Billed as the most haunted town in America, Shepherdstown, W.Va., is known as much for its ghostly residents as it is for the local arts scene, university, and historic attractions. In a community of 1,750 people, almost everyone has experienced something they couldn't explain, resulting in Shepherdstown's five-man police department responding to a majority of 911 calls where the disturbances are paranormal, not criminal, in nature. This surge of supernatural activity has forced Sgt. Michael King, now Chief of Police, to enlist the aid of top-notch paranormal investigators to uncover the truth about objects that seem to vanish into thin air, disembodied voices, and faceless figures lurking in the shadows. In Destination America's all-new series GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN, cameras follow along as Nick Groff, America's leading paranormal investigator, Bill Hartley, a paranormal tech guru, and Elizabeth Saint, a paranormal sensitive, use their skills to help residents restore peace to their homes and find out why Shepherdstown is such a hotbed for hauntings. The six-part television event GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN premieres Sunday, June 12 at 10/9c on Destination America.
"For the first time ever, a paranormal investigation team and a police department have joined forces to investigate strange happenings in an American town, and GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN's crew was there to capture every terrifying moment," said Jane Latman, general manager of Destination America. "Our viewers love a good ghost story and have come along with us on investigations of some of the most haunted buildings in America, but Shepherdstown is on a whole other playing field and we're excited for fans to see our real-time, serialized investigation unfold from week to week."
Shepherdstown is renowned for being the oldest town in West Virginia and along with its storied past comes tales of inexplicable hauntings, bizarre accidents and unsolved crimes. Each episode of GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN begins with a 911 call from a panicked and frightened resident experiencing unexplainable activity, such as the appearance of a body floating down the Potomac River, a sighting of a headless woman, or a piano playing on its own. After getting a call from Chief King alerting them to the incident, Nick, Bill and Elizabeth head to the scene and complete a full sweep for evidence of ghostly activity, ruling out non-paranormal explanations as they proceed. Once they gather leads, they enlist the help of local historians and psychics to help them in their quest for answers. Along the way, they track and compare clues to determine if there is a trend in these supernatural experiences that could explain the recent awakening of Shepherdstown's spirits.
GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN: EPISODE GUIDE
Welcome to America's Most Haunted Town - Series Premiere Episode: Sunday, June 12 at 10/9c
Paranormal experts Nick Groff, Elizabeth Saint and Bill Hartley begin their investigation into the flood of paranormal activity in Shepherdstown as they respond to their first case: a mysterious haunting at the local bakery. The terrified night-shift baker reports sightings of a figure in a gray Civil War uniform and strange objects falling past the window outside. With the help of a local historian and a gifted psychic, the team uncovers shocking details of the building's role in the bloodiest battle in American history.
Do You Know You're Dead? - Episode Premiere: Sunday, June 19 at 10/9c
A female college student calls 911 after coming face-to-face with what she believes to be a legendary young spirit that's haunted the campus for decades. Soon, the haunting escalates with a report of the ghost allegedly making violent physical contact with the coed while she was in bed. With things quickly
BECOMING dangerous, the team enlists the aid of a psychic medium and stages an emergency spiritual
INTERVENTION to discover the secret of what's agitating the ghost girl and, hopefully, put her spirit to rest.
She Didn't Have A Face - Episode Premiere: Sunday, June 26 at 10/9c
Nick, Elizabeth and Bill are called to a home where there has been a sighting of a headless woman on the porch. The team soon discovers a wealth of paranormal evidence that leads them to believe there is more than a single entity haunting the house. With the help of a psychic medium and town historian, the team is able to uncover the spirits' identities but is still working to explain the rise of paranormal activity in Shepherdstown.
Grave Stalker - Episode Premiere: Sunday, July 3 at 10/9c
A Shepherdstown resident calls the police when she hears a gunshot in the center of town, but Chief King investigates and finds no evidence of foul play. When he is unable to find anyone else who remembers hearing the shot, he hands the case over to Nick, Bill and Elizabeth. The resident confides in the team that she has recently also felt a constant sensation of being watched. Soon, the team realizes her stalker might be from beyond the grave and pieces together a shocking tale that reveals a disturbing link between the resident and the grisly murder of a young woman over a century ago.
