Ep 1. The Watchman

In Haunting in the Heartland season 1 episode 1, titled "The Watchman", paranormal investigator Steve Shippy travels to Merrill, Michigan to investigate a haunting that has plagued the small town for generations. The episode opens with a chilling reenactment of a local legend about a watchman who was murdered while on duty at the Merrill City Hall in the late 1800s. According to the legend, the watchman's ghost still haunts the town to this day.

As Shippy begins his investigation, he begins to uncover a web of paranormal activity that goes far beyond the simple legend of the watchman. He speaks with local residents who have experienced strange and terrifying encounters, including footsteps in empty houses, phantom figures in the darkness, and even a mysterious apparition that seems to follow certain people around town.

Shippy also interviews local historians and experts to learn more about the history of Merrill and the surrounding area. He discovers that the town has a long and complex past, with ties to the lumber industry, Native American tribes, and even the Underground Railroad. As he delves deeper into the history of Merrill, he begins to suspect that the haunting may be tied to a much larger and darker story from the town's past.

Throughout the episode, Shippy and his team use a variety of high-tech ghost hunting tools, including thermal cameras, EMF meters, and EVP recorders, to try to capture evidence of the haunting. They visit several key locations throughout the town, including the City Hall building where the watchman was killed, a local cemetery where many of Merrill's founders are buried, and a historic hotel that is rumored to be one of the most haunted locations in the area.

As the investigation unfolds, Shippy and his team uncover more and more evidence of paranormal activity. They capture mysterious EVPs that seem to be responding to their questions, and they experience sudden temperature drops and unexplained movements in several locations. They also interview several witnesses who share their own chilling stories of encounters with the supernatural in Merrill.

By the end of the episode, Shippy and his team are left with more questions than answers. While they are able to capture a significant amount of evidence of paranormal activity, they are unable to definitively confirm or deny the existence of the haunting. However, they are left with a sense that the town of Merrill is filled with dark secrets and unexplained phenomena, and that the legend of the watchman may be just a small part of a much larger story of the paranormal in the Heartland.