After Police Search For Bodies From Psychic Tip, The Texas Sheriff Is Being Sued
Authorities Address Reporters At Scene In 2011
One year ago a massive police search took place in Texas when a Texas Psychic and 48-year-old grandmother, who sparked a massive police hunt for 30 children she believed dead.
As recently reported by usinessinsider.com, almost a year ago the self-proclaimed Texas Psychic reportedly told police 25 to 30 dismembered bodies were buried under a Houston-area house – this did not make the couple who owned the home too happy.
Joe Bankson and Gena Charlton are suing the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, “Angel”, the psychic, and multiple news outlets, including CNN and The New York Times, Courthouse News Service reported Friday.
The couple claims Angel called the sheriff’s office with her vision in June 2011. The sheriff’s office then reportedly searched the house and invited the media along to watch.
The lawsuit claims the sheriff’s office was “unreasonable in relying on an uncorroborated tip from a self-proclaimed psychic source,” according to CNS.
The couple also claims the media failed to fully vet Angel’s claims and didn’t take proper steps to ensure the news reports wouldn’t damage the couple’s reputation.
Bankson and Charlton are seeking damages for defamation, negligence, and unreasonable search and seizure, CNS reported.
Psychic Line News reported several stories on these events during 2011 in Psychic In Texas: ‘They are still alive’ and Police Find ‘Psychic’ In Texas Hoax.
What do you think of the Texas Psychic debacle, should police act on Psychic visions? Be sure to comment.
Haleigh Cummings Psychic Stephanie Almaguer Tries To Clear Things Up…
Texas Psychic detective Stephanie Almaguer, who burst upon the scene in the baby Lisa case, has also entered into the case of missing girl Haleigh Cummings, and since become the center of controversy ever since with several online radio show hosts assaulted her credibility. She recently went public to try to clear things up and set the record straight.
As recently reported by examiner.com’s missing persons correspondent, Psychic detective Stephanie Almaguer sent an email attempting to clear things up.
In Baby Lisa’s case Stephanie had visions the then 10-month-old baby accidently drowned in her home and was later taken to a location near a river and tower. Baby Lisa’s parents, Deborah Bradley, 25, and Jeremy Irwin, 30, claim their baby was abducted from her crib sometime between 6:40 p.m. Oct. 3 and 3:45 a.m. Oct. 4.
tephanie shared her visions in drawings and writings on her blog. Levi said that after finding her drawings, a group of local volunteers planned to search an area that matched a description of a location Stephanie shared on her blog.
She and others, including some locals in Kansas City, had been communicating online. As the date of the search approached conflics arose, and on Thanksgiving Day things escalated between Stephanie and others.
Some began accusing Stephanie of stealing information and photos which generated an onslaught of online attacks against her. She tried to defend herself, which seemed to make matters worse for her, not better. Read: Psychic angry, unleashes on those she feels turned on her in Baby Lisa case.
Last Sunday and Monday night two online radio shows aired discussing Stephanie’s involvement in not only Baby Lisa’s case but other missing persons’ cases as well.
Stephanie responds below to accusations made by the two radio show hosts – Levi Page of the Levi Page Show and Tricia Griffith of the Websleuth Blogtalk Radio Show.
The recent accusations against Stephanie didn’t surprise Tricia or Levi who said during Tricia’s show Sunday that they’ve crossed paths with Stephanie before when, they say, she stole visions and writings of other psychics in HaLeigh’s case from the Websleuth’s forum. Asked for the names of people involved Levi said he’s tried and no one wants to talk about it.
Levi said Stephanie had inserted herself into the HaLeigh Cummings case in 2009. He claimed she charged Marie Griffith, HaLeigh’s maternal grandmother, and some friends of Marie’s $600 for her plane ticket from Texas to Florida where HaLeigh vanished.
