ArtRojasDesign

For our next trip into the strange world of Zak Bagans and his Deadly Possessions, we have the van used by Dr. Kevorkian and some artifacts from the boat of Natalie Woods. Now, Zak doesn’t own pieces from the boat, they have been brought down so Zak can have a look and learn more about the unusual story. As for the van, he did indeed purchase it, but there is some question as to its authenticity.

The story of Natalie Wood has some controversy around it, but according to Dennis Dravern, the captain of the boat for that trip, there was alcohol and enflamed tempers. According to Dennis, there was a pretty big argument, where Dennis heard a lot of things being thrown around, then some time later, Natalie’s body was discovered in the water.

Anyway, the current owner claims that while working on the boat, he heard the phone ring in Natalie’s room and when he went to go investigate, he fell through the floor cutting his leg quite badly. It needed stitches and the wound was in the shape of a V. This would be a V in reference to the dinghy aboard the boat. Or the fact his cut his leg on two boards, you decide.

We then have Lana Wood, sister to Natalie, who claims she saw a mist and Natalie’s death was predicted in the sense that there would be fame and loss for one of the sister’s.

The next item is a VW bus in terrible condition. But this isn’t just any bus, it was previously owned by Dr. Jack Kevorkian and was used in at least one of his assisted suicides. According to Geoffrey Fieger, attorney for Kevorkian, that is the death the public knows about.

When Jack passed away, the van was sent to a junk yard to be crushed and scrapped. However, it appears that process didn’t take place and when Zak hands over the title, Geoffrey confirms the signature on the back is Jack’s and the rust, dents and other pieces all prove this to be Kevorkian’s van.

We then have Annie St. John who comes on to discuss how she lives in Jack’s old place and how the person above her committed suicide. Zak brings her to the van and has her climb around and get a feel for the energy.

They have an EMF meter set up that bounces around and Zak feels they keep getting a female voice on the spirit box.

Both of these stories seem pretty fanciful in their grasp at the paranormal, with Annie’s story making no damn sense at all. It seems like Zak brought on objects about the Splendour just to make accusations and stir up some press. It’s all based on hearsay and wild theories.

The van by Kevorkian is indeed interesting, but calling it the Death Mobile or Death Van is just trying to incite "dark energy". If you listen to Zak through both of these interviews, he is leading people where he wants them to go. Notice how he finishes their sentences and instills the idea of paranormal events. He’s leading them to believe things are haunted and takes great joy in trying to turn a skeptic into a believer. He’s hyping up how mysterious these objects are and how powerful they can be. There’s nothing to support this, but all Zak needs is their mystique.

There is no evidence to suggest paranormal or other worldly energy connected to these things. The boards of a boat give way? That has to be paranormal doesn’t it? Someone sits in a rusted out VW Bus after being told it’s Kevorkian’s and they feel something? No power of suggestion going on there.

There are lots of question surrounding the death of Natalie Wood, but you’re not going to get answers by staring at some candles.

You can agree or disagree with Kevorkian, but sitting in that rusted out van with torn up seats and who knows what smells is going to get a response. But it’s not a feeling from beyond.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Haunted Highway – Lake Murray Beast and The Donner Party – S02E04
• Ghost Adventures – Bannack Ghost Town – S09E04
• Haunted Highway – Island of Lost Souls – S02E01
• Haunted Collector – Haunted Bayou/Library Ghost – S01E01
• Haunted Highway – Darkman of Standing Rock and Blackstar Shadow Man – S01E02
• Ghost Adventures – Kennedy Mine – S16E03
• Ghost Adventures – Mizpah Hotel – S05E02
• Paranormal State S04E03 – Dead Legends
• Haunted Highway – Bridge of Doom and Shades of Death Road S02E05
• Haunted Highway – Silver City Ghost Town and Shunka Warakin – S01E06

For the next Deadly Possessions Roadshow, we have a couple of interesting items. I heard about the Ed Gein bowl last year when it was sold at auction and while I can’t place it, the Crying Boy Painting seems familiar.

The "cauldron" as they keep calling it, was previously owned by Ed Gein, the serial killer and is said to have been found when they cleaned up the mess he left behind. It is said to have contained multiple body parts and may have been used to cook human remains which Ed may have eaten. Again, there is a lot of "may" in there. We know Ed did terrible things, but it’s very easy to exaggerate his crimes and add to them.

But we do know that he tanned and made items from human skin. He also had a terrible knack for making furniture out of bones. And this was indeed his pot, it’s a pretty safe bet those remains ended up in it.

When the locals came out to help clean up the scene, the pot ended up with Dan McIntyre’s mother who planted flowers in it. Dan then sold the cauldron and a shovel to Zak. It is said that the men who came into contact with the pot died shortly thereafter.

We also have Courtney who comes on because she was supposed to deliver the skis owned by Gein. Her sister had a medical issue and is at the hospital with her mother. She is fond of going to the Gein property and trying to make contact with Ed.

Now that Zak feels the cauldron has energy, he brings out the meters and the needle starts jumping. On the spirit box they keep getting a female voice. The voice claims to say evil and death are associated with the cauldron. There are also a couple of bangs and bumps going on.

The next item is called the Crying Boy Painting as it depicts and orphan boy crying. Nothing exceptionally dramatic about it, except that Tina Booth says the painting has caused a fire in her home as well as a fire in her computer. The claim is that if you display the painting, the building and the contents will catch fire. Everything will be ruined except for the Crying Boy Painting.

And if having one wasn’t bad enough, she goes out and buys another. Now she wants Zak to take them. To play up the mystique and rumor, he acts like his whole museum will burn to the ground and maybe he shouldn’t take the painting.

Now clearly this is a mass-produced print and not an original by the artist himself. So how is it that something produced in bulk like this can carry some sort of curse? But before you answer, let’s have a look at this little nugget:

following testing at the Building Research Establishment, is that the prints were treated with some varnish containing fire repellent, and that the string holding the painting to the wall would be the first to perish, resulting in the painting landing face down on the floor and thus being protected

A perfectly rational explanation? Say it ain’t so!

And what about the fire? Well, she admits she had to let her cat out of the room. It’s a hell of a lot more plausible that the cat knocked over a candle or caused some other reaction that caused the fire. That makes a hell of a lot more sense than a "print" setting her house on fire? And the computer? Wow, an electronic device has never worn out, overloaded and had smoke come out of the box. The words electrical fire come to mind.

As for Ed Gein? Clearly, he was horribly disturbed and I think it’s almost insulting to say he was in some way capable (meaning intelligent) enough to instill evil into a pot. Um, no. It’s pure metal and had who knows what done to it. Do you think those readings could be from the chemical makeup of the pot or residue from chemicals placed in it? An old metal pot giving off a reading? Shocking! And who knows what those poor guys were exposed to when they went into the Gein’s place.

All of these "mysterious" events certainly have causes rooted here in the real world if you ask me. They are certainly interesting, perhaps a bit creepy, but they don’t contain any mystical powers.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Adventures – Museum of Madness – S15E07
• Deadly Possessions – Dibbuk Box and Robert the Doll – S01E01
• Killer Contact – The Hell-Fire Club – S01E04
• Paranormal State – Bedroom Eyes – S05E13
• Ghost Adventures – Lewis Flats School – S16E08
• Deadly Possessions – Bela Lugosi’s Mirror and Charles Manson’s Television – S01E03
• Paranormal Challenge – Linda Vista Hospital – S01E10
• Ghost Adventures – Sin City Exorcism – S15E15
• Ghost Mine – Massacre at Hell’s Canyon – S02E07
• Ghost Adventures – Kennedy Mine – S16E03