Denver County Jail: An investigation by: Rocky Mountain Paranormal Conducted May 21-22 & 28-29
Location & History
The Denver County Jail facility was built in 1956. The Jail was designed to house 1,500 convicted felons awai@ng transfer to the Colorado Department of Correc@ons, sentenced misdemeanant prisoners as well as prisoners awai@ng trial. The daily average at the @me of this sec@on closing was 1,986.
The layout of the campus consists of 18 “buildings” aFached together for the main structure and 5 Separate buildings (Staff, Produc@on Kitchen, Building 19,20,Palmer Building, Mechanical Building 21)
Hea@ng and u@li@es are provided through a service tunnel that is located under all of the facili@es. Building 21 is the loca@on of the boilers and the other u@li@es
The buildings that were marked for demoli@on were 6,7,8,9,10,11,12 & 13.
The Jail not only houses prisoners but offers several different types of life and rehabilita@on programs. These programs are con@nuing educa@on to obtain a G.E.D., domes@c violence counseling, drug and alcohol counseling, religious counseling, ap@tude and voca@onal tes@ng, career counseling, Project Bed-‐Time Story , Turnabout program, Life Skills program and the Community Reentry project.
The prisoners have full @me medical access from staff provided by the Denver Health Medical Center.
The facility offers visita@on via telephone/video conference sta@ons.
Incidents at the JailJxxxxxxx xxxxxx
Jxx was the person who brought down United Air Lines Flight 629 on November 1, 1955 killing thirty nine passengers.
February 10, 1956, about 5:30 p.m., a Deputy Sheriff was attracted to xxxx's cell by the sound of heavy breathing. The prisoner was slumped on the floor. His socks were twisted tightly around his neck, with a piece of rolled cardboard used to get added leverage. Quickly the guard loosened the garrote; a doctor was summoned immediately, and sedatives were administered. Gxxx was placed in a strait jacket to subdue him through the night. The following day he was again returned to the psychiatric ward, Colorado General Hospital, where he was strapped to a bed with four guards posted nearby.
No more chances were going to be taken with him now. Gxxxx was under twenty-four hour surveillance by watchful attendants.
October 17, 1958
Tear gas used by Police to halt Denver jail inmates
Police used tear gas to smother a two hour riot by 70 inmates. Four jail guards were beaten by the rioters, but were not injured seriously. The prisoners took no hostages, and they never had a chance to escape. At the climax of the disturbance shortly aber 8:00 pm 36 of the 44 available patrol cars had surrounded the maximum security building in which the riot occurred. By 9:10 pm guards reported they had shaken the last of the rioters and returned them to their cells. Authori@es said they had not established the reason for the riot. Showers were turned on to the floor and water was mixed with the scaFered remnants of the evening meal. Hamburger, potatoes, gravy, bread and custard were squashed underfoot. Windows were smashed, tables and benches were upended, and brooms and brushes were crushed. MaFresses were ripped and scaFered. A quote from the staff was “If they think things have been tough, they haven’t seen anything yet. I’m taking away their maFresses and radios. There’s going to be no more picture shows and they can eat in their cells.”
August 6 or 7, 1974
Deputy Sheriff Jxxxxxxxx
Deputy xxx was just beginning his nightly rounds when two inmates, Ronald Vxxxxx and Charles xxxxx, aFacked another guard and managed to free themselves from their cell. Then they aFacked Oxxx and another guard who managed to get to safety in the “cage” however Oxxxxxx was not able to get away and had his throat cut with a four inch blade. Oxxxxxx was taken to Denver General Hospital where he died from his injuries.
April 20, 1980
Miguel xxxxxxx
He was being held on two charges of murder in the shoo@ng of two security guards in Texas.
He aFacked the shib Commander while he was being held for extradi@on to Texas. He became violent and agitated in the shib commander’s office aber bring informed that he would be placed in isola@on, and he aFempted to stride the officer with a fire ex@nguisher.
On June 19, 1980 he had been taken to Denver General Hospital. When his handcuffs were removed, he used a homemade “shank” that had been concealed in his pants to stab Deputy Kxxx xxxx in the neck. The knife penetrated the rights side of Hxxx neck to his spine.
Miguel was eventually extradited to Texas and was the 38th murderer to be executed in 2001 (June 26, 2001)
December 22, 1989
Denver county jail inmate Axxx xxxxx thought Christmas would be a “Bummer @me,” singing and wearing jailhouse blues. But xxx will be home for Christmas. He and 15 other jail inmates got and early Christmas gib yesterday – their freedom – from Mayor Federico Pena. The holiday “amnesty” is a Denver tradi@on for those serving sentences for viola@ons of municipal ordinances and nearing the end of their jail terms.
