Several hauntings have been reported in the Cape Girardeau area, from the little ghost girl at the Pi Kappa Alpha lodge to the Tapping Ghost of Lorimier Cemetery. However, nothing thus far has compared to the unexplained anomalies of the Forrest H. Rose Theatre located on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.
In the early 1800s, a small house stood in place of what is now Rose Theatre. Legend says this house was home to a woman named Mary and her husband whose name is unknown. One night, Mary discovered that her husband had been unfaithful. Soon after, he was found beaten to death. The tale claims Mary killed her husband then turned on herself.
Mary, otherwise known as "Bloody Mary," is one of the few known entities that can be found in Rose Theatre.
There is a stain on the floor on the upper auditorium seating that is said by many to be Mary's blood stain that never goes away, despite attempts to clean the floor. Years ago, claims were made that concrete was poured over the blood stain to cover it up, yet it still came back. A university employee who wishes to be left anonymous, however, said the stains could easily have been made from mechanical equipment that leaked oil while the theater was under construction.
Other than Mary, people have made claims of an old man who always sits in seat 28 of the fourth row and hates when others sit in his seat. There is also Annie, who loves to sing and play with the theater lights.
Countless stories and reports have been made about unexplained phenomena taking place in and around the theater.
In light of the consistent rumors, the Life After Death Gravewalkers paranormal investigators based out of Kentucky came to Rose Theatre last Saturday night in order to further look into the case.
Upon arrival, they explained that electromagnetic waves are high in theaters due to all the energy from electronics around, which could mess with sensors and make it seem that a spirit is present.
The team of investigators used several different means of measurements to determine whether or not a spirit was present, such as drops in temperature, video and imaging, levels of electromagnetic forces and more.
The team was present from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Rose Theatre with eight cameras set up that displayed all parts of the building on a monitor, as well as microphones and motion detectors specific to "hotspot" regions where the spirits are claimed to reside.
At the beginning of their investigation, the team members sat in the old man's chair and asked into a device whether it was alright to sit there. In response, the monitor replied with a "no."
The duration of their investigation was followed by equipment malfunctions such as batteries in recorders and cameras draining at an excessive speed and even one recorder playing back audio while still recording.
Susan Perry, the founder of the team, said that spirits manipulate electronics and can even feed off their energy, so draining batteries is not uncommon in the paranormal world.
At 11 p.m. the team reported a bright orb floating above two members. They gathered around the monitor to watch any further progression and a few minutes later they claimed a bright oval orb flew across the screen.
A photo from one of the cameras set up captured a black entity in the doorway of the hallways located underneath the stage. A team member also reported seeing the black figure and refused to go back downstairs.
The full investigation by the Life After Death Gravewalkers is still underway. The full report will be disclosed two weeks from the investigation start date.
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