Mary Loves Dick - A Most Haunted Friday Funny

I'm just going to go ahead and apologize for today's blog straight up, as it is both a little R-rated AND a little sophomoric at the same time! But, it fits in with the LOVE/Valentine's Day theme this month! Anyway...

On New Year's Eve 2003, the television show, Most Haunted, broadcast its Most Haunted LIVE episode, featuring a hunt for the ghost of Dick Turpin, an English highwayman who was executed in 1739 for his crimes. Now, Most Haunted, and its resident psychic, Derek Acorah, aren't noted for their integrity in the field of paranormal investigation and research. In fact, in many cases, they've been proven to be deceitful and fraudulent. And sometimes, they're just really, really funny. In the clip below, Derek is temporary overtaken by spirit (you can tell by the retching sound that emits from him), and starts screaming "Mary loves Dick! Mary loves Dick! Mary loves Dick!" It's clear that Yvette is trying her best to stifle a giggle...and when the live cameras stop rolling, it gets worse. The whole team bursts into laughter and someone makes the remark as to whether Derek has won his 20 pounds.

I'm going to have to give this clip the honor of being the absolute funniest thing I've seen on Most Haunted, and I'm not the only one who has derived more pleasure than was necessary at this display. Derek took part in the 2017 season of Celebrity Big Brother, and has he was making his way into the house on opening day, a heckler in the crowd shouted the now infamous phrase at him, which puzzled a lot of people who had never seen the episode. Derek handled it like a champ, though!

Theresa's Top 10 Most Haunted Places in the World

It's been awhile since I've done a Top 10 Tuesday here on Theresa's Haunted History, but this week its appropriate! If you read yesterday's blog, you know that I'll be on Paraversal Universe Radio this Friday (22 April 2016 at 8pm EST), discussing the world's most haunted places with Gavin Lee Davies and Jason Bland. Each of us were asked to compile our own list of the ten most haunted locations throughout the WORLD, so we can compare and discuss on Friday.

Ya'll know how hard it was for me to come up with my top 50 locations in the United States! The task of narrowing down just ten locations worldwide is overwhelmingly difficult, firstly because how do you even gauge the 'hauntedness' of a location? Until we fully understand the mechanics and the reasoning behind a haunting, and start producing evidence that holds up to scientific scrutiny, the subject is largely...well...subjective.  Therefore, my list is going to be pretty subjective, and quite honestly, probably a little ethnocentric, ie, heavy on not only American locations, but locations within or near the tri-state area!

In order to narrow my list down, I'll be looking at the following criteria:
1. How popular or well known is the location? Do people hear this location's name and automatically associate it with ghosts and hauntings?

2. How often has it actually been investigated or explored? Do those who investigate this location find consistently 'good' evidence that stands up to peer review? Do visitors routinely report experiences?

3. What are the stories associated with this location? Why do people believe this place is haunted to begin with...and how much of it is supported by historical documentation?

4. How intense is the suspected paranormal activity? Is it truly frightening? Does it happen on a regular basis? How likely are you to actually have an experience or capture potential evidence at this location?

5. Duration:  How long has this place been known to be haunted? Are the stories and/or experiences new, or have they been around for awhile?

I'll also be taking into consideration the TYPE of haunting or activity. Some locations might not necessarily have a strong, intelligent presence, but instead be saturated with emotions and energy from a past event--to the point that even those who don't consider themselves sensitive to such things can pick up on it. Some of these locations might even have a reputation for being home to entities other than human. I'll be discussing a mix of places where I have personally already investigated, and places that are on my paranormal investigation bucket list. And, obviously, this list is subject to change at a moment's notice, based on my whims, lol. And with that....here are:

MY Top 10 Most Haunted Locations in the World! In no particular order:
1. Highgate Cemetery, England
2. The Tower of London, England
3. The White House, USA
4. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, USA
5. WV State Penitentiary at Moundsville, USA
6. Poveglia Island, Italy
7. Pripyat/Chernobyl, Ukraine
8. Aokigahara Forest, Japan
9. Gettysburg, USA
10. Island of the Dolls, Mexico

One obvious omission from the list is any examples from the continent of Africa. In a place of some pretty violent history and where people are still put to death over allegations of witchcraft, I honestly cannot think of any locations that would fit my criteria off the top of my head.  I think I foresee some investigative research and a series of blog posts coming up soon about this!

Anyway, let me know what you think of this list! I've still got a few days to make final changes, so hop on over to Facebook and give me your thoughts. Happy Haunting!

Theresa Takes On West Virginia's Most Haunted! (Part One)

I began writing this blog almost a year ago. The original idea was to build off a popular post where I came up with my OWN list of the most haunted locations in the country, state by state. I had high hopes that I could do the same on a state level---take each of West Virginia's 55 counties and narrow down one location per county that would be recognized as being the perfect representative of that county's haunted history.

