Murder, Mines, and Maleficence

TAC Ep. 152: A Kindred Spirits Recap with Extra Sass and Suspicion

This week, we took a ghostly detour from The Dead Files to dig into a highly recommended (and highly haunted) episode of Kindred Spirits: Season 7, Episode 10, "The Country Club Murders." And friends… it did not disappoint.

🏌️ Welcome to the Black Knight Country Club

Set in Beckley, West Virginia, this episode centers around the Black Knight Country Club—a place that, at first glance, screams golf, old money, and overpriced whiskey. But underneath that ritzy façade? Literal coal mines. And beneath that? A whole lot of death, tragedy, and unresolved trauma.

The club was built in 1929 by the Raleigh Coal and Coke Company—yes, Coke as in coal byproduct, not Coca-Cola (or the other "coke"). This fancy building was meant to be a playground for executives… while actual miners worked (and died) below. A mine explosion in 1940 killed somewhere between 7 and 14 men (depending on which records you believe), allegedly sparked when someone lit a cigarette near a gas leak. The company’s foreman was believed to be the one who struck the match.

🧨 Oh, and Then There Was a Double Murder

In 1947, a couple was found murdered on the property, in what was Beckley’s version of Lover’s Lane. The woman had been shot in the head. The man had a blunt-force injury to the temple and possibly a gunshot wound as well. The official story? “Unsolved.”

Our take? Unprosecuted.

The husband of the murdered woman admitted to knowing about the affair, was unaccounted for that night, and was never charged. We’re not saying he did it… but we’re definitely saying he did it.

🧍Enter Amy, Adam, and Chip

The Kindred Spirits team rolled in to investigate the haunting reports: disembodied voices, shadow figures, footsteps, that classic “someone’s watching me” vibe—basically all your standard ghost greatest hits. Amy and Adam caught some eerie EVPs, and Chip Coffey (in his iconic red skull scarf—don’t worry, we made a graphic) picked up on some heavy residual trauma, especially around the infamous staircase.

🪜 Speaking of That Staircase…

Dr. Kenneth McCulloch—one of the club’s board members—died there in 1939. The official version is that he tripped and fell down the stairs. Some say heart attack, others say accident. His family buried him quickly, without an autopsy… which, awkwardly, violated his life insurance policy. The insurance company later exhumed his body for an autopsy and refused to pay out.

You know what that smells like? Ghost fuel.

🔥 What We Loved (and Side-Eyed)

This episode was their highest rated on IMDb—and it’s easy to see why. The setting is rich (in every way), the history is juicy, and the paranormal evidence is compelling without being overly dramatic. But we also found ourselves questioning some of the methods—like how much info Chip was given before his walk, and how strongly encouraged the caretaker was to hear “push” and “murder” on that EVP playback.

Still, we loved the team’s respectful approach. The final moment where they suggest the spirits simply want their story told? That hit home.

And that’s where we come in. We’re here to tell their story, side-eye the patriarchy, and make dumb jokes about coal.

🎧 Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

For bonus content, behind-the-scenes extras, and paranormal bingo cards, support us on Patreon:
patreon.com/theactivitycontinues

👻 Blog by Amy, written with help from Morgan (who also wants Chip’s scarf).