He said after Stephanie arrived in Florida to search for HaLeigh people there did not believe she had any psychic abilities. They said she found nothing while she was there, and when she became frustrated at her inability to find HaLeigh or even any clues into her disappearance, she called HaLeigh’s family members asking them where they thought she should search.
Additionally, Levi said during Monday night’s Levi Page Show that a lot of people in Florida thought Stephanie was after the reward money.
Asked what she thought about Stephanie, and if she believes she’s credible, Criminal Profiler Pat Brown said, “No,” and said she doesn’t believe in psychics.
Pat says psychics abuse families by taking their money, trips, or attention from them, and by giving them false hope.
She also said some psychics analyze cases much like profilers do, and that some are good at it. Rather than having legimate “visions” Pat believes they develop theories much like profilers and police do. She believes it’s a matter of numbers – eventually, after doing it long enough and often enough, “they’re bound to get it right sometimes,” she said.
“You have people digging up land everywhere because of psychic visions when they have no credible evidence that they have any great power whatsoever,” Pat said. She added, “On the one hand, does it hurt to search another place? No. Maybe the child is there but it won’t be because she saw it in a vision. It will be because she got lucky.”
Below is an email Stephanie wrote Monday in an attempt to set the record straight:
“Levi is talking things out of context,” Stephanie said.
“I had been working, privately on HaLeigh Cummings for almost a year with Capt. DP [presumably Dominic Piscetello with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office] and MG [Marie Griffith, HaLeigh's grandmother] talked w/DP and asked him what I thought about me, etc,…after she’d read a few post, he said he believed in me, but nothing is a guarantee…
“Anyway, she and I talked and she wanted me to at least come and search, if not for one day……Her friends, got together money to bring me there and back….I believe the RT fair was about $300, on cheaptickets.com I’m not sure. They paid for nothing more….I paid for my own food, drinks, up-keep, etc….
“It was no vacation and I spent HOURS in the hot sun, searching – I was only there 2 1/2 days…..I don’t inject myself into cases….I work on these cases because of a personal tragedy…..
“seeing my [omitted for privacy] EVERYDAY for the past 7 years search online for [omitted] only 2 missing brother’s is heartbreaking…..
“I only try to use my abilities to help locate missing person’s so that even if I help ONE family – not feel the way my [omitted for privacy] feels each day, then I did something good.
“There will always be those who think your scamming, taking advantage of, etc….But that never has been and never will be my reasoning. I, as many Psychic Detectives, will NEVER claim “I CAN FIND YOUR MISSING LOVED ONE!” NEVER……… I can not promise anything like that!
“All I can do it try….and it’s very, very hard……and the outcome or probability of my success is near 0%….
“but it doesn’t mean that I should just give up. I do this in memory of my [omitted for privacy] – I do this to help. That’s all.
“My family in no means makes a ‘good Living’ – and live paycheck to paycheck as many others do. I can’t afford to go and look for every missing person I may do a ‘reading’ on….That’s why I started my own Blog…..
“If someone comes across it, finds something interesting, good – use it…If not – leave it behind. Thats all.
“If I become ‘involved’ with a case, it’s because someone else involved me – rather than me ‘injecting’ myself. I have my own freedom and right to post on my own blog, just as many other’s – including Levi and the others, about anything I want. doesn’t mean I injected myself into anything.
“I did contact Levi, believing he was a trusted source asking how to get in touch with Marie…..After a year of working on the case with DP, I wanted to at least meet her…(by email or telephone, not face to face) and let her know I was trying everything I could to find her grand daughter….
“If she’s honest, ask her…she’ll tell you – Me going to Florida wasn’t my idea…..
“I’m sincere in what I do no matter what anyone thinks.
“Morgan Harrington….I didn’t solve her case…..Other’s claim that I am claiming I ‘found’ her….No, again- twist of words….
“I only described, even in miles, where I believed she could be found and described the area in detail…..
“Her being found accidently by a farmer where I’d described, and the miles away i’d described also…That’s all, really in her case.
