During the investigation, we had six family members present as well as Linda, Jackie and myself. In an effort to keep things calm and quiet we needed to cut down on some of the family members. The younger family members decided to go outside and start a bonfire. After only a few moments we heard a loud explosion and two of the “kids” went to the emergency room. The younger boy received most of the burns. We still have no idea what started the fire or caused the explosion.

After talking with the family for quite some time about what had been happening in the home, Linda and I went to the basement, leaving Jackie with the family.  There was an older gentleman present in this part of the home. At one point, I asked him what his name was and he very clearly said Phillip. All I ever get is a first name but it’s usually pretty close to someone who connected to the property or dwelling we’re investigating. I could feel a lot of anger but could never get a clear feeling of why.  I saw him walking closer to Linda where she was leaning against a support post. I saw him walk past her even though he had to walk between her and the post where there was no room. As I saw him walk past her, she also felt it.

After returning back upstairs, the rest of the night was pretty much uneventful. The father and uncle  were convinced that a former owner named Lois was still in the house. Lois was probably imprinted on the house and she was just residual energy.

I got nothing on film or audio here.

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The initial investigation

was complex to say the least.  There were six family members present, all excited and frightened.  Each wanted to tell their personal experiences and the family experiences several times over to make sure we understood the siege they felt they had been under.  When it was requested that only one or two of the family members stay present during the actual investigative part, the younger members of the family went outside for a bonfire which resulted in an explosion causing two of the family to be hurt and taken to the hospital.  This added to the family’s confusion and frustration.

1.  While talking with the family initially, I felt that the younger teenage boy should stay with us through the investigation.  I did not know why but it seemed imperative that he stay.  I feel I failed in that I did not trust my gut feelings and make it known.  He was the one who was the most badly burned.
2. The presence that I felt in the house was an older gentleman whom Sue felt the name to be Phillip.  He seemed to be strongly present in the basement area and also seemed to have a lot of anger.   At one point I was leaning against a support post however I physically felt him brush by me walking toward Sue at the same time she saw him walking past me.
3.  I also felt that the husbands’ and uncles’ father was still connected to them indirectly (watching over them?) and perhaps the woman who had previously lived in the house named Lois might be drifting through or have left an imprint on the house.

During the next week after the first step in the investigation, the family’s daughter did a huge amount of research on the deed of the property and previous owners and families.  She was able to prove that a man named Phillip Maybe, born in 1817 was an original owner of the property.  He had a young son named Reuben who had died at four years of age.

Follow-up with the family:

On the day that we had an appointment with the family to wrap up the investigation with them, we arrived a few minutes early and drove up to the Dimmick Cemetery where Phillip Maybe and some of this family are buried.  We took some pictures and it made for a nice closure for Sue and I.

Upon meeting with the family, we explained that we felt the fire/explosion was not due to paranormal activity but due to normal causes from human interaction – which they did admit to having found cans of either brake fluid or transmission cleaner in the fire.

1.  We explained what we had found both through Jackie’s research and the daughters research.  That Phillip was angry but not at them per say – he was just an angry person attached to the property not to the family or the house.  That he remained mainly in the basement but that it was more a path for him passing through just as it had probably been during his lifetime.
2. Almost all the activity they had experienced had pertained to objects within 2 feet from the floor.  We felt that Reuben, having died at such a young age, would not understand concepts like death or passing over.  We felt he was the on doing the activity that was particularly aimed at the daughter as she would have been a mother figure to him.  We told her not to be any more afraid of him than any other four year old.  She could interact with him or ignore him as she choose.

Upon leaving, I felt the family was much relieved and in a far better state of mind on knowing they were not in any danger, how to deal with future occurrences and understood what was going on.  Them seemed very satisfied with our work and thanked us.

I personally felt it was a good wrap-up to an interesting investigation.

Jackie: Research 

Richburg House Research – 7034 Pleasant Valley Road – contact= Jennifer Goodwill 

1868 atlas map shows three farms on lot # 41. #1 Shields farm, #2 Almy farm and # 3, closest to present house, Maybe farm.

1868 - S. Maybe owned house IF”S” stands for Stephan Maybe he was married to Phebe and had a son named Phillip.

Phillip Maybe was born 1817 (on grave in Dimmick Cemetery Rt 8…1822 on 1850 census) and died in 1887.  Stephen had 9 children.

Next known record…

1899 Mary and Morris Mulkin sold the land and possibly house built in 1904?...to Elizabeth and Carl Benjamin

1910 They sold to Floyd Whitcomb

Next date found…

1988 Dale Pinney sold to Nancy Anderson, 5 months later…

1989, Feb. 22 sold to Earl Jennings, 8 months later sold

1989, October 20 sold to Lois Turybury

2010 sold to James Wilson, according to Rodney, James and his wife were planning to restore the house and live there but never did because they felt uneasy in the house.