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Working Along Side The Warrens – A Warren Paranormal Investigator Speaks Out
“Oh, they’re crazy," Ed Warren said in regards to the people that come to them for help. "Everybody who comes to us is crazy. Otherwise why would they come to us?”
Dave O., a paranormal researcher, began his relationship with working alongside The Warrens in the late 1990s when he answered an advert The Warrens had published.
The Warrens were conducting weekly “classes” at The Carousel Restaurant in Seymour, CT charging those in attendance $20 per head to listen to Ed and Lorraine speak of the cases they were involved with. In addition, The Warrens are suggested to have retained a portion of the food and beverage tabs of the guests. The “classes” ran for about two hours each evening, with an hour of lecturing by Ed and anecdotal tales by Lorraine.
As a result of attending the class Dave O. was brought on board as an investigator.
“I forged a strong relationship with The Warrens and, from my end of things, a friendship built on trust and seeking to get to the truth,” Dave O. explains. “I spent a good amount of time at their home in Monroe, worked with law enforcement on their behalf and assisted with presentations and other events.
The fact that I brought a good amount of knowledge and experience prior to meeting them and that I was mature and in my 30's probably aided them in their need to appear professional. They often would seemingly hand pick key people during these meetings to be seen with and involve in cases in the interest of preserving credibility.”
As Dave O. worked closely with The Warrens he came to question their authenticity and the relevancy of their work.
“The investigations were cultivated purely as fodder for their calendar of speaking engagements which gained full steam beginning in September and usually ran through the winter months. There would be the "gala" near October while the lecture season was in full steam.
Having examined one of the contracts put forth by one of their agents I can attest that, in the mid 90's they were receiving in excess of $5,000 per "lecture". Also, the sale of books based on these mostly fictitious accounts of hauntings. Lastly, lest you forget the classes held weekly at the restaurant. Admission was $20 cash per person and the meetings averaged 30-40 people weekly. Do the math.”
Dave O. discovered that The Warrens were interested in two things: Fame and Fortune. And he soon found out first hand how far they would go to obtain both.
“I perceived there to be, a lack of professionalism, an ongoing habit of presenting 'half truths' to people they were supposedly trying to assist and an overall sense of being in the line of work purely for self marketing and promotion. Their ability to tell a story, capture the minds of others and appear credible was, in a word, inspiring if not felonious.”
Dave O. says that most of the cases involved half-truths, lies and deception. He remembers one case in particular that inspired him to move on and disassociate himself with The Warrens.
Dave O. was assigned to a case in New Hampshire which was described to him by Ed as being the work of a powerful Poltergeist.
“Smashed walls, a terrified family and it gets worse from there,” he says. “I, looking for a serious case, went for it with another fellow investigator. The stint went on for over two days. Two days of no sleep living in a small home with two totally stressed out parents and a truly mentally disturbed son of 12 years of age.”
“The crescendo culminated with Boston News staggering into the house on the Friday evening to interview Lorraine regarding this 'most heinous' case of a violent haunting. Her love of the camera is only exceeded by her arrogance, I assure you.
As the interview ensued, my colleague and I could only look at one another with astonishment. The gall these people have, Lorraine in particular, is legendary. She even attempted to have the news crew engage us for comment. We declined, thankfully.
To say, after nearly three days of sleeplessness and living among this very sad and desperate family was nauseating if not depressing would be a gross understatement.”
Dave O. says that The Warrens believed the family was under the influence of an evil poltergeist, but he says that the holes in the sheet rock were not caused by anything paranormal and believes the mentally-ill boy, who had a large assortment of karate trophies was most likely responsible for the damage. He also states that the family was on the brink of financial collapse as well as being told that an evil entity was the cause of all their problems.
According to Dave O., once the camera-crew packed up and Lorraine was interviewed the family was abandoned and left to deal with whatever was troubling them.
“From what I understand nothing was brought to closure on any count. Once a case was exhausted and/or drained of its potential usefulness (read: exploitation) then the case was filed, in more ways than one by, usually, Lorraine,” says Dave O.
“I wouldn't refer to what was collected as evidence, per se, but often material items i.e. Ouija boards, black candles, etc was taken off the premise of an investigation at the request of the prospective 'haunted' person,” he continues.
Scientifically based evidence....no. Very often, photos were captured, at the time with celluloid film, not digital captures, indicating strange mists, blobs, etc.”
Ed Warren stated that these were evidence of spiritual manifestations, his ghost “globules” of yesterday are today's orbs, which have been exposed as nothing more than dust, pollen and moisture.
“The astonishing aspect is that their minions were so enthralled, and I can assure you, it was easy to be captivated by them, that in spite of being in the presence of the truth regarding a case or event , said minions would not, or choose to not, see that NOTHING whatsoever had happened or was happening.”
Dave O. says that The Warrens often embellished stories to make them more spectacular or even embellished events happening right at the investigations.
“Make no mistake, and I want to clarify this, I firmly believe that particularly in the early stages of their careers, the Warrens wanted to assist people experiencing paranormal activity of a sort,” he says. “These people are not what I'd consider evil. I believe that because of the attention to them and their work, media interest and other areas that tend to feed the ego that at some point they just went off track. This is not an uncommon event and has been demonstrated to its ugliest heights say, for instance, in Hollywood. It's predictable.”
“There were times when the Warrens efforts had, in fact, helped some of the people and families they involved themselves with,” continues Dave O. “Sometimes simple reassurance. Perhaps a suggestion to bond more as a family, perhaps return to their faith whatever it may have been and that it may have become luke warm.
Sometimes they would remove a Ouija board that, legitimately was opening a door that should not be opened, ever. Often, illicit drug use was identified as a cause of what seemed to be a psychic problem. Oft times the case was simply dropped and no further contact was made by Lorraine with the person or family. Sometimes the people would end up in the 'class' at the restaurant!”
Dave O. went on to form a strong alliance with a few others in the Warren classmates and together they were working on a case in which Dave O. suggests was the real deal and not a fairy-tale The Warrens had concocted. The Warrens and others were also involved but Dave O. was the lead investigator.
“For the people involved, it was terrifying,” he states. “Can you imagine staying in the home of a family looking to you, (me, in this case), for guidance, advice and protection and having assistant 'investigators' running out of the house screaming in terror into the night? Funny, yeah, but pathetically unprofessional and ridiculous. After this case, I was out.”
“I think one can draw their own conclusions about the elusive mystery of the Warrens and their agenda. Not sinister people just misdirected and caught up in their fame. Some people are motivated by money, some power and some by fame.”
Dave O. created a local investigative group and to this day continues to investigate the paranormal outside of the limelight and The Warren influence.
Our thanks to Dave for sharing his personal experience with us.
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