ABOUT ASHLEY
GET TO KNOW ME
Along with being a paranormal investigator, I am also a professional photographer, actor, and filmmaker. A third-generation ghost hunter, I come from a family with deep roots in the paranormal field. Growing up in a haunted house only fueled my lifelong curiosity about the supernatural.
In 2019, My husband, Jonathan Kirkland, and I joined the Tuscaloosa Paranormal Research Group with a mission to learn more and help others navigate their own unexplained experiences.
In 2023, I partnered with fellow investigator and close friend Craig Rackley to co-found Crash Media Paranormal, a platform dedicated to sharing our investigations, insights, and passion for the unknown.
MY FAVORITE LOCATION TO INVESTIGATE
My favorite place to investigate is hands down the Drish House in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. There’s just something about that place that pulls me in every time. The energy there is strong, and it always feels like the spirits are willing to communicate. I’ve been lucky enough to investigate it multiple times, and without fail, something always happens.
I feel like I’ve formed a connection with the spirits at Drish. That connection has been built on trust and the respectful nature of my approach to investigating.
There’s a deep history in that house, and I truly believe some of the spirits are still tied to it. Each time I go back, I learn a little more and feel a little closer to the stories behind the activity. It’s not just a location to me anymore. It feels like a conversation that’s still going, and I’m always ready to listen.
Kathryn Tucker Windham was Ashley’s great-grandmother’s neighbor. She got to visit her home, and was always on the look-out for Jeffrey, Kathryn’s resident ghost. Notice the camera in Ashley’s hand. She was ready for Jeffrey to make his appearance!
Where it all started for me
My fascination with the paranormal started in my childhood. I come from generations of ghost hunters and a family lineage of sensitives.
At home, ghost stories were a family tradition. I was also lucky enough to know Kathryn Tucker Windham, a woman whose storytelling sparked my passion for spooky storytelling. Her books and her passion for preserving Southern folklore gave me the courage to lean into my own experiences and share them. She made ghosts feel not only real but meaningful.
And then there was the house I grew up in. Growing up in a haunted house taught me not to be scared of the unknown, but inspired me to explore and find ways to understand it.
The paranormal has never been about chasing fear for me. It’s about exploration, honoring the past, and helping others.
My BIGGEST PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE
There are two moments from my childhood that stand out as the biggest paranormal experiences I’ve ever had.
The first happened when I was about 9 years old. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a full-bodied apparition of an old man standing right next to my bed. He had a white beard, a tan vest over a white ruffled shirt, and even though he was somewhat see-through, I could see every detail of him. I wasn’t the only one who saw him throughout the years. Others in the house had experiences with the same man. We eventually gave him the name Chester so we didn’t have to keep calling him “the ghost.” Over time, he honestly felt like part of the family.
The second experience happened a couple of years later, when I was around 11. I was lying in bed and opened my eyes to see a little girl sitting at the edge. She looked slightly younger than me, maybe 8 or 9, with shoulder-length black hair and a long white nightgown.
Those two experiences left a lasting impression on me. And they’re a big part of why I’ve always believed, and why I do what I do today.
Ashley with Kathryn Tucker Windham at Kentuck in 1993. It was a tradition to attend the Art festival every year and listen to Kathryn’s ghost stories.
WHAT MADE ME believe in ghosts
For me, believing in ghosts was never some big turning point or life-changing moment. I grew up in a haunted house, so the paranormal was just part of my everyday life. I didn’t really question it. Strange things would happen and I accepted them for what they were. I didn’t think of it as weird, it was just normal to me.
But once I started seriously investigating and digging into the research side of the paranormal, my perspective started to shift. I realized there’s more to the supernatural. There’s a science behind it.
Using equipment, collecting data, and studying patterns helped me see that there’s real substance to what we experience. It’s not just feelings or gut instincts, even though those are important. It’s also about energy, frequency, and the way the environment interacts with us and with spirit.
That deeper understanding has only made my belief stronger. It confirmed that what I’ve felt my whole life wasn’t just in my head. There’s something real happening, and now I know how to look at it from both a spiritual and scientific point of view.
MY PERSONAL THEORIES ABOUT THE PARANORMAL
One theory I really connect with is the Stone Tape Theory. It’s the idea that certain places can hold onto energy, especially if something emotional or traumatic happened there. That energy can replay itself like a recording, over and over again. It’s not always an intelligent haunting, but more like a memory trapped in the space.
I also believe that the environment plays a big role in paranormal activity. Certain locations seem to hold more energy than others, and things like humidity, barometric pressure, and even the time of year can either enhance or quiet down a haunting. Spirit activity comes in waves. One night a place might be full of movement, and the next it’s completely silent. I think that’s part of what makes investigating so unpredictable and exciting.
Another thing I believe is that spirits are not always bound to one location. Some seem to move freely. I call those travelers. They can show up at a new location, follow someone they feel connected to, or even just pass through. It’s a reminder that the spirit world is more fluid than we might think.
I also believe some people are more sensitive to that realm than others. I’ve always felt that connection. Some of us are just more in tune with that energy, and I’ve learned to trust that sensitivity over the years.
My personal beliefs are rooted in faith, and I believe that there’s more to this world than what we can physically see. All of these pieces come together to shape how I approach the paranormal. I don’t think there’s one right answer. But the more I experience, the more I’m convinced that spirit, science, and faith all play a part.
A drawing of Chester, after Ashley witnessed her first apparition.