Carrie "Northern Valkyrie" - From Friend to Foe

Carrie recently posted a blog on "keen" that might interest some of the followers of this "movement". 

Carrie's background is covered in her blog.  Here it is in her own words:

An apology for contributing to pain ...
I was advised not to say anything to avoid a legal nightmare and a half... but to be quite honest .. I've lost a lot of sleep over my actions and supporting the actions of another, but in all fairness I was lied to as well. I had to remove a lot of names here so that authorities over this site don't remove this blog, but here it goes....

Back in October my team decided that we wanted to do a charity event for the Make a Wish Foundation. We needed guest speakers and things to plug into the itinerary. I contacted a celebrity in the paranormal field to ask him his advice and if he knew anyone on this side of the Great Lakes near the GTA that would be willing to come out to our event and be a speaker for free or at a reasonable rate because the vendor space rental, possibly some ticket sales, and the beer sales were there to cover the rental fee of the venue if need be (at the blessing of Make a Wish) and if we didn't have a sell out, then we'd have to go out of pocket. He recommended an individual I never heard of and upon asking around ... Other people known in the paranormal field referred me to the same name {A certain psychic criminal profiler}. I contacted a couple of my friends in the field who have been in Canada longer than I have and all of them sang his praises and really ... I was under the impression that he was a good person with a few haters in the background. Knowing what I know about the paranormal research field .. it seemed that sort of thing was normal and it was just skeptics that were bad mouthing him. I didn't know about other people until this person's tour was announced.... continue reading

User Submitted: Not quite what Robbie would have you believe

A visitor to the site sent me the following (at their request, I've removed their name)...

On Robbie Thomas' site, he uses a quote from Rob McConnell:

"Dear Robbie, Sometimes I think you are an angel...I'm sorry I didnt get your reply in time , but,....It all worked out okay .



I have wonderful news,... Coreys' mom just called and he is fine ! He was ticked off, just like you said.....he said he didn't think anyone would even notice he was gone. Thank-you for all you have done Robbie..........we so very much appreciate it. "

God Bless, Laura and Rob McConnel Producers X-Zone Radio Show

You will be surprised to know that Rob McConnell does not support Robbie and has publicly denounced him as a fake.  Rob McConnell's X-Zone Radio Show page of July 2009 has listed a show called "ROB McCONNELL EXPOSES PSYCHIC ROBBIE THOMAS" http://www.xzonearchives.com/july2009.htm

You may have to scroll down a bit or search the page for Robbie Thomas.  Robbie is also listed on "The 'X' Zone Order of Woo Woos" http://www.xzoneorderofwoowoos.com/ with:
"Psychic who claimed 8-year-old Victoria Stafford would be found well and safe on April 13 2009 on The 'X' Zone. On Sunday July 19 2009, her lifeless body was found near Mount Forest, Ontario."


(By the time that Robbie claimed this on the referenced radio show, Victoria (Tori) Stafford would already have been murdered. 
Just as Mark Edward mentioned in his posting on SkepticBlog.org, it is common for names to be misspelled - often intentionally. It's McConnell not McConnel, Robbie.
It comes as no surprise that Robbie Thomas would still be using these quotes - it isn't like he is solving any cases where he'd get real, valid and current statements. Robbie's solved cases counter remains at 0 - Sarnia Skeptic)

Robbie Thomas' CanAm ParaCon 2010

CanAm Paracon 2010 is the 2nd Paranormal Conference that Robbie Thomas is organizing in Point Edward, Ontario (Robbie claims it is in Sarnia - but what is this site doing questioning his claims?).  The event is scheduled for August 6, 7 and 8, 2010 and is to be held at the Quality Inn (formerly, the Village Inn). 

More information on the conference can be found at www.canamparacon.com. 

I felt it important to mention Robbie's other venture as people may be mislead by his website and marketing materials (surprise, surprise).  Robbie has a number of speakers listed on his "speakers" page that have confirmed with myself (and other members of this blog) that they are NOT attending and will NOT be speaking.  Robbie has been informed of this yet fails to make changes to his promotional materials, etc.

If you are planning on attending the CanAm Paracon, I suggest you confirm with Robbie Thomas (who is not psychic) that the speakers that you are hoping to see will actually be there.  Robbie Thomas has listed robbiethomas@cogeco.ca as his contact address on the Paracon site.

Just a reminder: Help us protect others from Robbie Thomas - link to www.stoprobbie.com.

