EXCLUSIVE: Paranormal investigation of the historic Lyric Theater
Last year, News 11 traveled to El Centro, Calif. with a paranormal investigation team to find out if the ghost of Dogwood Road really exists. This year, we explored downtown Yuma to investigate inside the Lyric Theater.
The earliest newspaper clipping News 11 found of the Lyric Theater dates back to December 20, 1909. This was a time when television was yet to be born, but an era where theater plays shined.
The theater on 211 Main Street in downtown Yuma was the place to be for entertainment. Western plays, melodramas, and comedies were some of the main attractions. Back then shows were just 15 cents a ticket for adults and 10 cents for children.
Decades later in the 1950’s, the theater started screening movies such as, “Dial M for Murder” by Alfred Hitchcock and “Tales of Robin Hood.”
A theater that once opened its doors to thousands is now just a vacant building or so we thought.
As we walked inside the building, an eerie silence surrounds us. Dennis Quesenberry, the caretaker of the theater said he’s heard voices and sounds in previous visits. He believes they are the spirits that still remain.
The Cops Crew paranormal investigation team of Arizona came ready with special equipment to call out the ghosts.
Jay Yates the owner and founder of Cops Crew, calls out the ghosts, “We’re calling upon all spirits within this building or the hotel above to please come down here… If you speak into it very loudly we’ll be able to replay it back and be able to hear you on what your trying to say…did you hear that?”
During the calling, a loud bang was heard from our cameraman who bumped his hand on the camera but there was another sound Yates caught that sounded more like a whisper.
We headed upstairs to the projector room to continue the investigation. What we heard there was a frightening, almost demonic sound.
The Lyric Theater has seen owners come and go but the Lutes family are its current owners. They also own the Central Hotel next door, a place also said to have a supernatural presence.
We will continue our investigation with Cops Crew who try to summon ghostly spirits. For a glimpse at our exclusive video, tune in at 10 p.m.
