Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
LAist Interview: Paranormal EXP
Marcus, Jason, and Clare form Paranormal EXP.
()
We met Paranormal EXP, one of LA's foremost ghost hunter squads, outside the Old Zoo in Griffith Park. Coming off the recent taping of an episode of Paranormal Challenge for the Travel Channel (airing August 26th) and a win at STU CON, Clare, Jason, and Marcus were happy to talk about some of their recent adventures as we wandered the empty cages and picnic benches on an all-too bright Sunday afternoon. Finding shelter in an old cage, we got to talking about the show, past exploits, and why LA is so great for ghoul hunting.
LAist: Tell me about this Travel Channel episode.
Jason: We can't really talk about it too much. Zak Bagans, the creator of the show, pits two teams against each other. We do an investigation of a location and are rated for knowledge of history, use of technology, teamwork, and evidence captured.
Marcus: Thousands of teams applied, out of a few of the teams, we were selected.
Support for LAist comes from
LAist: What's the deal with the Linda Vista Hospital? Why there?
J: Basically, it was built in the 1930s. The main reason it's haunted is gang members in the area were brought in there after fights, stabbings, and treated... It used to be the Old Santa Fe Railroad Hospital, before the gang violence erupted, railroad workers were brought there. It was closed after a bunch of malpractice suits. Nurses mistreated patients, stuffing them in closets and that sort of thing. It's a dangerous area, too.
LAist: What do you tell non-believers?
Clare: We're skeptics too. We've just had unexplained things happen to us and want to learn more. We don't automatically think it's paranormal. We want to look deeper.
M: We're skeptics with an open mind.
C: Marcus has been scratched several times.
M: We were at the Vulture Mine in Arizona.
C: All of a sudden we hear a voice say "Look up." And his back burned. He lifts up his shirt, and there are three scratches going down his back, like lines.
LAist: How did you meet each other?
C (nodding to M): We're boyfriend and girlfriend.
Support for LAist comes from
J: Marcus and I work together. One of our other coworkers told me about Marcus, that he was into the paranormal. I came over and we nerded out over his ghost hunting equipment. We've taken a more logical approach since then.
LAist: Why LA?
J: There are lots of people, lots of cultures, and so many stories.
C: LA is rich with history, and has always hosted celebrities. Certain buildings, certain haunts are famous, like the Roosevelt Hotel, where Marilyn Monroe's ghost is supposed to reside. And many people like to chase celebrity culture.
M: We could go out anywhere, like Hollywood Cemetery, and find paranormal activity. We don't have to rely on private residences.
This interview has been edited for length.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist