THE CURSE RETURNS: DESTINATION AMERICA'S BREAKOUT HIT SERIES GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN IS BACK FOR A SECOND SEASON TO EXPLORE MYSTERIOUS HAUNTINGS PLAGUING NEARBY TOWNS

(Silver Spring, Md.) - In the first season of GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN, a surge of 911 calls reporting what appeared to be supernatural activity in Shepherdstown, W.V., inspired Police Chief Michael King to enlist the help of paranormal investigators to figure out why the town had become such a hotbed for hauntings. Nick Groff, Bill Hartley, and Elizabeth Saint, with the help of local historian Dana Mitchell and psychic medium Lorie Johnson, uncovered clues linking the rash of mysterious incidents to Shepherdstown's historic waterways and a woman murdered on accusations of witchcraft in the town's early history. The first season finale culminated in a ceremony on the Potomac River to cleanse the town of its "Witches Curse," which seemed to settle the ghostly activity... at least, within its own borders. Soon, Chief King began hearing from his colleagues in neighboring police jurisdictions that the mysterious happenings had spread to their nearby towns, suggesting that Shepherdstown is only one piece to a much larger paranormal puzzle. Groff, Hartley and Saint return for season 2 to follow new leads and attempt to solve the mystery once and for all, with eight all-new episodes of GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN premiering on Monday, July 10 at 10/9c on Destination America.

"As a network that searches for answers to the unknown, Destination America is ready to deliver another awe-inspiring season of GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN. Our audience has told us they want to know more about the unexplained and we are going to deliver," said Jane Latman, general manager of Destination America. "It's rare for the story in a paranormal docu-series to unfold serially as it does in this show, but Shepherdstown is a one-of-a-kind haunted destination with roots that reach far beyond what we thought was possible."

In the season premiere, paranormal investigator Nick Groff, tech guru Bill Hartley and paranormal sensitive Elizabeth Saint return to Shepherdstown to resume their investigation after Chief King receives reports that the paranormal activity has spread. Water is a powerful conductor of energy, and some believe that extends to spiritual energy as well. The team theorizes that local rivers that run through Shepherdstown are channeling supernatural forces and awakening spirits in towns along the riverbanks. The trio is called to the meeting place of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in the quaint, historic town of Harpers Ferry, W.V., to explore the John Brown Wax Museum after the manager complained of unusual activity that made her fear being in the museum alone. Throughout the investigation, the team discovers spirits with ties to the Civil War, a raid on Harpers Ferry, and a family that suffered a tragedy. With psychic medium Lorie Johnson's help, they attempt to rid the museum of its haunted inhabitants and thus start chipping away at the larger spiritual forces that have cloaked the region. Other towns visited this season include Charles Town, Martinsburg, and Sharpsburg in West Virginia; South Mountain, Md., and culminating where it all began, the most haunted town in America, Shepherdstown.

On-air, online and beyond, Destination America feeds its spooky-loving superfans' appetite. Fans are invited to watch the season 2 premiere of GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN online a week in advance of its television premiere, which will be available unlocked beginning on July 2 at 11/10c at DestinationAmerica.com, immediately following the on-air premiere of PARANORMAL WITNESS. Download DA's TV Everywhere app DA GO to catch up on season 1, see weekly sneak peeks of upcoming episodes, and browse DA's entire library of paranormal content.

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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, Fay Yu is executive producer, Jane Latman is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery, Destination America, and American Heroes Channel.

About Destination America

As the only network that celebrates the people, places, and stories of the United States, Destination America is an inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 and is available in nearly 52 million homes. From spine-tingling campfire tales to uncovering history's greatest mysteries, the network's original series showcase the curiosity and adventurous spirit at the heart of being American, with original series like Paranormal Lockdown; A Haunting; Mountain Monsters; Ghost Brothers; Ghost Asylum, and more. For more information, please visit DestinationAmerica.com, facebook.com/DestinationAmerica, or twitter.com/DestAmerica. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 pay-tv programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.