UPDATE (April 30, 2010): Robbie Thomas has removed the speakers that have confirmed they would not be attending.  It is possible that Aron Houdini (who is not related to Harry Houdini, he simply changed his name to Houdini - check it out, Houdini had no children), Michael Esposito, Keith Age, Robbie Thomas and David Fultz are attending.  Maybe they haven't learned about Robbie - feel free to let Keith Age, Aron Houdini, Michael Esposito and David Fultz know about http://www.stoprobbie.com/. 

Robbie Thomas, The Angler Fish of Psychics

As the opening of a previous article on this very subject goes: JoJo’s Psychic Alliance called, they want their frauds back…

It’s not entirely clear really, who’s at fault here, charlatans such as Mr. Robbie Thomas or the ever eager clientele of these predators. Does Robbie Thomas, the Robbie Thomas who actively misrepresents his involvement in these various cases of missing and murdered persons across Ontario and into the US, exist out of his own design? Is he the mastermind of a malicious plot to defraud millions of people out of their hard earned money? Is he an evil genius, undertaking to consume the world in a psychic rage?

Hardly...

There is a notion among Evolutionists, that the prey of certain fish, namely the Angler fish, is actually the selecting factor in the natural evolution of that particular species (Richard Dawkins – The Greatest Show on Earth). Angler fish are amazing creatures, living and thriving in the inhospitable depths of the ocean, where sunlight scarcely penetrates. These gruesome Angler fish have adapted to their environment with a surprising and apparently efficient mechanism for attracting the smaller fish they prey on. Anglers of different varieties have long “rods” protruding from their heads (presumably resembling fishing rods, and hence their apt name); on the ends of these rods are lures – small pieces of flesh resembling worms or deep sea insects. Some species of Angler fish actually use bioluminescent bacteria to light up their “lure”, all in an effort to make this little death trap as attractive as possible for their prey. They lurk in the dark depths of this unseen world, dangling their “lure”, aglow and wriggling, waiting for prey of a suitable size to take the bait, and with the horrific power of a Hollywood monster, the Angler opens its gaping maw of a mouth, sucking water into its body and swallowing whole anything unfortunate enough to have fallen for its trick.

It is said by these Evolutionists, that it is the prey who selects the most attractive and most effective individuals of this species (otherwise known as the fittest) for evolutionary advancement, by “taking their bait”, therefore allowing that individual a greater chance to survive and in-turn pass on their genetic material to future generations.

Is it the same with Robbie Thomas? Is he the ugly Angler fish of the psychic ocean? Spreading his lies and half-truths as a lure to potential victims, all the while refining his methods, evolving his modus operandi into an ever more efficient means of separating fools from their money? Is he the product of his own misguided sense of moral obligation, or is he the inevitable result of a society that is entirely too gullible? This may be a variation of the chicken vs. the egg argument, but it does illustrate a point nicely. Robbie is the product of his environment, that environment thus far rewarding him for behaving as he does. It’s time for that environment to change, for the betterment of society at large, and as well for the betterment of this community of morally responsible psychics and paranormal enthusiast that he attempts to hide amongst.

A good deal of time and effort has been spent to determine and document the misdoings of Mr. Thomas, never failing to miss the sad fact that his misdeeds are many and far reaching. This website [www.stoprobbie.com] is now dedicated to highlighting these egregious acts of fraud and misrepresentation, and in that vein it’s important to understand the legal nature of the situation at hand.

The Canadian Criminal Code provides us with definitions for fraud and false pretences (below), and as one would think that it should be enough to simply catch Robbie Thomas in a lie, the law, however, requires much more than that for prosecution.

False pretence (Definition)

s.361 (1) A false pretence is a representation of a matter of fact either present or past, made by words or otherwise, that is known by the person who makes it to be false and that is made with a fraudulent intent to induce the person to whom it is made to act on it.

Whether a seasoned veteran of the Canadian Justice System or a layman who’s never seen the inside of a court room, it’s relatively easy to see that Robbie Thomas is guilty of offering false pretence under this definition. He actively misrepresents his involvement with various levels of law enforcement, as a key investigator or consultant in the investigation of missing persons, and in the recovery of remains in homicide investigations, even though in each case we can show that he either was not involved at all, or that his involvement was akin to an anonymous tipster. Furthermore, he uses this false representation, deliberately and with full intent, as a lure to potential clientele for his fortune telling business. As if it weren’t painfully obvious already, the key point here is simply that Robbie Thomas uses these various lies as advertising testimonials, in a vain attempt to add undue credibility to his services.

