About Pat Fitzhugh

Researcher and Owner of The Bell Witch Site

Pat Fitzhugh is a renowned torchbearer of Southern folklore, illuminating the shadowy corners of history with his masterful research, writing, and storytelling. He has spent nearly five decades unraveling one of America’s most enduring and mysterious supernatural cases--The Bell Witch.

 

A native of Tennessee, Fitzhugh became fascinated by his region's haunting history at a young age. His work has been compared to the haunting strains of a Delta blues tune--deep, evocative, and steeped in the mysteries of a region where the past never rests. Through meticulous research and compelling narratives, he brings the eerie charm of Tennessee’s backwoods to life, connecting audiences to a spectral mystery that is interwoven with the landscape’s rustic moonshine stills, log homes, and aroma-filled tobacco barns.

 

He has carved a unique place in the region's rich tapestry of Bell Witch folklore by blending historical documentation with critical analysis of the legend's many stories, myths, and theories. His work fosters curiosity while encouraging critical thinking, making him a leading authority on the Bell Witch and an essential figure in keeping its legacy alive for future generations.

 

A seasoned storyteller, Fitzhugh's engaging lectures captivate audiences across the country. Whether discussing the Bell family's eerie encounters, the folklore of the American South, or the art of paranormal investigation, his presentations are both educational and enthralling. His warm, approachable style invites audiences into the shadows of history, sparking curiosity and igniting lively discussions long after the lectures conclude.

 

One of his major ongoing initiatives is The Bell Witch Site (www.bellwitch.org), which was the world's first web site devoted entirely to the Bell Witch legend--and the largest. The site began in 1995 as a section of Pat's personal web site, and in 1999 was moved to its own hosting platform and domain name. Fitzhugh has always been the site's sole content creator and webmaster, and his involvement continues today.

 

Fitzhugh’s definitive book, The Bell Witch: The Full Account, revealed many previously unknown facts and captivating details of the case that have shaped modern understanding of the legend. Nearly every book, video, and other rendition of the epic legend presented over the last 25 years includes, directly or indirectly, information that was first brought to light by "The Full Account," cementing its reputation as a major Bell Witch publication and a mainstay in modern Bell Witch research. Updated periodically to reflect new developments, the book has become essential reading for anyone drawn to Southern folklore and the paranormal.

 

His other written works include, The Bell Witch Haunting (1999), Our Family Trouble (2003 Reprint - Foreword), Weird U.S. (2004 - Contributing Author), and Ghostly Cries From Dixie (2009), a collection of hauntings and strange tales from the American South. He also penned the foreword to Lori Crane’s The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge, which became an Amazon bestseller.

 

Fitzhugh's expertise has been featured in leading magazines, including The Oxford American, Esquire, and Woman's Day. He also appeared in an extensive interview with Failure Magazine, where he explored why the Bell Witch mystery remains unsolved.

 

Beyond writing, Fitzhugh’s personality and knowledge have been showcased in documentaries, radio shows, podcasts, and TV programs, including those on the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, History Channel, A&E, and others, further cementing his reputation as a trusted authority on the paranormal. His list of radio credits includes Ground Zero, The John Boy & Billy Show, and Coast to Coast, among others.

 

Pat Fitzhugh also appeared on the Bell Witch-inspired motion picture DVD, An American Haunting, starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland, and A&E's 2015 fall series, Cursed! The Bell Witch. In 2020, he appeared in Small Town Monsters' documentary, The Mark of the Bell Witch.

 

In the spring of 2006, and prior to the worldwide release of An American Haunting, Fitzhugh was the interviewee at an international news conference set up by the Associated Press. Participating by phone, he answered questions from major networks and news organizations from around the world, giving insight into the story behind the movie. He appeared two years later in a Halloween segment aired by CNN.

 

In the early 2000's, Pat Fitzhugh hosted a syndicated paranormal radio show on the NightSearch Radio Network. His success as a radio host earned him recognition from the UFO community. He was a featured guest speaker at an "Alternate Realities Conference" in the mountains of east Tennessee and was a speaker and guest of honor at the "Journeys and Beyond" conference in Mobile, Alabama (not far from Gulf Breeze), which, at the time, was one of the most prominent UFO conferences in the country. At the event, he lectured about his research of the Bell Witch case and shared the stage--and later, a dinner table--with notable UFO authorities Budd Hopkins, John Mack, and Stanton Friedman.

 

As co-director of the 2002 "KateFest" events in Bruce, Mississippi and Adams, Tennessee, Fitzhugh celebrated the cultural heritage of the Bell Witch legend. He continued this work in 2023 by speaking at "Haints and Heroes," headed up by Bel Stuart--the other "KateFest" co-director--in Water Valley, Mississippi. In 2024, he lectured on Professor Richard Powell’s role in the legend at the Bell Witch Fall Festival in Adams, Tennessee.

 

For a limited time, he made available The Bell Witch Complete, a multimedia CD that contained electronic versions of The Bell Witch: The Full Account and The Bell Witch Haunting, along with electronic notes from his research and a photo library.

 

In 2020, Fitzhugh--also a musician--collaborated with songwriter Mike Richards to pen The Bell Witch (Let the Game Begin), a dark Americana tune that climbed to #4 on the International Blues and Roots Music Chart in December of that year.

 

Pat Fitzhugh has participated in, or led, countless paranormal field investigations, and has also been brought into other investigations as a special guest investigator. Among his most memorable paranormal adventures were an investigation of an old home in New Orleans' ritzy Garden District, being a guest leader of a ghost tour of New Orleans' historic French Quarter, and leading a lantern tour and paranormal investigation of an abandoned marble quarry in the mountains of east Tennessee. He has also developed and taught investigative classes that immerse participants in the techniques and experiences of paranormal research.

 

Pat Fitzhugh's dedication to preserving the mysteries of the past has cemented his status as a key figure in Southern folklore and paranormal research. Through his books, lectures, and field investigations, Fitzhugh masterfully bridges the gap between historical documentation and supernatural intrigue, offering a unique perspective that educates and captivates.

 

His lifelong commitment to unraveling the Bell Witch legend, coupled with his engaging storytelling and technology-based initiatives, has inspired countless enthusiasts and ensured that the legacy of this haunting tale endures. Whether as an author, speaker, or investigator, Fitzhugh continues to shine a light on the shadowy corners of history, inviting all to explore the enigmatic and the extraordinary.