Tonight on "Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files".
Jael: Whoa!
No way.
I believe I saw a flying human being.
[ Gasps ] What?!
Whoa!
I'm not really sure why anything would make an ashtray explode.
Do you have unfinished business here?
Pull the dummy!
All: Whoa!
Jael: Make the move!
[ Glass shatters ] Bill: What the...?!
Jael: Fire!
Oh, my goodness!
There's a flying saucer.
I'm getting a series of lights right there.
So, you're seeing what I am seeing?
What the heck is happening?
Sync and correction by Mlmlte www.addic7ed.com
Hey, Ben.
Ben: Hey, guys. Have a seat.
So, guys, what did you find?
Well, I can kick this off.
I have a video clip
that takes place in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
So, a man is taking a drive on a deserted road
when he sees a mysterious pair of UFOs in the sky
through a grove of trees.
He immediately picks up his camera,
he starts recording, and this is what he captured.
Devin: Wow, look at that.
For me, the best part of this video is
that the eyewitness, Tom McLean,
he says that he's a complete skeptic.
He has no interest in UFOs,
and he just simply can't find a logical explanation
for what he captured that day.
Lanisha: You know what?
Look at the way the UFO seems to move in tandem.
Why couldn't it just be balloons?
Not to mention that the trees really muddle the image.
I think this is just too low-tech to be extraterrestrial.
Ben: Well, you guys make some good points.
Why don't we put this one on the sidelines for now?
Okay. All right, who's up?
All right, guys. I have an amazing clip for you.
It was 2008, and David Rojas,
who's an amateur paranormal researcher in Mexico,
set out to find out the truth
about the dark legend of la Bruja Lechuza.
Okay, now, a Bruja is just actually just a witch,
and Rojas claims while exploring some caves
right outside of Mexico city,
he captured footage of an actual witch taking flight.
Check this out. Wow.
Oh, wow! Devin: Oh, man.
Wow! That thing just takes off.
To me, it looks like it was just floating there
and then it just took off.
I mean, it looks like it's flying.
I know a bit about the Bruja legend,
and it's actually said
that these witches can take the shape of a bird.
Well, I think that there might be a good reason
to be suspicious here.
My first thought is that someone was standing on top of the cave,
and they pull an object out from the mouth.
A lot of skeptics agree, but he is claiming
that he has nothing to gain from hoaxing this video.
Well, you know, this legend is really well-known
in central and South America,
so maybe there is something to it.
Ben: I love witch cases,
and this is really popular in the Latin community,
so I think we should put it top of the list and come back to it.
Jael: Okay. Sounds good.
Guys, I have for you
one of the most controversial and iconic UFO cases
in history ... The Trent photographs.
Now, these were taken in 1950 in McMinnville, Oregon.
Paul Trent's wife was there at the farm house,
and she spots a craft outside and informs Paul.
She tells Paul.
He runs inside and grabs his camera.
Now, by the time he gets out there,
he's only able to get off two photos
before the thing speeds off.
There's the first one.
Bill: Oh, wow.
And here's the second one he was able to take.
Lanisha, you know what these photos remind me of?
The Rex Heflin case. Yes.
The Rex Heflin case we did.
Now, these photos were featured prominently in life magazine
and other major newspapers around the country.
These photos are considered classics,
but, I mean, there's always been a large contingent
in the UFO community
that believe that these are hoaxes.
Photo analysis was done at the time on the negatives,
and they found no indication
that they were doctored in any way.
Devin: Well, I also know that in the 1980s,
some skeptics did their own analysis with the photos.
According to their results, these shadows indicate
that the photos were taken in the morning.
And Trent claims to have taken his photos at dusk.
Austin: On top of that, it looks like the objects
could almost just be suspended from the power lines
that we're seeing right there in the photos.
Ben: Our debate is an example
of why these photos are still talked about today.
Well, Devin, why don't you tell us what you have?
My clip was taken in 2010 at a location that some say
is among the most mystical places on earth ...
Stonehenge.
So, supposedly a tourist captured something
that he couldn't explain.
Check this out.
Jael: That's so interesting.
It looks like a human form against one of the monoliths.
Well, you can tell from the video that it's pretty sunny.
What if it was just the sunlight
actually reacting with the surface of the rock
creating that image?
Lanisha: The rock face is already in shadow.
I don't see how a second shadow could form
to create the image that we're seeing.
I think we'd all enjoy a chance to investigate at Stonehenge,
but is the video compelling enough
to warrant the journey out there?
