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Saturday, October 31, 2009
Local Ghostbusters
By Elaine D. BriseÑO
Copyright © 2009 Albuquerque Journal
Journal Staff Writer
First there was "Ghostbusters," starring Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray.
Then the scarier, more serious ghost flick, "Sixth Sense," starring Bruce Willis.
This year's "Paranormal Activity" is a low-budget film that has hit the jackpot.
Enter 17-year-old Niko Hafley, who says she has seen ghosts her entire life. And she's not just saying that because it's Halloween.
She and her friend, 16-year-old Jared Pettiford, have turned her unusual talent into a full-time hobby. The two teens are the founders of Corrales Ghost Hunters, and they say plenty of ghosts can be found around the village.
The two use voice recorders, a digital camera, UV lights, camcorders and sometimes a rosary on their ghost-hunting excursions.
Hafley and Pettiford met in sixth grade at Taylor Middle School and started hanging out together. One of their favorite pastimes was watching scary movies, especially those about ghosts.
"We used to go to cemeteries and mess around," he said. "Then we thought we should start looking for supernatural stuff."
Hafley's 20-year-old sister, Marie, is also along sometimes for the ghost-hunting adventures.
"I've lived in haunted houses almost all my life," Hafley said. "This house I live in now is the first one that's not haunted."
Pettiford is a junior at Cibola High School. Hafley was home-schooled for most of her high school career and has already graduated.
Hafley and her family moved to Corrales from Chicago six years ago. They recently left Corrales for Ventana Ranch on the West Side, but she said Corrales is the most attractive place for a ghost hunt because of its proximity to the bosque, its old houses and its history.
Pettiford and Hafley have a MySpace page advertising their free services, but most of their adventures are fueled by their own curiosity.
For example, the two were driving in Corrales a few months ago when they came across a large red house. The house looked abandoned.
After contacting the real estate agent and gaining access, the two were let indoors and they say they encountered a demon. They have pictures and a recording they claim is the evil spirit.
"We will be driving by a house or place sometimes, and we will both feel something and decide we should check it out," Pettiford said. "Usually we don't find anything, but that time in that house we did."
You should probably not trick-or-treat there tonight. The two ghost hunters say it was a strange place: all the belongings from the previous owners were still there. They claim the woman who lived in the house had died there.
They said they experienced a strong smell of perfume throughout, and something kept sliding their tape recorder across the counter. One of their photos shows a hand holding a perfume bottle, which they say belonged to the woman who lived in the house. On the recording, Pettiford can be heard asking the ghost's identity. And naturally, in a whisper, somebody replies "demon."
Pettiford said his parents are not keen on the idea of him searching out and talking to ghosts. His father, a one-time pastor, believes it's not a good idea to talk with spirits.
"They are probably right," he said. "I think it's fun, though."
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