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Lawman Aims To Find His Quarry, Dead Or Alive

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By DEREK MAUL

Tribune correspondent

Published: August 27, 2008

PLANT CITY - Hillsborough County sheriff's Deputy Landon "L.T." Cochran is founder of the Plant City Center for Paranormal Research. Since the Sci-Fi hit series "Ghost Hunters" took paranormal mainstream, dozens of groups have emerged across the nation. Cochran, however, says he has been interested in paranormal activity his entire life.

Q. How long have you been interested in paranormal activity?

A. I've never had a choice. My hometown - Point Pleasant, W.Va. - was made famous by "The Mothman Prophesies." Then our little house in LaRue, Ohio, was haunted: We had the ghost of a small kid and he showed himself on a regular basis. Paranormal is normal to me, so I never had a fear of it

Q. Define paranormal?

A. Anything that doesn't fit the criteria of modern mindset. People are often so narrow-minded they just refuse to allow themselves to believe.

Q. Describe your organization?

A. I have put together a rather respectable group of people who are interested in the research and documentation of paranormal activity.

We use scientific methods, and we document our findings. It's a new twist on the current craze of "ghost chasers."

Q Who else is involved?

A. There are 12 active core members on my team. They're all people of faith in God. They're not interested in the occult, paganism, spiritualism or Wicca. Several are from law enforcement, one is Jewish, and we have a nondenominational minister.

Q. Explain the faith aspect?

A. I'm not a churchgoer but I've always believed in God. I accepted Jesus as savior when my grandmother died. We're torn between every aspect that's known to man. We're stuck between scientific skeptics and devout Christians who say we're playing with evil.

Q. How do you investigate?

A. I'm a skeptic, plus I've had 20 years as a cop; so I start looking for natural explanations. If it stumps me then it becomes a paranormal investigation.

Q. Have you been successful?

A. Yes. The first was my sister-in-law's house in Antioch. Her husband died but he was still around. The property had been haunted for years.

Then I helped a Sarasota accountant whose business partner was haunting the office. He found me through the Web site.

Q. What do you have coming up?

A. I'm trying to get a game plan going for the old Morgan Street Jail in downtown Tampa; there's all kind of stuff happened there, so many deaths. The third floor has always known to be haunted. Then one location I can't disclose. It's actually pretty difficult to get into places to do investigations.

Q. Why do you do this?

A. I've always has a fascination. Then I always go out of my way to help people. From my experience haunted houses can be unnerving.

Q. Why do "spirits" stay around?

A. There are no guidelines and rules. I believe sometimes when people die suddenly they haven't had the opportunity to get all their ducks in a row, and they feel the need for something to accomplish. When we figure that out it stops.

Q. Are all ghosts the same?

A. There are 30 or 40 categories of haunting. A lot of it is just residual. Basically spirit energy is absorbed into a building and it remains.

Q. Do people think you're crazy?

A. I get a lot of strange looks. Then they go to the theme song of "Ghostbusters" - it aggravates me to death. I get all kinds of ragging about it at work, but I don't care. My wife (the former Brenda Bridges) was hesitant at first but now she's into it as much as I am.

Q. How did you get to Florida?

A. I left Ohio in 1981 to look for work. I made it to Tampa in 1982 and I've been around ever since. I've done a little of everything. Roofing, trucking, construction. Then I hired on with the sheriff's department reserve academy 1986; then police academy in 1988; it's been over 20 years now.

Q. When did you move to Plant City?

A. 1990. Now I wouldn't live anyplace else. This is the closest I've ever come to a real community. I'd like to do more investigations here.

Q. Are there paranormal industry standards?

A. More guidelines than standards. In the 1860s Harry Price set a lot of guidelines that have improved with technology. Each group is independent, but there's lot of unity within the field. Do the research: Take about 75 percent you read on the Web and throw it out the window. Some people have the gift but 99 percent are pretending.

Q. Do you charge for investigations?

A. No, we don't.

Q. What do you wish people knew?

A. The chances of a haunting being anything malevolent are so slim there's nothing to worry about. I don't believe in cleansings; I don't try to get rid of them. They're individuals, just not in their physical bodies. If you're having a problem, then talk to them. You're going to feel like an idiot but do it.

Landon "L.T." Cochran is the founder of the Plant City Center for Paranormal Research. Its Web site is at plantcity paranormal.com. For information, call (813) 362-1794. Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul@gmail.com.

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