After an extensive search through academic and periodical archives I came away with a few solid facts. Some years following Kathy's alleged suicide, one of the custodians that were said to have found her came forward to confirm that she and another woman working there at the time had indeed found the body of a young woman hanged in the closet of room 200A. This incident is most likely the basis of the Kathy stories, however since the exact date was never given it's not possible to infer whether 1953 was the correct year. Given this and the fact that students weren't allowed to remain in the residence halls over winter until 1956 and that there are no records around 1953 of a suicide on campus, it is more likely that if the body found was the result of a suicide due to severe depression based on the idea of being homeless during the winter it happened during the 1954-55 or 55-56 school year.
My visit and interview proved to be, at best, inconclusive. I didn't expect to have an experience for myself, but the lack of tangible evidence or testimonial to the affirmative makes me doubt the validity of a possible haunting. One of the telltale signs of an active haunting is consistent activity. Since the information I received indicates that there's been no paranormal activity for almost two years, the idea that a haunting is occurring is very unlikely.
It's important to understand that this is, by no means, a full or complete investigation. As I was working under a time constraint I was unable to explore every avenue of inquiry. My research, while as thorough as I could be given my schedule and deadline, is very much open to further inquiry and investigation.
I'd very much like to revisit the Morton Hall ghost legend in the future if I'm able. Some avenues I would like to pursue include: further investigation into reports and obituaries surrounding the 1954-1956 school years; interviews with former residents of Morton Hall, specifically those who have lived in room 200A; possible attempts to expel or exorcise spirits from the Hall; and other unexplained events that may not seem related to Kathy.
I hope you've enjoyed reading about the research I performed on this interesting tale on the NAU campus. This is just the first of, hopefully, many personal investigative articles I want to write. However, given my current schedule, it's unlikely to be anytime soon. Flagstaff itself is full of paranormal related stories and events and I would love to check them out in the future. I'm also in a unique location that is conveniently close to one of my favorite paranormal locations: Stardust Ranch.
In the meantime, look forward to regular updates (2-3 times a week if I'm able) filled with information on paranormal events, cryptid sightings, occult traditions, and much more. Also expect to see content from other sources dealing with paranormal or occult topics (all of which will be credited to their original creators).
Happy Haunting!
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