'Ghost Hunters' investigator Grant Wilson has left the Syfy series. Wilson announced that after eight years on the network's longest-running franchise, he'll be leaving his days of televised paranormal investigations from the case files of TAPS (the Atlantic Paranormal Society) behind him, to better focus on his personal life.

That leaves Jason Hawes to lead the team's ghost hunting. "Viewers may not even realize he's not there," he told 9NEWS. "The team's doing awesome, they're all high energy, and people will be able to see the dynamics of the entire team, instead of maybe the dynamics of Grant and myself."

One thing has not changed: the team's dedication to helping people discover, or debunk, the things that are going bump in the night. "Just trying to give them the knowledge, or take away the whole fear thing really helps them out," he said. "The scariest thing for people, especially in their own home, is coming around the corner and seeing somebody you don't know standing there."

Hawes said many times it's just a matter of determining whether things are trying to communicate, and if so, what, exactly they're trying to say. "Or, is it a residual type haunt where it doesn't even know if you're there and is just replaying itself over and over again."

The new season opens in Charleston, South Carolina where the TAPS heads to the historic Old City Jail, where America's first female serial killer, Lavinia Fisher, spent her last few days alive before her execution in 1820.

Other episodes include Georgia's Camp Rutledge, the location of a "Friday the 13th" movie shoot, in search of "elemental spirits" - created by nature, not humans - and also stops in Marion, North Carolina to help a young mom who fears a ghost might be out to hurt her daughter.

To learn more about Ghost Hunters please visit:

http://www.syfy.com/ghosthunters/ 

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