Why don't we mull it over for a bit
and see what else we have?
Lanisha, that leaves you.
All right, guys, I have a really cool video
that comes from a working tavern.
Now, in may 2011 in humble, Texas,
two surveillance cameras at Colburn's bar captured
what many people believe is authentic poltergeist activity.
Now, when you watch the video,
you'll see an illuminated object move through the bar,
and then this ashtray, seemingly out of nowhere,
just shatter. Jael: Wow.
It's really crazy. Take a look.
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
- You see it shatter, right? - Yes. Yeah.
So they're all dumbfounded.
They didn't know what was happening.
Now, take a look at the second angle.
You'll see the orb or light entity
just travel through the screen.
You see that, right? Yeah. Wow.
And then now look up at the top corner.
Oh. Oh. Oh.
That thing really just explodes and there is nothing around it.
Before the owner purchased the bar,
there were stories of killings there.
There was even a man who committed suicide.
Now, patrons and also employees
have reported for years just feeling ghostly touches,
hearing strange noises,
and even just the overall feeling of being watched.
So, what we're seeing is just one of many phenomena
happening at this bar. Exactly.
I mean, there seems like there could be
a number of tests we could perform
to try to replicate what we see here.
Yeah, and the fact that there's no audio on this tape ...
It does lend to some hoax possibilities.
Ben: Guys, I really like this case.
So, let's put this at the top of the list
and compare it to everything else we've seen today.
Well, I really like my tandem UFO case,
but I also love the legend of the Bruja.
Austin: I'm up for the Bruja, as well.
I mean, I think there's a wide variety
of diverse experiments that we could do,
and I think it's a worthwhile challenge.
You guys, as much as I want to go to Stonehenge,
lanisha, I didn't expect you to bring in an exploding ashtray.
[ Laughter ]
Bill: To me, lanisha, that tape that you found is ideal.
That's the case I would like to be a part of.
Ben: Jael and Austin, why don't we go to Mexico
and investigate la Bruja Lechuza?
And bill, lanisha, and Devin ... Ashtray ghost.
That sounds good, guys.
Bill: We're in humble, Texas, heading to Colburn's bar
to meet with the owner, James Colburn.
He's also the guy that you see walking in the background
the night this original video was recorded.
And here we are.
L haunted place.
Devin: No, it doesn't.
Colburn: Hi. Welcome to Colburn's.
James? Yes, sir.
How you doing? Bill.
- Good to meet you, bill. - James Colburn. Nice to meet you.
This is crystal. She is the young lady
who was wiping the bar down in the video.
Have either of you had experiences
that you would consider to be paranormal?
From the moment I opened this bar,
it's always ... I've felt like someone's watching me.
I was talking to some customers one night,
and it felt like
someone run their finger across the back of my neck.
I turned around to look, and there was nobody there.
I was really shaking. It gave me chills.
I was bartending one night.
It felt like something hit my neck,
but at the same time, it was like a shock to my neck.
And I turned around and I looked,
and there was nothing there.
The former owner of the bar,
he put a revolver to his head and committed suicide
here at the back door of the bar.
I believe he's still here.
So, James, why don't you tell us what happened that night.
Well, it was a normal night.
I had just come into the building
after walking the last customer out.
As I got about right in this vicinity of the bar,
I heard an explosion like a glass breaking.
And it was so loud, though,
that it was not like anything we've heard before.
This is the location that the ashtray was in.
So, from where you were standing, crystal,
what happened?
As I was wiping, I heard something shatter.
I looked up 'cause I thought, like,
maybe a glass fell, broke, something.
She's had several of these glasses in the past
flung at her.
And that's what we thought it was,
was one of these glasses falling and just crashing.
But then I realized, like, the pieces were bigger
and that it was an ashtray.
And I realized that I had a camera behind you
and behind the bar.
So I told her, "let's go back in the back
and take a look at this."
Is your surveillance system still accessible?
Can we hook up our video feeds to it and use it?
Absolutely. Very easily done.
Do you have any possible explanation?
I'm not really sure why anything would make an ashtray explode
other than to get our attention and let us know they're here.
Can you tell me with 100% certainty
that you're not aware or were not involved
with any sort of hoax or prank?
What you're seeing on the video is 100% real.
James, crystal, thanks for your time.
Really appreciate it.
- You're on your own. Thank you. - All right.
So, now that we've spoken to James and crystal
about their surveillance footage,
we're gonna launch into a full investigation
and see if we can replicate the original video.
