Chris Di Cesare and the haunting of Erie Hall
Insights on True Haunting (2025) & the infamous haunting 40 years later
Photo courtesy of J. Jeff Ungar
Ungar created a series of letters which documented his experience of being haunted in 1985. This is the first.
In October of 2023, I sat down with Chris Di Cesare—a man known for his harrowing experiences during his sophomore year of college at SUNY Geneseo—to discuss what has grown into a campus legend. In this interview, Di Cesare thoroughly and sincerely recounted the events which are said to have occurred in Erie Hall from February to April of 1985 involving Di Cesare, friends, and a spirit named “Tommy.” To do this experience justice, I was provided with various pictures and writings taken by a longtime friend—a first-hand witness of the haunting—J. Jeff Ungar alongside his newly released memoir to get their holistic perspective on the haunting.
Since this interview, Di Cesare has published his third memoir The Ghost Boy of Erie Hall: True Haunting and, in the beginning of October, became the topic of discussion following his spotlight in the first three episodes of True Haunting (2025) titled “Eerie Hall.” This newly released Netflix documentary has garnered high praise, delivering Di Cesare’s story to thousands and opening the floor to more questions on the specifics of this macabre matter.
Following the screening and Q&A sponsored by Syracuse Paranormal, I had the opportunity to discuss with Chris Di Cesare some questions that have been burning in the minds of viewers of the series, also getting his perspective on various elements of the adaptation process. The leading questions centered around what many wanted to know: what was altered and what remained unchanged in this retelling.
Discussing those elements, Di Cesare said, “My friends and I worked diligently to provide (and then support) the actual materials, conversations, and event details to the production crew…The reconstructed C2D1 dorm room contained many of the original items that had been in the room, as well as reconstructions of items that we no longer have. If a person watches carefully, they will notice newspaper clippings on the wall with my name and images on them, some are from actual Lamron articles.”
We then had a brief discussion of creative changes, during which Di Cesare noted, “[though] the scripting schedule forced certain creative changes, the flashback scenes were amazingly accurate in terms of our personalities and mannerisms, the inner-workings of our friendships and relationships, and the entire feel of what it was like living through the haunting.” He acknowledged “Even small details, such as 'young Beth' saying to 'young Chris', "Move over, Romeo" when he arrives at college. Romeo was actually my nickname before the haunting.” Together, these create an adaptation that Di Cesare feels is as true as it can be to his experiences.
We then discussed those elements dramatized in the True Haunting (2025) series: “Originally the Eerie Hall segment of the docuseries was set to be closer to three hours, not the 1 hour 40 minutes—three episode—version that was eventually released. Because the other experience [featured in True Haunting (2025)] was less than an hour, in total, ours was greatly reduced to better 'balance' the two. This led to an extreme compression of the timeline that apparently forced the writers to 'reimagine' two of the scenes in the third episode.”
Di Cesare made sure to leave no questions unanswered, instantly bringing up alterations, saying “The final 'encounter' [with Tommy] took place inside of room C2D1 (not by the Torture Tree), my father and I did not stumble upon Parker/Boyd evidence while on a run during his visit to the college (those revelations would come over 25 years later), and I would never have challenged—and called out to—the ghost in the manner depicted in the show.”
These changes did alter the stories conclusion—creating a more cohesive storyline than reality could provide—but according to Di Cesare, “The other ninety minutes of the production are very accurate to the times, a notable exception being that when I first saw the ghost, while I did run into Jeff and Ed's room, but it was Ed (who due to job-related restrictions could not participate in the project) in the room.” He followed up this comment by saying, “But slight deviations such as these can not be functionally avoided 40 years after the fact.” Di Cesare said he is ultimately “very proud of [the productions] efforts, and particularly thankful that for many years into the future, I will still be able to see my father—he is now 82— and hear his voice.”
This has been a comforting and particularly therapeutic experience for Di Cesare, who notes that “[the series] was viewed by more than 5.2 million people, and in over 400 countries and territories and in 39 different languages. The haunting has been transformed from a Western New York urban legend, known by several thousand, to an event that a human being living in almost any place in the world can now learn about—and virtually—experience; and for many decades to come.” This has resulted in this experience becoming “a part of the global paranormal lexicon.”
This experience has offered Di Cesare and others who have encountered anomalies some solace through shared understanding and community: “The haunting experience taught me as much about the value of life, the bonds of friendship, and the application of knowledge as my academic studies. That a shared experience—no matter how unexpected, unique or controversial —can forge enduring bonds of friendship and a broader lens through which to see the world.”
Di Cesare wants all readers to know that “In spite of those 90-or-so days of trauma, I am proud to have represented the college as an athlete, and that the Geneseo area remains the most beautiful that I have ever seen.”
To learn more about Di Cesare and his experiences, look no further than the aforementioned Netflix series True Haunting (2025) or his memoir The Ghost Boy of Erie Hall: True Haunting. But, if you would like to go further, you can find his Syfy original special, a small segment on the show My Horror Story (2019), and a movie adaptation called “Please Talk With Me.” Likewise, if you’d like, look at his previous two memoirs. There is a wealth of information regarding this haunting, but what Di Cesare hopes to make clear is that he was beyond thankful to have the friends he did—who helped to guide him through this harrowing time.