Exclusive Interview by Kristi O’Toole

From my first paranormal encounter at the age of six, I’ve never wavered in my beliefs that there is more out there than just the mundane of day to day living. I’m not saying that everyone who passes away comes back as ghosts, haunting us when we sleep or when we’re home alone; but what I am saying is that in many cases of reported hauntings there is irrefutable evidence that something inexplicable has in fact taken place.

I very clearly remember my childhood encounter just as if it happened yesterday. It was bed time and I had been instructed to head that way and wait for my mother to come in and say my prayers with me. As I was adjusting my blanket something drew my attention to my closet doors, when I looked over I was startled to see a man standing there watching me. Initially I was struck with fear as there was a stranger in my room, but with a slight smile from him my anxieties instantly vanished. I knew he wasn’t there to hurt me.

Being raised in a Pentecostal home I was very aware of angels and demons and their proposed purposes on this planet. I never sensed any harm from my visitor and told myself that he was good and that he was my guardian angel; whether that was in fact the case or not I may never know. I really had no reason to fabricate this person, I had no need for imaginary friends. I wasn’t on any fashion of medications, I will not believe it was a trick of the light as he was just as clear and solid as you or I. Plain and simple I saw what I saw. When my mother came to tuck me in I remember telling her to be careful and warned her to not bump into him. Perplexed she asked, “Him who?” I pointed out my visitor, but to my dismay she couldn’t see him. I imagine mother brushed off my experience as childish antics, but the entire episode was in fact very real and has obviously stayed with me all these years.

I was so moved by my ghostly encounter that even at the tender age of six I developed a thirst, a need to know more. I clearly remember looking for ghost books in my elementary school library, of course to no avail, but I would not be stopped. I asked my mother about ghosts and she was quite full of stories herself and shared her many experiences with me. From that moment I was addicted and have since had countless experiences, some of which have not been so innocent as my first. In my field I hear stories from people worldwide, stories of paranormal events or encounters, occurrences in which a logical explanation simply could not be reached. While thousands of people deal with paranormal activity on a near daily basis, not all of them decide to start a paranormal research group.

Most of us have heard of the hit television series, ‘Ghosthunters’, and what I believe started as a legitimate group of friends sharing the same passion about paranormal research, in my opinion seemed to quickly turn into more of a circus act after reaching great fame. Sadly for those seeking knowledge and confirmation that something else out there exists, tuning in to a program such as this in recent times may actually confirm their disbelief.

But what if you’re not in it for fame? What if you experience something so profound, or have such a deep hunger for answers that you decide to dedicate a part of your life to finding those answers? For Ohio natives Brian Hensley and Nick McWethy, that’s exactly what they did.

In 2010 Hensley and McWethy formed Crossover Paranormal, an investigative group. I was fortunate enough to meet these two a few years back at Dead Con in London, KY. Not only are they true professionals with a love of their field, but two greater gentlemen you’ll do well to find. They both agreed to take the time and do an interview with me.

NB: When did your interest in the paranormal begin? Was there a certain incident that sparked it?

McWethy: I can say that ever since I was a kid I was interested in the paranormal. I grew up watching horror films and it is what truly sparked my interest in something on the other side. I never really had any experiences that I can recall from my childhood, but movies and tv shows sparked my interest. Just was always curious if there was something out there. My first investigation, I had several experiences that really sparked me wanting to continue with investigating.

Hensley: My interest in the paranormal field began when I was very young. My dad always told us stories of the house he grew up in which made me curious as to if the stories were true and if there was really something out there, or if it was all nonsense just to frighten us.

NB: A lot of people have a deep interest in the paranormal, but not all of them start research groups. What really fueled the birth of Crossover?

McWethy: Brian [Hensley]and myself started out in another paranormal group together. We investigated with them for several years and decided to break off and start doing our own thing. Anytime we investigated we were always teamed up so it made since for us to start Crossover together.

Hensley: I began my journey into the field by joining another team that was already up and rolling. It was there that I found who would be my best friend for life, Nick McWethy. We always seemed to pair up together when we investigated. Our beliefs, investigation methods, and overall outrageous personalities were so much alike it only seemed right that we break off and form Crossover Paranormal. We also wanted to break off and do our own thing so we could work with other teams or individuals so we could learn from them and help them if we could. And it was an amazing ride every step of the way.

NB: In the field of paranormal research unfortunately there’s the occasional charlatan that pops up from time to time, professional time wasters if you will. Did you have many incidences dealing with these folks, or did you find most people that reached out to you for help sincere and genuine?

McWethy: I think it was a little bit of both. Ever since the paranormal has blown up on tv people expect that when you come to investigate their haunted location that you will be bringing a tv crew with you. They don’t realize either that we can come just one night and have no activity. TV shows make it seem that something is always going to happen and that is just not the case. I feel that we ran into both types of people. It was pretty obvious when we ran into them though. In these situations we always remained professional and did what we came to do. To try to find evidence of the paranormal.

Hensley: In the beginning it seemed as though more people were sincere and humble about their claims when they called us in. But as the field began to grow and more and more shows started appearing on TV, people started coming out more often with claims of activity. We always seemed to have a ‘good guy’ feeling when we came across those cases, but remained professional and still gave 100% of our efforts during the investigations. Also while presenting evidence we found that even after being able to disprove or debunk some claims as normal occurrences, some people wouldn’t take our explanation and just continue to believe their place is haunted.