Bill: You know, when you look at the original video,
you can see the small point of light
that moves through the bar towards the ashtray
right before it explodes.
Lanisha: Well, that light entity definitely plays into the theory
that there's something paranormal
behind the exploding ashtray.
But since that light can easily be replicated,
I think we should focus on the ashtray for our experiments.
Bill: I agree.
So, what could have made that ashtray explode?
What if something very small fell from above,
and that's what shattered the ashtray?
You know, that's a logical place to start these experiments.
You know, I can stand on the bar,
right here where the wine glasses are,
and maybe something fell from this height.
So, we could start with a fastener
that might have been used
to hold these wine glasses in place.
And I'll feed both security cameras to our monitors
so that we can see what's being recorded in real time.
Perfect. Let's do it.
Bill: For the falling object experiment,
Devin is gonna be standing on the bar
dropping different sized screws onto the ashtrays below.
Devin, I'll cue you when to drop the fastener.
Devin: Great.
And I'm gonna go ahead and start recording.
Starting with a very small screw.
Standing by.
All right, guys.
3...
2... 1...
Go, Devin.
Narrator: Coming up...
On "Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files"...
All right, Devin. Release the ball.
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
No way.
Do you have unfinished business here?
Devin: Is that E.M.F. detector going off by itself?
Bill: Yes, it is. [ Bell jingles ]
What is going on here?
We're testing the theory
that a small object, like a screw, fell from above
and hit the ashtray right in the sweet spot,
causing it to explode.
Hopefully we'll be able to replicate the video
using this method.
Devin, I'll cue you when to drop the fastener.
Devin: Great.
And I'm gonna go ahead and start recording.
Starting with a very small screw.
Standing by.
All right, guys.
3...
2... 1...
Go, Devin.
[ Screw clinks ]
[ Chuckles ] Wow, okay. Bill: Ping!
No visible damage.
Nothing at all? Nothing.
Not even a chip. Wow.
There's a replacement.
We're definitely gonna have to go with something heavier.
I say we move on to something a little more drastic
and use the steel ball bearing.
All right, Devin.
3... 2...
1...
Release the ball.
Wow! Wow.
[ Laughs ]
Great. Look at the pattern.
Whoa! Look at all the hairline fractures in the glass.
Great work, Devin. Nice.
All right, guys, let's check it out.
Bill: Look at the pattern when this thing breaks.
Wow. Whoa! Whoa!
It's pretty dramatic.
I'm noticing that in the original video,
the explosion seems to flower up and out,
and in our video it tends to flower down in a circle,
which makes me think
that whatever caused the ashtray to break
originated from the center
and possibly from underneath the ashtray.
The other thing is,
when you're looking at the video that we just shot,
you can see the falling object.
You can see the ball bearing.
In the original video, you see nothing at all.
You just see the shatter.
And do you know what?
If a falling object had hit the ashtray,
you would have seen something in the debris.
There is another natural explanation
that could cause glass to shatter ...
A sudden temperature change.
Thermal shock.
That's right.
If you take cold glass and expose it to heat quickly,
that could cause it to shatter.
It's a natural explanation, and I think we should test it.
Our last experiment was revealing.
You could clearly see the object fall through frame
before hitting the ashtray,
which we didn't see in the original video.
So now we're going to continue on with our investigation,
this time using the concept of thermal shock.
Well, you know what?
I was checking out the area where the ashtray was sitting,
and I noticed that it was really cold.
So, I looked underneath,
and, look, you see ice bins under here.
Maybe the ashtray could have been set on a piece of ice
without them even knowing it.
Because there's so much ice over here,
we should test the idea
that it was set here for a long period of time,
it became cold, and then maybe a cigarette ember
or a lit match was introduced
and that's what caused it to go into thermal shock.
So, I'm gonna prep two ashtrays.
I'll put both in the ice to get it super-cold.
We can get a more consistent burn
with a coal versus a cigarettember.
So, for testing purposes, we'll use a hot coal.
We'll place it right on the center with some tongs.
I'll set up my thermal imager on a tripod.
That way, we can gauge the temperature of the ashtray
and record everything.
Okay. Sounds good.
Bill: When glass is heated or cooled unevenly,
the section that's affected will expand or contract.
The rest of the glass that's at a constant temperature
remains unchanged.
The changed section tends to break away
from the rest of the glass.
This is known as thermal shock,
and this is the experiment we're about to begin.
