Meet the Team

Tim Maile

Founder / Lead Investigator

In January 2008 I helped found Fox Cities Paranormal Team and cannot believe how far we have come as a group. This journey all started when I bought a home in Oshkosh back in October 2006. Within weeks I was experiencing footsteps, voices, and shadows. Having never dealt with the paranormal it had me concerned. I came across some paranormal television shows and tried to contact teams in my area. I couldn't get a return email and decided to educate myself on the subject. Over a year later, more comfortable with the paranormal I decided that I would try to help others who were having the same issues that I had. In the last 4+ years, some amazing things have happened and I have had the good fortune to meet many great people in this field. It was an invite to the 2009 Ohio Paranormal Convention that provided me with the confidence that we as a team were doing a good thing. I listened and learned from some of the most respected people in the field that weekend and came home with a sense of purpose. Through that one weekend so many doors opened up for me and the team. I have been a part of hosting 2 paranormal conferences in the area, spoken at a few conferences, and been interviewed on numerous radio programs such as Dead Serious Radio, 4 Horsemen Radio, and Bill Scott's show to name a few. I host Fox Cities Paranormal Radio Thursday nights with Amy Fortney. I have led my team on more than 75 residential investigations to date and we have been fortunate enough to host 6 Ghost Tour and Dinners throughout northeast Wisconsin. Along the way I have met some incredible people and made some great friends. I have been consulted by teams that are just starting up. It is an honor to help young teams get better and learn some new techniques. I feel that we are all in this field together and we all reflect on one another, so helping younger teams is necessary to advance the field. Most importantly, we have had the privilege to help dozens of families throughout Wisconsin. It is my hope that we as a group can help people deal with their paranormal experiences. I hope we can further the field of paranormal studies and help bring answers to the people who really need them.

Tony Macareo

Co-Founder / Consultant

I was born and raised in Wyoming, Pennsylvania and moved out to Wisconsin in 1997. I really like the Fox cities and I enjoy living in Oshkosh. I have been interested in the paranormal ever since I was in high school. I love history and doing research and feel very compelled to be involved in this field and help others. Tony has recently cut back on his investigation duties due to scheduling conflicts but is still a valuable consultant for the team. During Tony's tenure with the team he has investigated claims of activity at many residential properties and several haunted locations such as Central House, Old Funeral Home in Kewaunee, Kewaunee Inn & Ohio State Reformatory. Tony was also a speaker at the Wisconsin Paranormal Conference & spoke at our very first Ghost Tour and Dinner.

Todd Arnold

Tech Manager / Lead Investigator

I was born in Appleton and raised in New London. After graduating high school, I joined the Army and spent the next 4 years of my life in Fort Drum, NY. Six of those months were spent on a tour in Egypt. I got out as an E-5/Sergeant, got a normal job, and ended up joining the National Guard. 10 days before I got out, my unit got deployed to Iraq. I spent the next year in a tent. After that, I went back to work and met Tim. Tim and I had several mutual interests, so when he brought up he was forming a paranormal team and needed a fourth member to round out the group, I jumped on it. Our first investigation was back in Feb 08 and apparently I did an alright job, since I'm still here. Since that time, I've been a part of several Ghost Tour and Dinners at both The Central House and The Kewaunee Inn, The Wisconsin Paranormal Conference, and numerous residential and commercial investigations. As much as I enjoy investigating commercial buildings, due to the slightly more relaxed atmosphere, residentials is where my passion truly lies. There's something about working with the client, getting them answers, helping them understand what they're dealing with, and most importantly, helping them feel comfortable in their own home. My job description on the team is Tech Manager. This includes going on the walk through, finding where we want our IR cameras, and setting them up to get the best shot possible in our hot spots. As an added "bonus", I also seem to be the guy that gets to head up into the attics and the dirtiest parts of the basements. There are some places that people don't feel comfortable going that we need to get to. As much as I don't enjoy it, I feel it is a huge obligation to our clients to make sure we are 100% thorough. If I need to climb into a webby attic to do that, that's what I'm going to do. I've also seemed to have gained a reputation as "The guy who doesn't see anything." I kind of take that as a compliment. I'm very critical of myself and of what I see. If there is even a 1% of doubt, then it's no good to me. I would not feel right telling a client about something that I wasn't entirely sure about myself. I may only have one personal experience as of present time, but that one means a lot to me. I know what I saw and there was no possible explanation as to how it happened. Having checked all possible avenues, I was left with no other choice than to admit I had a paranormal experience. I have a very strong love and passion for this field. Helping others is very much a part of who I am. I was proud of that fact while I was in the Army and I'm glad I can continue the trend in this field.