June 14, 1990
With less than 60 beds remaining at the jail for new inmates they were forced to release 23 inmates home early to advert a prisoner overflow at the jammed facility.
June 1, 1999
An accused armed robber (Rxxxxx xxxxx) escaped from the Jail by “walking out with a group of visitors”
December 24, 2000
During a showing of “The Cell” a VCR broke down causing a “rampage”
March 22, 2002
A man suspected of serial rape was stabbed by a fellow inmate. Gxxxx Dxxxxxxxs was treated at Denver Health Medical Center for stab wounds to the leb arm, leg and ankle and returned to jail. Inmate Axxxxx Lxxxx faces an ag gravated assault charge in the aFack. Lxx, who was supposed to be in 23-‐hour lockdown in the violent-‐offender sec@on of the jail, was hiding in a shower when Lxxx and two Depu@es walked by.
Exxxxx xxxxx (22)
October 24, 2004
Exxx collapsed, suffered a seizure and died. She had hidden a packed of cocaine in a body cavity and it had ruptured. She was being held on charges of Distribu@on, manufacture, sale and possession of a controlled substance and carrying a concealed weapon
October 26, 2004
A maximum-‐Security inmate at the Jail was stabbed repeatedly in the upper torso in the abernoon by another inmate who used a homemade “shank”.
The injured inmate, jailed on burglary charges was take to Denver Health Medical Center and was listed in stable condi@on.
February 17, 2007
Exxx xxxx
Exxx was jailed because of a traffic accident where she had turned in front of an oncoming car. When the Office conducted a breathalyzer test she tested at 0.121. She was released from the Hospital and sent to the Jail. The day following the accident she called her mother and complained that she was freezing and couldn’t feel her feet. The claims were that she had told an on-‐staff nurse but the nurse had suspected that she was drunk and needed to “sleep it off”. Later that night she was in severe pain and other inmates got the aFen@on. She was found dead the following morning. It was discovered that she had sustained a seven inch gash to her liver, a lacerated spleen and three broken ribs during the car wreck and the condi@on was not diagnosed. Her family later filed charges against the City and County of Denver, Denver Heath Medical Center, nearly 50 Depu@es, jail guards, doctors and nurses. The City eventually seFled with xxx’s rela@ves for $3 million dollars.
Unknown dates:
Dxxx xxxx (42)
April 21
While being moved to his cell, he ran up the stairs to the rear of the third floor @er and jumped to his death. He was being held on charges of destruc@on of private property and threats. It was later discovered that his lover was being housed at the facility and he had done it as an act to show his affec@on. Five months later his lover aFempted to do the same thing but was stopped by a fellow inmate.
Sxxxx xxxxxx (23)
October, 1
While facing charges of Sexual assault and Kidnapping he hanged himself with a bed sheet. The staff did not no@ce the suicide for approximately 5 hours because he had hanged himself on the lower bunk of the bed and appeared to be sipng at the end of the bed.
Fxxxx xxxx (56)
October, 27
Frank was stabbed and beaten by his cellmate (Gxxxxxxx xxxxxn ) he died on the way to the Hospital. He was being held on charges of Menacing with a deadly weapon.
Reports of paranormal activity
Throughout the facility the inmates have reported that they hear the sound of keys jingling in the night. This is the sound that the staff makes with their keys to alert the inmates that they are doing their rounds. The inmates claim that they hear the sounds of the keys but when they pass there is nobody seen.
One inmate (in the loca@on we monitored first) asked a supervisor why someone had been placed in his cell the previous evening, when he was a prisoner that was supposed to be kept alone. The staff asked him what he had seen. He replied that during the night he had goFen up to use the toilet and saw the other inmate in the top bunk. He figured that he would talk to the staff about it in the morning, but there was
nobody in the cell with him when he woke up. The staff says that he was alone in the cell the en@re @me.
Mul@ple staff members have reported “shadows” wandering around on various @ers of the cells throughout the facility.
Both Staff and inmates have reported what they say sounds
Some of the equipment monitoring the area on
the first night
Stairs leading to 3rd
like the cell doors being tugged on. This is a standard prac@ce for someone doing the hourly rounds. They would shake the doors to make sure that they are secure.
In the “Pipe chase” u@lity access tunnel that is located between units 6 & 8 staff has reported seeing a person/shadow at the end of the tunnel that either vanishes or appears to walk through the wall.
Inmates have refused to use the community shower on the 1st level of unit 6 because they felt that there was something odd.
