Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Voices from Beyond

Psychic records murdered woman speaking from beyond the grave

Today's Edmonton Sun reports on yet another case of using psychics and other paranormal professionals to assist in solving crimes. And in this particular case, one veteran police officer confirms that he is now a total believer.

"If (the psychic) was a phoney, I wanted to expose him. But he's got me. I'm convinced" Officer Wayne Fermaniuk told the Sun.

19 year old Rachel Quinney was found dead in 2004. With her murder unsolved, her mother enlisted the help of psychic and spiritual medium Alan Hatfield of Nova Scotia. Armed with an infrared camera and audio recorder Hatfield led Rachel's mother, sister and Fermaniuk to the site where the young woman's body was found and began an hour long recording session.

What the tapes revealed astounded everyone -- except perhaps Hatfield, who has helped solve other crimes including the potentially related murder of Theresa Merrie Innes.

Along with the voices of the living at the site of Rachel's muder, Fermaniuk said that Rachel very own voice could be heard when the tape was played back. It was clear and came in between other dialogue.

"Rachel came on, and her grandmom and granddad came on too" Hatfield reported. He also noted there were other "spiritual energies flitting around the site."

Neither the psychic nor the investigator would reveal exactly what Rachel said on the recording as it may interfere with the remainder of the investigation. What they both noted however, is that Rachel did discuss her murder.

"She's very angry, very angry. She's a fighter. She didn't go down easy. She fought all the way" said Hatfield.

The amazed Fermaniuk said that Rachel sounded just "like a woman talking."

"I heard the clips…. It kind of sounds like it's in the background, and you have to turn it up a bit, but it's there."

While an arrest has yet to happen in the Quinney case, all are optimistic. Hatfield performed a similar session in the Innes murder, which bears some similarities to the Quinney case. That session produced the name that lead to the arrest of Thomas Svelka who was charged with the crime.

Hatfield believes that four men are involved in the murders of Alberta area women.

According to the Sun, investigators are reviewing Hatfield's material.

"Traditional investigative technique would not say let's go out and get a psychic medium to have a seance and see what we can find out about this crime," said one police officer.

"But there have been a number of examples over the years where (information from psychics) has been fruitful."