ArtRojasDesign

The Yuma Territorial Prison had a brief but sordid existence. It opened in 1876, but only operated until 1909. It goes it’s reputation as the Hellhole Prison due to the extreme heat of the area and poor treatment of inmates.  During it’s run, it housed prisoners in some pretty grim surroundings, most notably the Dark Cell, a hole cut into the side of the granite hill, where prisoners would be chained in a small cage about 5 feet high. It would be unsettlingly dark and it’s rumored the guards would drop snakes and scorpions on prisoners.

During it’s run as a prison, 111 people died from snake bites, tuberculosis, suicide and a prison riot. The bodies are buried behind the prison in unmarked graves. There is a plaque listing their names, but nothing identifies the remains themselves.

Some of the reports of the paranormal include shadows, crying and feelings of sadness. There is even a pictures from the 40s that shows a supposed apparition next to the prison walls.

As the investigation starts, Zak meets with a woman who wants to share her experience. She claims she felt a presence and had her hand pushed by a prisoner she believes to be John Ryan. She felt his sadness as she tried to communicate with him.

They start off with the SLS camera on the cells. They aren’t able to detect anything, but they do hear a scream. No source for the scream, but they are out in the open and sounds will echo and travel from anywhere. During their EVP session, they easily hear a train in the distance.

Next, they split up with Zak hanging out in the cell of John Ryan and Aaron off to the courtyard. Zak hears a loud bang while he is alone in the dark. Out in the courtyard, Aaron feels someone touch his back, begins to feel ill and Zak sees an orb of light during these feelings.

Of course, we must pay a visit to the Dark Cell, where Zak feels something touch him on the hand and hears footsteps. He also claims to hear someone knocking as well as something grunting at him.

Back at the command center, they pick up what sounds like saloon style piano music. Also, one of their panel lights begins to pulse. This leads them over to a museum display case and the Yuma prison band. Just behind this, is a stage where the SLS camera shows figures dancing and playing on stage. Zak and team are firmly convinced this is the prison band showing off for them.

There are quite a few interesting things about this episode. So much is made about how bad the Dark Cell is, yet the tour guide is utterly unphased by it. As Zak is nearly soils his knickers over the bats, the tour is guide is calm and says to hold out his hand so they can land.

The entire segment with Patricia Lynn Cody comes across as complete nonsense. It’s amazing how people are terrified to go somewhere until there’s a camera. And what about her story is so terrifying? We also have the garbled EVP so Billy and Zak create an elaborate story so it makes sense.

The photo they show from the 40s is dubious at best. We’ve seen way too many fake photos from that era.

Then for the end, we have the flashing panel light, "which has never done that before!" But it’s the wild story the convince themselves is real about how they were drawn to the picture of the band and then to the hall that’s really questionable. That is truly fitting piece together that support your claim.

Everything in this episode is laughable. The investigation is a dead end where they don’t capture any evidence, but instead of going with that, they make up outrageous stories and try to weave things together to make it seem like the place has energy. Zak is even trying to spin the demon angle with some of the questions he asks. You can tell it’s bullshit when they spend time airing footage of someone walking around outside by the prison cemetery.

And you can say and believe whatever you like about the band playing on stage. Hacking the crap out of an Xbox Kinect and claiming it to be a device to see the paranormal doesn’t make it so.

This is clearly an old prison that did some bad deeds, got a bad reputation and now people are just running wild with the stories. This episode was laughable and shows people will claim a haunting even when nothing happens.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Stalkers – Holmesburg Prison – S01E04
• Ghost Adventures – Alcatraz – S08E08
• Paranormal Lockdown – Shrewsbury Prison – S02E02
• Ghost Adventures – Wyoming Frontier Prison – S07E18
• Ghost Adventures – Missouri State Prison – S08E04
• Ghost Asylum – Pauly Jail – S03E06
• Ghost Asylum – Castillo de San Marcos – S03E05
• Ghost Adventures – Old Gila County Jail – S16E04
• Ghost Asylum – Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
• Ghost Hunters International – Port Arthur Penitentiary – S02E10

For this adventure we’re off to the open plains of Santaquin, Utah to visit the Leslie’s Family Tree Restaurant, home to strange happenings and an abundance of spirits. According to the locals, the restaurant has been haunted for years and some claim there are a hundreds spirits lurking inside.

