Ghost Hunters Jailed for Breaking into Church

Ghost Hunters Jailed for Breaking into Church

LITCHFIELD, Minn. – Three South Dakotans and a local resident, apparently on the hunt for ghosts, were awaiting official charges this week after being arrested over the weekend in connection with an apparent break-in at the historic Ness Church (above) in rural Litchfield. Shortly before 2 a.m. the Meeker County sheriff's office was notified of a burglary alarm at the 1854 church. As deputies were en route to respond, they came across a vehicle leaving the vicinity of the church, said Sheriff Brian Cruze.

The vehicle was stopped, and following an investigation, the deputies ended up arresting four individuals in connection with breaking into and vandalizing the church. The sheriff said the young adults, who used a monument at the church to break windows, were looking for paranormal activity, as some believe the church is haunted.

The sheriff's office said the investigation is continuing to determine the full extent of the damage and whether any items were taken from inside the church.

All four suspects were booked into the Meeker County Jail on charges of burglary and criminal damage to property. Those arrested were two men, ages 23 and 25, from Sioux Falls, S.D.; a 23-year-old man from nearby Victoria; and a 34-year-old woman, also from Sioux Falls.

This church graveyard is said to be haunted by Sioux Indians killed in the area. There are also reports of lights in the church turning on when no one is around and people have reported seeing what they describe as "strange figures" through the windows of the church. Another ghost associated with Ness Church is the spirit of a little girl called "Annie." The youthful apparition has inspired a local urban legend that if you go to the church at night, Annie will follow you home. Another legend has it that if you sit outside the church in your car and drive away at the stroke of midnight, a phantom car will appear and follow you for a distance before suddenly vanishing.

This isn't the first time ghost hunters have broken into the church. In December 2006, two women, a man and a 17-year-old boy were arrested by the Meeker County Sheriff’s Department early one morning when a ghost hunt turned into a burglary. On that occasion, a neighbor heard the church bell ringing at approximately 2 a.m. and called the sheriff. 

Source: The Twin Cities Pioneer-Press, May 20, 2015; and Strange USA.