Unfortunately, finding similarities between the above definition and the actions of Mr. Thomas is not the same as finding his behaviour to be in contravention of law. This definition is laid out by the Canadian Criminal Code for the sole purpose of defining the nature of false pretence, as it pertains to the offence of False Pretence (below).

False pretence or false statement (Offence)

s.362 (1) Everyone commits an offence who

(a) by a false pretence, whether directly or through the medium of a contract obtained by a false pretence, obtains anything in respect of which the offence of theft may be committed or causes it to be delivered to another person;

(b) obtains credit by a false pretence or by fraud;

(c) knowingly makes or causes to be made, directly or indirectly, a false statement in writing with intent that it should be relied on, with respect to the financial condition or means or ability to pay of himself or any person, firm or corporation that he is interested in or that he acts for, for the purpose of procuring, in any form whatever, whether for his benefit or the benefit of that person, firm or corporation,

(i) the delivery of personal property,

(ii) the payment of money,

(iii) the making of a loan,

(iv) the grant or extension of credit,

(v) the discount of an account receivable, or

(vi) the making, accepting, discounting or endorsing of a bill of exchange, cheque, draft or promissory note; or

(d) knowing that a false statement in writing has been made with respect to the financial condition or means or ability to pay of himself or another person, firm or corporation that he is interested in or that he acts for, procures on the faith of that statement, whether for his benefit or for the benefit of that person, firm or corporation, anything mentioned in subparagraphs (c)(i) to (vi).

As can be plainly seen, assigning any level of guilt to Thomas under this section –unfortunately the only section that could possibly apply to his circumstance– requires a bit more work. In layman’s terms, the crime detailed above is simply: anyone who knowingly lies –whether in writing, verbally, or even through the symbolism of implied right– for the purpose of causing someone else to act, by way of handing over property (real or intellectual) or money (actual funds, credit, or even discounts) is guilty of an offence under this section. This, as any reasonable person would agree, is illegal, and rightfully so. It should follow that the same reasonable person would find the above description to be fundamentally congruent with the behaviour of Mr. Robbie Thomas.

It has been suggested that another section of the Canadian Criminal Code might be more appropriate, given the profession Mr. Thomas engages in. The Criminal Code, through a section whose vintage is somewhat aligned with the 17^th century witch hunts of early American and western European history (though is somewhat more restrained in its nature) provides the means to prosecute (as opposed to persecute) persons who offer so-called psychic or occult services in a fraudulent manner. Unfortunately, and for many wide-ranging reasons, this section (shown below) is not applicable in this circumstance, and while it might have been an easier thing to simply call Mr. Thomas a psychic fraud and be done with it, the fact that he claims to be psychic has little to do with the current distain for his behaviour. His actions would be viewed as morally reprehensible no matter his occupation, from psychic to refrigerator salesman.

Pretending to practise witchcraft, etc.

s.365. Every one who fraudulently;

(a) pretends to exercise or to use any kind of witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or conjuration,

(b) undertakes, for a consideration, to tell fortunes, or

(c) pretends from his skill in or knowledge of an occult or crafty science to discover where or in what manner anything that is supposed to have been stolen or lost may be found, is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction. R.S., c. C-34, s. 323.

The reason for the discrepancy, or misunderstanding if you will, is simply that Robbie Thomas’ claim to being psychic is not necessarily in question. Quite frankly, few people care if Mr. Thomas has any real ability as a psychic or not (personal opinions and anecdote aside), the fact that he fraudulently represents himself as being affiliated with both law enforcement and with the grieving families of the missing/deceased persons in these cases is more than fair reason to justify a public outcry, and we needn’t enter into an argument of semantics over his self-proclaimed abilities. He may proclaim any manner of silly and entirely ridiculous personal powers, for doing so only makes the case for rational thought all the more potent; what we, the supporters of this website and this movement, assert, is that he may not use the names of innocent and grieving people (often children) in his pursuit of notoriety and fame.

