SEASON 4 EPISODES: DEVIL IN JERSEY

TOPIC

SYNOPSIS

The PRS goes to the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey to hunt for a legendary creature known as The “Jersey Devil.” Sounds, infrared thermal images, and so-called experts give biased, unfounded, and absurd opinions.

Screenshot 1 from Paranormal State “Devil in Jersey”
A conglomeration of animal parts make up the legendary creature known as the “Jersey Devil.”

First published: 10 Mar 2010

Written by: Ernie Marsh

“Witness” Anthony describes a flying creature he claims to have seen. We aren’t given his last name, and there’s no mention of him in the closing credits. His drawing is a departure of a typical Jersey Devil.

SYNOPSIS
The PRS goes to the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey to investigate a legendary creature called the Jersey Devil. The Jersey Devil has a variety of descriptions depending on the source, but the “typical” Jersey Devil is supposed to have wings and capable of flight, hooves, and a horse-face. Sightings have allegedly gone on for over a century. No scientific evidence supports the existence of the creature. It has never been captured, either physically or on film, but Ryan is “determined to change that.” Perhaps this is why we are later in the episode, presented with a FLIR® thermal image of a deer, with Ryan and Chad presenting a biased and incorrect interpretation of the images, to try to convince us the deer has wings and is actually the Jersey Devil.

DAY ONE OF THE INVESTIGATION

The PRS talks with paranormal investigators Charlie and Laura from a “local paranormal team.” The paranormal group’s name is not given, neither are Charlie’s or Laura’s last names. Then the PRS conducts witness interviews. First up is Anthony. He said he was in his car at an intersection and saw a flying creature about 4’ - 5’ tall with “veins or capillaries in the wing.” Anthony’s last name isn’t given either.

Next witness is Harry. This is probably Harry Leeds, or, at least there is a Harry Leeds listed in the closing credits. Harry had more than one encounter, so he says. He claims to have seen a creature with piercing eyes, with “a reddish cast to them, yeah.” Harry says, “Don’t go out at night. Do not ever go alone. Because there’s something out there.” That might sound ominous and dangerous, but consider the fact that there has never been one fatality attributed to the (unauthenticated) creature known as the Jersey Devil.

Ryan talks with a “naturalist” named Russell. His last name isn’t given. Then cryptozoologist Jim (last name not given either, but what else is new) walks through the cabin door to help with “The Hunt.” Jim looks serious wearing camouflage clothing, and sporting what looks like a Fulton MX-991/U right-angle Army flashlight on his chest. It has the red plastic lens in place. A red lens is usually intended for use at night to help preserve one’s night vision, to use it for map reading in the dark, and if the red lens is in the right wavelength as a mil-spec lens is; animals such as deer, foxes, raccoons, etc., see poorly in this red spectrum so they shouldn’t be spooked.

Chad pulls out a FLIR Systems thermal imaging camera. This will enable them to see in total darkness. The camera has a bar-code, so I believe it was rented for this episode. Although the model isn’t mentioned, it appears to be a high-definition infrared FLIR® B660 camera designed for advanced building and energy surveys. The PRS, Chad Calek, and cryptozoologist Jim take to the woods for “The Hunt.”

A high-pitched squealing is heard in a tree. Sergey sees something on the FLIR® camera as Chad says whatever it is, it’s “big.” Sergey tries to verbally direct Jim and Ryan to the “red-hot” creature (most likely an owl) as Ryan points a flashlight up a tree. Too bad Sergey didn’t use the FLIR® B660’s built in laser pointer to paint the target so they could find what was in the tree (an owl?). Ryan claims to have seen something move elsewhere; so they act excited and hurry off without finding out what was in the tree. Why didn’t the PRS, Chad, or cryptozoologist Jim bring a searchlight or spotlight to shine? All they would have had to do was point the bright light up the tree to illuminate what was up there to see if it was the Jersey Devil (or an owl). But, we were left in the dark, literally. Ryan and group never said what caused the noise in the tree, or the other thing Ryan claimed to have seen.

DAY TWO OF THE INVESTIGATION
Chad and Eilfie visit the local historian, Ken, who plays some audio recordings which he says why people might think there’s an unknown creature in the woods. The one sound could be a big cat, and the other was most likely the sound of two trees squeaking as they rubbed together. But that was never mentioned.

A paranormal researcher is introduced. It’s Bill (last name not given, but it’s Birnes), from the History Channel’s show, UFO Hunters. Bill makes up some wild hypothesis that the “Jersey Devil” was a deformed child with a long face that grew facial hair so it resembles a horse-head, the child had a lot of skin under his arms so it looked like bat-wings, left home to live in the wild to escape from “a keeping room, or a basement, or a root cellar, or something,” and speculates there is a family of these feral creatures descended (as in cross-bred) from the one human. Bill never said how a deformed person could fly by flapping arms with loose skin hanging down. Bill also didn’t cite scientific evidence to show that a human can produce offspring by having sex with an animal like a horse, deer, or bat. He didn’t say it, because it’s impossible.

Ryan, Sergey and Bill go to Leeds Point, which is supposed to be what some claim the “genesis” grounds for the legendary “Jersey Devil.” Using a FLIR Systems camera designed for advanced building and energy surveys to look for animals in the woods, they capture a deer on the FLIR, and try to pass off the images as if it looks like a winged creature resembling the “Jersey Devil.”

INVESTIGATION– DAY THREE
Ryan, Chad and Bill enthusiastically proclaim they seem to have captured a winged “Jersey Devil” in thermal images captured by the FLIR camera. What happened is that they misperceive and misinterpret a tree branch in front of a deer as being a wing on the “Jersey Devil.” Ryan says, “If this is truly an anomaly like we believe it is, this is the most compelling evidence that has ever come out about the Jersey Devil.” I don’t know if Ryan, Chad, or any PRS member had any training at FLIR’s Infrared Training Center (ITC) or hold any certification through FLIR Systems.

I’ll add more detail to this review later, but the FLIR images portrayed as the “Jersey Devil” were most likely a white-tailed deer.

Ryan Buell
Sergey Poberezhny
Katrina Weidman
Josh Light
Heather Taddy
Eilfie Music

Pine Barrens, southern New Jersey

Chad Calek
Charlie
Laura
Anthony
Harry
Russell
Jim
Ken
Bill
Dan

PRS Members

Location

Also appearing

PRS Director
Tech Specialist
Team Interviewer
PRS Member
Team Documentarian
Occult Specialist

On location

Guest Investigator
Paranormal Investigator
Paranormal Investigator
Witness
Witness
Naturalist
Cryptozoologist
Local Historian
Paranormal Researcher
Local Resident

Please click either the “Topic” or “Synopsis” shown below for details of how certain events have been portrayed in this episode. See if you feel if you’ve been misled or deceived in any way.

Each screenshot shown below is from Paranormal State “Devil in Jersey.”