All right. Here we go.
Okay, ready? Yes.
Just stand back. Okay.
All right.
This thing is getting burning hot.
Thermal shock experiment in 3...
2... 1...
Cue the coal.
I hear it sizzle a little bit,
but I don't see any cracking.
I think we need to take this to the next level.
Let's use the blow torch
and put it right on a frozen ashtray.
- Wow. Okay. - All right, let's try it.
Torch is ready.
Okay. Go, Devin.
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
[ Lanisha laughs ]
Wow. Whoa!
That was an explosion.
Now, I got glass thrown over here, too.
Well, why don't you guys come on over for a side-by-side?
Bill: Now, this shows
we can definitely create an exploding ashtray
with a temperature shift,
but when you look at the original clip here,
all of the glass remains right on the bar.
With ours, the explosion was so big,
glass has been spread almost over this entire place.
Devin: Absolutely. It definitely still exploded
in an omni-directional pattern,
which is the same as the original video,
but we really had to put some high heat on that
just to get it to go.
In theory, a temperature shift
could have been a reasonable explanation
for what we're seeing in the original video.
But in practice, the experiment was flawed.
What do you say we start cleaning this stuff up,
and we'll move on to our next experiment?
Yeah, that's sounds good.
Devin: Now, we were able to create
a similar omni-directional explosion
by using extreme heat, which is a little bit unrealistic.
So, we're going to move on to test the theory
that this video might have been hoaxed.
So, we've tested the most plausible natural explanations
and still haven't been able to replicate the original video.
Well, you know, one popular theory
amongst effects specialists is a glass popper.
I mean, a glass popper's basically a miniature nail gun
with a charge inside of it.
Someone does have to physically detonate
the glass popper,
but it could have been anybody who was at the bar.
Okay, we'll, I'll tell you what, then.
Let's get this thing rigged up,
and I can start programming the remote detonator.
And I'll take the wires, run it through the bar well,
and make sure to hide it with the mats.
You know what? Since we're dealing with explosives,
we're gonna need some ear protection.
Yes. When this popper goes off,
it's gonna be very loud, you guys.
So, now we're gonna test the theory
that this exploding glass ashtray
was not the result of poltergeist activity,
but rather a hoax using a simple pyrotechnic stunt.
Bill: Hopefully, this small explosive device
will evenly shatter the ashtray
like we see in the original clip.
All right. Detonator's on.
I'm ready.
All right. Explosion in 3... 2...
1...
Fire!
Jael: In 2008, local paranormal researchers
were called in to investigate the home of a couple
worried that an evil presence
was terrifying their two small sons.
During the investigation,
an I.R. Camera fixed on the crib where the children slept
picked up a mysterious, ghostly anomaly.
But is this footage fact or faked?
The answer when we return.
Jael: When paranormal researchers captured footage
of this mysterious apparition emanating from a child's crib,
believers claimed it was proof of an actual ghost.
But is it fact or faked?
Faked.
The family actually has twin boys,
both of whom were in the crib when this video was shot.
The ghostly image is a simple case of misidentification.
It's a combination of the second child standing up
with a motion blur created by the I.R. Camera.
So, now we're gonna test the theory
that this exploding glass ashtray
was not the result of poltergeist activity,
but rather a hoax,
using a simple pyrotechnic stunt.
All right. Detonator's on.
I'm ready.
All right. Explosion in 3... 2...
1...
Fire!
[ Laughter ]
That was awesome.
We got the same omni-directional explosion.
We've got a little bit more glass lying around.
Well, let's see how this looks on video.
Let's do our side-by-side. Perfect.
Boom! Whoa!
Did you see that? I did.
Now, you know what?
Look how the glass stayed in that same
omni-directional pattern that we see in the original.
I mean, it looks like it explodes from within.
I mean, the first thing that I notice is
that in our footage, you can see the small glass popper
and you can also see a small billow of smoke,
which we don't have in the original video.
The shattering, though,
it looks pretty close to the original video.
You know, I think with our experiments,
we've been able to explode the ashtray,
but that still doesn't account for
the numerous reports of paranormal activity here.
So, let's grab our gear and we'll sweep the bar,
looking for any signs of paranormal activity, all right?
Sounds good. Let's go.
Bill: With years of an accumulated history
and eyewitness accounts here at Colburn's bar,
it's time we do our own nighttime investigation
to see what we can turn up.
So, each of these monitors are set up
to correspond with a specific I.R. Camera.
