Meet Chinelle Gwartney | Cofounder & Lead Investigator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chinelle Gwartney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chinelle, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The idea to start Elite Vixen Paranormal was envisioned from the founders’ tenure investigating with a male and female team. During this time, Sam and Chinelle realized there was a lack of equality among the team members, and even though both ladies were considered “admin” on the team, they were not being treated as such. There also was a shift in the ideals and practices that did not align with the ladies’ method of investigating. Sam had been contemplating leaving, and after a final investigation in Central Kentucky, Sam presented her idea to Chinelle. Chinelle was completely on board, and after a meeting with potential team members, Elite Vixen Paranormal was formed in November, 2018. This year marks the 5 year anniversary of the team.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
There are more paranormal investigators in the world who are women then there are male investigators. Mainstream media does not portray this, and a lot of paranormal enthusiasts think the only women in the field are all mediums or psychics. This lack of female presence coupled with experiencing what they had on their previous team, defined the mission statement of Elite Vixen Paranormal. Sam and Chinelle knew that their goal was to represent the too often underrepresented women in the field by using science to back their findings. They set out to prove that women can investigate just as well, if not better, than their male colleagues. They wanted their investigations to be professional, ethical, and most importantly, equal. Having the values and practices we do has come with our fare share of backlash from others in the field who do not agree with this. Being an all-female team, we are reminded often that women in this field are still not considered equal as our male colleagues. Not by all, we have many “parabrothers”, and we love these gentleman. When we are faced with adversity, we always handle it with grace and class. We know there will always be those who do not agree with us, however we choose to keep our heads held high and do not lose momentum. quite the opposite. These instances show that we are doing exactly what we are striving to do- represent the other women in the field who are silenced, oppressed, or placed in background while their male teammates are in the foreground.

There are those that recognize and respect our mission and support the mission. One of those is David Cook, a podcaster who owns “The Ghostly Hour”. He is our respected colleague and one of our parabrothers previously mentioned. We have been guests on his show many times, both as a team and individually. In August 2020, David began devoting his weekly show to women in the field, and we are the team that inspired this! This has been an honor to be able to use his platform as an outlet for advocacy for other ladies in the field. More recently, I was asked to be on a speaking panel at a local paranormal convention. I was honored to be apart of this, and the topic was being a minority in the paranormal field. I was given the opportunity again to speak on our mission, what myself and the other Vixens have experienced. I was able to speak on the community the women in this field have amongst one another, and how uplifting and supportive we all are. The girls have to stick together, and the whoops and claps from the other ladies when I spoke did not go unnoticed.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A tour of the haunted locations in Tennessee and Southern Kentucky? SAY LESS! There are too many amazing locations to mention, but we would start our trip in Scott County, TN, visiting the Historic Scott County jail. This old jail is full of activity, and the ladies who run the location are well respected in the field. You might even encounter Anna there, if she would like to present herself to you.

Then we are going to head southwest, and visit the Old Historic Harriman Hospital, followed by the famous Old South Pittsburg Hospital Paranormal Research Center. We will definitely give Miss J.B. Coates a hug at ether of these locations, she tends to hang out there since she is part of the volunteer group that runs the investigations. At OSPHPRC, we might have the opportunity to dance with Jim. After that, we will visit the city of Jack Daniels- Lynchburg, TN. Not only is this tiny town know for its whiskey, it also has two amazing locations filled with paranormal activity. The Old Moore County Jail and across the street- Lynchburg’s Haunted Home. When in the jail, watch out for Cell #4 in the Men’s cells. There’s a not so gentlemanly spirit who does not particularly like women, but we love to visit him anyway!

Then we’re going north up to The Stone’s River Battlefield in Murfreesboro, TN. If we’re lucky, we will see civil war soldiers, smell gunpowder, hear the marching of the troops or the clip-clop of horses hooves against the pavement. We will also do a candlelit tour at the Historic Sam Davis House in Smyrna, TN.

Then we will head further north, to Castalian Springs, TN. The oldest home in Tennessee is there, Wynnewood Manor. Down the street a little ways is Historic Craigfont. Both of these locations have been featured on paranormal TV shows, and with good reason. From there, we will head east to Gallatin, TN. Gallatin is a lovely town, and filled with much history, and with history comes ghosts. We will visit the historic Trousdale place, and will get to see the founders of Black Wolf Paranormal, Todd & LeAnne Escue. We also will watch a reenactment at Historic RoseMont. After that, we’re heading the the Bell Witch Cave, and we will see The Escues again! Maybe even Katie Batts if we’re lucky.

Finally, we will head north to Franklin, KY. This town is my paranormal home from home, and there are two noteworthy locations we will see. We will stop by the Old Stone Jail first, and will meet Billy Wilkerson. He is the museum director, and a good friend of myself and the other Vixens. Then finally, we will stop by the incredible Octagon Hall Museum. Here, not only will be see Barry Gaunt, Beth Allen, and Vickie Norris, we also may run into the family members who remain in the home despite their passing well over 100 years ago- Mrs. Harriet Caldwell, Andrew Jackson Caldwell, or Mary Elizabeth Caldwell. We also will have to visit Miss Yvonne. Even though she’s a mannequin, her eyes have been known to follow investigators as they investigate the winter kitchen in the basement.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for our colleagues and mentors in the field, and there are so many I could list and thank. I truly appreciate everyone in the field who has supported myself and the other Vixens. From the very beginning of Elite Vixen Paranormal, I have had to the honor of being accepted, guided and led by many others in the paranormal realm, some of whom have been in the field a long time! From podcasters, to location owners, authors, and even priests and exorcists, I have had many people to help along this journey. One of those was J.B. Coates. She took us under her wing from the start, and helped to introduce The Vixens to the field. She continues to be one of our biggest cheerleaders. Another female, Vickie Norris, has supported the Vixens throughout the years. She is an “honorary Vixen” since she has her own team know as Reflections of the Paranormal. Vickie will often join us on investigations for a collaboration, or just to tag along. One of my personal mentors is Barry Gaunt, who is the current Director for the Octagon Hall Museum Foundation. Barry has been involved in the paranormal for over 40 years, and has worked with everyone from pioneers in the field back in the 1970’s, to brand new teams just entering the world of paranormal. He is a trusted friend and colleague, and I am blessed to call him “parafamily”. Another colleague who has helped to shape and guide me is Casey Scruggs. Not only is he a well respected member of the clergy, he has given me the honor of being his psychological consult when he has new cases presented to him from the church. Of course, I would not be where I am today without the other ladies on the team! We have such a well-rounded group of strong women, and without them, I would not be as confident, knowledgeable, or empowered. These ladies make this team what it is, and I love every adventure we take together and look forward to the future adventures!

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All photos are the intellectual property of Elite Vixen Paranormal