“I just want everyone to know that if they begin seeing my name in association with a case, it’s because SOMEONE, for some reason, asked me to help further – perhaps after reading my blog…Idk….that’s really all.
“That’s what happened with Lisa Irwin, bloggers even state this on my blog.
“My local news did do an interview to set the record straight for me……whether it helped or not, Idk…but it doesn’t matter. I know the truth and I know that when I lay my head down to sleep every night, I did what was right.”
Looking back at the way she responded to online attacks Stephanie said, “I was so, so frustrated with everything going on in the baby lisa case….not ready for all the publicity that came from it. Just very overwhelmed. I will never be ‘done’ with her case… I just don’t feel that I have anything further to offer to it at this point. If I have any further insight, I will post it on my blog.”
Psychic detective Stephanie Almaguer also recently made appearances on Fox News Channel with Megan Kelly as posted in a previous article.
Fox recently Interviewed the Texas Clairvoyant in the case of missing baby Lisa Irwin.
Fox News’ Megyn Kelly sat down with the Texas Clairvoyant Stephanie Almaguer who’s Psychic visions recently sparked a renewed search for the missing baby.
Texas Clairvoyant Stephanie Almaguer claims to have had visions of the whereabouts of baby Lisa, which she then made a drawing of which was posted on a blog which she regularly writes on. Residents recognized the drawing as being an area near baby Lisa’s residence and a renewed search began.
Fox Interview’s Clairvoyant In Baby Lisa Case
Fox recently Interviewed the Texas Clairvoyant in the case of missing baby Lisa Irwin.
Fox News’ Megyn Kelly sat down with the Texas Clairvoyant Stephanie Almaguer who’s Psychic visions recently sparked a renewed search for the missing baby.
Texas Clairvoyant Stephanie Almaguer claims to have had visions of the whereabouts of baby Lisa, which she then made a drawing of which was posted on a blog which she regularly writes on. Residents recognized the drawing as being an area near baby Lisa’s residence and a renewed search began.
Recently reported by examiner.com, Clairvoyant Stephanie Almaguer believes that baby Lisa is dead.
According to Almaguer, who has worked with law enforcement officials in a number of high profile missing persons cases, she has received visions that offer her insight on what really happened to baby Lisa on the night she went missing from her parents home this past October.
Based on the visions she claims to have received, Almaguer believes that baby Lisa drowned in the family bathtub and was then placed on the parent’s bedroom floor as attempts were made to revive the infant’s lifeless body.
After attempts to bring the baby to failed, Almaguer believes that the baby was buried in a shallow grave not far from the family’s home. “She’s in a hole, and it was a hole that carried water,” said Almaguer.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the relatives of Baby Lisa.
Psychic Medium John Edward In Austin Texas
Psychic John Edward will be appearing at the Hilton, Austin, TX on Friday, August 5 on a leg of his Group Reading World Tour.
Famous Psychic John Edward has brought a fresh, honest and thought provoking attitude to the world of psychic phenomena. As a psychic medium, author and lecturer, he has, over the last twenty years, helped thousands with his uncanny ability to predict future events and communicate with those who have crossed over.
Currently Psychic John Edward is traveling the world on Tour performing Live Group Reading and Psychic Seminar events for audiences from South Africa to the UK and beyond.
About Psychic Medium John Edward:
In his series John Edward Cross Country on WE: Women’s Entertainment, John continues to use his unique abilities to connect people with loved ones who have passed on, and this time, follows them home. With great compassion, John Edward Cross Country offers a deeper connection and encourages life’s inner journey by exploring feelings of life, loss, and ultimately, acceptance and closure. Deeply compelling, often startling and occasionally humorous, Edward’s down-to-earth approach has earned him a vast and loyal following.
