From the Introduction of Chasing Shadows

“Chasing Shadows”

Investigating the Paranormal in Illinois, Missouri and Iowa

By

Larry Wilson

 

Introduction

"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

 

In the world in which we live, there are things that can be explained with science and logic. Then there are things beyond the realm of science and logic: things that go bump in the night, strange sounds, and ghostly images that occur without warning. For generations, these types of occurrences have been reported throughout the world. Every city and town has a place that everyone knows not to visit after the sun goes down, for fear of coming face to face with the beings that have made these stories so frightening.

The Midwest has its share of such places, and in this book you will explore some of them firsthand through investigations that I have conducted. We will explore haunted and mysterious places in Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa. Locations such as Illinois’ haunted Ridge Cemetery at Williamsburg Hill, Springfield’s Legacy Theatre, and the mysterious “Graveyard X.” We will explore Hannibal, Missouri’s Rockcliffe Mansion, the historic Morse Mill Hotel in Morse Mill, Missouri, and Booneville, Missouri’s Kemper Military Academy, which was the setting for the movie Child’s Play III. We will travel to Villisca, Iowa to investigate a place that has personally changed my life, the way that I view the supernatural, and the way that I approach ghost hunting in general. These are all places where extraordinary things occur that cannot be explained by mere science and logic, things that I have personally seen and heard.

Are these unusual occurrences signs or evidence of ghosts and hauntings? If so, why are these particular locations haunted and not other, similar places? Do portals and windows exist? Or is the veil between the living and the dead somehow thinner at these locations,   letting spirits travel between different dimensions and allowing us to experience extraordinary events? This book is my humble attempt at answering some of these questions.

What you are about to read is true. The stories in the following chapters describe a few of the most memorable paranormal investigations that I have conducted. The events as described are actual experiences and encounters, not simply legends or folklore. One particular location, as you will read, has completely changed the casual manner in which I once investigated the paranormal. Through these experiences, my perceptions of life, of ghosts, hauntings, and the supernatural, as well as what I have been taught to believe, have been changed forever.

It is my hope that those who read this book, especially those who plan to pursue paranormal research and investigation, will realize that ghost hunting is not a field of endeavor to be taken lightly. It is not fun and games or simply a matter of thrill-seeking. This stuff is real!