Eastern State Pennitentiary

Bucky Martin, P.H.P.R.S.
May 31, 2008   into June 1, 2008

11:00 am made the meeting at Belair Rd Dunkin Donuts. I met Dave Weigert,  founder of M.P.R.T. Introduced by Jose from PHPRS. The Group met up and basically caravaned up to ESP. I stopped to pick up another PHPRS member, Kathy ,who rode with me.

The arrival at ESP: This place is Big. The trip took 2 ½ hours from start to finish. Parking was rough. We got lucky and were able to actually grab a spot out front. It was about 4:00 p.m. when we got there. Kathy and I immediately met up again with Jose and Cora of PHPRS. Finding the last tour for the day hadn’t finished yet; the staff at the prison was not ready for us, so we grabbed a cup of Joe at Mugg Shots Coffee House across the street from ESP.

Finally at about 5:20 p.m. we were able to head inside.  Kathy, Jose, Cora and I all packed fairly light. We helped Dave from MPRT unload his gear and DVR camera system and move everything to the Hub, dead center of the Prison. Set up was complete at about 6:30 p.m. and Kathy and I took our 1st walk around the prison. It’s a pretty big area even though more than half of it seems to be off limits to the public for safety reason’s, which having now seen this place, I'd say that’s fair reasoning.

We located all the hot spots we could think of, or had heard about from other sources and wanted to see for ourselves, CB 12( 1st & 2nd floors), CB7, CB1, and the old Hospital “Unfortunately off limits”, as well as Death Row and CB 11 which was built by the inmates , and it shows. It's crooked and the only CB that does not open to the Hub. We also looked at the greenhouse area, CB 9, 10 and Al Capone’s humble abode. By now we've figured out  what we would try to cover.

Getting dark:  Finally it started to get dark. The main body of the investigative group met up in the Hub.  There were about 30 people and 4 prison staff.  At first we were told we were going to be separated into 3 groups of 10.  Yes, a lot of people for an investigation looking to collect evidence. Luckily with a little coaxing Dave with MPRT split the groups down further to about 5 per team. To top that off, the staff of the prison also allowed us everywhere unaccompanied except the CB12 (3rd floor)  for safety reason’s due to its state of disrepair. Readers of this may remember CB12 as the location where Brian Hornier of TAPS fame uttered those immortal words DUDE RUN! And he did, followed by the camera man at the sight of yes what were are all trying to see, a ghost.

Off we go: Kathy, Cora, Jose, his son John and I  met up with Mike Bowser of MPRT to start the investigation in CB1. We started with a silent EVP session for about10 min and moved to taking Photographs. I cannot say that this EVP session revealed any recorded voices on my digital recorder.  I am still going over my recordings from that night, but I did see an orb, not in the camera but with my eyes, which is cool because that usually doesn’t happen to me. It moved down the wall on the right of us as we were sitting in the middle of the hall. About 2 doors down it shot in the doorway, to which I said quietly “I’ll be dammed”. This probably made it to everyones recorder, for which I have apologized.  It was just me.

We finished our 45 min run in CB1

Next, Kathy, Jose, John and I teamed up with Dave from MPRT and headed into CB12 (3rd floor), mainly for pictures, but we also did  another EVP session while in there. I’m still going over my recordings, so the results are still inconclusive.

3rd area investigated: The main group, being so large was still in disarray .  Kathy and I decided after a break to hit a few area’s . We starting in CB 4, heading towards the old hospital area. Once we were at the old hospital area near the Hole, we did some more EVP work to which our questions were becoming a bit more aggressive and at that point border line provoking. No results yet, I’m still looking over evidence.

4th area investigated Death: Row: By the time Kathy and I hit death row we were pretty much outright provoking with the EVP questions and still taking photograph’s. Oddly at one point a young investigator walked in behind us and promptly left once he figured out we were provoking. Maybe he got scared. I didn’t see anything ,but I haven’t finished going over the evidence yet.

5th area investigated: I believe this is CB11, which was built completely by the inmates and it shows, being fairly crooked and the only cell block not connected to the Hub. This CB is actually a classic of what one might think an abandoned prison would look like. Dark and grungy with lots to get impaled on, which is why its not fully open to the public. Results of this investigation not in yet.

6th Area investigated: After the CB11 we walked down towards the greenhouse area. I have a photograph of interest I’m sending BJ of PHPRS to look at : orbs and possible ecto from CB13.

7th area investigated: Kathy and I headed back up CB1 and ran into Jose of PHPRS, and Dave of MPRT, in one of the cells doing Evp’s .We joined them in there. Results are still being listened to.

8th area investigated: At this point it was late,1:30 a.m. Kathy and I grabbed Cora also of PHPRS and headed back to CB12 for one more run of photo’s and Evp's. Again we started questioning and methodically moved into provoking, which I hope that out of 3 of us recording someone got something, but again results are still not in. I will update if anything arises.

At about 2:30 am Kathy and I decided that with a 2 ½ hour drive ahead it would probably be good to start heading home, so we said goodbye to Jose, Cora and Dave and headed out.

I would like to say thanks to Dave, founder of MPRT for putting together the investigation, and to the ESP Staff Historians who were extremely knowledgeable and willing to help. Also for their willingness to allow us to move around freely inside the prison walls. And finally, thanks to the Philadelphia Police Officer who not only didn’t give me a ticket, and could have, but gave us directions back to the Highway.