‘Ghost Hunters’ Richel Stratton and Brandon Alvis Tease Special Guests to Aid in Duff Green Mansion Investigation (Exclusive)

Returning with a whole new block of episodes Wednesday night on A&E, Ghost Hunters is delivering a lot more than spooks and mystery with its antepenultimate episode of its groundbreaking first season. In the first of the night’s two new back-to-back investigations, Grant Wilson and his team head to Mississippi to help a former bed and breakfast owner who has sold the estate to a friend, but has concerns over past paranormal activity recurring under her watch.

In the ninth episode “You’ve Been Warned,” Wilson and his crew head to Vicksburg to help Harry Sharp, the once proud owner of the Duff Green Mansion, which operated as a bed and breakfast. For decades, Sharp observed all kinds of strange paranormal activity at the mansion, which formerly served as a hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers. But upon selling the estate to his best friend and skeptic, Harley Caldwell, he is worried she will fall victim to strange encounters. With hundreds reporting shadow figures, doors slamming on their own and the most eerie claim of all being that of a confederate soldier’s apparition clutching his own amputated leg, the team works hard to get to the bottom of matters and that means thinking outside the box.

In an effort to evoke a response from the alleged resident entities, paranormal investigators Richel Stratton and Brandon Alvis tell PopCulture.com exclusively what fans can expect, while teasing the group will be welcoming some very special guests.

“[Fans] should expect a couple of guests coming to investigate with us, to help aid in the investigation,” Stratton told PopCulture.com. “They should also expect us to be using lots of equipment.”

Stratton’s fellow investigator and resident tech wizard, Brandon Alvis reiterates her enthusiasm for the case tonight, adding how fans can also “expect to see an amazing piece of Civil War history.”

“The Civil War is a scar that’s on this nation that’s still healing to this day, and any time as a paranormal investigator you get a chance to go into a piece of history such as Duff Green Mansion, that’s something we’re all about and something I think fans are really going to love as well,” Alvis told PopCulture.com.

Alvis adds his favorite part of this week’s investigation was in fact all the history, in addition to the two clients, Harry and Harley. “They were such gracious hosts for having us in there and just giving us a full run of this amazing piece of history, so it was a fun investigation,” he said. “A lot of fun on this one!”

Stratton goes on to share that while she appreciated the history, the biggest takeaway from this investigation was learning all about the history of the building. “Because it had so much going on with it,” she said. “That was just so intriguing to find out all these little details about it.”

With only three episodes left of the season, Stratton reflects that with the show’s first season about to wrap up, she’s learned so much about herself through every investigation.

“I’ve learned that I am sometimes extremely quiet on investigations, but it’s because I’m taking everything in,” she admitted, adding how she likes to observe and listen during every investigation. “I like to try to make myself the smallest I can in a room, because I feel like it’s less intimidating to whoever’s there and I feel like it maybe will make them want to reach out more.”

She goes on to say that in those moments, she also comes up with ideas for furthering their investigation. “It’s always great to actually voice those ideas too, because it could lead to something that’s really great,” she said.

Alvis, who is admittedly a natural skeptic that researches every location most meticulously, adds he’s learned he can be a “bit more open minded when it comes to these investigations” as he has always been very science and tech-based.

“There’s been multiple times throughout the season where I’ve kind of taken a step back from the really techie side of things and just tried to sit there and absorb the flavor of the building, if you will, and see what I could experience for myself,” Alvis said. “And knowing that I am able to take that step back, and just trying to enjoy the moment and understand that it’s about the experience sometimes — not always about documenting everything.”

Alvis reiterates that even though that’s what the team is there to do to help the client and document the process, it’s about taking in the experience for what it is. “It’s kind of nice to see that I could step back and be a bit more open minded about these claims the clients provide to us. That makes it all worth it.”

Ghost Hunters airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on A&E.

Photo credit: Justin Bettman / A&E Networks