Today, Edward is one of the world’s foremost psychic mediums and author of the critically acclaimed New York Times best sellers One Last Time; What if God Were the Sun; Crossing Over: The Stories Behind the Stories, After Life: Answers from the Other Side, Final Beginnings and most recently Practical Praying: Using the Rosary to Enhance Your Life. The success of Crossing Over with John Edward left the nation fascinated.
Psychic In Texas: ‘They are still alive’
Texas Psychic ‘They are still alive’, the Psychic in Texas who sparked massive police hunt for 30 dead children revealed as 48-year-old grandmother believes that the children may still be alive and in need of help.
The Psychic in Texas who sparked a massive police hunt for a mass grave has been revealed publicly to be a 48-year-old grandmother in Texas who says she has had psychic visions all of her life.
The woman, who would only be identified as Angel, says police did not act on the information she gave them and that instead of a mass grave filled with dismembered children, police should now hunt for three children who are ‘hungry and thirsty’ – she feels that the children in Texas are still alive.
The Hardin, Texas home of Joe and Gena Bankson was raided by FBI agents, 15 cars of local police, sniffing dogs and a helicopter recently – all acting on a Psychic tip from ‘Angel’ that the bodies of 30 children were buried somewhere on the Texas property.
Speaking to the Houston Chronicle, Angel said she was angry at being ridiculed for her prediction.
Angel said she has had visions her entire life and that the latest ‘child massacre’ tip was shared by three of her friends.
The grandmother said her vision that three children could be in trouble was shared with two friends who were having similar visions.
The troubling thoughts then prompted her to contact the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Monday.
She also attacked police for not following up what she had told them, saying they had not ‘acted on what I told them’.
She said ‘My biggest concern is definitely the children. I think they are hungry and thirsty. They are still alive.’
Police Find ‘Psychic’ In Texas Hoax
Police Find ‘Psychic’ In Texas Hoax
Recently reported by msnbc.msn.com news, Texas deputies have found the elf-proclaimed psychic who provided police with a false tip about dozens of dead bodies buried on rural property which proved to be a hoax after extensive searches by police.
The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office said the tipster told them twice that 25 to 30 bodies were on a property at the intersection of County Roads 2049 and 2048 between Hardin and Daisetta. The calls came in Monday at 10 p.m. and Tuesday at 11 a.m.
A search found no bodies, but the story became international news.
A woman who called herself “Angel” previously came forward to say that she provided the tip and that investigators got her information wrong. She said she never mentioned a mass grave.
Capt. Rex Evans with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office said they found the tipster but don’t believe it is “Angel.” They said she lives in Texas, but that they will not make a decision until next week on what charges she may face. They did not release her identity.
Earlier this week, officials said the false tipster could face a class A misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report.
One of the agencies asked to help in the search, Texas EquuSearch, said it lost money in the hoax. Founder Tim Miller said his group paid more than $700 to fly in specialized search equipment from different parts of the country only to find out from Local 2 Investigates that the search was because of a tip from a psychic.“We’re not psychic. We didn’t know what was going on, and we just went out there,” Miller said. “I would not have had any of them call. I would not have had anything shipped in if they wouldn’t have called.”
Miller said investigators provided detailed information on why they believed there were mass graves.
“It kind of took our breath away. We couldn’t even believe it was happening,” Miller said. “When I found later the lead came in from a psychic, it was like, ‘I can’t believe it.’”Evans said he is sorry EquuSearch spent the money, but said, “At no time was he officially asked to bring in any resources, and we told him to hold off. At the time we walked with him, we had no indication the person calling us was claiming to be psychic.”
Miller said he does not fault the Sheriff’s Office for investigating the tip but said the entire ordeal should never have happened the way it did.
“Somebody jumped the gun. Somebody made a huge mistake,” Miller said.
Miller said he was also upset that news of the search was leaked to the media before a search warrant was obtained. He said he was told by the Sheriff’s Office to keep it “top secret.”
The owner of the home, Joe Bankson, said he is still receiving angry phone calls and text messages even though nothing was found on his property.