Missouri State Penitentiary
Jefferson City, Missouri
October 11, 2015
Website
Earlier in the year, we received a gift certificate from friends for a 5 hour night investigation so we set up the date and made the drive to Jefferson City. Driving down the dead-end road that goes in front of the Missouri State Penitentiary we see how massive this place is. I mean, I have seen it on television shows but that doesn't give you an idea how ominous this place is. We are all waiting around for people to show up, when the tour staff start handing out various "ghost hunting" devices such as K2 meters, EMF meters, and Spirit Box. We get split up into 3 groups of 10 and that worked out fine since we are investigating 3 buildings. I believe they were Housing Unit 3 which held general population, death row, and mentally insane inmates, Housing Unit 1 which at one time held the female prisoners, and the oldest of all, Housing Unit A which contained the underground dungeons.
Our group started off in Housing Unit 3 and one of the members of the tour staff gave a brief history on the building. Sections 3A and 3B on top were general population. 3C on bottom was death row, and the newly available underground section for tours and investigation was 3D for the mentally insane. We were given about 90 minutes per building, so we were not rushed. Everyone seemed to congregate initially in what looked like a holding room or a big office and apparently someone named "Walter" liked to light up the meters. Even with practically all of our group in there asking for "Walter", nothing. The wife and I then split off from the pack and walked around death row, down into 3D the mentally insane area, and finished up top in general population. In the area for the mentally insane, Nikki said she heard something scratching on the wall. I heard nothing. In other areas, she heard a laughing, again I did not. All during this time, I had the recorder running whether doing EVP or not. I did pick up a groan while I was sitting in one of the cells.
Next location our group went to was Housing Unit 1, which is in the same building that we initially checked in at. This held the female wing at one time up until the 1920's, when they were moved offsite to a nearby farm. There is also an isolation cell in this area, and located upstairs are a couple of offices. One of the best EVP's we got was on one of the upper tiers at the south end with the individual shower stalls. Because this was formerly the female wing, I stood in the stall and asked if they liked men in the shower. As I'm doing this, Nikki walks around the corner. I grab her by the waist, put her in the shower stall, and ask, "Or maybe you like women in the shower?" I get a clear response in a female voice that says, "Pussy". Nothing like a little turn of the century lesbian EVP. I spent a little time in solitary and that was quite creepy, but nothing in EVP. We went upstairs into the office locations and I may have gotten a couple interesting (possible) EVP noises that sound like a moan and another that sounds like a growl.
The last building to investigate that we went to was Housing Unit A, which is the oldest part of the jail built in the mid-1800's. This also contains the dungeon area that can easily test you for claustrophobia. It is located at the back of the main floor, down the stairs which takes you underground, through a door on the left and the dungeon cells were in a horseshoe shape. Four on the left and four on the right, although a couple are bricked up some some reason. While we were down there, this is the only time the K2 meter lit up, but only in a couple of cells. Even though I did have my phone on, which they said can light up the K2 meter when checking for emails, or getting a text message, I went ahead and turned it off. Still, we are getting the K2 to light up when asking questions. We then walked the regular part of the building and the top floors can test your fear of heights just looking over the railing, or when walking the catwalk from one side to another.
Around 3:00 we all met back up in front and the guides told us how to get to the last building on the tour...the gas chamber. We drive around back and walked as a group to the gas chamber where 40 inmates were put to death between 1937 and 1989. We got to see pictures of the inmates executed, the holding cells, sit in the witness area behind the gas chamber, and yes even sit in the dual chaired gas chamber itself. I guess it's not that scary but I'm sure if the door is sealed shut and you hear the cyanide pellets splash into the bucket of acid, filling the room with deadly gas...now that would be scary.
Had a good night of investigating but it was time to go home. Got some really good evidence and interesting K2 hits when in the dungeon. If you plan on heading to Missouri's capital, book your tour or investigation early.
