The ghost in the Mass. machineshop

Boston.com: The ghost in the Mass. machineshop
ATTLEBORO, Mass.—So you don't believe in ghosts?

A local couple and their troupe of self-styled ghost hunters say they've been communicating with the spirit of a 12-year-old boy that taps "yes" and "no" in response to questions and has caused a flashlight to turn on and off repeatedly.

Wayne and Lynn Homer, whose Attleboro Paranormal Investigations is housed in a downtown industrial building, say they discovered the spirit they call "Andrew" after multiple members of their group saw what they described as an apparition in a darkened fourth-floor factory about a month ago.

They say the spirit answers questions by making tapping noises -- even identifying chocolate cupcakes and ice cream among its favorite foods.

"I'm naturally skeptical, but this stuff seems pretty blatant to me," said Wayne Homer, who along with his wife took up ghost hunting as an avocation. The pair, who have about a dozen followers, use low-light cameras and sensitive electronic equipment to search out hidden images and disturbances in electrical fields. Lynn Homer and Cody Desbiens, a 16-year-old intern, began conversing with what they believe might be a spirit after hearing noises coming from a freight elevator.

Last week, the Homers made a video recording of a flashlight going on and off by itself as interviewers asked questions of the spirit. When asked during the video if he remembered Wayne Homer, who had worked in the vacant building when it was an active factory, the flashlight appeared to turn on brightly and then switch off.

When Lynn Homer assured the spirit there was "nothing to be scared of," the light turned on again, then off.

The group has also taped "conversations" with the spirit in which tapping noises are heard in response to questions.

The Homers say they've been able to learn an increasing amount about the spirit during the short time they've been in touch. Most of the information comes from conversations in which ghosthunters asked the spirit to tap once for yes and twice for no.

"The name Andrew just came to me," Desbiens said. The Homers said subsequent taps confirmed the spirit's name and age and indicated the apparent ghost might have been in the building for 40 years or more.

The Homers, who investigate strange happenings and possible hauntings as a hobby, aren't saying for sure they have a ghost on their hands. But they've amassed some intriguing evidence.

"It's interesting that the responses we've been getting are immediately after a question is asked," Wayne Homer said. "If there was a long gap between the question and the answer, we'd discount it."

The Homers say their research hasn't revealed why the spirit of a child might be haunting an industrial building. However, the building is near railroad tracks where there have been fatalities in the past.