Now, the first two correspond with
the two surveillance cameras
that captured the original footage we're investigating.
The third is watching the back door,
where the previous owner committed suicide.
And the fourth is framed up to match the pool table area,
which is the main area not covered
by the two surveillance cameras.
I am gonna be monitoring with an e.M.F. Detector
and a thermal camera,
looking for anything abnormal
in temperature or electromagnetic field.
Well, I'm going to be conducting an e.V.P. Session
in the rear hall
where the previous owner committed suicide.
All right. Well, before you go, here's a walkie.
Thank you.
Make sure you stay in good contact.
We'll be good to go once you guys kill the lights.
All right. All right. We're on it.
Go dark.
Lanisha: Devin, I have visual of you on camera four.
Bill: I'm gonna be setting up my digital audio recorder.
I'm gonna have an e.V.P. Session.
Copy that.
What is that?
Devin for lanisha.
Go for lanisha.
Hey, I'm getting an odd cold spot on the wall.
I'm thinking maybe it's a pipe or something,
but I'm just going to see if I can hear anything
on the other side of this wall.
That's a good idea, Devin. Let me know if you hear anything.
If it's a pipe, I should hear something.
If there's anybody here, why don't you speak to us?
Do you have unfinished business here?
Is there something you didn't get to say
because you ended your life?
Say it now.
Guys, I'm not hearing anything on the other side of that wall.
I don't think there's any pipes there.
Lanisha: I'm gonna make a note of that.
That could be signs of something paranormal.
I'm just gonna go to the far side of the bar
and see if there's any other cold spots
or if it's just that one wall.
No way.
Bill, have you been over at the bar anytime,
leaning on it at all, transferring body heat?
Bill: Negative.
I'm picking up a heat signature on the bar
that just seems to be by itself sitting there.
A big red spot.
Will you come and join me over here?
I'm on the way.
Hey, hey. Check this out. Look, look, look, look.
Right here.
Bill: I see it.
We did our blow torch experiment hours ago.
It's impossible for this to be residual heat.
What's going on out there, guys?
Lanisha, we are picking up a heat signature on the bar
that's the same side as the ashtray exploded.
Hey, guys, can you check and see
if there's any electrical cords running underneath the bar?
Copy that, lanisha. Bill's checking right now.
Lanisha, there's definitely an electrical conduit
running across,
but it's not like anything is warm.
I've got my hands right on it.
I want to try something.
If you're seeing it here,
I want to put my hand on that same spot, okay?
So, I've got my hand on it, right?
Yep. You sure do. Okay.
Has the heat signature changed at all?
It's changed with your hand on it.
Your hand is clearly hotter.
Maybe this is a communication attempt.
I'm gonna move my hand away.
Tell me if you see anything other than my hand print
in that original heat spot.
Okay?
I don't see anything out of the ordinar...
[ Glass shatters ] What the heck?!
I'm picking up a heat signature on the bar
that just seems to be by itself sitting there.
A big red spot.
Bill: I want to try something.
Tell me if you see anything other than my hand print
in that original heat spot. Okay?
I don't see anything out of the ordinar...
[ Glass shatters ] What the...?!
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.
Lanisha: Are you guys okay?
Devin for lanisha,
did you pick up anything on the I.R. Right now?
Because a glass just shattered behind the bar.
I saw a glass fall.
Is that e.M.F. Detector going off by itself?
Yes, it is. [ Bell jingles ]
What is going on here?
Jael: I'm excited to hear about how things went.
Yeah, start it out. Tell me what happened in Texas.
We went to humble, Texas,
to investigate the possible poltergeist activity
at Colburn's bar and see if we could replicate
that mysterious exploding ashtray.
So, for our first experiment,
we wanted to test the possibility
that a falling object fell down,
hit the ashtray, and caused it to explode.
Here are the results.
Austin: [ Laughing ] Yeah! Jael: Wow.
It definitely exploded.
In order to get this experiment to work,
we had to use something that had enough mass
to get the ashtray to break.
And in this case, we used a metal ball bearing.
Unfortunately, the ball bearing is not a part
of the manufacturing of the glass rack.
Plus, we didn't see anything falling in the original video.
So, that made it an unlikely scenario.
So, we moved on to another natural explanation ...
That maybe this ashtray exploded due to thermal shock.
So, we took the ashtray and we chilled it and applied heat.
But we weren't getting the reaction that we needed,
so we took it to the extreme and applied a blow torch to it.
