The Astonishing Mystery of Pennsylvania’s Rain Man, Don Decker
Don Decker’s ability to make it rain in a locked room defied all explanation—was it preternatural powers, possession or something beyond our comprehension?
Case File: The Pennsylvania Rain Man
Case No.: 81SR-1983-PA
Classification: Paranormal Phenomenon – Poltergeist Activity
Location: Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Date of Incident: 1983 – Ongoing
Filed by: Local Authorities and Eyewitness Accounts
Status: Closed – Phenomenon Unexplained
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Incident Summary
Initial Report:
In February of 1983, Don Decker, a man grieving the recent death of his abusive grandfather, experienced something that defies all rational explanation. Shortly after attending his grandfather’s funeral, Decker was staying with friends in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. What started as an emotional family gathering quickly escalated into a series of supernatural events that would earn Decker the unsettling title of the “Rain Man.”
The first strange occurrence happened inside the home of Bob and Jeannie Kiefer, where Decker was staying the night. Suddenly, water began to drip from the walls and ceiling, though there were no plumbing issues or sources for the water. The Kiefers, baffled and terrified, immediately sought help from their landlord. Even after professional inspections of the property yielded no explanation for the flooding, the phenomenon persisted and seemed to follow Decker wherever he went. When the police were called in to investigate, officers on the scene claimed to have witnessed water manifesting out of thin air—something beyond their understanding.
Over the course of several days, Don Decker became the center of a bizarre and terrifying series of events. Water not only appeared without explanation but defied gravity—dripping upward from the floor or spreading horizontally across walls. As Decker’s emotional turmoil deepened, so did the intensity of the disturbances. Furniture began moving, objects flew off shelves, and strange, unexplained sensations gripped those near him. Witnesses reported feeling an overwhelming sense of dread in his presence.
Decker’s inexplicable ability to summon rain was so unusual that the case drew national attention, leaving both police officers and paranormal investigators baffled. Although the phenomenon eventually subsided, it left a mark on all those involved, as they struggled to comprehend the seemingly impossible events surrounding Don Decker.
Phenomena Overview
The paranormal activity surrounding Don Decker was not only strange but defied the laws of physics, making it one of the most perplexing poltergeist cases in modern history. Below is a breakdown of the key phenomena witnessed during the course of the events.
Cold Spots and Sudden Temperature Drops:
Several witnesses, including law enforcement officers, reported the air around Decker suddenly growing frigid. Those standing near him would feel the temperature drop significantly, as if an unnatural cold was clinging to him. These cold spots were often accompanied by intense feelings of unease, leaving those nearby anxious and fearful.Water Manifestation:
The most prominent and disturbing aspect of this case was the unexplained appearance of water. In multiple locations, including the Kiefers’ home and the local jail where Decker was later held, water would seemingly materialize from nowhere. What made this phenomenon particularly unsettling was its unnatural behavior. Water was seen dripping upwards from the floor, spreading across ceilings, and appearing in areas completely devoid of plumbing.Object Movement and Poltergeist Activity:
Objects in Decker’s vicinity seemed to take on a life of their own. Furniture shook violently, objects flew across rooms without provocation, and doors slammed shut. These events became increasingly violent as Decker’s emotional state worsened, creating a sense of impending danger for anyone present.Disembodied Voices and Sensations:
Witnesses, including Decker himself, claimed to hear strange, disembodied voices during some of the more intense episodes. These voices were unintelligible, often low and guttural, creating an atmosphere of dread. People also described feeling invisible hands touching or pulling at them, leaving physical sensations without any source.Unnatural Control Over the Rain:
Most disturbingly, Don Decker appeared to have some kind of control over the water phenomenon. When officers took him to jail, hoping to isolate him from the disturbances, the rain followed. Water began dripping from the ceiling in the holding cell, terrifying the guards. Decker would later describe this ability as something he could “will” into existence, further blurring the lines between human capability and paranormal influence.
Investigation Overview
The investigation into the Rain Man phenomena involved multiple agencies, including local law enforcement, property inspectors, and paranormal investigators. The case received widespread attention due to the credibility of the witnesses and the extraordinary nature of the events.
Initial Encounters and Documentation:
The initial reports came from Bob and Jeannie Kiefer’s home when water inexplicably began to drip from the ceilings and walls. After an inspection ruled out any plumbing issues, police officers Richard Wolbert and John Baujan arrived on the scene. They witnessed the water manifesting out of thin air, leading them to believe that something supernatural was occurring.Police Involvement:
The Stroudsburg police were deeply involved in the investigation, with several officers experiencing the phenomena firsthand. At one point, they transported Decker to a local diner, hoping to remove him from the environment of the Kiefer home. To their horror, the water followed, dripping from the ceiling inside the diner, further confirming that Decker was somehow the source of the phenomena.Paranormal Investigators and Religious Intervention:
As the situation spiraled out of control, paranormal investigators were called in. Decker, aware of the strange power he seemed to possess, expressed concern and confusion. At the urging of the police, Decker underwent an exorcism conducted by a local pastor. Following the ritual, the strange occurrences lessened, but the phenomena were never fully explained.
Investigation and Evidence
The evidence gathered from this case remains unsettling, as it challenges our understanding of the natural world. Police reports, witness testimony, and professional inspections all confirm that the events surrounding Don Decker were unlike any other paranormal case.