At the back of unit 2 various staff members report seeing a woman who did not belong in the infirmary, who would vanish in front of people.
Deputy Sheriff xxxx who was killed by inmates has been reported by both staff and inmates. The staff has reported seeing him in the loca@on that he was murdered in. Inmates have reported seeing a Sheriff that was not in the right uniform and when asked more about the incident they report seeing someone who was wearing the same uniform as Sheriff xxx as well as describing his complexion hair style and black square framed glasses.
A Sheriff that was onsite while we were there who reported that they were in the back hall area the connects buildings 6 and 8 when they had the sensa@on of having their shoulder pushed. When they turned around to find out why a co-‐worker had pushed them there was nobody close enough to have done it.
Cell monitored where suicide took place. Monitored 1st night
Several different Sheriffs onsite while we were there reported hearing voices at the back of building 6 while nobody was there.
Access tunnel behind areas being monitored
View from 3rd tier on night 3 and 4
Several staff members have reported activity in the Law Library. This room is located next to the areas that we monitored. The reports are of books and papers being moved and two people have reported seeing a person in the room at night when the room was closed. Because of the nature of guarding the building they checked the room but never found anyone.
Artwork drawn by inmate
InvestigationThe areas that we monitored were recently evacuated for demoli@on and were without any staff or inmates. There were other parts of the Jail that were ac@ve with staff and prisoners, so we had to account for outside interference from these possible sources of data contamina@on
First night: 05/21/2010
We arrived at 7:00 and started sepng up our equipment in unit 8
The Base loca@on for monitoring was located in the cage just behind the “birds nest” where the staff would monitor the inmates.
We set up equipment in the following loca@ons:
1-‐ Video Camera in the “Pipe chase”
1-‐ Microphone in the “Pipe chase”
1-‐ Video Camera on the entrance side to the unit monitoring the length of the main room
1-‐ Video Camera on the 3rd @er monitoring the length of the main room
1-‐ Video Camera in cell 6 on the first @er (loca@on of hanging/suicide)
Cell where suicide happened.Monitored on 1st and 2nd
Baxter at base on 1st night
monitoring the bed and entrance to the cell
1-‐ Natural E.M.F. meter in cell 6 on the first @er where the inmate had hung himself
1 – Microphone located outside of cell 6 on the first @er
1 – Thermometer located in cell 6 on the first @er
1-‐ Seismometer at the entrance to cell 6 on the first @er
1-‐ Video Camera located outside cell 6 on the first @er looking into the cell
1-‐ Video camera located opposite the cells on the first @er looking at the wall of cells near the front entrance
1-‐ Video camera located opposite the cells on the first @er looking at the wall of cells near the back of building
1 – Thermometer located at the main entrance to building 8
1 – Microphone (stand mounted) on the 2nd @er near the main entranceGuard overlook area 1st and
2nd nights
“Pipe chase” monitored on 1st and 2nd nights
1-‐ Microphone located on the 2nd @er near the main entrance
2 – Natural E.M.F. meters used to sweep the loca@on for baselines and hourly measurements
1 – Standard Tri-‐Field E.M.F. meter used to sweep the loca@on for baselines and hourly measurements
2-‐ Digital Cameras used to document loca@on with s@ll images
1-‐ Video camera used to do a “walk through” document of the loca@on
4-‐ Apple Macbooks used to monitor the audio (Garage Band) and video cameras (EyeTV)
1-‐ Yamaha audio mixer to connect two of the microphones to the macbook
1-‐ M-‐audio Fire wire to connect two other microphones to the macbook
We completed sepng up the equipment around 10:30 and started monitoring
On the first night we started with baseline readings and hourly sweeps of E.M.F. It was noted that the cells had a high amount of man-‐made E.M.F. located near the back wall (3-‐4milligaus). This was due to the main wiring and u@lity tunnel that is located behind
the wall. The Natural E.M.F. levels were below measurable levels and did not vary throughout the night.
