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| 21 St. Helens Avenue circa 2013 |
My novel Chapel Street was inspired by my experiences growing up in a "haunted" house at 21 St. Helens Avenue* in the Northeast Baltimore neighborhood of Lauraville. This series of blogs provides an oral history of the actual haunting that inspired the book.
The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented me from continuing my research. I prefer to interview people in person as opposed to online. Additionally, I need third party information and I don't want to pursue that until we return to something closer to normalcy. However, during the break, I have worked on the timeline of events based on the interviews I have already conducted. These recaps are the fruit of that effort.
The previous blog dealt with the history of the house during a ten year period from the Ouija board incident early in 1986 to just prior to my own exit in 1996. Although I was gone during this final period, the haunting continued and more Murphy blood was spilled.
I recommend reading the first two parts of the recap before continuing:
THE TIMELINE, PART 3
May 1996 - I bought a house on White Avenue about a mile or so away from 21 St. Helens Avenue. The entity hadn't bothered me directly in years, but on my final morning at the house it saw fit to make itself known again.
This was one of the rare incidents that more than one person witnessed (or heard.) Here's my mother Clara discussing the same incident:
Bedrooms
Doug. Front West Bedroom
John. Front East Bedroom
Clara and Natalie. Master Bedroom
Empty. Hell Room
Empty. Back Attic
Mark. Basement Apartment
I periodically include a list of bedrooms in their occupants because it helped us place the events in a coherent timeline. To see photos of the bedrooms, and a summary of the paranormal activity exhibited in them, click on the following link: The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
John's friend Joe witnessed some disturbing behavior from Mark.
Of course, with Mark, it is difficult to tell whether this behavior was supernatural in origin or a result of mental illness.
May 1990 - My sister Jeanne and her husband Jon buy their own home on Raspe Avenue. They still frequently visited and house on St. Helens Avenue. Their daughter Marion became aware of the presence at a very young age.
1997-1998 - My brother Mark leaves for the last time. John moves into the basement apartment. Natalia returns to St. Helens Avenue. She stays, with brief interruptions, until 2005.
Bedrooms
Doug. Front West Bedroom
Natalia. Front East Bedroom
Clara. Master Bedroom
Empty. Hell Room
Empty. Back Attic
John. Basement Apartment
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| Mark Brendan Murphy |
PUBLIC SUICIDE STUNS PASSERS-BY
Wednesday, September 15, 1999
Flint: Passing motorists and mobile home residents were shaken by the view of a man's suicide near 2501 Lippincott Blvd. early Tuesday.
Mark B. Murphy, 35, of South Carolina arrived in Flint last week and had been staying in a S. Dort Highway motel, said Flint Sgt. Scott Eddy.
Eddy early today notified Murphy's family, who lives in Baltimore, of the man's death.
After unsuccessfully attempting to hang himself in his room, the man walked to the lot behind a business at Dort and Lippincott, climbed a tree, wrapped an electrical cable around the tree and his neck and jumped out of the tree, hanging himself, Eddy said.
Officers arrived about 9 a.m. and covered the body, but residents of a mobile home park across the street had already seen the body. Police later had to uncover the victim to take pictures, Eddy said.
The body was hanging about 50 feet from Lippincott.
A suicide note was found in the motel. Eddy said police also found a broken belt and strap believed used in previous suicide attempts, Eddy said.
Eddy said it was not known why Murphy had come to Flint.
- James L. Smith
While living in the Hell Room, Mark reported hearing the voices of his mother and grandmother talking about having him committed. These voices feed his paranoia. The conversations he claims to have heard never happened. It would be easy to dismiss this story as evidence of mental illness. However, there were numerous other examples of people hearing mimicked voices in the house. Here's my niece Natalie talking about mimicked voices she heard during this period.
One of the more surprising discoveries I made during the interviews was that most of the women in my immediate family claim to have clairvoyance to one degree or another. My niece Marion seems to be the most spiritually empathic, and the entity offered her the same bargain that, unbeknownst to her, it had offered her mother Jeanne decades earlier.
Fortunately, she chose not to pay.
Natalie left the house for college, but returned afterwards. She did not take the master bedroom, where she previously experienced a great deal of paranormal activity. Instead she took the Front East Bedroom, where her uncle John had long lived. Clara remained in the master bedroom and John stayed in the basement apartment.
John did not find peace and quiet in the basement. He always slept with the television on.
My father Doug wrestled with alcoholism since his brain aneurysm back in the early-1980s. After the suicide deaths of his two children, he showed little will to change -- or live. His health slowly declined and he left the Front West Bedroom for a makeshift bedroom on the first floor in the former organ room.
Bedrooms (Final Order)
Empty. Front West Bedroom**
Natalia. Front East Bedroom
Clara. Master Bedroom
Empty. Hell Room
Empty. Back Attic
John. Basement Apartment
Doug. First Floor Bedroom
My father Doug was a skeptic. He never acknowledged there was an entity in the house. That's why his behavior in his last days shocked me when I learned about it during the interviews.