Eyewitness Accounts:
Multiple credible witnesses, including police officers, witnessed the manifestation of water and the movement of objects firsthand. Officer Wolbert and others provided sworn statements detailing the inexplicable events, lending significant credibility to the case.Physical Evidence:
The water that appeared was confirmed to be real, and its behavior—defying gravity and appearing in unnatural locations—was witnessed by numerous individuals. The physical sensations felt by those near Decker were also reported consistently, indicating that something beyond normal human experience was occurring.Psychological and Spiritual Explanations:
Decker’s emotional state following his grandfather’s death and his claims of abuse added a psychological layer to the case. Some suggested that his trauma had unlocked a latent psychic ability, while others believed he was being influenced by a malevolent force.
Press Coverage and Public Reaction
Media Involvement:
The case gained national attention, particularly after it was featured on the television show “Unsolved Mysteries.” Newspapers and television stations picked up the story, intrigued by the credibility of the witnesses involved, particularly the police officers who had nothing to gain from fabricating such claims.
Public Reaction:
The public was both fascinated and horrified by the case of the Pennsylvania Rain Man. While many were skeptical, the sheer volume of credible witnesses left others wondering if there were forces at work beyond human understanding.
The Story
It began with a funeral.
In February 1983, Donald Decker was granted a temporary furlough from Monroe County Jail to attend the burial of his grandfather. But while others grieved, Don felt something darker. He later revealed his grandfather had abused him for years. And as the coffin was lowered into the ground, Don sensed a shift inside himself — a chill, a weight, a presence.
That night, Don stayed with family friends Bob and Jeannie Kieffer in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. He was quiet. Distant. At one point, he retreated to the bathroom and returned visibly shaken. Then, the air in the house grew cold. And the water began.
First, it was droplets forming on the walls. Then full streams running down from the ceiling, dripping without pause. The Kieffers assumed it was a plumbing issue, until they noticed the water traveling sideways across surfaces. It was appearing in places with no water sources — the living room, the walls, the floorboards. The temperature dropped further. The atmosphere turned heavy.
They called their landlord, Ron Van Why, and his wife Romayne. When they arrived, they were stunned. Ron inspected the entire house — the pipes, the attic, the furnace. There were no leaks. No malfunctioning appliances. Yet the house continued to rain.
The water didn’t just fall. It moved — across mirrors, across walls, even from floor to ceiling. Witnesses described it as unnatural. “It was as if the water was alive,” Romayne later said.
Ron called the police.
Patrol officers John Baujan and Richard Wolbert responded. These were seasoned cops, not easily shaken. But what they saw unnerved them. Officer Baujan witnessed water travel horizontally across a mirror. Wolbert confirmed the house was saturated with moisture from no visible source. “We just looked at each other,” he said. “We didn’t know what to say.”
The Kieffers, frightened, asked Don to leave. But wherever he went, the rain followed. Don was sent to the Van Why home — and within hours, the water appeared again. That’s when Ron, now convinced something supernatural was happening, began calling churches.
Most refused to get involved.
Only one — a local evangelical minister named Reverend Johnson — agreed to help.
The First Exorcism
When Reverend Johnson arrived, he brought with him not just prayer, but conviction. He believed Don was under spiritual attack. Witnesses gathered in the home as Johnson performed what was effectively an exorcism — not a formal Catholic rite, but a clear act of deliverance.
As Johnson laid his hands on Don and began to pray, Don convulsed violently. His body trembled, his eyes fluttered, and he fell into a trance-like state. The room grew even colder. Then, slowly, the rain began to fade. Within minutes, it stopped entirely.
Don collapsed, exhausted. The room, now dry, felt still. Whatever had been with him seemed to retreat — for a time.
But when Don returned to jail, the phenomenon resumed.
The Second Exorcism: Inside the Cell
Shortly after being locked in his cell, water began to form on the walls and drip from the ceiling. Guards watched as puddles appeared from nowhere. Some described the cell as feeling “oppressive” — as if the air itself resisted explanation. Even Warden Dave Keenhold, a sceptic by nature, was deeply disturbed.
He contacted the prison chaplain, Reverend William Blackburn.
Blackburn entered the cell and was immediately struck by the atmosphere. “It was like walking into a storm,” he later recalled. As he began to pray, a foul, unnatural odour filled the room — described by some as the stench of death.
Blackburn opened his Bible and began reading aloud. Water was falling all around him — but witnesses later noted that the pages of his Bible stayed completely dry. As he placed his hand on Don and invoked scripture, the smell began to fade. The air warmed. And the water… stopped.
The cell dried. Don slumped in his bunk, emotionally and physically spent. The strange occurrences never returned.
Aftermath
Don never claimed to fully understand what happened. He said he felt something had entered him at the funeral — something that fed off his pain, that followed him, that showed itself through water. Whether it was psychological trauma manifesting physically, or a genuine possession, remains unanswered.
But dozens of witnesses — landlords, police officers, jail guards, clergy — stood by what they saw. They saw water appear from nowhere. They saw it move sideways. They saw it stop only when confronted directly with prayer.
Two exorcisms. No hoax ever found. And no explanation ever confirmed.
To this day, the case remains one of the most bizarre and unnerving supernatural events ever documented in the United States.
And though the rain hasn’t returned, those who stood in its path still remember what it felt like — to watch the laws of nature bend around one man, and to wonder what truly took hold of him that week.
👻 Psst… You made it to the end!
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I like the way you set this up, putting things in organized sequence. I like the story, even though I saw it on a TV show before reading it here. I am new here.