The use of occult to solve a mystery (MADELINE MACCANN CASE)

[Chakk]

However, at no point was I ever involved in an investigation that actually uncovered anything physical. i.e. a missing person or body.

Pirate Jack, mediocre or middling results don't bother me though because I don't need convincing. Accept its limitations and take what you can get.
I have a local missing girl case and I don't expect to be able to find her body without laying hands on the guilty party, who in this case looks to be the father. Unlike the McCann's, he had ample opportunity to permanently hide the body on his 2 hour trip out of town on deliveries. Could I or a psychic find the body? Not likely. Certainly not without taking in the lay of the land. I don't doubt that it was probably at the first place he could safely turn off and park without being noticed by too many people.
I believe psychics in the X-Box boy case told the parents to go back to the original search area and he was found by hunters 2km from his abandoned bike. It's easy to look psychic these days.

[Jeff Leahy]

Hi Chakk

I’m not certain quite what you are trying to say here? My point is fairly clear, I have participate in a large number of ‘psychic investigations'. And on each occasion I tried to be as open minded as possible, and followed that information as far as possible.

There was nothing in those investigations that lead me to believe that those concerned were faking or trying to trick people. On the contary, I believe on the whole the people I worked with were entirely sincere. And I am at a loss to explain everything that I was given, information wise, in the course of that five years, taking part in those investigations.

However, at no point was I ever involved in an investigation that actually uncovered anything physical. i.e. a missing person or body. Yes I did track down people following information I was provided with….but any good detective could have done the same.

So I’m telling you as a matter of experience of ‘Psyhic Detection’ I don’t believe there is a psychic or person claiming ‘psychic’ abilities who can actually find Madi’s body….its that simple.

And attempting to do so can only cause more pain for those concerned, and not solve anything.

For what its worth I believe ‘inocent until proven guilty’ and dont think the McCann's are guilty.

All the best

Pirate

[Chakk]

..and in all that time I only ever received one piece of useful information....and some might argue that the mathamatics of 'Probability' meant I didnt get a very good return...I'm not saying I think psychics are fakes..I'm just saying 'they aint very good'..at best.

Darcy O'Brien's Hillside Stranglers book mentions a psychic who said it was "two Italian cousins". That's the only proven correct exact piece of information I've ever read about.
So some might argue we got 100% return from nothing. If a cancer medicine cures 1 person and kills 99, no one is going to throw it away. I don't know what you expect. Asking an occult practitioner to find the answer based on one art like astrology is like asking a criminologist to solve a case using only witness statements. It can be done but why do it unless you have to. (If I had to I'd pick, I'd pick the identikit released in August this year and the sighting in Holland after the abduction of the Portuguese guy with the French girlfriend).
While I don't like to stick out my head even anonymously like JtR, I do agree with him that there might be a "Davinci Code" element to the case. If you don't think it's possible, remember abortion doctor killer, James Kopp, was hiding in Rennes.

[Jeff Leahy]

The gent you refer to in the latest Most Haunted live was Fred Batt, who owned/owns "Caesers Nightclub" which was featured in series 2 of the show. The team were investigating Ruth Ellis but I recall the Krays coming through.

Then the next episode of the same series featured Fred Batt's own home aka "The Clockhouse" which was again investigated.

You might ask yourself at this point "What the hell is he doing on a live show?"

The answer was revelaed on Living TV's behind the scenes on Karl and Yvette, it appears that Fred Batt is having a relationship with Yvettes mum!

You laugh this is how 95% of TV is actually made, nepotism, nah, highly paid professional TV research

[Mike Covell]

The gent you refer to in the latest Most Haunted live was Fred Batt, who owned/owns "Caesers Nightclub" which was featured in series 2 of the show. The team were investigating Ruth Ellis but I recall the Krays coming through.

Then the next episode of the same series featured Fred Batt's own home aka "The Clockhouse" which was again investigated.

You might ask yourself at this point "What the hell is he doing on a live show?"

The answer was revelaed on Living TV's behind the scenes on Karl and Yvette, it appears that Fred Batt is having a relationship with Yvettes mum!

[anna]

Hi everyone,

I do know the company Antix.

There is a lot of pressure to come up with entertainment for the public on live events.

I don't think anyone means to openly deceive and upset people....but they have to keep their programme popular,and the viewing figures up.