As illustrated by the Angler fish analogy though, is the simple and underlying notion that Robbie Thomas is not to blame, and in this regard we must be careful. Robbie Thomas has wilfully and knowingly offered false pretence by way of his website and through various advertising mediums in conjunction with his website, time and again, and culpability for those actions is his and his alone. Where the rest of us come into this bizarre and twisted picture, is in allowing the Robbie Thomas-es of this world to exist in the first place. Like the prey of the Angler fish, we haplessly select these people for success by accepting their stories and lies without question, teaching them to be better flimflam artists along the way. We allow Robbie Thomas to behave the way he does, and ultimately we, as a society, must be held accountable for this serious and potentially harmful oversight. There is no time left for mulling and deliberation, Robbie Thomas and those like him must be made to atone for their transgressions, by way of law and by way of publicly exposing them for the charlatans that they truly are.

So why, you may ask, has he been allowed to continue? And this is indeed the million dollar question. Why have authorities failed to take notice? Why have the families of the deceased stood by while this cretin usurps their charity? Why has the paranormal community at large not shunned his likeness from their various institutions and halls? These are difficult questions to answer, except with a loud and deliberate call to arms in the name of morality. We cannot confidently solve these puzzles here, but we can take ownership of the situation going forward, and demand a higher standard of justice for the victims of these brutal crimes and for their surviving families, and somewhere well down the list of priorities, we can demand a higher standard for the administration and self-policing of the paranormal community.

It is sincerely hoped that these words will be taken with the gravity and forthrightness with which they were offered. This is a subject that demands and deserves our due attention and respect.

Stop Robbie Thomas - Baby Steps

Sarnia Skeptic mentioned some of his goals for the site and I really appreciate the work that him (it is a him, isn't it Susan?) and others are putting in.  Yesterday we created a couple of links pages (on the right hand side below the banner) that have links about Robbie Thomas and another page that has links about psychics and their involvement in criminal cases.

I encourage you to take a look at the links about Robbie Thomas.  We know that it is not a comprehensive list so we ask that you send us any other Robbie Thomas related links that you have to emailus@stoprobbie.com.  Some of the links are pretty funny.  His story in Visions Magazine, his resume and his requested contract are worth a look.

We have added http://www.robbiethomastours.com/ to our list of domains that point to this site.  At one point Robbie Thomas (who is not psychic) was using that domain name.  We didn't want to miss out on any still active links.  (He still uses robbiethomastours@gmail.com on his site as well.) You can link to any of the following (they all point to http://www.stoprobbie.com/):

• http://www.stoprobbiethomas.com/
• http://www.stoprobbiethomas.net/
• http://www.stoprobbie.com/
• http://www.robbiethomastours.com/

Now to answer some of the emails I'm/we're receiving:

I have invited a couple of guest contributors and we would entertain the idea of adding others.  If you would like to contribute, please send an email to emailus@stoprobbie.com. 

Robbie Thomas has scheduled three dates in May:

• Ft. Wayne, Indiana on Friday, May 7th @ 8:00PM
• Sioux City, Iowa on Friday, May 14th @ 8:00PM
• Louisville, Kentucky on Friday, May 21st @ 8:00PM

If you are in the area of either of these events and are available the night of the show, I would encourage you to contact sarniaskeptic@gmail.com or me at emailus@stoprobbie.com. 

We have added a link to Robbie Thomas' website now (http://www.robbiethomas.net/).  Robbie Thomas' advertised office phone number is 519-337-8333 and his email address is robbiethomas@cogeco.ca or robbiethomastours@gmail.com. (These are found on his website.)

No, we have not "formally" organized a group.  We share a common goal but we have not identified a person who will be our media contact.  As it stands right now the two contributors to the blog (Sarnia Skeptic and I) are not interested in being in the spotlight.  If you have a specific media request, there are a number of supporters that we could direct you to that will/could answer questions.  This site isn't about me or any of the other contributors. It is about stopping Robbie Thomas (who is not psychic) from continuing to abuse people.

At this point we are not looking for donations.  Contributions of links for the site, articles for the site and digital content (handout and flyers) for the site are what we're looking for.

This site is not affiliated or endorsed by Robbie Thomas (who is not psychic).  It is for information only and does not necessarily represent the opinions or views of our employers, sponsors, supporters or, even, contributors.

My Involvement Moving Forward

In reading 59 Seconds (Richard Wiseman), I've come to understand the need to set out goals and to publicize them to increase my chances of succeeding so here goes...

