IN OCTOBER 1994, THREE STUDENT FILMMAKERS DISAPPEARED

IN THE WOODS NEAR BURKITTSVILLE, MARYLAND,

WHILE SHOOTING A DOCUMENTARY... FIVE YEARS LATER, THE FILM THEY SHOT BECAME

ONE OF THE MOST PROFITABLE MOTION PICTURES IN HISTORY. People across America were stunned by the runaway success of The Blair Witch Project™ -- none more so than the residents of Burkittsville. Suddenly the little western Maryland farming village was flooded with tourists seeking mementos of the fabled Blair Witch. Road signs disappeared, backpackers clogged local hiking trails, graveyards filled with enthusiasts trying for a firsthand glimpse of the supernatural. While most Burkittsville residents -- in particular Sheriff Ron Cravens -- were angered by this wave of visitors, others took a more pragmatic approach. Like Jeff Patterson, who started up a business called the Blair Witch Hunt. At first, Patterson simply sold caps, T-shirts, and coffee mugs over the Internet. Then he decided to lead a group of four tourists into the Black Hills himself. If you saw the film Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, you know what happened to Jeff Patterson, Kim Diamond, Stephen Ryan Parker, Tristen Ryler, and Erica Geerson. BUT YOU ONLY KNOW HALF THE STORY UNTIL YOU READ THIS BOOK. Compiled with the aid of noted paranormal journalist D.A. Stern, the material gathered herein reveals: The secrets hidden in Jeff Patterson's troubled past The research Stephen and Tristen conducted for their book The Blair Witch: Hysteria or History? The eerie similarity between the Blair Witch and the little-known seventheenth-century legend of Bloody Sam Caine The genesis of the Blair Witch Hunt Photos and news reports relating to the case