Personally,I enjoy the live programmes purely as "an evening of live entertainment",and it doesn't bother me that they are obviously helping things along,so to speak....makes it all the more funnier,especially when you hear the interaction on their open microphones,as they are always set loud enough to pick up every word!!!.

If people want a bit of fun...have a look at the forums during the live events..you don't have to register to read them,just to post comments.

Recent "Most Haunted Live" ****-up....The guy who owns the night club in Streatham,that was doing the occult stuff with Lesley ...can't think of his name...did a "putting pins in Voodoo doll" thing...and with OMG Brian,the resident joke of a medium on the programme,in mind..as the receipient,supposedly without his knowledge.Having"loaded the doll" prior,removed it from a box, and sent it over to Yvette out at the live location....unfortunately it took longer to reach Yvette than planned,she was sitting at a table doing "Ouija"...and kept saying "where's that bloody doll".
Anyway,she was told the pin was in Brians leg.....before she got the doll,he was seen hopping up and down saying "Oh,my leg"!!!!
The boards are always having a go at them.....Kath does a lot of the throwing of things etc...and can get distracted and forgets to do what she is told....and you can hear them whispering to her...Yvette can get quite nasty to her at times,as poor Kath is always miserable and sulky.
ANNA.

[Jeff Leahy]

Hi Phil

I will answer your question as openly and as honestly as I can. Firstly I must state that I have never worked for or had any dealings with the production company Antix. And secondly I do not believe in life after death, at least in a traditional sense.

Within the industry Antix have a certain, lets say reputation, and I think you should aim any questions you have about those specific productions at the company responsible. What I can tell you is at the time the company fell out with Derek and there were personal issues and behind the scenes grudges.

That said I did Produce and Direct a production with Derek Acorah called “ Derek Acorah’s quest for Guy Fawkes”. I had sole responsibility for creating this program and I can assure you that at no time did I or any of my crew feed Derek information. Of course the problem with any psychic historical television program is two fold. Firstly, the producer (in this case myself) can only research the program from known historical writings. I can read books, look things up, but I only know what I have read. So if a psychic gives me information, I can only confirm what is known…if a psychic says ‘Guy Fawkes was in love with ‘Liz Brown’ and there is no historical record of a Liz Brown, well its sort of outside of what is known, and not much use in terms of my program….so psychic TV is fundamentally about belief, you either believe it or you do not..

Of course its quite possible that Derek spent hundreds of hours researching Guy Fawkes and feeding back information. I have no way of knowing for sure. All I can say is given that I would have expected Derek to have been much better. ( i dont recall Derek being up all night on Google indeed I'm not certain derek could turn a computer on) He simply got lots of information that appeared to me to be wrong or I couldn’t make head nor tale of it. Of course defenders of psychics might say that was my problem because I’m working from history books that carry limited information, and of course on that point they are correct. I can only put in information that I or an expert tells me is correct.
So its possible that Derek wasn’t wrong, there’s no way of being 100% certain. Very little is actually known for certain about the gun powder plot. And clearly Derek also got some things correct, otherwise I wouldn’t have had a program. Bear in mind that ALL TV IS EDITED.

What ever you choose to believe these programs are clearly marked at the end as entertainment. That’s what they are. I took considerable time and effort to ensure that the information contained in that program was factually correct. Indeed if a mistake went out in the program it could do considerable damage. I noted from factual productions created at the time by the BBC and Channel four factual errors contained within their programs about Guy Fawkes……there were non in Derek’s production, everything claimed, names dates etc, were carefully researched..

I’m not claiming that Derek is or is not a genuine psychic, but he does reach a different audience to the BBC or Channel 4, and that audience now has a better grasp of the factual story of the gun powder plot than they other wise would have done, there is nothing fake in that.

All I can add on a personal level is that my dealings with Derek Acorah, as a person, were very good. I found him charming, down to earth and extremely pleasant. Quite different to a number of much more famous TV presenters I have worked with in the past, whose names I sharnt mention.

At the end of the day I would not take any information passed to me by a psychic or fortune teller very seriously. However I’m not convinced that some of them don’t have very heightened mental abilities of what my mum would call ‘female perception’ clearly some of their guesses are better than you or I seem to be able to achieve. And despite having studied and worked with a number of well known psychics I have no explanation for everything they do. (I’ve also worked with a number of famous magicians) Whatever it is they do do, varies a lot, doesn’t have any logic, and seems largely to evolve around PEOPLE rather than the dead.

