The Witches Castle

While many paranormal and true crime fans refer to this location as the Witches' Castle, the locals call it Mistletoe Falls. No matter what it's called, this site is famous for its tales of witches, ghosts, the legend of a Welsh prince, and a heartbreaking crime.

But I wanted to know what was real and what was myth, so I researched. Unfortunately, I didn’t find much, but it wasn't a total loss. 

It is believed a man named J. Paul Durien built the stone house and chapel in the 1940s. I found potential evidence of him purchasing the land in the spring of 1949, but nothing states that he built the house or that the land was empty prior. 

 While searching, I came across two men named J. Paul Durien. One was a real estate agent, and the other was the executive secretary of the U of L adult education division. I couldn’t find a link between the names and locations of the property other than the newspaper clipping about the land transfer. 

If it were one of them, it seemed like both could potentially have the money and means to build a waterfront home and maybe a reason to move closer to work and decide to sell the house. 

Not too long after the home was built, it's believed another man named Joseph Biagi bought it. However, in my search, I found an article that Joseph had a 10-year lease agreement for the home that started in 1960. By 1967, “suits” were taking him to court for rent and possession of the land. 

This Joseph guy seemed to be dealing with the law quite a bit. He was arrested several times for being drunk and went to court more than once. 

In terms of the house, I couldn’t find out whether he lost the house or not.

It’s also believed that Joseph's stepson set the house on fire, ruining the structure. I personally find this a bit suspicious, considering he was going to court over the house, and previous findings could paint a picture that things weren't good at home. But that's speculation, not facts. 

Once again, I hit a dead end and couldn't find any information about the fire. You would think a significant event would have been documented, but I couldn’t find proof. 

According to recent articles, the property sat for a long time until Darlene Roach bought it in 1985, then sold it in 1993 after the murder of Sandra Scharer. 

I don’t want to go into the details, but the Witch's Castle was only one of the first stops she was taken to; most of the crime happened in Madison, Indiana. 

My experience with this property is a bit different from most. My grandmother is from Utica, and I still have some family that lives there. I grew up driving past this building and knew it as a creepy abandoned house, but I never stopped to check it out until recently. 

While exploring, I walked around as safely and respectfully as I could during my visit, not exploring the property too far. 

While I was there, I didn't experience any paranormal activities. My psychic senses didn't alert me to anything beyond the energy people put on it. It's creepy, but not paranormal.  

Ultimately, I wasn't able to discover as much truth as I had hoped. However, I am assured that the tales of witches, ghosts, and a prince are merely myths. There is no evidence backing these stories, and frankly, ghosts seem to prefer spending time in bars rather than in an empty lot. 

Someone bought this property in 2023. It will be interesting to see what they do with it. 

I really enjoyed conducting this mini-investigation. I hope you found it enjoyable as well.