Military Ghost Investigators Offer Insight on Annie Road

Last week was Part 1 of a series looking at the U.S. Army's paranormal studies.

Combine the U.S. Army with paranormal studies and the direct result is T.R.O.O.P.S, the Tactical Research Operations of the Paranormal Science. T.R.O.O.P.S. is a non-profit organization specializing in the unexplainable. They are composed of active U.S. Army soldiers. New York native Edward Sears is the founder of T.R.O.O.P.S. and an army veteran of almost eight years.

Sears has been an active participant in the U.S. Army since 2004 specializing in tactical operations as an Army Ranger.

“I was tired of not doing enough for my country and seeing my fellow countrymen suffer and lose their lives,” said Sears. “I felt I had to do more than what I was doing.”

His motivation for paranormal study stems from the passion he and his battle buddies share.

“We all had weird and unexplainable experiences when we were young, even myself while I was in the Army, but ultimately this was a passion we all had knew we had to pursue,” said the 24-year-old.

The organization holds a special place within its founding members.

• Former Navy turned Army Operations Specialist Sgt. Ahearn is the Vice President of T.R.O.O.P.S and specializes in clandestine infantry operations. 
• Army paratrooper Shane Zoellmer is in charge of Communication and Electronics.
• Sgt. Ahearn, alongside Spc. Zoellmer, specializes in wiring, radio communication and over all electronics.
• Military Intelligence Analyst John Hosea heads the T.R.O.O.P.S. analyst department. Hosea determines the legitimacy of audio and video for the non-profit group.

The organization was issued the title of scientific researchers by members of the US Army, and Department of Defense. The group promises full scientific and militant investigations regarding supposed paranormal activity.  T.R.O.O.P.S. uses military and civilian grade equipment, training and software during investigations.

Military grade night vision cameras are used to pick up entities undetected by the naked eye. Military grade thermal cameras are used to pick up heat signals by anything ranging from a human ¼ mile away to a possible entity. Laser Grids are set up at a customized 25-foot area. Cameras record the grids to capture any possible paranormal phenomenon that break the grid area. T.R.O.O.P.S. also uses civilian obtainable items such as a Sony Digital Voice Recorder and a digital camera.

The equipment maybe advanced, but the group’s attire is simple. T.R.O.O.P.S. avoids wearing loud zippers or chains. Dark clothing is worn for reasons based on the need of concentration. It allows the investigators to focus on the mission at hand instead of wearing flashy clothing that could distract other team members. The group also packs photo ids and business cards.

The group has a game plan for the haunting of Annie Road in Totowa New Jersey. St. Thomas Aquinas College student Amy Serrano had a personal experience at the New Jersey road.

Walking along Annie Road, Serrano passed a teenage girl too pale to be human. The girl was wearing a prom dress and held a stack of books in her arms. When Serrano saw the teen, the girl gave a slight smile then looked down at the ground.

“It was almost as if she was shy," said Serrano. "I knew something was off because the girl had whiter skin then I did. She was just too pale. When she passed by me I felt this intense chill. It was unnaturally cold."

The legend of Annie Road is of a teenage girl named Annie. The young girl was stood up by her prom date. The drunken teen walked down local streets, distraught and depressed. She was hit by a car filled with intoxicated students. Her body was dragged for miles. There is said to be blood stains on the guardrail where she was killed.

Locals have reported seeing a pale entity in a prom dress. Paranormal enthusiasts are known to shut off their headlights in hopes to see Annie’s ghost. It is believed that if a car is speeding down Annie’s Road playing 50’s era music with the headlights off, Annie will appear in the rear view mirror. It is not only a paranormal hotspot, but a dangerous road for drivers. Many car accidents have taken place on the road, including one fatality due to a flipped vehicle.

T.R.O.O.P.S. provided a step by step analysis if they were to investigate the New Jersey site. Setting up a perimeter of about two miles, 2-man teams would be set up at every ¼ of a mile. Each team would be provided with night vision video cameras, thermal video cameras, digital voice recorders and a hand held radio. In order to investigate the claims of seeing Annie’s ghost while driving, the team would stage a mock driver. First the driver would drive at a normal speed, then at a slower pace, and end above the speed limit. This allows the team to have a controlled environment to compare the results.

The team would investigate the nearby trees to see if shadows are cast onto the road. The possible presence of homeless citizens would also be taken into consideration. When the group is done, locals will be interviewed for information on Annie’s Road. The final step would be local interviews.

For more information on T.R.O.O.P.S. visit http://www.theparatroops.com