Check it out.
Jael: Whoa!
That really shattered, and it went everywhere.
Yeah.
We had to apply such high temperatures
that it really made that scenario unlikely
that it was due to temperature shifts.
So, then we decided to test the possibility
that the ashtray was rigged up to something
like a small pyrotechnic device known as a glass popper.
We got some pretty good results.
Take a look. Okay.
- Boom. - Did you see it?
Austin: Yeah! Ben: Yeah, it definitely shattered,
but I did see a little bit of smoke in yours.
So, this experiment got me thinking.
If we could use a glass popper to explode an ashtray
and result in a similar pattern
that we see in the original video,
let's go back to that original video
and examine it a little bit closer.
I grabbed a frame and enlarged it 1,000%.
Wow. All right.
This is actually the ashtray here.
And then we have this dark object laying in the ashtray.
And it's got leads that come over the edge...
Oh.
... And then down underneath the bar.
So, that's exactly how we ended up wiring ours.
This image is so degraded, though, that as evidence,
it could be considered inconclusive.
But it really does look like
there's something in the ashtray.
So, this image does suggest the possibility
that the original video could have been hoaxed,
but it still doesn't explain why.
Yeah, and I believe that James believes
that there's something paranormal going on in his bar.
So, with all the reports regarding paranormal activity
surrounding Colburn's bar,
we decided that a night investigation was in order.
And it's exactly what we did.
And I swept the bar
looking for any anomalous heat signatures.
And it turns out I found one
right over where the the ashtray exploded.
And just as Devin found that unusual heat signature,
a glass literally flew from off the glass rack
directly above the bar
- where the ashtray was positioned. - What?
And we caught it from two different angles.
Now, you can see one of our camera operators in the shot,
but it's really interesting footage.
Take a look, guys.
[ Glass shatters ] Austin: What?
[ Laughing ] No way.
[ Glass shatters ] That's amazing! Geez!
Devin: The glasses were slid back on the rack
at least six inches.
Nothing could have fallen by itself.
It is a bar rack designed to hold glasses ...
Engineered so they won't do that and fall.
This is not the end of it.
Earlier in the night, I recorded an e.V.P. Session
in the hallway that leads to the alley
where the previous owner had shot himself with a gun.
And I was asking some questions.
And why don't you play this audio file?
You can hear the response.
Do you have unfinished business here?
[ Clicking ]
Whoa! That sounds like a door slamming.
See, to me, it sounds like a gun firing.
Do you have unfinished business here?
[ Clicking ]
Right under your last word, you hear a slight ... pop!
I'm just trying to wrap my mind around all of this.
What do you guys think about Colburn's bar?
Based on my personal experience being there
and as far as poltergeist activity
at Colburn's bar ... fact.
After the results of our experiments,
I was pretty sure there's nothing going on
that's paranormal at Colburn's.
But then, our night investigation
kind of threw us a curve ball.
So, I'm torn, you guys. I don't know.
Ben: Well, it seems that there's a consensus
that the video, quite possibly, was hoaxed.
But at the same time, to me,
it's obvious there's something going on in this bar
that makes it paranormal.
So, tell us about your Mexican adventure.
Well, we went down South to a place called Calacoaya,
just outside of Mexico city,
where David Rojas claims
he captured actual footage of a witch taking flight.
So, here we are in Calacoaya, just outside of Mexico city,
investigating the legendary case of la Bruja Lechuza,
which was filmed by David Rojas.
So, David says that he was out at these old mining caves
when he hears movement at the mouth of the cave.
So, he points his camera, and he captures
what looks like a robed figure taking flight.
Ben: Well, David should be waiting for us.
The caves are right up there, it looks like.
Let's get his side of the story and see what happened.
Jael: All right.
Hey, I'm Ben. Hi, guys.
Nice to meet you, David. How are you, man?
This is Jael. Hey, Jael.
What prompted you to come to these caves
and actually investigate this?
I came to the caves to investigate Brujas,
and the people who live around here
have seen, like, a flying entity.
And that's why they call it the witch's cave.
And that's what compelled us
to come and make the investigation.
What happened that day? Kind of run us through it.
I believe I saw a flying human being.
We wanted to get, like, a glimpse of the whole cave.
So I went walking this way,
and when we're coming back
and I turned to the entrance of the cave,
I saw this figure, like, floating.
It was, like, bending down.
And when it saw me, I ran towards it.
And when I ran towards this entity, the witch,
it just stood up and ... Chhhp! ... just took off.
