In my life I’ve had the distinct privilege of meeting many well known and famous people over the years, ranging from George Takei to George Brett to Alex Trebek but none were as prolific and as meaningful as the day I met Patrick Burns and Marley Gibson. Its not everyday you meet the person from a well known TV show from the 90’s and that was mentored by the world famous Hans Holzer. Needless to say I was impressed and awe struck meeting him but the story behind meeting him was rather funny.
We set the way-back machine for 5 or so years ago, back when I was a nobody living in a rinky town in SE Kentucky called Middlesboro. My ex, Jamie Duncan, was working at the medical school at Lincoln Memorial University just over the state line in Harrogate, TN and had heard about Patrick doing a seminar there. We had been peripherally involved in the Paranormal field due to a mutual interest we had and I was in the process of starting my group, Tri-State Paranormal Society there so she thought it would be a good idea for me to go and hear a professional speak about the subject and ask questions. At first I was all for it, but then I started to doubt myself and started to think I would look foolish asking what others might of thought as obvious questions.
So I finally decided to go to the seminar, it was held in a large auditorium in the building where my ex worked. I showed up with about 25 – 30 others keen on hearing what Patrick had to say. At first, and I hate admitting this for he will kill me, I thought he was a bit full of himself but in ALL fairness I was judging him against Zak Bagans and his crew, since my ex and I had just started watching Ghost Adventures at the time. I realize that was unfair of me and if you read this Patrick and Marley, please forgive me but I had no other examples to go on and I realize Zak was a poor choice.
So he told us about himself, his background, his experiences and it was a very well put together presentation. He showed slides of evidence he caught ranging from orbs to full blown apparitions. The whole time I was thinking it was pretty neat getting that type of evidence over the years. Patrick was very personable and friendly and knows how to work a crowd and definitely knows his stuff. The lecture lasted about 90 minutes and then there was an abbreviated ghost hunt after. Now those not familiar with LMU, the college is uber haunted. I worked security there some overnights and a few of the buildings creeped me out. So I can say from personal experience, LMU is haunted. As we were walking to the different buildings to start the investigation, I started wondering where all Patrick’s high tech gear was, so I asked Marley, who was there for moral support and goes to seminars with him, where the gear was. She proceeded to tell me that Patrick was “old school” in his approach to investigations and it didn’t dawn on me till I saw him in action.
The only high tech piece of gear he used was his brand new Ovilus at the time. He used it briefly and got no results and that when I saw how old school he went. He whips out this old Blackberry cell phone and I looked at Marley puzzled, for she was standing next to me and he proceeded to do an EVP session with the old Blackberry. I was thinking that would never work for the mic’s on a cell phone aren’t as sensitive as digital recorders are. Needless to say I was astonished and surprised at the results. The Blackberry worked as good, if not better, than a digital recorder. Needless to say I learned a lot that night.
Fast forward a few years and I was living in Louisville, KY and Patrick and Marley were living in Key West. A mutual friend of ours told me that Patrick and Marley were going to be in Cincinnati, OH at a place called the Sedamsville Rectory for a 2 day investigation and asked if I wanted to go. Patrick and I had been keeping up with each other on Facebook so I said yes to going. It would give me the chance to see my friends that I hadn’t seen in 3 years again and do another investigation with them. It was also my first time meeting Terri Scott and Jason Hoffman, 2 people I am blessed to call friends and that I respect immensely, at the Rectory. The investigation went well, got some good evidence, which I still to this day have yet to go over, and I got to hang with my dear friends.
Fast forward to now and I’m in Portland, OR raising all kinds of trouble and Patrick and Marley have moved back to Savannah, GA and he is now doing haunted tours there. I can only imagine the scares he is raising out there and last I heard he is resurrecting the Ghostcons he once did there so I’m happy for him on that score.
I guess what I’m driving at in a roundabout way is that I’m blessed and lucky to have 2 people like Patrick and Marley as friends and as a part of my life. They are great people to know, Patrick is always goofing around having a good time and Marley is always smiling and being like a big sister to everyone. So Patrick and Marley, if you happen to read this, I thank you for being who you are and for being my friends. There are NO 2 people I’m prouder to call friends and prouder still to call my family!
Thank you for everything.