BRP Staff

Portland OR and WA

Jason Hassler
Director
Joined: August 2017

Why did you join Big River Paranormal? To step out of my comfort zone. I wanted to try to get answers to the many questions I have about the paranormal.

What is your position on the team? Director

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I have had experience in the management field. When I joined the team in 2017 I had little experience with investigating the paranormal but I had a lot of curiosity & ideas! I have gone from that to being the Director of the team!

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal team member?
I hope to continue seeking answers to my many questions and I want to be able to help our clients get their answers answered while helping them feel comfortable in their homes or businesses.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member? Being part of events like the Oregon Ghost Conference, The Port Gamble Conference, etc.

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you? I have a paranormal radio show called Hassling the Paranormal that airs on KXRW in Vancouver Washington!

Mariah Taasevigen
Co-Director
Joined: January 17, 2020

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I joined to look for and gather evidence of the paranormal as well as educate the community and hopefully help people feel safe in their homes.

What is your position on the team?
I am the Co-Director for the Portland team.

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
Being interested in the paranormal since I was a little girl gave me the opportunity to start researching and learning from community members early on which I believe has helped me keep a logical mindset when going into an investigation.

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I hope during my time with the team I'm able to find and document evidence believed to be paranormal as well as bring comfort to people who believe they may be experiencing activity in their homes or businesses. I also hope to continue my education as I believe there is always something new to discover.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
My favorite moment would have to be investigating the Walker Ames House in Port Gamble Wa. for the first time.

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you? My interest in the paranormal started when I was a very young girl watching Ghost Hunters on TV with my dad. Now we get to continue to share our interest by working on the team together which has been a really great experience for us both!

Stacy Rogers
Lead Investigator
Joined: July 2013

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I've always had a love for all things paranormal and always wanted to investigate it. When I saw an opportunity to join, I sure picked the right group.

What is your position on the team?
I'm a lead investigator.

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I have an open mind and I'm always willing to learn new things and help out wherever I am needed. I have also been a director so I know and have what it takes to lead a team.

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I hope to help those who have a fear of the paranormal find comfort in their homes or businesses, so they won't have to be fearful of their space.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
There are so many. My favorite moments are when the spirits decided to join in on our conversations or try to get our attention. Also, getting the opportunity to hang out with my team at the paranormal conferences.

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you? I'm a massive animal lover and would own a farm if I had the opportunity. I also would love to visit Scotland, England, Ireland and more places really soon.

Barbara Flock
Investigator
Joined: July 5, 2022

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I liked how they are a scientific based team. They don't use all the different apps just to say that's a ghost. Keeping it real. I went on an investigation at the Oregon Ghost Conference and really liked how the team organized and held the investigation.

What is your position on the team?
My position on the team is investigator. I also help with EVP review and historical research.

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I lived in a haunted house as a young adult. I have learned a lot from being on the team as far as the investigating side of things.

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I want to support the team's mission and values by providing skills. I want to communicate clearly and to be truthful about responsibilities for the team. I want to be open to new ideas and different opinions of other team members. I want to be reliable wherever I need to be for extra suppprt.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
When I fell down the stairs at an investigation and got up and said I was fine. I kept on investigating and then realized later that I broke it. I like how the team comes together as a family.

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you?
I have the gift of knowing. Sometimes it can be scary but it's a weird feeling. People would come up to me and say "How do you know that." I would say I just know. In a weird way, I can read people and kind of know what they are thinking.

Sommer Carter
Investigator
Joined: October 29, 2022

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I had a very successful team in California but moved to the PNW. BRP had a similar approach and values which made it a no brainer for me to apply.

What is your position on the team?
Investigator/Video Nerd

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I have over 20 years of investigation experience and have a background in science/engineering which makes it a good combo.

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I want to continue to present data that has integrity and science-based foundations.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
The TAPS family reunion was so much fun!

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you? I'm an engineer and I will always try and find a way to make sense of things. Because of this, if I don’t have an answer there is a strong chance that something spooky is happening.

Kathy Covey
Lead Investigator
Joined: May 2008

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I did a lot of research for a reputable team. At the time, it was called the Idaho Spirit Seekers and that struck my interest the most. The group has undergone lots of changes and eventually became Big River Paranormal. What hasn’t changed are the morals and ethics of the group, which were very important to me, and that is why I’m still with the group after almost 18 years.

What is your position on the team? I am a lead investigator.

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I had no prior experience with the paranormal field before joining the group. Whether it helps or not I’m not sure, but I am an EMT and to put it one way, I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum, the beginning to the end of life. Over the years, I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience of the paranormal being with Big River Paranormal. I was also the Director of the E. Oregon team and still lead our members in that area when the need arises.

