Unleashed: Of Poltergeists and Murder: The Curious Story of Tina Resch

by William Roll, Valerie Storey, William G. Roll

Book Overview

One scientist's account of the poltergeist case that made headlines across the country -- and the riveting examination of a child's mysterious murder. When she was just fourteen years old, Tina Resch became the center of the best-documented case of poltergeist activity of the twentieth century. During the spring of 1984, Tina's home in Ohio was thrown into chaos: appliances turned themselves on without electric current, objects flew through the air,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743482948
• ISBN13: 9780743482943
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 309 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Unleashed, only the beginning

"Unleashed" is a fantastic book about the life of Tina Resch and Dr. William Roll. It is the type of book you will read in one day. It is that compelling. It is the story of poltergeist activity and how it affected Tina's life. Dr. Roll came in to study the phenomenon and Tina. The events he and others witnessed were amazing. Even more amazing is what happened to Tina years later. You see, Tina, now known as Christina Boyer, is serving a life sentence for the murder of her baby, a crime she did not commit. The actual murderer confessed and received a lighter sentence than the plea "bargain" arranged by her public defender. After reading this book, you will come away amazed at the extraordinary events of her life from the poltergeist manifeststions that cannot be explained to the life sentence that cannot be explained. This is a must read for anyone interested in the paranormal.

UNLEASHED tells a powerful story

William Roll and Valerie Storey provide their readers with an amazing narrative, one that will provoke controversy and, perhaps, provide a glimpse into an overlooked dimension of reality. UNLEASHED describes how William Roll, the world's leading authority on poltergeist phenomena, witnessed powerful forces wreaking havoc in the home of a 14-year-old girl. The book goes on to trace the psychological dynamics associated with these events that resurfaced later in the girl's life, a life that was to be marked by tragedy and sadness. UNLEASHED tells a powerful story; it is bound to become a classic in the annals of parapsychology. -- Stanley Krippner, Ph.D., Alan Watts Professor of Psychology, Saybrook Graduate School; coauthor, Extraordinary Dreams; coeditor, Varieties of Anomalous Experience.

Comments on Unleashed by Roll and Storey

Besides the intriguing detailed accounts of poltergeist activity by a leading expert, this book of facts is as engaging as any mystery novel that I have ever read. I mistook it for a bedtime story but it kept me awake until I finished it. I also have a personal interest in this book because I witnessed one of the paranormal events that occured at Spring Creek Institute. I saw the 12-inch wrench fly down the hall, turn the corner and hit the wall where I was working. The walls of the lab are glass from mid-way up to the ceiling.

A Positive Review for "Unleashed"

"Unleashed" by William Roll, Ph.D., and Valerie Storey is a fascinating look into one of the most interesting and well-documented cases of reported poltergeist phenomena in the history of parapsychology, told through the memories of the principal investigator of the case and one of the country's leading experts on haunt and poltergeist phenomena, Dr. Roll. Having followed his work over the years in the literature, I knew that a book by him on this case would be well worth reading.This book tells the story of Tina Resch, a 14-year-old girl who is the center of ostensibly anomalous events within the Columbus, OH home of her foster parents, among them, sofas that move and telephones that fly through the air with no apparent force acting upon them. These strange and frequent events soon draw the attention of the national media, and for several weeks in March of 1984, the "Columbus Poltergeist" becomes national news.At a loss for the events and how to rid themselves of them, the Resches invite noted parapsychologist Dr. William Roll and his assistant Kelly Powers into their home to observe and study the phenomenon while it is still active. At the same time, magician James Randi and other CSICOP skeptics try to play down the events in the case through exaggeration of an apparent attempt at poltergeist "mimicry" by Tina (which she apparently did to draw the media attention away from her, rather than to perpetrate fraud in the case), and claim the case a hoax, even though the skeptics have not made their own investigation within the home. However, as time passes, Dr. Roll begins to observe and document events within the Resch home, centered around Tina, that seem to occur even when Tina is in plain view and not doing anything. This leads Dr. Roll to consider the possibility that the unusual events within the home are not due to "noisy spirits" (as the term "poltergeist" implies), but rather to observable instances of ostensible mind-matter interaction on a visual scale (called recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis, or "mind over matter" on a large and frequent scale) that are being produced by the mind of Tina as she experiences psychological tension with her foster family and seeks attention from them. Tina at last seeks an escape from her foster family through an abusive marriage, and then suddenly finds herself suspected of murdering her own infant daughter. Dr. Roll recounts his memories of trying to help Tina as he suddenly finds himself personally drawn into the case, going from an objective scientist to being one of Tina's only hopes.I enjoyed this book immensely for three reasons: 1.) its scientific value: the book lays out in complete detail the case of Tina Resch, allowing researchers to learn more about a case that has been previously difficult to obtain in the parapsychological literature; 2.) its learning value: Unlike most academic books, "Unleashed" is very easy to read and understand, allowing the general public to learn the straight facts

Unleashed is a wonderfully well written, mind provoking book

Unleashed is an honest, detailed look inside the events that began in 1984 in Columbus Ohio. The Resch family found their lives engulfed in unexplainable occurrences that defied all logical explanation. After a list of creditable eyewitnesses observed the paranormal events taking place, Dr. William George Roll was contacted and asked to launch a full investigation into the paranormal events. Dr. Roll arrived with his assistant Kelly Powers and they began to meticulously observe, interview and research the mysterious situation. Dr. Roll became convinced that it was Tina Resch, the teenage foster daughter of the Resch family, which was at the core of the curious occurrences. This book is an honest look at the bizarre poltergeist activities that grabbed media attention and shocked everyone involved in this true story. This book goes on to tell about the years that followed in Tina Resch's tragic life. It gives the details of how Tina gave birth to a baby girl and faced raising little Amber alone, until she met David Herrin. In 1992 Georgia police would arrest both Tina and David for the brutal murder of Amber. Tina Resch continues to spend life in prison for Amber's death. Dr. Roll believes that Tina Resch possessed extraordinary telekinetic talents and her extrasensory perceptions were equally extraordinary. He does not believe that Tina was capable of infanticide, feeling that Tina's confession was the result of her prolonged emotional battering from friends, family and the media due to her paranormal history. Rather you believe in the paranormal or not; rather you believe in Tina Resch's innocence or not, this story is simply captivating. This book is exceptionally well written and one of the best books I have ever read. This biographical story will touch your heart, provoke your mind and cause you to consider new possibilities. It will force you to think. This book will appeal to true crime readers, paranormal researchers, and any and all book lovers. This is a very creditable look into a world that is beyond normal and in some cases, beyond explanation. William Roll and Valerie Storey have written a masterpiece that is sure to fly off the book shelves and eventually land on a movie screen. This book and the true story it tells are quite simply unforgettable. I highly recommend this book to all readers. Bravo to the Authors!