How large was this entity that you saw?
I could say it was about your size.
Did you hear anything? Was anyone saying anything?
No. Nothing.
What kind of camera was it?
This is the camera.
- If you want to do your experiment... - Okay.
... You can do it with the same camera.
Thank you.
You're very welcome.
Well, David, thank you so much.
Okay. You have a great time. Bye.
All right, guys, according to the legend of la Bruja Lechuza,
the witch can take on a form of an animal,
like a large bird.
I mean, it'd have to be a big bird, though.
Something like a condor or an owl maybe?
I mean, something with a really large wingspan.
Well, spotted owls are large.
They're nocturnal birds
that are actually indigenous to this area.
It's quite possible that these investigators
frightened an owl that was resting
and it flew out of the cave to get away.
I mean, the more we look at natural explanations,
I think this is really the only possibility that's plausible.
Well, this is perfect, guys,
because I've contacted a local bird handler,
and he's got just the thing that we need.
So, let's go meet him.
Mucho gusto, yo soy Jael. Esto es Ben y Austin.
¿Hola, cómo están?
Ask him how big the wingspan can be on a bird like this.
¿Qué tan grande es la envergadura de las alas?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
He says they span at about 80 to 85 centimeters.
They actually build their nests inside these caves.
I'm gonna ask him
how he best thinks we could set this up.
¿Es mejor que lo hacemos guante a guante o a la percha?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
She's really used to flying to her perch
because she's accustomed to it and feels comfortable there.
So, why don't we just use that?
I'll take the owl and the glove and cast it off into the air.
Jael: So, I'll head into the cave.
I'll set up the camera,
and then I'll follow the same path from David's video
until I land where you are.
And then I'll give you a, "3, 2, 1,"
and you can cast off the bird.
Excellent. Hey, buddy.
Want to come with me and do a little flying?
Okay, come on.
So, Ben's positioned himself at the start point with the owl.
Jael's framing up the camera.
I'm gonna set this perch up directly out of the frame
on this ledge.
That way, it'll attract the owl,
creating the exact same flight pattern we see
from the Bruja in the original video.
I've got our spotted owl, and I'm in position.
I'm going to try and get low enough
so that you don't see my hand
when I do what's called "casting off."
I'll be throwing her up into the air,
and hopefully she sees her perch right up there where Austin is
and she'll go right to it.
Bird's in position, waiting on your countdown Jael.
Starting the pan.
And 3...
... 2...
Release owl!
We're gonna start our experiments
by looking at the natural explanation.
Now, we have a spotted owl, which is common to the area.
The spotted owl will start out here at the mouth of the cave.
Hopefully we can get it to fly right across the same trajectory
as the object that we saw in the video.
Starting the pan.
And 3...
... 2...
... 1...
Release owl!
Ha ha!
[ Laughs ]
How'd that go?
That was pretty good, guys.
Why don't you come on by and take a look?
All right.
Ready? Here we go.
It starts to pan.
Ben: Uh-huh.
And there it is. You see that?
You know what? The speed's pretty close.
It is darkish in color.
The flight pattern was exact.
But the problem is that you can see wings flapping.
You can see that it's a bird.
Well, yeah, absolutely.
I mean, we did get her to fly diagonally.
But in the original footage, you can actually see arms.
And then as it launches, the arms, like, straighten.
Yeah. And then it flies off.
I mean, if we were going with a natural explanation,
I think you're right.
This is the only thing I think it could have been.
But now we know this isn't it.
Guys, I'm glad we tested this out
because a lot of people believe that the witches are related
and take form, you know, into owls.
But this definitely is not an owl.
I really think we have to look at the hoaxes from here on out.
All right. You did a good job.
But it looks like we got to move on to a hoax theory, huh?
All right, guys. You know what I was thinking?
What if what David caught
was actually just somebody running up the side,
hitting this ledge, doing a parkour-like move
where he actually just scaled the ledge?
That's interesting. I have hard of parkour.
It's an extreme sport where the objective is
to navigate city streets and buildings
using simply the combination
of running, jumping, and climbing.
If you look at it, there's a natural step right here.
I could hit that, pivot from here,
try to extend my body out to give that Bruja look,
flip over.
And, I mean, there's literally a sink hole on the other side.
I could dip through it.
When you film, you see a Bruja, you run out, I'm gone.
[ Laughing ] Can you do that without hurting yourself?
- We're about to find out, I think. - I love it.
