Carla wrote:

Hello. My name is Carla. My friends and I went to Stepp Cemetery this past Saturday. My girlfriend got the idea of the investigation. I didn't think anyone else had gone and taken pictures before. All we have seen so far is orbs from our digital camera. We have not developed any other film yet. Your pics amazed me, as did our own when I saw them. Our investigation could have gone a lot smoother. It was or first. There were six of us, but four left out of fear. But one other person and myself stayed and took pictures. I would like to talk to you about the events of our night. If you have pointers that would be cool. I might do this again.

Valerie wrote:

My name is Valerie Triesch. I wanted to tell you about our recent investigation at Stepp Cemetery. It was our first time out. I of course, turned into a chicken when I got there. My mother came along as well. She told us that as soon as we entered the graveyard she got a splitting headache, but as we walked back to the cars, the headache went away. One friend that was with us "got a feeling," as if we were not welcome. She said she felt that very bad things had happened in the cemetery. 

There were three other people with us who chose to stay and take pictures while my mom, my friend, and I decided to go back to the car. We took pictures with a digital camera, a disposable camera, and a 35 mm Cannon camera. Once we got home that night, we unloaded the digital pictures into a laptop and discovered that in about 5 of 60 shots there were many ghost orbs. Looking at your pictures now lets me know that ours are legit. I just wanted to tell you about our experience.

In a follow-up letter, Valerie wrote concerning their first visit to Stepp Cemetery:

Some comments on what was being felt by my mother and my friend, Kat: Kat and I have been discussing her feelings all week. She is highly in tune to others emotions, and I have a feeling that includes the dead, as well as, the living. Kat told me that she didn't feel threatened by the people buried in the graveyard. She said that she felt bad things had been happening there at night and that the spirits or ghosts were angry about it. I'm thinking this is where her feelings of "unwelcomeness" came from. Kat was taking pictures as well. To me, she seemed to be honing in on something, then snapping a shot. She did not seem to be taking pictures at random. I asked her about that today. She told me she was shooting at random, but she was also, definitely "feeling things" and then taking a picture. She said, when we were walking down the lane, back to the cars, she took pictures because she did feel that something was following us. She also said she could hear breathing behind her when we first got there.

I haven't talked to my mother about any of what she felt. But all I can attribute my feelings to was being afraid, not because I felt anything. My mind was completely shut down in that sense. I was trying to keep from freaking out. The other three that were with us were very caught up in the moment, so to speak. Two of them said they "felt things."

Valerie, on their second visit:

This time, when we went to Stepp, I was much more at ease. My mom, my aunt, Carla, and myself were the ones that went this time. I was still a bit nervous, but nothing compared to the first time we went. My mother also said that she didn't get feelings of anger like she did last time. We had a very good experience. I don't know if it was because we were much more organized, or if it was because I was with my family. Whatever it was, the atmosphere was definitely much friendlier.

All of these photos where taken with a digital. Don Renolds and Carla Myers at Stepp Cemetery in Monroe State Forest. On 05-06-2000, between 9:00 and 10:00 PM.

Read my response to Valerie's questions in: Sentinel Files Q and A

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