West Virginia State Penitentairy
By: Alivia Moore
The West Virginia State Penitentiary was a prison in Moundsville, West Virginia. The state penitentiary gained the most dishonorable reputation as one of the Department of Justice's top 10 Most Violent Correctional Facilities.
It was said to house some of the worst inmates of all and was overwhelmed by prison escapes, terrible conditions, disease, riots, murders, suicides, and harsh punishments. By all the murders and suicides that have occured there at the penitentiary, some have said that it is one of the most haunted place in the United States.
The first escape at the prison happened on April 5, 1988. Three inmates who were in there serving a life sentences without mercy for murder. The wardens did not notice that they were gone till Sunday night during distributions.
The next escape that happened at the State Penitentiary was on November 17, 1988. Neal and Rake were the two escapees. They were both charged for brutal murders and are counted as being extremely dangerous.
Another prison escape happened on February 20, 1992. It was three older males. They had managed to dig a hole and escape through the undergrounds. The cops believe that there was a car waiting for them to pick them up. They were going to arrange for all of the exits and tunnels to be looked at including inside and outside of the cars.
As well as escapes happening, so were many deaths. People would die and some of the bodies were never claimed by family members so they got buried in the cementary there. Those souls still lurk around the premiseces of the building and haunt it.
One of the many ways that people died were being hung. 84 people were hung at the prison. They quit hanging people in 1949 because one person got decapitated. The prison just started to electrocute people instead.
Since hanging was eliminated, electrocution took place of murdering prison inmates. Nine men were electrocuted in "Old spanky." The chair is still on display at the prison to this day.
Even though many deaths were crucial, some of the deaths happened from natural causes or the inmates did not want to leave anymore so they killed themselves.
The West Virginia State Pentinentiary was home to many criminals but now it is home to many ghosts who lurk around the building. This place is considered one of the most haunted place in the United States. If you ever see yourself around this area, take a pit stop and check this place out and see if you are brave enough to search for some ghosts.