***S.E.O.P.I. would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming response to our request for new members. At this time, all of our vacancies have been filled and the new members notified. Again........ thank you! ***.
S.E.O.P.I. TEAM MEMBERS
_Tom Robson - Co-founder/ Tech Supervisor/ Lead Investigator/ Web Design_
I grew up with an undeniable interest in the paranormal. Even as a young child, I could not tear myself away from watching shows or reading stories about ghosts even though they terrified me. That might explain why I always loved the time around Halloween (I'm sure the candy had nothing to do with it!). Even some of the games that we would play had to do with ghosts and moving objects.
I also developed a strong interest in history growing up. I loved everything about history. Family history, civil war, revolutionary war, everything that has to do with history. It wasn't until later that I would realize that these two strong interests would go hand in hand.
The biggest single thing that turned my interest in the paranormal into a passion surrounds the passing of my father. My father passed away when I was only seven years old. Shortly after his death, I began to have very vivid dreams of my father. They were always, brighter, more vibrant, and seemed so much more real than regular dreams. They were not a dream in the sense of fantasy like regular dreams but more to do with everyday events for example just fishing together and talking. With average dreams, you always would forget most of the details, but with my "special" dreams I would not forget a single detail! With each year that passed, the dreams would become less common and now I may only have one a year. It has always made me wonder if this was my father’s way of guiding me through life until he knew I would be all right. When the dreams first started they left me a little frightened, but with time, left more of a feeling of comfort along with a lot of questions.
When I moved to Zanesville in 1993 to start a new career at the Zanesville Police Department, I met Michelle Duke (Co-founder) and learned that she shared the same passion for the paranormal along with getting some answers for a lot of questions. We started out just going to open investigations and other well known "haunted" locations armed only with 35mm cameras. As the years passed we wanted to get more involved in paranormal research and decided to start our on group. We found people that were interested in joining our group and we officially launched our website in July of 2008. We continue to grow as time goes on and will always welcome people in with the same passion. Also, as long as I can remember I have loved photography and trained myself to do it well. Four year ago, I also started a part-time photography business and this knowledge has allowed me to better understand the "anomalies" that can take place on photographs that are not paranormal.
To contact Tom: trobson@seohiopi.com
_____Michelle Duke - Co-founder/Case Manager/Lead Investigator____
My interest in the paranormal began as a small child. I can remember my grandmother telling me stories about her parents coming to America from the old country(Czechoslovakia). Her parents used to run a boarding house and it supposedly had paranormal activity going on. Everything from shadow figures to mysterious footsteps on the stairs. I can remember sitting and listening to her for hours as she told us stories.
My grandfather also told us kids many stories of ghosts, witches, and haunted houses. He grew up in Walhounding, Ohio and I was Fascinated to know that things like this happened so close. My interest only grew throughout the years. Growing up I also truly believed that I may have lived in a house that was haunted. I never was brave enough to investigate my own house and at that time I surely did not want proof. I lived there for 10 years before I moved out. The stories I could tell you if I had the time! If I could do it all over again, I think now I would want to know. (Especially for validation of want I experienced). I have always wanted to go back and talk to the people that live there now but I do not want to frighten them. Not everyone is open to the idea of having something paranormal going on in their own house.
As I started a new job here at the Zanesville Police Department in 1993, I met Tom Robson (Co-founder of S.E.O.P.I.) and we discovered that we both had an interest in the subject. We started out with very little equipment and pretty much learned as we went along. We did manage to find some great places to investigate and have learned a lot over the 15 years .The group S.E.O.P.I. was finally formed to allow others with the same interest to get involved. We began to increase our equipment and our membership has grown over the years. I enjoy investigating the paranormal and look to the thrill of, maybe, just maybe having the experience of a lifetime. Seeing a full-body apparition! Who knows?of investigating together years.
