NATCHEZ — Downtown residents who happened to drive down Pearl Street Thursday night and thought something suspicious was going on past 10 p.m. at Magnolia Hall were right.

Lights were turned on throughout the house and people could be spotted walking casually through the antebellum mansion, which is normally only open for daily tours, like it belonged to some regular Joe.

The reason for the activity wasn’t normal, however. In fact, it might have been paranormal.

Magnolia Hall was the site of an investigation Thursday night by a ghost-hunting group, the Natchez Area Paranormal Society.

Investigators from NAPS scurried around the house setting up cameras, infrared body heat detecting equipment and Mel meters, which detect electromagnetic fields and temperature “cold spots.”

Kim Frith, a NAPS paranormal investigations case manager who daylights as a registered nurse, said the team stayed in shifts at Magnolia Hall until 3:30 a.m. Friday.

Frith said Friday she and some other investigators would review four hours of footage Friday night and the “reveal” of their findings would be shown to the team tonight.

Mike Chatman, a team leader, demonologist and co-founder of the group who daylights as an Adams County Sheriff’s deputy, said Magnolia was one of NAPS public cases.

“At a public investigation, we approach those for the history,” Chatman said.

Frith said each case begins with historical research.

“We are required to read a lot of books to even (be) considered to be an investigator,” she said.

The focus of Thursday’s investigation — which is one of 30 investigations NAPS has performed since it was founded a year ago — was to find evidence of a legend that the sprit of its former owner Thomas Henderson and a female spirit near the piano, Chatman said.

Chatman said what stands NAPS apart from other ghost hunting groups is their focus on helping people.

The private cases involving residents who are distressed about a possible paranormal situation at their homes allow the group a chance to help residents understand or cope with the paranormal activity.

“It’s almost like a ministry,” Chatman said.

Many of the members have backgrounds in religious education, Frith said.

For those houses in which evil spirits dwell, NASP sends in its spiritual and occult research unit, or SOAR unit, to pray or perform other rituals that rid the house of evil spirits or help residents understand and live with them.

Frith said NAPS has received good feedback and results from their clients mostly in Mississippi, Louisiana and other states, who appreciate the Christian perspective the ghost hunters bring to the table.

Frith, also a co-founder of the group, which can be reached though their website www.natchezparanormal.com, said she and Chatman’s similar interest and ministerial mission in ghost hunting sparked its creation.

“I’ve always sensed things in the spirit world,” Frith said. “I never knew a time before being aware of sprits.”