Northampton County Family Featured On Animal Planet's "The Haunted"
BANGOR, Pa. (CBS) - When Melissa Dunzik and her family purchased a house in Northampton County in 2008, they thought they were moving into their dream home. That feeling quickly diminished when they realized they weren't the only ones living in the historic house.
A shocking discovery regarding the home's history confirmed the family's belief that the house is spooked by ghosts.
Twenty-eight-year-old Melissa Dunzik and her boyfriend, Nicholas, were searching for a large home to accommodate their growing family, and Melissa's mother and sister. After they completed several renovations to the Bangor house, they officially moved into it last May; however, Melissa feels that the heavy reconstruction to the century-old home may have resurrected some of the angry spirits.
"When you come in and start ripping down walls, that could disturb them," said Melissa. "When you start doing things like that, especially to an older home, they will make themselves known."
Melissa was the first to start experiencing the spooky events. No one wanted to believe her and thought she was hearing things. Melissa recalls one night when she was lying in bed; she heard what seemed to have been a child's rubber ball bouncing in the attic above her room.
"I am lying there, and I am listening to it over and over and over again. I refused to go up there," said Melissa.
Soon after that, Nicholas had no choice but to believe what was going on after he had his own scary encounter.
It was late at night and the electricity was not working, so Nicholas headed downstairs to shut off the breaker. Moments later, the family's dog started barking as if there had been an intruder. When Nicholas turned around, he heard heavy worker boots walking around in the empty, pitch black room.
The activity continued to escalate after the family discovered that there was an old cemetery that outlined their backyard. Melissa wondered if there were bodies buried under her home that were causing the abnormal occurrences. She contacted the Pennsylvania Paranormal Association who took note of her case and spent the night at the family's home.
Private investigators and psychics were hired and they all began to feel the spiritual energy. They claimed that the spirits belonged to little children, men, and women. One of the psychics kept getting the name Mary. It turns out, a few years earlier, a woman named Mary reportedly lived in the home before dying in a car accident nearby.
Mary never made it home.
Melissa believes that Mary's ghost has scared her two-year-old daughter. Melissa reports that her daughter would wake up in the middle of the night screaming, and pointing to an empty space saying, "Her, her, her".
"I cannot just get up and leave. But if I was ever scratched or bit, or something happened to my kids, I would be gone," said Melissa.
During the investigation, the crew hung two St. Michael's prayers on the wall in the basement and the next day they saw soot and hand prints, says Melissa. An exorcism was also performed by a local priest and the house was blessed.
"I do believe that there is another side that us humans don't get to see," said Melissa. "I am very open to certain things as far as hearing or seeing the dead. I just never had this experience before. This really opens you up."
Melissa says that after the exorcism, activity in the house has reduced, but she knows that the spirits are still there.
"They don't always mean harm. They just want to make it known that they are there and it's their house," said Melissa.
Melissa's story will air Friday, April 15, on Animal Planet's season premiere of "The Haunted."
Reported by Crystal Cranmore, CBS Philly
