Louisiana ghost hunters stake out 'haunted' jail

It's not the most glamorous way to spend a Saturday night - in an aging jail, full of rust, mold and God knows what else.

But to Carla LeBoeuf of Lake Charles and Bess Maxwell of Shreveport, ghost hunting is a like a day at the mall - an escape, an adventure and something of a hobby.

Both are ordinary women - a teacher and a communications director at a church - who sometimes find themselves in extraordinary situations.

On Saturday, the two women joined four other ghost hunters with the paranormal investigation team Louisiana Spirits and explored the alleged paranormal activity in the Old Gothic Jail.

Equipped with digital voice recorders, digital cameras, hand-held video cameras and flashlights, the two crept their way through the ramshackle jail, attempting at every stop to make contact with the other side.

"My husband watches NASCAR, and I do this," LeBoeuf said.

This is the second time that Louisiana Spirits has visited the Gothic Jail.

Brad Duplechien, lead investigator of the group, said the jail continues to interest him.

The group's first visit to the building was widely publicized and earned the group - and the jail - notoriety.

"There's something about this place that I love," Duplechien said.

The group has certainly placed its mark on the paranormal world. Members have been invited to delve into the alleged paranormal at plantations across the state, "haunted" restaurants, theaters and even private residences.

On Saturday, the ghost hunters sought to find the spirits of past prisoners, in particular, Joe Genna and Milton Brasseaux, who were hanged on March 9, 1928, from make shift gallows above the jail's spiral staircase.

The two had been arrested two years earlier, in September 1926, for the brutal murder of DeRidder taxi cab driver, J.J. Brevelle.

The jail was used from 1914 to 1984, when the state deemed it unsafe.

On the group's first trip to the jail, members had numerous personal experiences, including an incident that involved a camera tri-pods being mysteriously knocked over.

But on Saturday, the group caught nothing as far as hard evidence, but did come away with a personal experience.

Duplechien said the group was sitting on the jail's iron stairwell when something eerie happened.

"We asked that if someone was there - prove it. We heard what sounded like metal hit the bar with a ping sound," he said.

Duplechien said the group repeated the question and asked for further proof.

"And it did it again," he said.

Duplechien said the group still has audio recordings to review. He said the jail poses an investigation challenge because of its close proximity to the highway and rail line.

Despite this, he said the group would like to explore the jail again.

"I'd love to," he said.

Louisiana Spirits has members across the state. The group is made up of professionals from all walks of life who have in interest in the paranormal.

For more information, visit www.laspirits.com.

Beauregard Daily News