Smutzler to Discuss Ghost Stories and Investigative Techniques at Porter House

Be the reason future generations know what mattered in Decorah. Fund Decorah News today. DECORAH — Retired Decorah Police chief Dave Smutzler will be sharing some real-life ghost stories as part of October's Porter House After Dark lectures. Smutzler, the founder of the paranormal investigative group P.I.G.s (Police Investigating Ghosts), became interested in the paranormal in college. Investigative techniques were part of his 30-year career in law enforcement. For the last 20 years he has turned his investigative skills to paranormal investigation, motivated by a desire to help when people face experiences that defy logical or obvious explanation. Smutzler says, "Every time I see evidence of somebody's paranormal investigations online, I'm a big skeptic. I know people are of ours, when we post something and you're not there." He says of his investigations, "You know, you go into a building that's got some paranormal activity, you go sit by yourself in a completely pitch-black room, it gets your heart rate going." Smutzler has participated in more than 100 investigations of sites believed to be haunted. This has taken him across Iowa, including an investigation of the Porter House Museum. In his talk, Smutzler will be covering investigative tools and techniques (which differ from what most people are used to seeing on TV shows) as well as cases that he has investigated. Smutzler's talk, free and open to the public, will be given twice on Thursday, October 30 at 6:00 and again at 7:30 at the Porter House Museum, 401 West Broadway Street Decorah, Iowa 52101. Advanced registration and ticketing are required to ensure a seat through the museum website at www.porterhousemuseum.org or by emailing info@porterhousemuseum.org. The talk is supported by the museum's Kurtich Foundation Stay Curious Grant. Stay ahead of the curve! Subscribe to free newsletters for exclusive insights, local trends and analysis delivered straight to your inbox.