The entire family was familiar with the rants my father could go on when he saw something on television that he disagreed with. However, in the declining days, he would often sit in the living room and have conversations with an unseen person or entity. He would grow silent if anyone got close enough to hear what he was saying. These talks were decidedly different in nature than his previous ramblings. Even more disturbingly, my father would walk from the first floor to the now empty third floor Hell Room in the middle of the night to converse with someone or something. Here's Natalia talking about it:
What the hell was my father talking to in that evil room? There wasn't even a place to sit in it. All of the furniture had been removed.
March 12, 2003 - My father, Douglas Ernest Murphy, Sr., dies in hospice. His fate was tragic. I don't think he ever recovered from my sister Laurie's death. Mark's death was just the icing on the cake. The suicides of two children must be nearly impossible to overcome emotionally. I can see why he remained on his slow road toward death via alcohol. It might be a stretch to credit the entity with any responsibility for his fate, but I do not believe it to be a stretch to say he was the third suicide.
It's a tribute to my mother's strength that she has survived the same emotional ordeal.
Obituary from the Sunpapers, originally published March 17, 2003:
While living in the Hell Room, Mark reported hearing the voices of his mother and grandmother talking about having him committed. These voices feed his paranoia. The conversations he claims to have heard never happened. It would be easy to dismiss this story as evidence of mental illness. However, there were numerous other examples of people hearing mimicked voices in the house. Here's my niece Natalie talking about mimicked voices she heard during this period.
One of the more surprising discoveries I made during the interviews was that most of the women in my immediate family claim to have clairvoyance to one degree or another. My niece Marion seems to be the most spiritually empathic, and the entity offered her the same bargain that, unbeknownst to her, it had offered her mother Jeanne decades earlier.
Fortunately, she chose not to pay.
Natalie left the house for college, but returned afterwards. She did not take the master bedroom, where she previously experienced a great deal of paranormal activity. Instead she took the Front East Bedroom, where her uncle John had long lived. Clara remained in the master bedroom and John stayed in the basement apartment.
John did not find peace and quiet in the basement. He always slept with the television on.
The furniture kept moving.... Or at least it sounded like it did.
My father Doug wrestled with alcoholism since his brain aneurysm back in the early-1980s. After the suicide deaths of his two children, he showed little will to change -- or live. His health slowly declined and he left the Front West Bedroom for a makeshift bedroom on the first floor in the former organ room.
Bedrooms (Final Order)
Empty. Front West Bedroom**
Natalia. Front East Bedroom
Clara. Master Bedroom
Empty. Hell Room
Empty. Back Attic
John. Basement Apartment
Doug. First Floor Bedroom
My father Doug was a skeptic. He never acknowledged there was an entity in the house. That's why his behavior in his last days shocked me when I learned about it during the interviews.
The entire family was familiar with the rants my father could go on when he saw something on television that he disagreed with. However, in the declining days, he would often sit in the living room and have conversations with an unseen person or entity. He would grow silent if anyone got close enough to hear what he was saying. These talks were decidedly different in nature than his previous ramblings. Even more disturbingly, my father would walk from the first floor to the now empty third floor Hell Room in the middle of the night to converse with someone or something. Here's Natalia talking about it:
What the hell was my father talking to in that evil room? There wasn't even a place to sit in it. All of the furniture had been removed.
 |
| Douglas Ernest Murphy, Sr. |
It's a tribute to my mother's strength that she has survived the same emotional ordeal.
Obituary from the Sunpapers, originally published March 17, 2003:
Douglas E. Murphy Sr., 61, Social Security analyst
Douglas E. Murphy Sr., a retired systems analyst for the Social Security Administration, died Wednesday of complications from pancreatic cancer at Joseph Richey Hospice in Baltimore. The Hamilton resident was 61.
Born in Scranton, Pa., Mr. Murphy moved with his family to Baltimore when he was 10.
He graduated from City College in 1959 and started to work for the Social Security Administration.
He also attended night school at the University of Baltimore School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1966, his family said. Mr. Murphy's arrival at the federal agency coincided with its early push to computerize. After passing an aptitude test, Mr. Murphy joined the automation effort, beginning a long career as a programmer and systems analyst.
Although he enjoyed hobbies such as gardening, golf and skiing, Mr. Murphy's relatives say he spent most of his time at, or thinking about, his job at the SSA.
"He should have been part of the cornerstone," said brother Brian Murphy of Baltimore. Mr. Murphy retired from the agency in 1999.
Services were held Saturday.
In addition to his brother, Mr. Murphy is survived by his wife of 43 years, the former Clara Protani; three sons, Douglas Murphy Jr., Sean Murphy and John Murphy, all of Baltimore; a daughter, Jeanne Coe of Baltimore; his mother, Margaret Murphy of Baltimore; three brothers, Paul Murphy Jr. of Hampton Roads, Va., Richard Murphy of Middle River and Kevin Murphy of Baltimore; two sisters, Sharon Sartor of Willingboro, N.J., and Carolyn Dabirsiaghi of Glen Arm; and three grandchildren.
