It’s become an infamous rumor. Saying the murderer Charles Manson stayed at West Virginia Penitentiary.
He didn’t. But his connection is strong. Through his mother, Kathleen Maddox.
Archives: Articles
Ghost Guide Daniel – – RD Wall s was a prisoner, maintenance clerk and popular inmate inside West Virginia Penitentiary.
Calmly serving his time. Getting along with both prisoners and guards. As happy as an inmate can be… until some new transfers arrived.
Warning… things get brutal
June 19 1931, Frank Hyer was about to be hanged for killing his wife. Seeing the condemned before his execution surprised officials… he was happy.
Ghost Guide Daniel – – William “Red” Snyder was believed to be a violent man. Born in 1946. Starting with arson in his 20’s. It escalated. And he served time in many prisons.
Released on parole from West Virginia Penitentiary in 1967. One day later, he killed 2 men, returning him to the storied (and haunted) prison. Eventually leading to his murder.
Article by Ghost Guide Daniel
Quick Links
Only 10 years open when stories of inhumane punishment and torture was told to the newspaper, the Cincinnati Enquirer on November 30, 1886. Former West Virginia Penitentiary Assistant Superintendent named Wilkerson had seen enough.
After leaving he exposed accounts of violence done on inmates.
Two notable dark tourism sites stand across the street from each other in Moundsville, West Virginia.
On the west side is North America’s largest native burial mound at 65 feet high. On the east side, the United States most haunted prison, West Virginia Pen.
Lily is the resident ghost of Trans Allegheny Asylum in Weston, West Virginia. A cute little girl ghost loved by many visitors. It’s why, to this day, they try to talk with her. And if she’s shy, they’ll leave a toy behind.
A cute reason to visit. But being alone in the building with vivid spirits like Lily is one of many reasons to never be a security guard in such a haunted place.
A famed American surgeon named Dr. Walter Freeman created a special Lobotomy. This made him famous, then infamous. They called it the “ice pick lobotomy”.
This method did not need drilling. Instead entering the skull by use of a long, sharp pick slid through the eye-socket.
Built between 1858 and 1881 on the “Kirkbride Plan”. A plan based on modern cures. Kindness and morality. Trans Allegheny was setup to allow tons of sunlight and provide comfort.
Didn’t take long to screw this over.
After the ghost hunt we ended the night. Going through recordings over the next few days. It yielded another first for me. The EVP!
In case you don’t know. An EVP, or Electronic Voice Phenomenon. It’s ghost voices over tape. These are recordings said to pick up details the human ear cannot. Means the Merritt House was full of them.