It's Behind You - Episode Premiere: Sunday, July 10 at 10/9c
The paranormal investigators are called in to help a woman who saw a corpse floating in the Potomac River and then disappear. Clues provided by a local medium and town historian connect the report to the cold case of two murders decades ago. The team conducts a nocturnal paranormal investigation in the woods by the Potomac and uncovers evidence that indicates satanic rituals or witchcraft is being practiced in Shepherdstown. The team senses a darker entity in the woods, a feeling that's confirmed when the medium suddenly feels Bill's life is in peril.
Redemption - Episode Premiere: Sunday, July 17 at 10/9c
Nick, Bill and Elizabeth investigate the mysterious sounds of a crying baby coming from a young couple's basement. Just as the team realizes that all their cases are located near one area, the paranormal activity in the couple's home escalates to that of a dangerous poltergeist. While hunting through the basement, the team comes across evidence that convinces them they're near the source of the negative energy that seems to be pervading Shepherdstown.
MEET THE TEAM
NICK GROFF
America's leading paranormal investigator
Nick Groff has been fascinated with the paranormal ever since surviving a near-death experience as a child. Now, he chases ghosts full-time with the goal of finding new evidence of the afterlife and discovering a
BREAKTHROUGH in paranormal research. After graduating from the University of Nevada with a B.A. in Film, Groff made his big break when he co-wrote, co-produced, co-directed, co-edited, and co-starred in Ghost Adventures: The Original Documentary, which aired on the SciFi Channel in 2007. The film was a winner at the Los Angeles Film/Video Festival and was nominated for "Best Feature Film" at the Eerie Horror Film Festival. The documentary served as a pilot for the
GHOST ADVENTURES television series that debuted in 2008 on Travel Channel. Groff was an Executive Producer, co-host, and investigator on seasons 1-10. Groff is also the author of the book Chasing Spirits: The Building of the
GHOST ADVENTURES Crew. Now, Groff is the Executive Producer and Host for the hit series
PARANORMAL LOCKDOWN on Destination America.
ELIZABETH SAINT
Paranormal sensitive
Elizabeth Saint has demonstrated a sensitivity to the supernatural. The manifestations she first experienced as a child led her to pursue a life dedicated to explaining the unexplainable. Being struck by lightning on two separate occasions sparked Saint's interest in the natural phenomena of electricity. While completing her B.S in Electrical Engineering, with a concentration in Electrical Systems Technology, she worked as an Engineer Technician for the Department of Defense. During this time she also deepened her understanding as a sensitive by working with Maryland Paranormal Research(R) as a Technician and Senior Investigator. Presently, Saint is exploring her new home state of Colorado and conducting solo investigations at commercial and residential locations along the Front Range. She uses her own engineered designs, under the name Ghostly Gadgets, during these investigations to further her research of the paranormal.
BILL HARTLEY
Paranormal tech guru
Bill Hartley's introduction to the paranormal began during childhood, growing up in a house that was wrought with unusual paranormal activity. As an adult, he became a Civil War re-enactor and founded the Fighting 57th North Carolina, in which he reenacted as his ancestor 1st Sgt. Jonas Hartsell. After witnessing unusual activity at historic locations, Hartley was inspired to pursue paranormal investigation. The unexplainable phenomena Hartley witnessed led him on a journey to discover as much as he could about the paranormal. In 2006, he founded the Greater Maryland Paranormal Society and dedicated himself to helping others living in fear of the mysterious unknown. Hartley believes it is important to have a balanced point of view when it comes to the paranormal investigations. While he does believe locations can be haunted, he remains a skeptic at the same time. Hartley currently works at one of the most haunted locations in Maryland, the Westminster Hall and Burying Grounds that houses some of Maryland's most historical figures including Edgar Allen Poe.
GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN is produced for
Destination America by MAK Pictures with Mark Kadin, Will Ehbrecht and Tucia Lyman as executive producers. For Destination America, Sara Helman and Christine Shuler are executive producers, Jane Latman is general manager and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery, Destination America, and American Heroes Channel.
Image courtesy of Destination America
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