This week we are in Ybor City, Florida, which is just outside Tampa Bay. This is an area of Florida I have never been to, and got to say, it was beautiful. There is a totally different vibe on this side of Florida. Ybor City itself was not what I expected. It had a New Orleans flare to it. There were a lot of bars/restaurants as well as great spots to enjoy a freshly rolled cigar and some good booze. I did get a chance to walk through town when I was not working and it seemed so friendly. What I mean is, that I didn’t get that, you don’t belong here look, which I get a lot of when I travel….lol. The town apparently has a great nightlife scene. Unfortunately for me, I was only able to see it during the daytime, but I could definitely see why & heard some great stories.
The Dead Files blog
October, 2011 Archive
Hotel Hell
The White Shadow
So this week we are in New Orleans, the last time I was here was in June of 2001, I was down here looking for one of the perpetrators of a triple homicide (The Carnegie Deli case). It brought back a lot of fond memories for me because I worked with some of the best detectives in the world in New Orleans — who assisted my partner and I on that case. I actually still keep in contact with some of those guys. This time however, I am here for a different type of case, not far from the devastation of hurricane Katrina. I have seen a lot of devastation in my life and was at the WTC, as the buildings came down. But during my investigation, it took me into an area where Katrina hit the hardest. Even though it was many years later, I was still able to see the destruction that it caused, and it bothered me, but I was also happy and impressed by the progress in the rebuilding.
New Orleans
First let me say that Matt & I LOVE New Orleans! We went there to celebrate our honeymoon nearly ten years ago!
The show…this was the first show that we filmed. Talk about STRESS! Not only was there a nervousness about filming a TV show, but also in doing a great walk and knowing that many on the set were very skeptical. When you know that someone and/or many people have put their butts on the line, are following your method to a T, and that method goes against all reason and sanity in the entertainment industry; well, you cannot breath really well!
Death and Dolls
What can I say about North Carolina? Dolls come to mind! Yes, if you did not know, now you do. There are a lot of dolls in that house. There were so many that there was little space to walk. I am not afraid of dolls, but there was something about the dolls in this house that angered and upset me.
It had been a long day, of waiting and waiting to do the walk.
I was outside the location waiting in a car for several hours. The dead decided that was too much, and they started coming to me while I was waiting in the car. In fact one of them was rather menacing and was attempting to start a fight with me. I could not wait to get moving and talk to them in a safer area.
After much waiting and arguing with the scary man in black, I finally got to go into the location. There was so much information and so many dead. I was a little shocked that this was a house.
The Doll House
So we find ourselves in a small town in North Carolina, a place where I consider being the heart of real America, to investigate a humble home that was experiencing some truly unnerving occurrences. Cramerton, N.C. had a population of hard working people with real values. The home, which I had assumed would be your typical rural household, was absolutely NOT what I expected. There were dolls everywhere.
As I began my interview with the homeowner, I tried to stop myself from staring at all the dolls. I really couldn’t figure this homeowner out at first, but as our interview continued, I realized what a passion her dolls were to her. They were not merely a collection or hobby. My background working on the streets of New York City didn’t’ really prepare me for this type of case. As my investigation progressed, I learned that both her young daughter and she were having odd experiences, and I became concerned. I did not have a sense that I was being lied to; however, I knew there was more to the story of this house than what I was being told. After the thousands of interviews and interrogations I have conducted over the years, it has made it easy for me to discern if someone is being truthful or not. My instincts told me that the homeowners had no clue what was really going on under their own roof.