That said, Have I personally never experienced or witnessed anything supernatural?

No I have not.

But I think it would be foolish to dismiss everyone who claims that they have just because I have not. The human brain is a remarkable organ and still little understood. I gather from the weekend papers that scientists have now established that mammals navigate using magnetic maps…now who would have thought that?

There’s lots I do not claim to understand. I believe a famous philosopher once stated

“I know I know nothing”

As for Derek, well he’s great entertainment. And if I had the chance to work with him again I would…..I’d love to go Treasure hunting….find the Amber Room and I could retire….until then I’ll keep slaving away.

Yours Pirate

[Mike Covell]

I watched some footage only last week of Yvette kicking a cupboard door and then going, "Did you hear that?"

It was your leg Yvette!!

I am off before Stuart and Karl chuch stones at me!

[phil j.]

However that doesnt necessarily make these people Fakes...Most of them, and I include my old freind Derek Acorah in this, genuinely beleive in what they are doing...and to my knowledge dont cheat, get things badly wrong, yes, but i've never witnessed any faking or cheating.

Yours Pirate

Derek doesn't cheat or fake anything? Here's an excerpt from The Mirrors exposure of LivingTV's Most Haunted and of Derek's cheating way back in 2005-

SPOOKY TRUTH: TV'S MOST HAUNTED CON EXPOSED TV

Antix Productions claims the mediums have no idea where they will be filming or know any details about the history of the locations.


But resident parapsychologist Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe says: "Derek must have had prior knowledge of the locations."


He devised a plan to see if Derek was deliberately deceiving the public.


While on a shoot at Bodmin gaol he invented a long-dead South African jailer called Kreed Kafer - an anagram of Derek Faker.


"I wrote the name down and asked another member of the crew to mention it to Derek before filming.


"I honestly didn't think Derek would take the bait. But during the filming he actually got possessed by my fictional character!"


On the next shoot at Prideaux Place, Cornwall, Ciaran made up another fictional character, highwayman Rik Eedles - an anagram of Derek Lies. Sure enough, Derek made contact with the dead outlaw.


Ciaran says: "In my professional opinion we're not dealing with a genuine medium.


"When Derek is possessed he is doing it consciously - all we are seeing is showmanship and dramatics."


Ciaran went a step further at Craigievar Castle, near Aberdeen.


"I made up stories about Richard the Lionheart, a witch, and Richard's apparition appearing to walk through a wardrobe - the lion, the witch and the wardrobe!" True to form, Derek mentioned all Ciaran's stories - even though Richard I reigned 500 years BEFORE Craigievar Castle was built.


The final straw came last month when Most Haunted presented a three-night special from Manchester.


On the second evening, the show claimed to be broadcasting live from the site of Cheadle's Victorian asylum, a place where - according to presenter David Bull - thousands died in torment. In fact they were in the derelict remains of Barnes Convalescence Home - where nobody died in torment.


Ciaran remembers: "Derek was communicating with spirits that sounded as if they'd been in an asylum, but it was never an asylum."

[The Good Michael]

Pirate,

I have no doubt that there are some psychics who believe in what they do. There have been many religious people who have seen things and have believed them to be miracles and acts of God. They are not fakes if theytruly believe in it, but it doesn't make it real either.

Cheers,

Mike

[Jeff Leahy]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9oP8mvwnHDA

If the "spirits" are capable of giving mediums so much biographical info... why can't they remember their own names?

What i can tell you is that he studio air conditioning failed, it was a very hot summer and people started passing out,we had to deliver bottles of water..

I thought the lighting on the reveals however was amazingly sexy, pure genious...

Cook the audience..they really did FRY!

Pirate

PS as I said psychics aint that good, but thats a far thing from making them Fake...what they do they do...and Tony is a really cool guy..even under heat

[Sam Flynn]

Tony Stockwell

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9oP8mvwnHDA

If the "spirits" are capable of giving mediums so much biographical info... why can't they remember their own names?

[Jeff Leahy]

OK theres a blue object on my desk infront of me?

What is it?

[Jack the Ripper]

Oh Im good. I mean too good.

[Jeff Leahy]

The simple fact is you havnt a clue were Madies body is to be found, if you did, as Mike said, you should go to the police or perhaps the private detectives. Why tell us on a casebook?

As I said I've worked with most of the worlds top psychics and none of them could tell me where she was...and experience tells me no psychic can. Theyre not that good...and neither are you

Pirate