In order to be safe, we'll put crash pads on the inside,
and on top of that, I'll put on my rock-climbing shoes
to give me more traction.
Now it's just a matter of seeing if we can get the same flight trajectory.
Let's try it.
Let's do this. Okay.
So, I have a full black jumpsuit.
This is gonna help me give the same look, shape, and color
as the Bruja in the original video.
I've also equipped myself with special shoes
and gloves for grip.
Now it's just a matter of making my body create a motion
that'll give the same flight trajectory
as the Bruja in the original footage.
Austin is now outside of the cave and ready to go,
so Ben and I are gonna head inside the cave.
Once we coordinate his movements,
we'll give him the, "3, 2, 1,"
and hopefully he'll launch just like a witch.
All right, Austin, are you ready?
Guys, I'm ready to fly. I'm waiting on your countdown.
Whenever you're ready, go ahead and call it.
Camera's framed up and rolling.
And we're starting our sweep.
Okay.
And 3...
... 2...
... 1...
Make the move!
[ Laughing ] Whoa, did you see that?
You timed it perfect. How'd that look, guys?
Good job, man.
Let me cue this up so we can watch it.
Okay, there's the panning. She starts to pan that way.
Hits it. Right there.
Your jump actually had the diagonal trajectory
of the flight pattern in the original footage.
However, you see in the original video,
it almost looks as if this thing was hovering in place
and then takes off from where it was.
You actually look like you're being propelled
from, you know, your own motion.
This just looks almost as if
- it's being yanked out of frame. - Okay.
What do you say we go put something together
and pull it up the hill, huh?
Let's go.
Well, guys, you know,
looking at our test footage and the original video,
it certainly suggests that this was a hoax.
Well, let's just set up a quick pulley system
above the mouth of the cave, attach our dummy to a line,
feed it through with enough tension
so that the dummy actually just hangs right here
and looks like it's floating.
All right, and once it's all rigged up, Austin,
you can stay up there. Okay.
I'll take my place down here inside the cave,
and you can feed me the other line.
I'll be pulling that, and you'll be filming.
Perfect. Let's get started.
Let's start building our system.
Okay. Let's get to work.
Okay, we'll go position this one.
And then we'll feed the line down.
We have our pulley system in place.
We're gonna angle it out, just not right over the cave,
but at an angle
because we want that force, when it's pulled,
to pull the dummy up on that diagonal
that we saw in the video.
Right back here we actually have our anchor point.
Once we tie that up, it should give us
that diagonal flight pattern that we need
to replicate the original footage.
All right, guys.
I'm just about done tying our mono filament line.
I'm gonna come down now and start pulling on the other side
so it gives the line some tension.
He can actually just sort of hover there in the bush.
Perfect.
All right, Ben, if you can give me some tension,
I'll put the dummy right where we want him.
Here you go.
That's perfect.
I'm gonna head to the vantage point. Ben: Okay.
Our dummy's in position.
Once Jael frames up her shot, I'm gonna come down here.
I'll pull this.
He should go up just like in David's video.
Austin, are you ready?
I'm ready.
Okay, I'm getting ready to pull.
Jael, you all framed up?
Camera's framed up and rolling.
Okay. I'm in position.
Let's do it.
All right, starting my pan.
And 3...
[ Chuckles ]
... 2...
... 1...
It's like riding a bull.
Pull the dummy!
Ben: Our dummy's in position.
Once Jael frames up her shot, I'll pull this.
He should go up just like in David's video.
Jael, you all framed up?
Camera's framed up and rolling.
Okay. I'm in position.
Let's do it.
All right, starting my pan.
And 3...
[ Chuckles ]
... 2...
... 1...
It's like riding a bull.
Pull the dummy!
We moved on to the hoax scenario ...
That this Bruja could possibly just be
a dummy being pulled by a string.
So, here's what I captured on camera.
Lanisha: Oh! Yes!
- It looked just like the original video. - Yeah.
And, you guys, this was a really simple assembly,
but there are multiple different ways
that you could have rigged this and got the exact same effect.
I think David Rojas faked this video.
Lanisha: I'm gonna agree with Austin.
I think everything was faked.
Devin: I think you nailed this one.
The only thing that could make it better is a confession,
but this is hoaxed.
We gave Rojas the benefit of the doubt
and we listened to the story
and we tried various popular theories,
but it turns out the most popular theory
in this case was right.
I believe the video was hoaxed.
You guys nailed it. Case closed.
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