There’s ghosts – the sometimes frightening spirits of departed people and there’s ghost hunters – the people brave enough to traipse into a dark, haunted building looking for said ghosts. I recently had the privilege of interviewing a REAL LIFE paranormal investigator located in Maryland, U.S., one of the most haunted states in the country. With its history of Colonial settlements, multiple wars, and an indigenous presence dating back thousands of years, it’s no wonder 3 Notch Paranormal is always busy. Without further adieu, let’s dive in and read Jeannie’s exciting evidence in the world of Maryland ghost hunting!

Interview with Jeannie, Lead Investigator With 3 Notch Paranormal Investigations Team

1. How did you get into ghost hunting?

There are many factors that got me into Maryland ghost hunting. Living in haunted locations throughout my life, first hand experiences with spirits, orbs, shadow people and unexplained happenings.

My interest in the paranormal was sparked when I was a kid. Where I lived in Prince George’s County, there was a shadow being in the laundry room that would drag itself away every time I entered the room. That was probably the scariest entity I encountered in my youth. Not to mention, every Saturday morning I was glued to the TV watching Scooby Doo! Think about it, they were a team of teenagers driving a mystery van, investigating locations that were supposedly haunted. Scooby Doo was the original Paranormal Investigations Team! 

After years of trying to get onto a Maryland ghost hunting team, I found a class at the College of Southern Maryland called “Introduction to Paranormal Investigations”. The teacher was a well known local paranormal investigator with 20 years of experience. She taught theories on hauntings and how to conduct interviews with individuals who say their properties are haunted. The course taught students how to use basic ghost-hunting equipment, such as cameras and sound recorders, to capture electronic voice phenomena. She focused on how to capture ghosts on film and video, including light orbs that can be interpreted as the presence of spirits. This class changed everything for me!

2. How long have you been a Maryland paranormal investigator and how long has your team been established?

Prior to 2018, I was a part of a Maryland ghost hunting team that was comprised mostly of family members.  It was a great experience working along side people who are as passionate about the paranormal field as me. I learned different methods of approaching an investigation and the various pieces of equipment needed. Though my ultimate goal was to branch out and start my own team.

Until the last several years I believe I’ve always been a solo investigator. I may not have had all the fancy gadgets and equipment, but I’ve always been very inquisitive and fascinated with the paranormal and anything that goes bump in the night!

In 2018, my daughter and I established 3 Notch Paranormal Investigations Team in Southern Maryland. My goal was to have a team of 3 like-minded women, each with a different ability and healthy skepticism.

3. What was the most memorable investigation you’ve ever done and why?

I would have to say this past year we investigated a historic Bed & Breakfast built in 1789, which is surrounded by water on three sides. This B&B was EXTREMELY active! It was unbelievable the evidence we caught, and actually experienced with our own eyes, ears and noses! From the sounds of a full blown battle with cannons and guns exploding outside to sounds of troops marching and drumbeats. Then the actual smell of gunpowder filling the residence!

An intelligent disembodied man’s voice in the attic that answered my direct question of “are we scaring or confusing you?” The man answered NO which we all physically heard AND caught on our audio evidence. We also caught orbs and had small pebbles thrown at us from seemingly nowhere!

In using our Kinnect SLS System we caught on video a small child’s figure jumping up and down on a bed. Then in the kitchen we also caught a very tall figure laying across the kitchen table and another figure standing next to the table leaning over the one on the table as if this may have been a injured soldier on the table with a doctor by its side working on him. This B&B was overtaken by the British soldiers in 1814 prior to the march to DC in an attempt to burn down our Nation’s Capital.  

As we came into the dining room we noticed that the chandelier over the dining room table was swinging. One of my investigators immediately began video recording the swinging chandelier with all the lights on. And when she reviewed the video, to all of our shock, there was a small solid dark figure that shot across the dining room!

4. Have you ever seen a ghost materialize during an investigation? What’s the scariest moment you’ve had?

There was a time we were on an investigation and in the basement using the laser-grid when we saw an entire section totally blacked out and witnessed a move from one side to the other. Then it disappeared! Following, all of our equipment simultaneously malfunctioned and fully charged batteries died. We all agreed it seemed someone or something was using all of the energy in the room in attempts to materialize. At the same time, we were also using a Spirit Box (SB11) and a female voice said Hello!