Here's a little tribute film I made for my father:
The entity remained active even after the death of my father. Here's Marion discussing an incident that occurred while she was recording sound effects for a school project:
Speaking of recordings, with the Murphy tenure at 21 St. Helens Avenue coming to an end, my niece Natalie decided to make an EVP - Electronic Voice Phenomenon - recording. Here she is discussing her process.
Here's a short clip from the EVP. The quality isn't good. The original tape has been lost or destroyed:
Is that the entity? I'll let you decide.
So what exactly was in the house? Here's Marion's thoughts:
July 21, 2005 - The Murphy family finally leaves 21 St. Helens Avenue. The house is purchased by a couple for $289,000. They perform substantial renovations over time. I haven't spoken directly to them. They are very private. However, I have spoken with the wife through a third party who said, "They loved that house and put a lot of work into it. The only reason they left was because her job transferred her to a new location or they would still be there."
That said, I recently spoke with some of their former neighbors*** who told me about the owner's last minute destruction of the master bedroom its the adjoining closets -- where the haunting was initially centered. I visited the house when it went up for sale. I saw the damage and assumed the owners were in the process of rehabbing the room but they were forced to sell before they finished. That apparently was not the case. The room had already been rehabbed, but it was inexplicably destroyed right before they departed. Why?
That behavior reminded me of an incident concerning my late brother Mark. Before he successfully built the full apartment, he built a small bedroom in the northwest corner of the basement. However, in a fit of paranoia, Mark destroyed the room. He said he had made it sound-proof and he was afraid people would do evil things in it.
Hmmm.
April 23, 2013 - The house goes up for auction starting at $10,000. I attend the auction. I wanted to make a bid, hoping I could finally cast the demon out of the house if I actually owned it.**** My wife, hearing the stories about the house, quickly nixed that idea. Prior to the auction, I identified myself as a previous resident. Many people asked me questions. I told everyone I spoke with about the haunting. The information did not deter any of them. Most of them actually thought it was cool.
I did not speak with the current owners. Nor have I reached out to them.
Here's a little tribute film I made for my father:
The entity remained active even after the death of my father. Here's Marion discussing an incident that occurred while she was recording sound effects for a school project:
Speaking of recordings, with the Murphy tenure at 21 St. Helens Avenue coming to an end, my niece Natalie decided to make an EVP - Electronic Voice Phenomenon - recording. Here she is discussing her process.
Here's a short clip from the EVP. The quality isn't good. The original tape has been lost or destroyed:
Is that the entity? I'll let you decide.
So what exactly was in the house? Here's Marion's thoughts:
July 21, 2005 - The Murphy family finally leaves 21 St. Helens Avenue. The house is purchased by a couple for $289,000. They perform substantial renovations over time. I haven't spoken directly to them. They are very private. However, I have spoken with the wife through a third party who said, "They loved that house and put a lot of work into it. The only reason they left was because her job transferred her to a new location or they would still be there."
That said, I recently spoke with some of their former neighbors*** who told me about the owner's last minute destruction of the master bedroom its the adjoining closets -- where the haunting was initially centered. I visited the house when it went up for sale. I saw the damage and assumed the owners were in the process of rehabbing the room but they were forced to sell before they finished. That apparently was not the case. The room had already been rehabbed, but it was inexplicably destroyed right before they departed. Why?
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| The Master Bedroom with the walls torn away to the slats. |
Hmmm.
 |
| The adjoined closets that were once the center of the haunting. |
I did not speak with the current owners. Nor have I reached out to them.
Here are some final thoughts from my mother Clara:
I'll give Natalie the final word in this recap:
These three recaps should not be considered the final word on the haunting. I still have many people to interview and much research to conduct once the pandemic conditions loosen. But until then, this will have to do.
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| Your humble narrator making a final visit to The Hell Room before the auction. |
*21 St. Helens Avenue was the original address of the house when it was built. The street name and number changed over time, but I use the original address to protect the privacy of the current owners.
**The room was sometimes used as a guest room. Outsiders reported activity in it.
***I was told these stories at the at the funeral of a popular neighborhood matriarch. Neither of the people was present when the other told their story about the strange behavior of the owner in the last days of their tenure.
****During the height of the haunting, I prayed and was told "it was not mine to cast out." I thought buying the house would make it mine.
Additional blogs about the haunting:
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3
My novel Chapel Street was inspired by the haunting. You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
Listen to me read some chapters here:
Chapel Street - Prologue - My Mother
Chapel Street - Chapter 1 - RestingPlace.com
Chapel Street - Chapter 2 - Elisabetta
Chapel Street - Chapter 3 - The Upload
Chapel Street - Chapter 4 - The Kobayashi Maru
Let's stay in touch:
Chapel Street - Prologue - My Mother
Chapel Street - Chapter 1 - RestingPlace.com
Chapel Street - Chapter 2 - Elisabetta
Chapel Street - Chapter 3 - The Upload
Chapel Street - Chapter 4 - The Kobayashi Maru
Let's stay in touch:
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