As you can see, that idea has not come to fruition, lol.  It proved to be just a little too daunting for me.  I might revisit the idea in the future, but for now, I thought I would take on the more manageable task of just picking my TOP 5 FAVORITE HAUNTS in the state. The criteria for this post is a little different---I tried to pick locations whose haunted reputations are well known throughout the Mountain State and beyond. For example, each location listed here has been featured as part of at least one television show.  There are tons of great, underrated haunted locations and ghost stories throughout West Virginia, but I feel these ten are universally recognized.  Please let me know in the comments what YOUR top picks would be!

West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville

The West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville is one of MY personal favorites on this list and along with the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, seems to always find its way on those top 10 lists of most haunted places in the country!  Construction on the penitentiary began in 1866 and it continually housed inmates up until 1995. Over the course of its 130 years, the prison saw two major riots, numerous suicides, plenty of violence and murder, and more death from disease than you could ever imagine. With all that dark history, there's no wonder people think this location is haunted!

The most popular ghosts associated with the old prison include the infamous shadow man who has shown up in photographs, a presence in the indoor recreational area known as the Sugar Shack, and the spirits of infamous inmates Red Snyder and R.D. Wall. Ghost and history tours are available, as well as private and public investigation opportunities.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum 

As mentioned above, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum always seems to find its way onto most haunted lists, and for good reason.  This Kirkbride style mental health hospital traces its roots to before the Civil War! As with many state insane asylums of the 19th century and early 20th century, TALA was plagued with issues of overcrowding, treatments that we would today classify as inhumane, and allegations of abuse, neglect, and all sorts of unsavory behavior. The last patients were removed and relocated to other facilities throughout the state in 1994 and for years, the building sat empty, largely unused.  Today, a variety of ghost, history, and architectural tours are available, as well as public and private ghost hunts and even some fun stuff like concerts, paintball, and drag shows. With all the activities available, people still flock to the old asylum for its haunted history, most notably the spirit of a little girl named 'Lily.' 

Lake Shawnee

No list of famous West Virginia hauntings would be complete with a mention of Lake Shawnee, location in the southern part of the state, near Princeton.  I first became aware of Lake Shawnee when it was featured on Scariest Places on Earth, a television show that featured hauntings and showed everyday people being taken to these places and told about their history. While there is a lot of misinformation and a lot of information that cannot be validated nor denied regarding this location, it still is a spooky place! In recent years, it has been the subject of numerous national articles. 

The small amusement park opened in 1926 on land marred by an Indian massacre and some say its location doomed it to a cursed existence.  Numerous deaths are said to have occurred during the park's operation, including several drownings and a little girl killed when her swing struck a parked delivery vehicle. Today, visitors to the area report that the apparition of a man can be seen in one of the Ferris Wheel seats, and the little girl, wearing a pink dress, can be seen either in full apparitional form, or in the form of a cold spot or orb near or on the swing ride.

Dr. Grimes' Dental Office

Along with the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville, Dr. Grimes' Dental Office is probably my favorite on this list.  It is located in Huntington and was the subject of a Dead Files episode a few years back.  Over the course of several years and several investigations, I've put a lot of personal research into this location and have a very fond attachment to it.  

The dental office is housed in a former duplex, built shortly after the turn of the last century. It was mostly used as housing for men working for the railroads, but in the 1920s, it was home to a young lady named Lavina and her family.  Lavina's apparition had been spotted numerous times, along with evidence that she might be accompanied by something a little darker. Lavina died under rather mysterious circumstances in the home and it is believed that those circumstances may have been sinister. Luckily, it now seems that Lavina's soul is at rest, yet this location is still one of my top favorite haunts of all time.

Riverview Cemetery

With a list including a prison, an insane asylum and a spooky amusement park, I felt obliged to include a cemetery...and Parkersburg's Riverview Cemetery is definitely an iconic West Virginia haunted burial ground. A staple on Susan Sheppherd's Parkersburg Ghost Tours, Riverview Cemetery is home to several different legends, including sightings of a hunched man wearing a black trench coat. The phantom, which has been spotted in broad daylight AND long after the gates lock for the evening is believed to be Captain George Deming, who once lived near the cemetery.  He is seen standing near his own grave and is believed to be mourning a lost child buried close by.  The most popular legend of the cemetery, though, is undoubtedly the Weeping Woman.  The Weeping Woman is a carved statue standing watch over the Jackson family plot and many believe that she walks the cemetery at night, weeping for lost family members. It is also said that those who come to the Weeping Woman with an unselfish wish will find that wish granted!  Many women who have come and touched the statue have found themselves to be pregnant shortly thereafter!

I know this list is a little light---I originally had intended this to be a Top 10 list, but decided that I'd break it up a little.  So...don't fret!  In the coming months, I'll be posting even more most haunted lists from right here in West Virginia, and probably Ohio and Kentucky as well! And as always, you can always check out my Haunted West Virginia Page for more great Mountain State locations!