Jamie Macareo

Investigator / Research Assistant

I have been with the group for over 3 years and have been fortunate enough to attend many investigations. I have also had the pleasure of meeting some very prominent individuals in this field. I have learned so much about the paranormal in recent years with the help of colleagues from other groups as well as my own teammates and have also had the pleasure of traveling to some unique locations to do investigations. One investigation that really was exciting to attend is when we traveled to Ohio and spent the night investigating the Ohio State Reformatory. Not only did we have a great time and meet some great people but it was great opportunity to visit a historical landmark and movie set for the film Shawshank Redemption. We have a great team of individuals that I am lucky to work with.

Amy Fortney

Investigator / Research Director

I began investigating haunted locations in and around Ohio in 2007 after signing up to volunteer at the Ohio State Reformatory (OSR) in Mansfield, Ohio. Prior to this, I had a strong interest in the paranormal and even had a few experiences of my own that I couldn't explain. I took my first tour of OSR in 2006 and immediately fell in love with the building, so much so that I made several repeated trips to the castle-like structure and was finally asked to volunteer. I have focused most of my volunteer time in this haunted prison to helping visitors experience their own paranormal encounters. In my efforts to gain experience in the field, I investigate other known haunted locations in my spare time. In 2008, people began requesting that I investigate their homes, and by 2009, I felt it necessary to broaden my experience in the field to encompass residential investigations. I found a reputable local paranormal group in my area that devoted their time to helping those in need of answers. I was granted permission by the founder to attend several home investigations as a guest investigator. This invitation allowed me to further my knowledge and be trained by seasoned investigators. My desire for continuous education, led me to a paranormal conference in 2009, where I was able to fullfill that need by talking with many well known authors and investigators. I found their presentations extremely enjoyable and informative. In 2010, I was asked to join Legend Trackers of Ohio where I worked side by side with the Director of the group, who was also an ordained minister and demonologist. Shortly after joining Legend Trackers, I was introduced to Central Ohio Ghost Squad (COGS) and was offered a position on their team. COGS offered a larger caseload which was both challenging and appealing. I made the switch and was quickly promoted to Case Manager. In addition I was offered a host position on 4 Horsemen Radio (the group's paranormal radio show) broadcast over Blogtalk Radio. Difference of opinions between several management members of COGS ultimately led to most of the group turning in resignations and forming their own group. I was one of them. This new group, called United Paranormal Project (www.1upp.org) was formed in February 2011 and I continued to serve as Case Manager for the group. UPP maintained their large caseload as well as hosting ghost hunts at the Twin City Opera house in McConnelsville, Ohio and the Bryn Du Mansion in Granville, Ohio. Changes in my personal life resulted in a move to Wisconsin in July of 2011 where I immediately joined Fox Cities Paranormal Team. In December 2011, Tim Maile and I started a new radio show called Fox Cities Paranormal Radio broadcast live every Thursday night at 11pm EST on www.liveparanormal.com I continue to volunteer my time working the ghost hunts at the Ohio State Reformatory (www.mrps.org) on a limited basis. To date, I have investigated such haunted locations as the Ohio State Reformatory, West Virginia Penitentiary, Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Twin City Opera House, Bryn Du Mansion, 5 Oaks Mansion, House of Wills, Prospect Place, Hill View Manor and the Blue Door Funeral Home.