To contact Michelle: mduke@seohiopi.com
As the Tech Manager, my biggest strength I bring to the group is my background in audio/video from my experience as an On-Air Personality. I enjoy listening to hours of audio static to find that one voice or sound that does not belong. As a CIA for Geek Squad, I have a lot of experience with computers and being able to repair or fix technical issues with equipment on the fly. I enjoy the pressure of something not working quite right and finding a repair for the issue.
To contact Wesley: wshook@seohiopi.com
____ ____Gary Felumlee - Investigator / Historical Research___ __ ____
I was born in Zanesville, Ohio and grew up there. I graduated Zanesville H.S. and Muskingum College and have done additional graduate classes at various colleges and universities. My majors at Muskingum College were Earth Science and History. I minored in Education. I enjoy research projects and have published numerous articles, mostly in the areas of history and archaeology. I'm currently involved in recording oral history and a movie project.
Currently I am working on a second "Ghosts in the Valley" project. Melissa and I became involved with S.E.O.P.I. in 2008 when we participated with the group in the investigation of the Stone Academy, in Zanesville, Ohio. I was and remain a member of the Board of Directors of the Pioneer and Historical Society of Muskingum County and it is our group that manages the Stone Academy and Increase Mathews House Museums. This investigation led to us joining S.E.O.P.I. in 2009.
My first experience with spirits was when I was very young girl and my father was a caretaker at Mt Calvary Cemetery. I had a very special “imaginary friend or so my family thought. I played with Rose all of the time but no one else could see her. When I moved out of the cemetery because of my father getting another job, I remember crying and asking my mother and father why Rose could not come with us. After we left cemetery, I no longer had any contact with Rose but I often wondered who she was and why she was still in the cemetery alone.
Volunteer FF / EMT for the Newton Twp Fire Dept for 12 years
Hobbies - Running, Automobiles, Historic Homes, Paranormal
Then we moved into a house in the country where a man shot and killed himself in the barn but my parents never told me the story they didn't want to scare me because I was very young. But even though they never told me I would still see a man standing in the doorway of the barn staring at me and when he would turn around and walk away you could see where he had shot himself. So I told my Mom and she couldn't believe that I knew this information and so she told me the story about the man and from that day on I knew I wanted to help others especially children who have issues and question about the unknown get answers. So I guess you could say SEOPI is my friend that I can go to haunted places and help others get the answers they are seeking.
Ellen was raised in a family that accepted psychic phenomena as normal, so her natural intuitive talents were nourished and encouraged rather than repressed. Like most genuine Psychics, Ellen also is strongly empathic.
As her abilities continued to grow, so did her accuracy. In 1990 she opened her first office. Enjoying continued success because of her gifts, she had an office built near her home in Malta, Ohio. She is kept busy with a large clientele of repeat clients from the local area and from out of state.
Ellen has been featured on TV and in newspaper articles, and has also filmed a video about her palmistry business in collaboration with the James VanPraagh show Beyond shortly before that show went off air.
In her spare time, Ellen participates in metaphysical and psychic fairs in many states, consults with other established psychics and continues working on her first book. She strives for personal growth through studies that include Tarot, palmistry, herbs, aromatherapy, and runes. She is a Reiki Master and studies other methods of healing and energy work as her schedule permits.
I am a 62 year old mother of two daughters and grandmother to five children.
I was a teaching cosmetologist for a number of years. I made the decision to stay at home and raise my family. We also fostered 32 children.
My grandparents came from Slovakia. There were many tales about abnormal happenings. We always enjoyed these special tales they shared with us. This spiked an interest in the paranormal.
The S.E.O.P.I. group gives me a chance to explore and experience the unknown.
Bio Coming Soon!
_________________ Stephanie Gee - Investigator ____________________
_________________ Deanna Wyatt - Investigator ____________________
All photographs on this site are property of Thomas Robson & Southeastern Ohio Paranormal Investigators, or Outdoor Creations Photography unless otherwise stated. Any reproduction of these photographs without written permission from Thomas Robson is a violation of United States copyright laws. (Title 17, U.S. Code)
