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The possible hauntings of KRQE News 13
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – From aliens in Roswell to the mysterious stone pillars near Cimarron, many of New Mexico's most unique stories are spread throughout the Land of Enchantment. But, on this week's episode of New Mexico Strange, News 13 Host and Anchor Chad Brummett sat down with Tim Maestas, a former KRQE reporter and key member of the New Mexico news scene, to discuss some of the spooky stories that hit close to home – those that happened right here at KRQE News 13.
Maestas started working with KRQE in 1999, following a short stint at New's 13's Oregon sister station, KOIN, around 2004 to 2005, Maestas came back to News 13, where he stayed until 2014. Inspired by the popular paranormal television shows of the time, Maestas pitched the idea of running a local ghost-hunting story sometime around 2008 or 2009. He contacted Albuquerque's paranormal society, but they turned the story right back to the newsroom, asking to explore any activity occurring at the station.
In 1972, Robert Ernest 'Stretch' Scherer, known for his role as Captain Billy on a KGGM-TV children's show, was shot by a jealous husband in the building's front lobby; the shooting was spurred on when Scherer put his arm around the man's wife, a female volunteer, during a Muscular Dystrophy telethon. Two other deaths that occurred in the building are thought to have been from natural causes.
With the deaths of at least those three people connected to the building, Maestas watched the hunters as they underwent training and walked through the entirety of the building. According to the report, investigators captured a voice saying what they said sounded like, 'Go away,' received blinking confirmations in a light monitor, and even felt a touch.
On this week's episode, Maestas discusses how he felt before, during, and after that investigation, touching on how, although he was not fully swayed by the findings, he is open to possibilities.
New Mexico is perceived worldwide as a mecca for the extraordinary. Whether it's the healing soil of Chimayo, the haunted trails of the Old West, or visitors from the final frontier, our state is home to countless myths and mysteries. New Mexico Strange is KRQE News 13's online exclusive web series, celebrating our unique history and shedding light on the shadows of the unexplained, unexplored, and unknown. Hosted by Chad Brummett, New Mexico Strange takes viewers through some of the Land of Enchantment's most mysterious folklore and conspiracies.
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