I'm hoping, through my contribution to this site, that we can:

1. Raise awareness about Robbie Thomas, his actions and the harm he causes
2. Help protect others from being abused by Robbie Thomas (or other psychics)
3. Have Robbie Thomas beaten silly by the ghosts he encounters

To achieve these goals, the steps I plan to take include:

1. Compiling a list of links (including the ones in the original blog posting) about Robbie Thomas' actions
2. Adding links to sites regarding psychics and their involvement in missing persons and other criminal cases
3. Creating and maintaining (with your assistance) a "Where's Robbie?" section to outline his public plans/schedule
4. Gathering and creating materials for others to use when they are attending a Robbie Thomas (or other psychic) event
5. Soliciting "guest" blog entries/articles from others in the field
6. Encouraging others to link to Stop Robbie Thomas from their sites/blogs

If you would like to be a guest contributor on this blog/site, you are asked to email emailus@stoprobbie.com but if you have something to add, that could assist me in some of my goals, contact me at sarniaskeptic@gmail.com.

Who Am I & Why Am I Here?
I'm a skeptic and I'm proud of that title.  Skepticism is not about being a pessimist, it is a way of approaching claims and ideas.  I blog "anonymously" because this isn't about me.  Many in our city (Sarnia) and in the skeptical community know who I am and are aware of my blog/views.  I just don't feel that my position in any group or community should add weight to (or change the validity of) my arguments.  They are what they are - either valid and accurate or they are not.  The message: Think (critically) for yourself.

I became involved in this mess that is Robbie Thomas after posting a simple blog posting (Psychic Solves Abduction/Murder Case) in May 2009 about how there would not be a psychic standing up with (or being recognized by) the Ontario Provincial Police when they announced arrests in the case of a (fairly) local girl who had been kidnapped and murdered. 

Shortly after posting my blog I began to receive emails from people who had "encountered" Robbie Thomas - each with horrible stories about Robbie's continued abuse and misuse of their families and their cases.  As I learned more about Robbie Thomas, the more I saw that he needed to be stopped.  The personal stories of these families are heart-wrenching and, as a result, my blog entries took on real meaning - the harm inflicted by people like Robbie Thomas is real and it needs to end.

Though I can't speak for the other contributors to this site, I think we hold very similar views on the following; I don't see this as an attempt to ruin someone's life - I see it as an attempt to stop Robbie Thomas from ruining the lives of others.  I am here because it matters what we do or fail to do and I hope you'll join us in doing what is not only right but necessary and important.  Help us Stop Robbie Thomas.

What lies ahead...

The subject of this entry really has two meanings.

Many people have put in their valuable time in an attempt to expose Robbie Thomas (claimed psychic) with almost the only goal being to get Robbie Thomas to stop abusing people.

This site will be less of a blog and more of a referral source for the information on Robbie Thomas - it may change over time but the single focus will be on Robbie Thomas' horrible and despicable activities. 

For now, you may wish to refer to some blogs and links about Robbie Thomas pseudo-psychic:

• Small Town Skepticism: From Entertainers to Predators: When Psychics Cross the Line
• Psychic's remarks rile Caughlin kin
• Small Town Skepticism: Psychic Solves Abduction/Murder Case
• Skepticblog » Robo-Psychic
• Psychic Wars; The Good, The Bad and the Frauds | Paranormal People
• Robbie Thomas - JREF Forum
• ReapSowRadio » Blog Archive » Rollin up on Robbie Thomas
• Skepticblog - Final Justice for Robbie
• Small Town Skepticism: Psychic Robbie Thomas - Murder Victims are not Commodities
• Small Town Skepticism: Robbie Thomas: Cezar Cano's Case - Not Just for Entertainment

And also...

• KlaasKids Foundation - Missing Children - Hazards - Psychics
• Project Jason on Psychics
• Psychic Says She Knows Location Of Duckett, Kesse
• Psychics: Do Police Departments Really Use Them?
• SkepticWiki - Psychic Detectives
• CSI: Police Psychics: Do They Really Solve Crime?
• About.com: Psychic Detectives

If you have anything to add (keep in mind that we're just beginning), please email emailus@stoprobbie.com.

(Note: Special thanks go out to a great number of people including (but not limited to):
Sherwood Skeptic, Reap, The Caughlin family, sadhatter, Mark Edward, sgf8, Sarnia Skeptic, Robo Sapien, Ghostboy, and the rest of the "Sarnia based hate group" as well as a number of businesses and individuals in Sarnia, Ontario who have come forward with financial and in-kind support - you know who you are.  Thank you!)