Temperature readings were consistent throughout the evening in all 3 loca@ons being monitored. The base loca@on was 77 degrees and the 2 remote loca@ons were both 74. There were slight
Base location setup
varia@ons of 2-‐3 degrees due to changes of the outside air temperature
Throughout the evening we heard what sounded like cell doors being pulled on (loud thump) but could not iden@fy which doors they were. Bryan reported that aber one of the loud thumps he heard what sounded like footsteps
We noted that on the far end of the main room on the first @er there was a very low hum. This hum was more no@ceable in cell 12 on the first @er
We interviewed four of the staff members on duty and they confirmed that they had witnessed
several of the reported paranormal events at the facility
We arrived on 5/22/2010 at 8:00 and started a “quiet” monitoring evening at 10:00
On the second night we moved the camera that was on
the far end of the first @er closer to cell 12
Guard area monitored on 2nd and 3rd nights
View from outside the Guard area
On the second night we decided to monitor the sound levels of low hum that we had discovered. We used a seismometer and a sound level meter to determine what the
sound was. We determined that the sound was coming from a combina@on of the main air system fans for the facility and the fans located behind the community showers in units 6 and 8. We monitored the sound with the shower fans on and off and
determined that with them on the ambient sound was around 62db and with them on it was between 70-‐72db. There was a no@ceable difference in the vibra@on being monitored in the area as well. The hum was determined to be between 10-‐18hz when all of the shower fans were on and much lower but with less volume when they were off. *1
We also decided to place three people in the main room on the first @er to watch the cell doors and see if we could determine the loca@on of what appeared to be the sound of the doors moving. Aber about 45 minutes one of the people monitoring doors reported seeing door 2 on the third @er moving slightly when one of the sounds was heard. We placed another one of the people monitoring the loca@on directly next to the door and 15 minutes later he reported seeing it move aber the banging sound was heard
We placed the seismometer that was in front of cell 6 on the first @er in front of cell 2 on the third @er to see if we could record any movement when the sounds were heard. A sample of the sound and shake of the door was taken to use as a baseline and the video camera
Area where inmate jumped from 3rd tier
on the third @er was pointed at the door of cell 2 on the third @er to see if we could document any visual movement of the door. We noted that the sound of the door was happening every 15-‐20 minutes. Ini@ally we thought that the sound was coming from the doors due to a @med mechanical issue such as a system check, but aber 4 @mes that it happened on @me then the sounds became random and from different doors. We monitored the seismometer and the video camera and at one point we heard the sound and monitored movement with the seismometer but there was no no@ceable movement on the video.
Third and fourth nights: 05/28-‐29/2010
We arrived at 7:00 and started sepng up our equipment in building 6
The Base loca@on for monitoring was located on the first floor in the cage were staff would monitor the inmates.
We set up equipment in the following loca@ons:
1 – Video camera on the door of cell one on the first @er aimed at the side of the door
1 – Video camera on the door of cell one on the second @er aimed at the side of the door
1 – Video camera on the door of cell one on the third @er aimed at the side of the door
All of these cameras were posi@oned to look at the cell doors
View from 3rd tier on 3rd and 4th night
to see any possible movement of the doors.
(All three of these cameras were re-‐posi@oned at 12:00 to look into the main room of building 6)
1 – Video camera mounted on the cage area looking the length of the building
1 – Video camera mounted on the railing of the second @er near the first cell looking the length of the building
1 – Video camera added when a two way radio was no@ced to apparently be turning on and off by itself.
1 – Video camera in the Pipe chase on the first @er
1 – Video camera in the Pipe chase on the second @er
1 – Video camera in the Pipe chase on the third @er
1 – Microphone in the Pipe chase on the first @er
1 – Microphone on the second @er near the loca@on of the murder
1 – Video camera in the cage on the second @er facing to the loca@on of the murder
View from 3rd tier on 1st and 2nd nights
1 – Video camera in the cage on the second @er facing to the loca@on of the murder and up the staircase
1 – Video camera on the second @er near cell one facing back to the guard area
1 – Video camera looking down the second @er hallway towards the loca@on of the murder
1 – Thermometer in the loca@on of the murder
2 – Control objects (ball) at the loca@on of the murder
Locking Mechanism that was heard making sounds on the first two nights
Guard cage on the 3rd and 4th night
Apple Yesterday, 8:28 PM
1 – Seismometer located on the desk in the caged area on the second @er
1 – Control object (ball) located on the stairs leading to the third @er
1 – Thermometer at the base loca@on
We started the evening with by placing people to watch the areas at the following loca@ons:
Just outside the guard area on the first @er
At the top of the stairs on the third @er
At the end of the building sipng at the table
At the loca@on of the murder on the second @er
At 2:00 one of the people monitoring no@ced what appeared to be a shadow around cell 5 on the first @er. At the same @me he noted that the tx/rx lights on the two way radio that he had started to flash.
We moved a camera to monitor the radio and the cell that the movement had been reported. We also placed the person who was at
View of area on 3rd and 4th nights
An inmates artwork
the top of the stairs at the loca@on for mul@ple witnesses. They both reported seeing something similar to the shadow that had been reported earlier, however there was nothing seen on the cameras.
