5 years ago
Amateur ghost hunter Matthew Doherty said he heard swirling noises and faint screams on the grounds of Danvers State Hospital as he was investigating claims the old asylum is haunted.
Then he heard his Miranda rights.
Doherty, 33, and two friends were charged over the weekend with trespassing on the grounds. Doherty said he and his friends never noticed any "no trespassing" signs when they took a back road to reach the deserted site of the 127-year-old state psychiatric hospital.
They were there to make a videotape to send to the Atlantic Paranormal Society, which investigates haunted sites for the Sci-Fi Channel's "Ghost Hunters."
Danvers is haunted by paranormal enthusiasts, if not by ghosts.
Since the hospital closed in 1991, scores have visited the Victorian Gothic building. At least 20 unauthorized visitors have been arrested this year alone.
Doherty, a computer technician, said he and his friends never entered the building, but did experience strange sensations on the grounds that he described as "major discomfort."
"Basically, when we were up there, we got the presence," he said. "We felt the energy."
State police arrested Doherty along with Ross Gordon, 34, and Matthew Selecky, 24, on Saturday about 6:30 p.m.
State police could not provide records on the number of trespassing arrests they have made at the site. But Danvers police said they have arrested 17 people for trespassing at the hospital this year.
Sgt. Robert Bettencourt said the site's popularity was fueled by Internet rumors and the 2001 release of "Session 9," a film about a haunted hospital that was shot at the site. The film's star, David Caruso, has said he saw something unexplainable pass by a hospital window during the shoot. He called Danvers "the scariest building in America."
"This has been going on for a few years now," Bettencourt said of the uninvited visitors. "Danvers people knew about the place all along, but that movie and the Internet got the word out there."
Doherty said he and his friends often visit sites that are suspected of hosting paranormal activity. He said they undertake their visits with a "critical" atitude, never assuming they will encounter anything unusual. However, Danvers State Hospital had an undeniable level of activity.
Doherty said he heard faint screaming. Gordon said a leafless tree was another sign of the supernatural.
"In the middle of the courtyard, there was one tree that looked dead, but it wasn't," Gordon said. "And all the other trees were in full bloom."
The men said they are scheduled to be arraigned in Salem (Mass.) District Court. The hospital property is owned by the state and is open for tours once a month.
AvalonBay, a development company, is buying the property for $20 million with plans to build apartments.
Written by 9 News