The restaurant has been around for 30 years and the current owner, Leslie Broadhead, says her daughters have both been attacked as well as some patrons. Bobby says a spirit followed her home and tried to pull her out of bed. Cory says she has seen figures and has witnessed attacks on other people, specifically during a ghost tour she was giving. A man was attacked in the bathroom and ended up with marks on his body.

During the interview, Zak feels energy, pulls out the recorder and gets the words "Get out". Cory talks about the basement and how it used to be a boxing ring along with lots of gambling and prostitution. With the recorder going again, they claim to get "orange blood" and while informing Zak that people end up with marks on them, Cory gets what looks to be a hand print across her neck and throat. Zak also says he hears a man’s voice during this event.

The family claims this is the norm and show several photos of people with scratches and bite marks. They even had a medium come in who feels there are multiple "portals" on the premises  and multiple entities.

As they do a bit of research, they find the area is the location of the "Walker War". This was a series of attacks back and forth between the Mormon settlers and the Native American Ute tribe. The gist comes down to a misunderstanding between the groups, which lead to one side shooting the other, tensions escalated and revenge ensued. This lead to deaths on both sides and "it’s possible" the restaurant is build on land where deaths "may" have occurred.

Zak starts off the investigation with a seance that once again has me confused. Why so comfortable with a seance, but so hostile toward the Ouija? But during the group session he claims the recorder picks up "I’m next to Bobby" and another "get out". They have the Rempod off to the side and it lights up when Zak asks if the spirits want them to leave.

While the seance is going on, Ashley is off to the side taking still photos. She feels someone is tugging at the Polaroid pictures she’s taking. She also feels cold spots and shortly begins to feel disoriented and has trouble grabbing things. This is the now obligatory moment where someone from the crew sick, dizzy and claims they’re going to throw up. For the past few episodes it’s been Billy, and before that Aaron, so now it’s time to pass the baton.

With Ashley having a mild panic attack, Zak goes over the top by kicking chairs and provoking the entity to attack because standing around in the dark and kicking things in random directions is always a good idea and it makes you tough and fearless. Zak claims this is uncontrolled anger and that he’s acting out without thinking.

After getting Ashley out of the building Zak heads back in for a paranormal showdown. He whips off his shirt and demands the entity scratch him. He wants a sign that someone is there and he wants whatever it is to leave it’s mark.

Low and behold, he gets a scratch across his back and through his tattoo. There is a thin red line on his skin that clearly could not have been made by any natural means or by brushing up against something.

Billy then heads to the basement using the sensory deprivation technique we’ve seen before of wandering in the dark, but with an IR camera around his neck. Aaron comes to join and they both feel an odd energy and hear what they think is some sort of growling.

After the investigation is over, Zak says he felt that same hostile aggression that made him kick him chairs and had negative residual feelings for several days. In essence, something clung to him the same way Bobby says something clung to her.

Interesting goings on indeed. Still, curious why Bobby is almost oblivious to the marks showing up on her neck and almost bored over the idea. And why is Zak so pro seance, but feels the Ouija is a dangerous portal? Finally, if the family is being tormented by those spirits, why are they giving ghost tours? Clearly they’re not trying to eek out any sort of financial gain by having a "haunted" establishment.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Adventures – Double Eagle Restaurant – S14E04
• Ghost Adventures – Clovis Wolfe Manor
• Ghost Adventures – Route 666 – S13E06 – Part 2
• Ghost Adventures – Palace Saloon – S13E03
• Deadly Possessions – Bela Lugosi’s Mirror and Charles Manson’s Television – S01E03
• Paranormal State – Paranormal Detour – S05E07
• A Haunting in Georgia
• Ghost Hunters International – Quarantine Station
• Ghost Lab – Episode 2 – Tombstone
• Ghost Adventures – Winchester Mystery House – S05E04