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I want to keep learning. There is so much that we don’t know.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
That’s a tough one. There have been so many. I will say that, as a TAPS family team member, I love the “family” reunions. Getting a hug and a kiss on the head from Jason Hawes in Gettysburg was pretty high on the list😊. Just being with my paranormal family is always special.

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you? That I am a very loyal person and will always have your back, until you break my trust.

Erin Nielsen
Investigator
Joined: July 5, 2022

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I joined because I wanted to do more with the paranormal. I went to the Oregon Ghost Conference several times and took classes. I enjoyed the classes but wanted to do more. I went to one of the public investigations during the conference and met Jason and we went from there!

What is your position on the team?
My position on the team is investigator, but I also do historical research and EVP review to help out wherever I can.

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I didn't bring any experience to the team. I learned new things while on the team and was able to bring my findings to the team. Since joining I have learned so much and can't wait to continue learning more. Isn't that always the case in this field?

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I want to you contribute my unique skills to support the team's mission and values. I want to be clear and honest to ensure everyone is informed. I want to have mutual trust, where team members rely on each other and take ownership of their responsibilities. I hope to create an environment where different ideas and viewpoints are shared and respected, leading to better innovation and decision-making. I want to be a reliable teammate who helps and supports other team members.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I've had several favorite moments, it's hard to name one. I would have to say going on investigations and having a booth at events. The events are especially fun because you get to interact with people.

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you? One thing that I would like everyone to know about me is hard for me to do. But here it goes. I'm an empath. I don't share it much because I'm afraid of what people might think. I can sense different emotions whether in rooms or people. Sometimes I can feel emotionally drained or exhausted and have to spend some time alone to recharge.

Andi Boyer
Investigator
Joined: September 21, 2024

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I’ve been fascinated by the paranormal since my childhood, but I didn’t know people actually investigated it until about ten years ago. I wanted to be a part of that, and work with a team with integrity.

What is your position on the team?
Investigator

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I was a school psychologist for about 20 years, and I continue working with people as a life coach and personal trainer. These professions require that I have an understanding of behavior, and I’ve witnessed many reasons and motivations why people (and maybe ghosts?) do what we do. I think that this helps develop theories about evidence experienced during an investigation. Additionally, graduate training in psychology requires training and understanding of the scientific process, statistics, and analytical thinking, which are skill needed prove and/or disprove evidence of paranormal activity.

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I hope that my work as an investigator may help, in some way, to move the field of paranormal investigation forward into the broader scientific community.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member? No answer.
I am so new to the team that this is a difficult one for me to answer. Stay tuned!

Dana Lassiter
Investigator
Joined: October 31, 2024

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I chose to join BRP because I have always been drawn to the unknown when it intersects with science and history. I wanted to connect with others who share that curiosity. BRP stood out because of its commitment to professionalism and evidence-based investigating.

What is your position on the team?
Investigator

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I did not have any paranormal experience when starting but I bring my experience from working in healthcare field and practicing professionalism and having an empathetic demeanor.

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I want to learn, experience and grow relationships with team members and people in this community.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
Seeing the beautiful Port Gamble and the Walker-Ames house.

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you?
I am a shy person and a homebody and work from home but anything to do with Paranormal… I am there!

April Ness
Investigator
Joined: October 8, 2024

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I joined BRP because this team is about gathering scientific evidence to prove the paranormal.

What is your position on the team?
Investigator

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I have a degree in biology, a passion for science and solving puzzles. I grew up watching TAPS and any paranormal/ cryptid/ unsolved mysteries documentaries I could find on TV! All the shows I have watched have taught me skills to have and things NOT to do while investigating.

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I hope to gain a better understanding of the paranormal world and to capture scientific proof of the paranormal to share with the world.

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
It’s not much of a moment and more that I have found likeminded people that I have connected with through a shared passion.

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you? Even though I have a science background and a science mind, I am always open and eager to learn. I love hearing everyone’s experiences and look forward to exploring new methods and practices!

Laurel Williams
Investigator
Joined: April 4, 2024

Why did you join Big River Paranormal?
I've always been curious about The Other Side and I love the scientific approach BRP takes with investigations.

What is your position on the team?
I am a regular member and investigator.

What experience do you bring to the team whether that be from working in the paranormal field or from your professional career?
I am an EMT which helps me keep a level head and think logically about odd happenings

What do you hope to accomplish as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I mostly want to expand my understanding of the paranormal

What has been your favorite moment as a Big River Paranormal Team Member?
I think my favorite moment so far as an investigator was sitting with the team going over the investigation plan on the lower floor of an otherwise vacant investigation site and hearing steady footsteps from the floor above

What one thing would you like everyone to know about you?
I'm always happy to listen to a good story or a troubling thought, especially if it involves the paranormal.