The scariest moment I believe was when we were on an outside investigation at a gravel pit where an old farmer passed away in a farm accident. We were suddenly surrounded with the noises of the forest which grew incredibly loud in the pitch dark. But we were also surrounded by something else that seemed to have been circling us from different directions and throwing rocks at us at the same time! It was unnerving being out in the forest totally alone….or so we thought.

5. What kind of equipment do you need to have as a paranormal investigator to catch solid evidence?

If I had to pick 2 pieces of equipment I would say the SLS Kinect Sensor. The SLS not only picks up audio but allows you to visibly see any anomalies like orbs and also maps out figures (seen or unseen) using thousands of I.R. dots. Also the Ovilus. The Ovilus converts EVP readings into written and spoken words similar to text messages…it’s the best for spirit communication!

6. Do you think certain people’s energy effects whether evidence is collected on a paranormal investigation?

Absolutely. On the day of the investigation I encourage our investigators to center themselves, meditate and smudge.  I think you need to be clear headed and walk into every paranormal investigation with a positive attitude. However, some people are more receptive to the “other realms” than others….they’re just born that way.

7. Do you have any big investigations coming up that you can discuss?

This weekend my team and a full camera crew will be investigating a law firm, church and Moll Dyer’s Rock!  We’re very excited and pumped for this one! We have investigated the law firm and church before and caught orbs in both. We also had some intelligent audio and Ovilus responses to direct questions. This time will be different as it’ll be the first time using the SLS Kinect Camera! It’ll also be our first time investigating around Moll Dyer’s Rock!

8. What’s one investigation you thought would be active but turned up little evidence?

The Dr. Mudd House in Charles County, Maryland. This place has an amazing history…one of the most historical landmarks around and we got NOTHING. It was a BIG let down. But you never know when the spirits will come out to play!

9. Other than Maryland ghost hunting, if you could go anywhere in the world and investigate any haunted place, where would it be and why?

That’s a HUGE question! I definitely have a “Bucket List” but in keeping in the US, The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Mass. Allegedly, Lizzie Borden was suspected of killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet but was later acquitted. People have taken photos of full-blown apparitions, heard disembodied voices and have even had their belongings moved.

10. Would you recommend ghost hunting to others? Or do you think it takes a special person?

I think anyone who’s inquisitive about the paranormal with a healthy skepticism would make a great investigator. I think what people need to know is that: 1. It’s nothing like you see on television shows or movies! Sometimes you could be in a location for 10 hours and only one possible “paranormal” thing could happen. And 2. investigating is A LOT of hard work!

There’s a lot of components of an investigation from:

• Finding a location to
• Researching the location
• Making a game plan to
• Interview the owners/witnesses
• Making a game plan as to where and how to investigate the claims in the location
• Preparing the Equipment
• The actual investigation, including the set up and take down
• Reviewing each piece of equipment’s audio and visuals – frame by frame. Remember, if you have 5 cameras set up and your investigation is 8 hours long, then you’ll be reviewing about 45 hours of footage!
• Sitting down with the client(s) for the evidence review. 

We only investigate 1 location per month due to the amount of work that goes into the investigation and afterwards.

How can people inquire about a paranormal investigation with 3 Notch Paranormal? How popular is Maryland ghost hunting?

If you live or work in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania or West Virginia and you’re experiencing paranormal activity, contact the 3 Notch Paranormal Investigations Team today via our website or FaceBook page! We are a team of experienced, educated professionals with up-to-date, high-tech equipment necessary to catch legitimate paranormal evidence. We are also knowledgeable on all of the various types of spirits…not just ghosts!

Visit the 3 Notch Paranormal Website to learn more or book a consultation!

More on Ghosts & Spirits:

• Ghosts vs. Elemental Hauntings and What To Do About It
• Hungry Ghosts: Ancestors & Illness
• Haunted Summerwind Mansion: A Terrifying Real Ghost Story!