While L. Sydney Fisher was writing the book, she often experienced paranormal phenomena in her home that included loud crashing noises, the sound of something being dragged across the floor, scraping sounds, and an unseen ghostly visitor who often breezed past her chair during night-time writing sessions.
During the audio production of the book, the narrator, Robin Ericsson reported that he and his family had bizarre experiences. In a message to Sydney Fisher, Mr. Ericsson confessed to hearing several children’s voices and even reported seeing the apparition of a male figure wearing a red flannel shirt who often watched him while he was recording in the studio. Devon Bradford often wore flannel shirts when he was alive.
The original court transcripts of Devon Bradford’s murder trial mysteriously disappeared while L. Sydney Fisher was doing research. After intentionally placing the court files in a separate box in the storage room of the circuit clerk’s office, all the transcripts and original documents vanished two weeks after the author’s last visit. When Sydney questioned the circuit clerk, she was told that an attorney probably took the file and did not return it. Why would an attorney want the court records of a trial that was more than three decades old? The accused was also now deceased.
Unknown to L. Sydney Fisher who changed all of the real names in the book, she identified the real life lover of Liz Bradford by giving a character in the story his real life name. The author did not know of Liz Bradford’s lover or his identity until the Spring of 2018 when a former acquaintance of the Bradford’s contacted the author after reading the book. The author believes that the ghost of Liz Bradford communicated with her during the research for the book.
The courtroom where Devon Bradford stood trial in Tupelo, Mississippi still has the original witness stand and furniture from the 1970’s trial, but the courtroom is now locked and used for storage.
The real life judge who presided over Devon Bradford’s trial met L. Sydney Fisher at a book signing several years ago. After the author confessed that he was the real judge who presided over the 1975 trial, he became a friend and has attended many of the author’s book signings.
The original manuscript was handwritten in a notebook that was tucked away inside a closet and untouched for more than a decade before it was published.
The Haunting of Natalie Bradford first originated as part of a writing assignment for a class the author was enrolled in.
Rebecca and Audrey Bradford are the only living Bradford children who appeared in the story. Natalie Bradford died from an overdose in 1991.
The site where Liz Bradford was murdered is still a popular restaurant and is known for having the best steak in town. The restaurant, now known as Woody’s, was also featured on Robert Irvine’s Restaurant Impossible in 2011. The author had a brief camera moment on the show. The establishment is also known as one of the most haunted locations in the city and reportedly has more than one ghostly resident. Paranormal activity is as frequent as the “regulars” who dine there.
The kindle e-book and the audio book version for The Haunting of Natalie Bradford are both #1 Amazon Bestsellers in multiple categories.
Natalie Bradford did not believe in ghosts until she lived at Lindenwood.
L. Sydney Fisher carries two permanent reminders of her time at Lindenwood. On the author’s right index finger is a scar that she received from broken glass. She gained the second scar, now barely visible on her left foot, after being pushed by an unseen force on the stairs.
Natalie Bradford tried to get her three-month marriage annulled from Devon Bradford, but she was forced to file for a divorce and pay her own attorney’s fees to escape Devon’s grasp.
Lindenwood is the fictional name given to the haunted house where Liz Bradford lived and operated a small hair salon on the first floor. The home was decorated with Liz’s taste in colors and furnishings. Years after her death, the home was abandoned by the Bradford’s and fell into ruin. It was demolished by James Bradford who built another home on the property and lived there until he died in 2016.
I remember being mesmerized by The Bell Witch stories when I was a child. I read at least 3 or 4 different books on the subject and vowed that I would someday travel to the small town of Adams, Tennessee where the famous Bell Witch once lived. Now three decades later, I can now mark it off my bucket list and instead pencil it in on my “Must Return” list.
Last Saturday May 26th, 2018, a friend and I traveled to the farm located about 55 miles north of Nashville. Upon entering the small community of Adams, Tennessee, I immediately sensed the remnants of a time past as Katy (not to be confused with Kate Batts) drove us down a rural county highway, following the Bell Witch signs strategically placed along the roadside. The rolling hills extended for miles on what was once hundreds of acres of farmland owned by John Bell, Sr. The lush, green grass and wooded landscape was surrounded by white fences that gave the property a warm and inviting feel unlike the memories that the Bell Witch had left behind 200 years before. Although Katy and I reveled in the beauty of the area, we both couldn’t deny our apprehension as we approached the entrance to the site of the Bell Witch Cave.
Part of the original Bell Farm land where the Bell Witch once roamed.