NB: Here’s a hard question. What would be your favorite investigation and what made it so?

McWethy: You are correct, this is a hard one. I would say that my favorite investigation would have to be Waverly Hills in Louisville, KY. My reason behind this is because this was the first place I ever investigated and where I had several experiences that night. This was the first time I had ever had anything happen to me like that. From children laughing, a ball being rolled back to me several times with no one in front of me, and shadow figures. This night was what truly sparked my investigating days. I have had many other amazing nights but I will always go back to that night because it is where it all started for me.

Hensley: Wow this is a great question, and yes a difficult one as well. I will never forget a house we investigated that was part of the underground railroad. We had a psychic with us that claimed there was a slave lady in the corner that was holding her dead baby that she suffocated during transportation to avoid being captured. So I wanted to try to make contact with her. I stood in the corner where she was meant to be and really wasn’t getting much. I tried to relate on a personal level, I said “Ma’am I’m a father and I can’t begin to imagine what you went through, and the fact you accidentally killed your child to prevent being captured. I then asked if I could hold her baby. I reached my arms out as if I was holding a baby against my chest. In that moment I didn’t just have one or two tears fall from my eyes, I was immediately engulfed in incredible sadness, chin quivering, tears pouring from my eyes, and weeping loudly and uncontrollably. It was if she not only handed me her baby but also showed me the sadness in which she had to endure.

NB: What is the one piece of irrefutable evidence that you came across on any one investigation?

McWethy: We did an investigation with our old group at an old Quaker House in Ohio and I was doing an EVP, (Electronic Voice Phenomenon), session in a hallway by myself; trying to capture a spirit on a recording device. I asked if there was a spirit there, could it tell me its name. I got the clear response as soon as I asked of, “Robert Hurd”. I did some research of the name and found out that a Robert Hurd lived in that area and was a tailor. To be able to get a name, which I had never heard before, and to also be able to back it up with research was amazing. That will always be the one that sticks out in my mind most of any piece of evidence I have ever captured.

Hensley: I would have to say a shadow we captured at Poasttown would have to be it. We tried and tried to recreate the shadow but was unsuccessful. Others have tried as well, but could not recreate it either. The shadow comes out of a wall, passes by a door, then turns to face us before falling through the floor. As science proves that if your shadow is cast real close to the light source, by the time your shadow hits the wall about 60 feet away that the whole wall would be covered by your shadow. So this in itself rules out the shadow being cast by any of us. Also our shadow would be on the floor from the light source all the way to the wall. The shadow we captured was free standing (meaning there was no shadow coming from the light source down the floor to the wall).

NB: Lastly, why have you stopped investigating? At least professionally anyway.

McWethy: There are many reasons I have stopped investigating. I think it has become too commercialized and that many of the people who are in the field are in it to become “famous”. People are starting to do it for the wrong reasons. There is so much drama in this field anymore that it’s no longer fun. I don’t deal with drama. I want to be able to do something I love and not have to worry about backstabbers and fake people. Don’t get me wrong, I have met some amazing people in this field, but have met a lot more fakes. I still have love for investigating and want to get back into one day, but for now I just want to let it die back down some. People in this field only look out for themselves for the most part. There are some that truly care about this field and love what they do, and I love and appreciate those groups and individuals. For now, I am good with sitting back and away from the field right now. But maybe one day I will get back into investigating. Only time will tell.

Hensley: Alright I’ll answer this one straight to the point. There is too much drama and B.S. in the field anymore for it to be enjoyable. It’s like so many people are wanting fame and fortune that they will cut anyone’s throat to get there. And anytime something has lost its fun to do, I have no interest in continuing to waste my energy doing it. I also realized I was missing out on things with my family and decided that was time I’ll never get back and would not miss anymore of it. I’m enjoying a life drama free again. I do miss the conventions, investigations, and real people I’ve met in the field. But Nick and I continue to get together, and I remain in touch with the people that are not fake that I’ve met in the field. So it was a fun ride while it lasted, I don’t regret anything I’ve done in the field, and I hope one day the field can regain its integrity that I believe it once had.

Clearly both of these men had personal experiences that sincerely moved them. Citing similar reasons for leaving the field of paranormal investigation, they have only helped to firm my personal beliefs on what is wrong with ‘ghost hunting’ today. Though they may not be investigating on a regular basis anymore, the love for it will always flow through their veins.
Personally, I believe one of the hardest parts in dealing with an encounter of the paranormal kind is telling others about it. Even though the subject is more widely accepted these days, a person may fear that they will be judged, criticized or even laughed at should they tell anyone. I can tell you the anxieties of keeping a secret such as this is far worse than what the repercussions may be if shared. There are days my husband in completely on board with me and others he thinks I’m a total crackpot, I’ve learned to just roll with it.
The bottom line is this, there will always be believers and non-believers. Having said that, those of us who have experienced things have a need for others to believe us, we want them to understand, to feel what we have felt. On some level we need that validation, we need to know we’re believed. Just remember, so long as you believe what you experienced, you are the only validation ever needed.

Next time I’ll cover some of the more well known haunting cases of history. Who knows, maybe I can debunk a few of them or make a believer out of some of you.

Until then, keep the night light burning.

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