Afterlife Investigators, a paranormal investigative team from the North Country, recently completed a study of Spanky’s Diner in Massena on March 7. The diner has long been rumored to be haunted by multiple spirits, according to owner Val Lavalley. 

(L-R: Alonie McGee, Austin Miller, Taylor Gibson, William Gilbo)

North Country This Week

Spanky’s diner is a usual haunt for many town and village residents but one group has sought to shed light on the literal haunting of the diner.

Canton and Potsdam based “Afterlife Investigators,” spent the entire evening of March 7 in the diner, recording and cataloging the bumps, knocks, creaks, talking and noises heard throughout the diner.

For years, Spanky’s has been the subject of many rumors of ghosts that haunt the basement, playing tricks on and mimicking staff and diners alike.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the main reason I wanted to work here but it was definitely a factor, I really enjoy this stuff,” said Ada Sierra, a waitress at Spanky’s.

Many workers say they believe in ghosts and have had different experiences with them to different degrees.

Jordan Floyd, a member of the Spanky’s kitchen staff, said he heard footsteps on the basement stairs, only to find no one coming or going.

“They like to mimic too. Sometimes I’ll hear a voice from the back office and think Val (Levalley, owner of Spanky’s) is calling us in and when we ask, she didn’t say anything or wasn’t even in the office,” he said.

Floyd said some ghosts have even been a little frisky, pinching him or tapping him on the shoulder as he went up or down the basement stairs.

“It’s a totally different vibe down there, that’s for sure,” he said.

Floyd said a spirit followed him home once, pulling his leg off of his couch as he napped.

Stories like this led to Afterlife Investigators getting involved.

The group, who are based in the Canton and Potsdam area, have been studying local paranormal activity for a number of years, they say.

“We’ve wanted to get in here for quite awhile, we’re really excited to see what we can find,” said Afterlife Investigators Co-owner Alonie McGee.

William Gilbo, the team’s demonologist, said he thought they would find a number of spirits in the diner after hours.

Joining them on the investigation was Taylor Gibson, the team’s psychic medium and visionary, who senses the beings within the space.

“There is a lot of energy here, I’m feeling multiple spirits. I can feel a little girl is here,” Gibson said the night of the investigation.

According to diner owner Val Levalley, eight spirits haunt the diner, seven of which are children. But one in particular is worrisome, she says, a malevolent man who wears a mask.

Levalley said a previous team had investigated the diner in 2001, producing an extensive report of their findings, as well as numerous photos and hand drawn sketches of many of the spirits.

The investigation on March 7 began around 8 p.m., with the team setting up security cameras equipped with night vision to capture the events throughout the night. A full walk-through of the diner was conducted, at which time Gibson highlighted many areas to monitor in which she said she felt the presence of a spirit.

By 9 p.m. the team began to live stream the investigation on their various social media channels, including their TikTok page that boasts over 10,000 followers currently. 

“Our page just blew up one night, from a few hundred to a couple thousand followers. It just keeps growing as we go,” McGee said. 

Electro magnetic frequency meters were also set up in an effort to detect anomalies, spiking several times in both the dining area and basement, according to McGee.

A faint voice of a little girl, believed to haunt a section of the basement, could be heard on what the team referred to as a spirit box. She asked for her doll, which was later found stored in a dusty bag.

Shortly after, McGee asked if the little girl wanted to play with her doll. An angry male voice was heard immediately after, yelling “No”. 

According to the team, multiple voices were heard throughout the night, many times conversing with them as they asked questions. At times, the voices appeared playful, but as the night went on and the activity increased, the voices became frantic and at times even angry, according to the team’s after action report. 

The dolls that were laid out in the basement were also moved throughout the night, as the team witnessed on their security system.

Throughout the night, knocking, scuffling shoes and mimicking were heard throughout the night, both upstairs in the kitchen and in the basement, according to McGee.

“On the security system we heard a spirit saying vulgar words, right after we heard a man laughing,” he said.

With the midnight hour close at hand,  activity continued to increase right up until the end of the investigation around 5:30 a.m., according to the teams’ after action report.

A foul stench permeated the air at times, followed by activity on the EMF meter and spirit boxes. This is common on many investigations, usually being a sign of a spirit nearby, according to Gilbo. 

“We noticed the door to the kitchen had opened and shut with no one around, shortly after that we heard walking in the kitchen,” McGee said.

Voices could be heard upstairs, with what the team believes a grown man conversing with a little girl. Footsteps were heard in the kitchen, with a shadow of an arm being seen on the security camera, according to McGee. 

McGee and Gibson say the investigation was one of their most successful yet, with ample activity that was unexpected, even by their usual standards.

“The spirits talking, moving things, knocking back to us, and so much more kept us on our toes all night long. We discovered a couple of names on this investigation, which we believe is the little girl's name and another woman’s name,” the team said.

For those interested in tagging along, McGee said the team is happy to have company on many of their investigations, believers and skeptics alike. 

“We’re always happy to host people on our investigations, I think it will change a lot of opinions if others come out and experience this with us,” he said. 

For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page “Afterlife Investigators”, or check out their TikTok page, “afterlifeinvestigators”.