Top photo: Alan from Chicago, USA / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Some homes become more than a place to live when the people inside them feel frightened by what they cannot explain. That is the unsettling starting point for “Torn Apart,” an episode of The Dead Files that takes Steve DiSchiavi and Amy Allan to Struthers, Ohio. A worried mother wants help with what she describes as disturbing paranormal activity—and the investigation takes the pair into the history of a nearby rail yard murder.
First aired on June 20, 2015, the episode combines the show’s familiar mix of historical investigation and paranormal claims. It is a tense case, but its appeal also comes from the different ways Steve and Amy approach the same troubling situation.
A Mother Asks for Help in Struthers
In “Torn Apart,” the case begins with a mother who is frightened by what she says is happening in her home. The episode guide describes the activity as vicious paranormal phenomena, making this more than a routine investigation for the family involved.
The setting is Struthers, Ohio, a community in the Mahoning Valley. The episode’s location matters because Steve’s research leads him beyond the house itself and toward a disturbing story connected to a nearby rail yard.
As with other episodes of The Dead Files, the family’s account is the starting point for the investigation—not proof that paranormal activity is taking place. The show presents the case through its own investigative format, leaving viewers to follow the claims and the hosts’ conclusions.
Steve DiSchiavi Follows the Historical Trail
Steve DiSchiavi brings a law-enforcement background to the series. Travel Channel has described him as a former NYPD homicide detective who researches the facts surrounding each location, interviews people connected to the case, and looks into local history.
In “Torn Apart,” his side of the investigation includes a gruesome murder at a nearby rail yard. That historical thread gives the episode a crime-investigation element alongside the family’s paranormal concerns.
The episode listings do not provide enough detail to responsibly reconstruct every part of Steve’s research or identify every person involved in the old crime. What they do establish is the central connection: Steve examines the murder case while Amy investigates what she believes she encounters at the home.
Amy Allan’s Unsettling Walk
Amy Allan approaches the property from a very different perspective. Travel Channel identifies her as a physical medium who conducts her own investigation, separate from Steve’s work.
The episode synopsis says Amy encounters what she believes is a dead person capable of draining the life from the living. It is an eerie description, and it gives “Torn Apart” one of its most memorable elements.
That language reflects the program’s portrayal of Amy’s experience. Her paranormal impressions are presented as her interpretation, rather than independently established evidence of spirits or supernatural forces.
The contrast between Steve’s historical research and Amy’s reported experiences is a major part of the show’s format. They work separately, then bring their findings together with the people who requested help.
Why the Episode Feels So Unsettling
“Torn Apart” draws its tension from two different kinds of fear. There is the family’s concern about what may be happening inside their home, and there is the disturbing history Steve uncovers nearby.
The title also fits the emotional premise: a family is seeking relief from a situation they find frightening and disruptive. The episode’s official descriptions focus on the mother’s distress and the investigation’s dark discoveries, rather than on a simple ghost story.
For longtime viewers, that combination is part of what made The Dead Files distinctive. The series paired a detective’s research with a medium’s claimed paranormal experiences, giving each case two separate investigative tracks.
The Show’s Two-Part Investigation
The Dead Files premiered on Travel Channel in 2011. Its central format brought together Steve DiSchiavi and Amy Allan, who investigated alleged paranormal activity from different angles.
Steve’s work focused on interviews, records, and the history of a property. Amy’s portion involved what she described as encounters with spirits or other paranormal presences. The two were kept apart during their investigations so that, according to the show’s format, they would not influence each other’s findings.
That structure is especially clear in “Torn Apart.” Steve looks into a murder connected to the area, while Amy reports a disturbing encounter at the home. Their separate approaches create the episode’s suspense before the findings are brought together.
A Dark Chapter in the Series
“Torn Apart” is a memorable entry for viewers who enjoy the more serious, history-focused side of paranormal television. It moves from a family’s plea for help to a local murder investigation and an unsettling account from Amy’s walk through the property.
The episode aired June 20, 2015, and is listed as Season 6, Episode 8 on IMDb. Some episode guides use different season numbering for this part of the series, so viewers may encounter another season label while searching for it.
Whether you watched it when it first aired or discovered it later, the episode offers the familiar Dead Files blend of investigation, historical mystery, and supernatural claims. Did “Torn Apart” stand out to you, or is there another Steve and Amy case you remember most? Share your thoughts in the comments.