The seismometer reading were unremarkable throughout the evening.
Natural E.M.F. readings were below measurable limits throughout the evening
Man made E.M.F. was unusually high in the areas where the staff would monitor the inmates. This was on all three levels and was most no@ceable on the first level near the main entrance. The readings ranged from an average of 25 – 40 milligauss to 50 milligauss in the hot spots. *2
Guard lookout area on 1st and 2nd nights
Cell light access panel
Second floor guard hallway monitored 3rd and 4th nights
Fenced in guard walk monitored on 3rd and 4th nights
Guard cage monitored on 3rd and 4th nights
Cell area monitored on 1st and 2nd nights
Pipe chase area access to back of cells
Back of area monitored on 1st and 2nd nights
References:*1 - Human reactions to infrasound
20 Hz is considered the normal low frequency limit of human hearing. When pure sine waves are reproduced under ideal conditions and at very high volume, a human listener will be able to identify tones as low as 12 Hz. Below 10 Hz it is possible to perceive the single cycles of the sound, along with a sensation of pressure at the eardrums.
The dynamic range of the auditory system decreases with decreasing frequency. This compression can be seen in the equal-loudness-level contours, and it implies that a slight increase in level can change the perceived loudness from barely audible to loud. Combined with the natural spread in thresholds within a population, it may have the effect that a very low frequency sound which is inaudible to some people may be loud to others.
Infrasound has been known to cause feelings of awe or fear in humans. Since it is not consciously perceived, it can make people feel vaguely that supernatural events are taking place.
Some film soundtracks make use of infrasound to produce unease or disorientation in the audience. Irréversible is one such movie.
The infrasound and low-frequency noise produced by some wind turbines is believed to cause certain breathing and digestive problems in humans and other animals in close proximity to the turbines.
Infrasonic 17 Hz tone experiment
On May 31, 2003, a team of UK researchers held a mass experiment where they exposed some 700 people to music laced with soft 17 Hz sine waves played at a level described as "near the edge of hearing", produced by an extra-long stroke sub-woofer mounted two-thirds of the way from the end of a seven-meter-long plastic sewer pipe. The experimental concert (entitled Infrasonic) took place in the Purcell Room over the course of two performances, each consisting of four musical pieces. Two of the pieces in each concert had 17 Hz tones played underneath. In the second concert, the pieces that were to carry a 17 Hz undertone were swapped so that test results would not focus on any specific musical piece. The participants were not told which pieces included the low-level 17 Hz near-infrasonic tone. The presence of the tone resulted in a significant number (22%) of respondents reporting anxiety, uneasiness, extreme sorrow, nervous feelings of revulsion or fear, chills down the spine and feelings of pressure on the chest. In presenting the evidence to British Association for the Advancement of Science, Professor Richard Wiseman said, "These results suggest that low frequency sound can cause people to have unusual experiences even though they cannot consciously detect infrasound. Some scientists have suggested that this level of sound may be present at some allegedly haunted sites and so cause people to have odd sensations that they attribute to a ghost—our findings support these ideas."
The Ghost in the Machine
Research by Vic Tandy, a lecturer at Coventry University, suggested that the frequency 19 Hz was responsible for many ghost sightings. He was working late one night alone in a supposedly haunted laboratory at Warwick, when he felt very anxious and could detect a grey blob out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to face it, there was nothing.
The following day, he was working on his fencing foil, with the handle held in a vice. Although there was nothing touching it, the blade started to vibrate wildly. Further investigation led him to discover that the extraction fan was emitting a frequency of 18.98 Hz, very close to the resonant frequency of the eye (given as 18 Hz in NASA Technical Report 19770013810). This was why he saw a ghostly figure — it was an optical illusion caused by his eyeballs resonating. The room was exactly half a wavelength in length, and the desk was in the centre, thus causing a standing wave which was detected by the foil.
Tandy investigated this phenomenon further and wrote a paper entitled The Ghost in the Machine. He carried out a number of investigations at various sites believed to be haunted, including the basement of the Tourist Information Bureau next to Coventry Cathedral and Edinburgh Castle.
*2 Studies have shown the possibility that exposure to high levels of man-made E.M.F. can cause the sensations of sensed presences, visual hallucinations, feelings of dread, and even religious
experiences in people with a pre-disposition to the exposure (usually an injury or naturally occurring defect in the front right temporal lobe of the brain)
Report completed 06/20/2010
R.M.P.R.S. staff:
Bryan Bonner
Matthew Baxter
Stuart Hayes
Logan Baxter
Kathy Josey
www.rockymountainparanormal.com