One of the most infamous prisons in the Midwest will appear on the Sci Fi channel’s Ghost Hunters at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2.
Guards and prisons have long told tales of the haunting of the Missouri State Penitentiary, known simply as “The Walls” and home to Death Row. Built in 1836, The Walls was the oldest penal facility west of the Mississippi River until its closure in 2004.
The Walls housed notorious criminals like Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd, who entered The Walls on December 18, 1925 for robbery. James Earl Ray was admitted to the penitentiary on March 17, 1960. On April 23, 1967, James Earl Ray escaped in a breadbox being transported from The Walls to the Renz prison. Ray was later convicted of the murder of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In an interesting twist given the timing of this story, Sonny Liston was released from The Walls on Halloween night in 1952 before going on to become the heavyweight champion of the world.
In 1954, a riot rocked The Walls. In all, four inmates were killed, 29 injured and one attempted suicide. Four corrections officers were injured, several buildings burned with damages estimated to be $5 million.
Time Magazine in 1967 named The Walls "the bloodiest 47 acres in America."
Until its closure in 2004, The Walls continued to live up to its designation.
In June of this year, members of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) spent a week investigating paranormal activity at The Walls, which at one time held 1,000 prisoners, the most dangerous and violent banished to dungeon cells.
The Walls is now a museum with tours ranging from guided prison walks to overnight stays with the ghosts. In conjunction with the airing of Ghost Hunters at 8 p.m., Wednesday, the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting a watch party by bringing in a large-screen television into The Wall’s historic A-Hall.
