Local investigating team, Ghost Quest, is pairing history and paranormal expertise to give answers on some of the area’s local haunts.

With the mission statement “We speak to the dead to give answers to the living,” Ghost Quest’s mission is clear.

Adam Wilson is a medium and has been investigating the paranormal since he was five, starting with the portrait of Nellie Tallman.

“My mother Lynda Wilson and her side of the family all have the ability to communicate with the dead,” he said. “After the Nellie portrait experience, she explained that I also had this gift.”

“Throughout my lifetime after that, I did small investigations with my uncle, Rob,” Wilson said. When Rob, who was like an older brother to Adam, passed away, Wilson stopped investigating — until a case that would change his life.

A family just over the New York border was being terrorized by what Wilson said was a demonic entity for 18 years prior, causing the family to experience unnatural and terrible dreams along with inhuman scratch and bite marks. Wilson calls the case “The Devil Tree.”

“After a seven-day investigation into the house, the family, and the land, I discovered that this demonic entity came from a tree in the woods on the homeowner’s property,” Wilson said. “When we found the tree, it was hot to the touch while all the other trees around were cool. The most puzzling part was that the tree was hollow.”

Through various forms of blessings and a minor rite of exorcism, Wilson and his old partner knew the demon’s tether to this world had been severed, he said. Days later, the family began returning to normal, including eating regularly along with being able to venture down into the basement.

After seeing that he could use his gift to help others, Wilson started the first incarnation of Ghost Quest. “It was never something I thought I would be doing in life, but I began advertising the company on Facebook to see what more I could find and more people I could help,” Wilson said.

For a few months after the first case, it was just Wilson and his father, John “Moose” Wilson doing investigations. Between May and November of 2024, multiple had joined and left the company, but it wasn’t until he met Elaine Decker on a podcast the two were both guests on that he felt he had made a permanent partner.

“An instant connection was made and by the end of October we had already begun planning and plotting an investigation which led to our dynamic and amazing partnership,” Wilson said.

Decker has a background in historical research, bringing a unique and helpful approach to the investigations Wilson was already doing.

“I had been, and still do, research Lycoming County properties,” Decker said. She owns a business called Developing History that helps property owners find out about the history of their homes.

The pair approaches each unique investigation with a similar strategy.

“I research the locations we visit and Adam normally isn’t told anything until after he has done his walk-thru,” Decker said. The two then sit and discuss what Decker found through research and interviews.

“Hardly anyone believes in mediums,” Wilson said. “So, I prefer to go into an investigation blind, not knowing the locations before we go.”

For bigger investigations the team likes to ride together and allow any psychic messages to guide Wilson in the investigation, he said.

“Each case is uniquely different, so the style of the investigation can differ. This can be witnessed in the first three episodes of our show, The Real Ghost Quest on YouTube,” Wilson said.

In the episodes so far posted on YouTube, the team arrives and Adam begins his walkthrough, picking up what he calls “psychic imprints.”

Wilson and Decker then compare notes on what she’s already learned and the two go through the locations again together.

“Cleansings are the most common outcome,” Wilson said. “But in some cases, a minor rite of exorcism is the way to go.” The team uses a variety of technology to assist them in investigations and Wilson uses his Christian faith and the teachings of the Catholic Church to perform the rites and cleansings.

Some local locations the two enjoyed investigating so far were The Herdic Restaurant and the Taber Museum, both Williamsport locations with storied haunts.

While Ghost Quest already has episodes on its channel, not every investigation they conduct is recorded, but said that they like to support local businesses while also getting the word out about their team through the episodes. Looking ahead, the team is seeking more locations to reach out for help.

Ghost Quest is active on Facebook and has recently uploaded a new episode of their show on YouTube.