Date: 10/06/07
Time: 8pm - 1am
Investigation Site: Crime & Punishment Museum (Old Ashburn Jail)
Location: Ashburn, Georgia
Weather Condition(s): Light rain
BBGT Investigators Present: Betty (Founder/Director) Videographer
Lisa (Spirit Profiler)
Scott (Lead Field Investigator)
Ron (Lead Field Investigator)
Melanie (Investigator)
Others in Attendance: Approx. 6 (site manager, 3 BBGT guests, etc.)
Equipment in Use: 35mm cameras, digital cameras, video cameras (w/night vision and IR), EMF detectors (CellSensor and K2), dowsing rods, motion detectors, thermal scanners, DVR’s, EVP recorders (digital and analog), headlamps, flashlights, two-way radios
Evidence Analyzed: video footage, EVP recordings, digital photographs, 35 mm photographs, personal experiences
Phenomena Witnessed: While numerous insignificant occurrences have been witnessed, there were a handful of notable ones. These included:
The sound of a cell door slamming was heard at the end of the 2nd floor hall (near the hanging noose) when no one else was present.
One of the cell’s cot mattresses appeared to have the indentation of what looked to be someone sitting on the edge of it (this was not previously there).
Strong EMF (electromagnetic field) fluctuations were recorded in the main cell area. This phenomena was recorded with several different meters – each with varying degrees of sensitivity – and further substantiated through the use of dowsing rods.
Photos of a black mass were taken in the main cell area (after the EMF spikes).
EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon): Equipment Used:
2 digital voice recorders
1 analog (tape) recorder w/external mic
EVP session conducted in what we dubbed “the sewing room” (the first room off the main entrance). 20 minute Q&A session, followed by 25 minutes of silent recording (during which time the room was vacated and secured to avoid human contamination).
Session yielded no abnormal recordings.
Firsthand Accounts / Testimonials:
Lisa:
“When Betty and I were meditating, I had the feeling of a possible possession; I felt that the left side of my body wasn’t mine. I felt as though I was channeling the spirit of an African-American person. I felt my facial features changing. That scared the h*** out of me, so I jumped up and started to mingle with everybody else.”
BOTTOM LINE:
After careful, meticulous review of all evidence obtained at this investigation site, the Big Bend Ghost Trackers have concluded that the aforementioned property is, in fact,
I N C O N C L U S I V E
In addition to this Site Investigation Field Report, physical evidence in the form of video, audio, and/or still photography will be presented to the site manager substantiating our findings.
We recommend a follow-up visit at a later date to monitor any further developments and to conduct a more comprehensive investigation in a fully controlled environment.
CCrime and Punishment Museum
Old Turner County Jail
Ashburn, Georgia
Case #: 100607
History:
The brick jail opened in 1907, only two years after the county was created. Locals called it "Turner Castle," because its Romanesque architecture made it look like a fortress. Prisoners were held there until January 1994 when the county opened a new jail.
It is a classic example of the way southern jails were run for much of the 20th century, with a living area for the sheriff and his family and a separate area for the prisoners. The sheriff's wife cooked meals for the family and for the prisoners.
In the rear of the building, a flight of metal stairs will take you to the death cell and cell blocks on the second floor.
Most of the inmates were confined in four small cages, each about 7 feet square. Each cage held four prisoners, who slept in upper and lower bunks on either side. Two cells shared a corridor with a toilet.
Two cells in another area were for women prisoners.
A replica of Old Sparky, the state's old electric chair, for the museum.
Hangings were the legal method of execution for about 500 Georgia criminals from 1735 to 1924.
Turner County's first hanging occurred on May 23, 1907, when Robert Henderson was executed for murdering a man during a $150 theft.
The second occurred on Sept. 14, 1914, when Miles Cribb was hanged for killing a female relative with a bullet He meant for his estranged wife, but the bullet went astray.
** A piece of Cribbs bloody shirt he wore for his hanging is on display in the jail/museum.**