Katy followed the signs until we saw the entrance to the tour. A bright red barn with bold white lettering on the front greeted us at the main entrance as we made our way to the gift shop. Rain clouds loomed overhead as we hurried to park and get our tickets.
At the entrance of The Bell Witch site.
After booking our tour, we were taken to a cabin (replica, not original Bell cabin) where we listened to an audio presentation of the Bell Witch haunting and toured a cabin that was set up with furniture and props staged to look much like what the original Bell house would have looked like at the time of the spirit’s visitations. Although the home was not the original site, our EMF (electromagnetic field) detector started acting crazy, the lights zipping back and forth while we were in the front of the house. When we moved to another room upstairs, the EMF detector stopped for a few minutes as if whatever had been present was suddenly gone. At that time, I began experiencing a strange pressure on my neck/chest area near my throat that caused me to cough. The feeling intensified a couple of times and startled me to the point that I felt the need to take deep breaths. I knew that I was sensing something paranormal.
Cabin (replica) at The Bell Witch Tour Site.
After the audio presentation that lasted about 30 minutes, we were escorted to another part of the cabin that housed artifacts and pictures of the original site. Included in the mini-museum was a black cauldron that belonged to the Bell family when they lived in the house where the hauntings occurred. I intentionally let myself be the last guest to leave the room so that I could stay behind and touch the large stone that sat on the floor and was reportedly a part of the original Bell house fireplace. I placed my hand on the rock, but unfortunately, I did not pick up any residual energy. Then just as I turned and walked out of the cabin to follow the rest of the group to the Bell Witch Cave, I was overcome by a wave of nausea that did not subside until I reached the cave entrance.
EMF recording at the cabin area.Entrance to The Bell Witch Cave.
We were greeted by Kris, our tour guide who narrated the fascinating history of the cave and the land. She informed us of the area’s known American Indian burial grounds linking parts of the area’s history to the Bell Witch legend. But within minutes of entering the cave’s second room, I felt that our 10-person tour group was no longer alone with just our tour guide. The distinct sound of children’s laughter filled the front room that we had just exited.
I spoke up and said, “I hear children laughing. Are there other people coming?”
But no one else seemed to hear the children and our tour guide continued to narrate. I looked down the long, narrow hall of the cave’s stone walls toward the cave’s entrance and saw no one, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were not alone. Our guide then showed us pictures taken by guests who had captured spirits and strange orbs while on the cave tour. Suddenly, my suspicions were validated.
Inside the front hall of The Bell Witch Cave.Stone coffin/grave of an Indian girl found near the river. Her bones were stolen and never returned.
We finished up the tour about fifty feet inside the cave. I marveled at its beauty and the markings that were visibly noticeable on the walls and ceilings left behind by ancient Indians. When we exited the cave entrance, Katy and I walked several feet and were suddenly startled by the appearance of a bare-chested young man with dark hair and a long black beard. The color of his eyes was pitch black and he wore only black gym shorts while sitting high on the heavily wooded hillside outside the cave entrance. Directly below us was the Red River often mentioned in the Bell Witch stories as being near the original site of John Bell’s home located just two miles away. The man studied me as I walked closer to him, his piercing dark eyes glaring at me as if I was intruding on his space. I glanced down the hill at the river and looked around to see if he had a canoe or kayak nearby, but I saw nothing that indicated that he had been on the river that day. He was just standing alone on the steep slope studying me as I now paused on the rocky path. I turned and called for Katy who was several feet behind me. She finally appeared and joined me only to feel the same creepiness as the stranger watched us pass, my eyes locked with his. Who was he? How did he get up that steep slope without shoes on his feet? Was he a shapeshifter placed there for us to see? We still don’t know, but we won’t forget the unease that his sudden appearance caused.
Hillside above The Red River as seen in the left side of picture. This is where the lone stranger appeared to me and Katy as we exited The Bell Witch Cave.Ancient Indian Burial Site.L. Sydney Fisher leaving The Bell Witch Cave.
If you dare to visit the site of the famous Bell Witch, take no souvenirs such as rocks from the cave and make sure you say a prayer as you leave. Although I never heard The Bell Witch’s cackle that day and thank goodness, I never saw any weird animals, I still felt the remnants of her spirit and those of many others who still haunt the landscape where she once roamed.
For more of L. Sydney Fisher’s adventures, On the Haunted Trail, check out her book projects @LSydneyFisher.com or join her at the group page of @Ghosts, Unexplained Mysteries, and The Supernatural on Facebook and remember…
L. Sydney Fisher, #1 Amazon Bestselling Author, Thrillers & Suspense 