Geneseo College haunting case on True Haunting season 1: A detailed case overview

The Geneseo College haunting case, documented in the first three episodes of Netflix's True Haunting, is a true account of Chris DiCesare's freshman year paranormal encounters while attending SUNY Geneseo in upstate New York. Starting in the fall of 1984, DiCesare heard voices whispering his name, saw dark apparitions, and suffered physical assaults in his Erie Hall dorm room, C2D1.

What began as minor disruptions escalated into a series of events observed by friends and campus personnel, establishing parallels with tragedies on the soil in the past. The series, which has been executive produced by horror film director James Wan, combines contemporary interviews with survivors and dramatized reenactments to examine these encounters.

It emphasizes isolation, friendship, and the gray area between the supernatural and psychological stress. Viewers can watch season 1 of True Haunting on Netflix, where all five episodes were initially released worldwide on October 7, 2025. This case is unique in that it involves famous ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren, who visited the campus at the time.

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True Haunting season 1: The onset of paranormal activity

True Haunting season 1 (Image via Unsplash/ @ Ján Jakub Naništa)

Chris DiCesare came to SUNY Geneseo in September 1984, looking to chase his running ambitions and academic dreams. Dropped off at school by his father, Vito, he hit it off right away with roommate Paul, neighbor Jeff Ungar, Linda Kalasinski, and Craig Norris.

The peaceful setting of the campus soon seemed eerie to DiCesare. He started hearing his name called out by some unseen party while he was alone in his dorm room or running. Initially, he attributed these to mind games or jokes.

The upsets escalated when DiCesare was present at a talk by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who had been invited to discuss local history. At the conclusion of the lecture, Lorraine Warren would not shake DiCesare's hand, indicating that there was something evil associated with him. This made him uncomfortable. Shortly thereafter, DiCesare noticed an undefinable dark figure in his room and ran to Jeff's room for assistance.

Paul also caught sight of the figure, ruling out that it was a figment of his imagination, and resolved to go back home with his parents. DiCesare opted to remain but did not wish to cause any alarm to his family and thus began to avoid his room by sleeping elsewhere.

These initial occurrences isolated him, affecting his concentration in sports and classes as fatigue took its toll. The series captures this stage in interviews where DiCesare talks of his initial bewilderment and fright.

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Investigations and evidence gathering

Chris DiCesare was nicknamed Ghost Boy (Image via Unsplash/ @ Stefano Pollio/ True Haunting)

As the hauntings continued, DiCesare's friend Jeff Ungar, an amateur photographer, suggested documenting the activity. They returned to room C2D1, posing to invite the entity, and captured photos showing a skeletal figure hovering near the bed.

Jeff developed and shared these images with friends like Linda, sparking campus rumors and earning DiCesare the nickname Ghost Boy. This label added to his stress, but it also drew more witnesses.

Linda, dealing with her own recent losses, offered support and shared her concerns. The group began audio recordings, capturing faint sounds interpreted as pleas like "Please help me."

DiCesare confided in campus priest Father Charles Manning, who performed a blessing ritual from the "Pastoral Care of the Sick" book. The room felt warmer temporarily, providing brief relief, though Manning later admitted sensing the entity lingered.

Despite this, activity spread: Linda's friend Beth saw the figure in her room, and a janitor reported sightings during winter break. DiCesare theorized that the ritual displaced the entity to target others. Jeff's further photos in Linda's room showed ambiguous shapes, heightening fears.

These efforts turned the personal ordeal into a shared campus mystery, with evidence like photos and tapes preserved for later reviews. Interviews in True Haunting highlight how these steps helped validate the experiences for those involved.

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Escalation and physical encounters

Ed and Lorraine Warren also investigated the case (Image via Unsplash/ @ Markus Spiske/ True Haunting)

The hauntings intensified, moving beyond whispers and sightings to direct contact. DiCesare named the entity Tommy after repeated interactions. While asleep, he felt violent disturbances, blurring his sense of reality. In a pivotal moment, Tommy touched him in the shower, leaving three claw-like marks on his back, wounds that Jeff confirmed could not be self-inflicted.

This physical evidence alarmed everyone. Desperate, DiCesare called his father, Vito, who arrived to stand guard overnight. Vito, initially skeptical, felt a cold presence himself.

The next day, they ran together and spotted a Parker Boyd Memorial plaque on campus. Meanwhile, the entity affected more people; Linda believed it stalked her, tying into her past trauma. Recordings continued, with sounds suggesting Tommy sought help.

Campus-wide rumors grew, labeling Erie Hall as cursed. DiCesare's mental and physical health declined from lack of sleep, impacting his running and studies. Friends like Craig urged action, while others distanced themselves.

The series True Haunting uses reenactments to show these tense moments, intercut with survivor accounts describing the fear and uncertainty. These escalations marked the peak of the activity, pushing DiCesare toward seeking a deeper understanding of the entity's origins.

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Resolution and historical connections

Research by DiCesare and Jeff linked Tommy to Lt. Thomas Boyd, a Revolutionary War soldier tortured and killed in 1779 on land now occupied by the college. Boyd was ambushed during a reconnaissance mission, tied to a Torture Tree on DiCesare's running path, and suffered brutal treatment. A key discovery came from a historical journal found by DiCesare's stepmother, revealing his ancestor, Adam Hubley, had found Boyd's body without ensuring proper rites, possibly tying the spirit to him.

Encouraged by Craig, DiCesare confronted Tommy at the tree, demanding that it stop; the apparition appeared briefly and vanished. Activity ceased by semester's end, allowing DiCesare to finish his time at Geneseo without further incidents.

Friends drifted, and dreams shifted, but the experience lingered. Today, DiCesare, in his early 60s, lives in New Windsor, New York, with his wife of over 30 years and two children.

He holds degrees in social studies and special education, works as a teacher, and speaks at paranormal events, viewing the ordeal as a survival story. He appeared in the Netflix series True Haunting and authored books on the case. The historical ties provide context, rooted in the Sullivan Expedition against Native American nations.

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