.com, there were 125,000 song downloads on Sunday alone. Maybe Jones’ crazy rant caused more people to watch. Hey, whho wouldn’t want to see a live satanic ritual?

← Older posts

Registered Trademark

Archer Paranormal Investigations

Archer Paranormal Investigations

The Haunted Librarian

Gainesville, Florida

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Archives

Categories

Top 50 Paranormal Blogs & Websites

Top 15 Paranormal Blogs of 2019

Banners for Top 15 Paranormal Blogs of 2019

A WordPress.com Website.

  • Follow Following
    • The Haunted Librarian
    • Join 635 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Haunted Librarian
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.