Wallingford ‘Ghost Hunter’ Carries On The Warrens’ Paranormal Work

WALLINGFORD, CT — After being chosen by famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren to be one of their original students, Wallingford’s Joe Franke has continued his mentors’ work for more than 36 years.

Franke said he was first introduced to this line of work on a fateful night in 1986 when he met the Warrens at one of their lectures at the Holiday Inn in North Haven.

“The first time I met Lorraine Warren, she told me that there was a special reason why I was there that night and that I was ‘meant’ to do this work,” Franke said. “I was only 18 years old when I was ‘chosen’ by the Warrens to become one of their students.”

Since that time, Franke co-founded the Connecticut Paranormal Research Society in 1993 with Orlando Ferrante. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors, CIO, and Northeast regional director for the Warren Legacy Foundation.

Franke said that working with the Warrens was a “wonderful, life-changing experience.”

“They were like grandparents to me and they accepted me into their family as one of their own,” he said. “I know them as such sweet people who poured all their knowledge into me through their classroom teachings, lectures and on-site investigations.”

With the Connecticut Paranormal Research Society, Franke said they offer assistance to “anyone who may feel that they have some sort of paranormal affliction.”

“This can range from spirit rescue cases (helping spirits to pass over) to full demonic possession,” he said. “Before deciding to take on a case, we do a lot of research on the property, the home and even the family. We have a questionnaire that we ask the person/family to fill out so we can get an idea of what they are experiencing in their home or place of business.”

Franke said they then ask the family to send them “anything and everything they may have to support their claims,” such as videos, photos, and/or audio clips along with written first-hand witness accounts and testimonials from anyone who may have had “experiences” in or around the home/business.

Franke and Ferrante will be conducting a lecture on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Lyman Hall High School. The lecture, presented by the Wallingford Adult Education, is open to the public and begins at 1 p.m.

“Orlando and I will be discussing real hauntings from our personal case files as well as discussing some of the most well-known cases investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren,” Franke said. “We will discuss topics like Annabelle – the real story of the cursed Raggedy Ann doll, the Amityville case, the dangers and consequences of using Ouija boards, conducting séances, and attempting spirit communication. These are all forms of Divination which can be dangerous and have disastrous effects. We will also share photos, video and audio clips from cases and tell stories of physical attacks we have suffered through the years by unseen forces.”

Franke said that he has been the victim of numerous physical attacks by “unseen, negative forces” throughout his paranormal career because of the work he does.

“When you stand up to a negative entity, you become the antagonist and thus can become a target for its wrath,” he said. “And believe me, it will resist your attempts to expel it and lash out. In over 36 years of doing this work, I have been pushed, pulled, slapped, punched, scratched, bitten, burned, struck by objects that were hurled at me and I have been picked up and thrown across the room like a rag doll. And I was well over 300 pounds at the time.”

Franke said the most interesting case he’s worked on was at a home in northern Connecticut.

“The home and the family were plagued with various forms of malevolent activity by a very powerful negative entity,” he said. “The family, and Orlando and me, would experience dark shadows, foul odors, growling and scratching sounds as well as physical attacks. At one point we captured an entity in a recording that we include as part of our presentations. We worked the case for about three years and made significant progress until the homeowner, against our strong advice, decided to exploit his situation and his family by going public so he could capitalize on the story via television and other media sources.”

Franke said they consider a case to be resolved when “all activity ceases and the family can return to ‘normal’ life, free of their paranormal afflictions.”

“We continue to monitor cases and keep in touch with families to make sure the activity doesn’t return,” he said.

While working in the paranormal field, Franke said they have been met with skeptics and naysayers, and that they “understand and respect the fact that not everyone believes in the existence of ghosts/spirits/demons.”

“We welcome and respect differing opinions on the topic,” he said. “Our goal is not to try to force our beliefs or opinions on others. Our goal is to simply present the evidence we collect to show the world that these things are possible and do exist. We only ask that people have an open mind. Ask yourself, ‘is it possible?’”

For more information, and to register for the event at Lyman Hall, contact the Wallingford Adult Education Department at 203-294-3900.