Local Paranormal Investigation Team Wins TV Competition

The Studio City-based team won the Paranormal Challenge when it was shown on the air Friday night on the Travel Channel.

Marcus Lindsey, Clare Benavides and Jason Gates of the local company Paranormal EXP beat Team Verify consisting of Scott Gruenwald, Matthew Goldman and David Dossett. The two teams were challenged by investigating hauntings at the Linda Vista Hospital in Boyle Heights, Calif.

The team said they really wanted to win, and Lindsey said, “Paranormal research is becoming more and more mainstream now, and it’s taken more seriously by the general public.”

Their team won because the judges thought the three investigators presented their evidence well, and they remained skeptical throughout. They also captured the best audio of a disembodied voice that even impressed Skeptic Magazine editor Michael Shermer.

Linda Vista Hospital was known for it’s hauntings before the teams went into the building, in particular when a doctor was killed by gang members when he couldn’t save one of their members.

Zak Bagans hosts the show, and his judges included Shermer, Dave Schrader who wrote The Other Side and has a talk radio show and paranormal investigator Ursula Bielski.

Bagans said he picked the very different teams because one group was very emotional and Paranormal EXP was very logical and scientific.

“I feel it’s a responsibility in helping a family cope with a loved one and help them move on,” Lindsey said.

They toured the hospital with a set of devices and Gates said he felt chills when they entered one particular room at the hospital. Lindsey actually challenged any entity to come over and attack him or scratch him and he repeated, “Touch me, touch me” over and over again.

The team did not win any money on the show, but they hope this provides them enough notoriety that they will be sought after.

The Travel Channel will Hospital” episode. periodically replay the show. Look for “The Linda Vista Hospital" episode.