Tanya Rosenthal

Investigator / Assistant Tech Manager

My name is Tanya Rosenthal and I have been a Paranormal Investigator since 2007. I became involved in this field through a friend of mine. Back in 2007, that friend had invited me to join her to attend a "meet-up group" meeting that was being held in our area. This was an informational group that had been started for people interested on the subject of the paranormal. I, being a skeptic on the subject, had attended this meeting to solely accompany my friend. During this meeting, luck would have it that my friend and I were fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time. We had met the founder and his wife of a local investigation team in our area called; Appleton Paranormal Investigators (A.P.I). After a lengthy interview process, I became a member of A.P.I. I investigated many private/commercial properties for 3 years with that team, including hosting a Chicago Paranormal Cops party in downtown Appleton, WI. In October of 2010, after 3 years of investigating with A.P.I, I once again had been in the "right place at the right time". As luck would have it, I had been personally invited by the Fox Valley Spirit Hunters to a mutual investigation with the F.C.P.T at the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, WI. There I had the privilege of meeting the members of the Fox Cities Paranormal Team. I loved the professionalism of this team! Their operations and group dynamic mirrored our A.P.I team. Because our A.P.I team was dissolving (founders were taking a different path in life) and I wished to continue being an investigator, I introduced myself to the founder of F.C.P.T. After a lengthy interview process, I became a member of F.C.P.T at the end of October 2010. Since my start back in 2007, I have investigated countless properties. I have also co-hosted many Ghost Tour and Dinners, and two conferences. I enjoy working in this field because I have learned that it is "OK" to be the skeptic that I am. I feel it makes me a better investigator. I really have to work for having "true" paranormal evidence. There is nothing more thrilling than having a rare unexplainable piece of evidence that even I, the skeptic, cannot explain. My strength in this field is communication. I absolutely love meeting new people and hearing their stories.

Jolene Szydel

Investigator / Head of Online Research

I have been a member of Fox Cities Paranormal Team since April of 2010. I am a product of one of the Ghost Tour and Dinners the team put together for the public to be a part of so that they can take part in what we do on a regular basis. I have had incidents occur since an early age that I cannot pass off as coincidence. Because of these incidents, I have become interested in the unknown and what happens to individuals once they pass on. I am also interested in helping people find the answers that may be perplexing them whether by debunking creaks in the night or the noises caused by something else.

Jeff Ellingson

Investigator

Hi, My name is Jeff Ellingson. I have been interested in the paranormal for as long as I can remember. Since a young age there have been things in my life that I could not explain and I found myself trying to reproduce my own experiences in order to put my own mind at rest. Today we all call that debunking, so yes I am and always was a skeptic. Later through the years, I tried to locate people with similar interests and it wasn't until the ghost hunting shows came out that I was able to find people that (I felt) took the subject seriously enough. In 2007 I started actively looking for a group that could use my services, but it wasn't until October of 2008 that I came in contact with a nice guy named Chris who was just forming a new group called Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIPIT). I accepted Chris's offer of becoming Co-Founder of the team. Through WIPIT, I came in contact with Tim Maile from Fox Cities Paranormal Team. After a few months of communication with Tim (bouncing ideas back and forth and such), Tim offered me a position on his team. It was not an easy decision, but WIPIT didn't seem to be going anywhere soon so I gladly accepted. With the exception of a 4 month absence, I have been a proud member of Fox Cities Paranormal Team since February 2009. Since joining the team, I have met and been in contact with some of the greatest minds in this field, and many more to meet. I am still learning; a serious investigator never stops learning. In my opinion, networking between investigators is imperative. I get the most satisfaction out of helping people that may not feel comfortable in their living space and being able to provide them with answers or at least a second opinion. I also like investigating businesses and public spaces.

Natalie Unger

Investigator in Training / Webmaster

I was added to the team in November of 2011. I first met the team at one of the Ghost Tours and Dinners at the Central House in March of 2011, of which my father took me to for my birthday. I have had an interest in the paranormal since a young age, and love learning about different evidence that can show there may be "something" instead of just going off of instincts. I currently attend the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh for Interactive Web Management with a minor in Creative Writing as well as Fox Valley Technical College for Cyber Crime Investigation. I love working with computers and technology, and was very happy to be able to serve the team with my website design skills.

Miranda Krause

Investigator in Training

I was interested in the paranormal before I realized it was paranormal. The way I was raised was the fact that we knew there were spirits. As I got older I realized people weren't all raised like that so it made the idea even more interesting. I went to a dinner with my mom in 2011 and won a private investigation with Tim held the night before the dinner. I asked a lot of questions of Tim which turned into hearing about his thoughts of the paranormal and how passionate he was to help people. It got me thinking how people do need help figuring out and understanding the paranormal and how much relief it could bring to someone's mind. So when I got a chance to join the team I jumped at it.