Thursday, May 1, 2008

Queer Paranormal Road Trip: Corpsewood Manor

Only 26 years ago, a horrible tragedy struck the small town of Summerville, Georgia. The events have (quite literally) haunted the area ever since.

In an effort to escape the urban life of Chicago, Charles Scudder, a pharmacology professor from Loyola University, moved to the isolated home known as Corpsewood Manor. With his companion and lover Joseph Odom at his side, they lived a very simplistic life (as Scudder once wrote about in Mother Earth News). There was no running water and the only electricity was supplied by a generator. They grew their own food and purchased what supplies they needed with the $200 of monthly interest from Scudder's savings account.

Of course, there was a dark side. Scudder had connections with Satanist Anton Lavey (though some say he was merely a practicing Wiccan) and his home was adorned with human skulls and occult artwork. There were rumors of illicit drug use and that their chicken coop hid a secret room, filled with gay pornography and various sexual devices. Although they were very likable people, the couple raised more than a few rumors and eyebrows.

On December 12, 1982, Kenneth Avery Brock (who had known Scudder from hunting on his land... and a few sexual encounters) banded together with two men and one woman in a plot to burglarize the dwelling. Somehow, the robbery plot changed to murder as they made their way to the house. Scudder went with the gang to the chicken coop to allegedly do drugs. Brock and Tony West bound and gagged Scudder, demanding money. When Scudder said there was none, Brock headed for the manor.

He shot Odom and their two dogs before returning to the coop to lead Scudder back to the house. Visibly distraught over the murder of his lover, he was ordered to hand over the money. Scudder's last words were, "I asked for this." Brock shot him six times.

The manor was looted by the gang and burnt to the ground. The murders were discovered days later by a friend. Brock and West were later apprehended. A battle ensued over inheritance. Scudder and Odom were cremated, but only Odom's ashes were spread at Corpsewood.

The haunting of the Corpsewood Manor ruins began almost immediately. People taking small souvenirs returned them after being struck with bad luck. People have heard dogs barking, breaking glass, and gunshots. Occasionally, Scudder's harp is heard playing in the woods. An air of unhappiness and darkness still hangs over the grounds to this day.

Were Scudder and Odom bad people? More than likely not. But their spirits seem bent on some form of revenge... or have placed a curse on their violated land. A few brave souls have ventured onto the property after dark, but few ever return.

The violent hate crime which took the lives of these two men just might have unleashed a demon...

39 comments:

Buck said...

Lord, my homeland is a crazy place. If he was a practicing Wiccan in the early 80's that was, in their minds, the same thing as "devil worship". I'll bet Ol' Anton got thrown into the mix later on to make it scarier. :)

Funny, though, never heard of this place.

Wonder Man said...

That's actually cool

Liam said...

Excellent story, and you're right, a story rife for ghosts!

Cullan Hudson said...

I would have to agree with Buck's assesment. It seems that these men were villified post-mortem. Having grown up with ignorant small town people for much of my life, I can easily see how a gay, pagan couple could be viewed as conspiring with Satan.

I think, too, there is probably a degree of prejudice in these stories - if you even hear about them. This is why I think your site is so unique. Most of the time, one doesn't hear of "gay" ghosts. But surely there must be a few. Thanks for digging these tales up to present a broader, more inclusive view of paranormal studies, which can be just as segregated as day-to-day life.

Ken Summers said...

Though there were "satanic symbols" at the property, I do wonder if a few weren't planted afterward for sensationalism. Growing up in a small town wasn't always easy for me either, and I learned a lot about humanity (and the occasional lack thereof) from it. Either way, Wiccan or Satanic, they seemed to be decent-enough people who didn't deserve to die.

Thanks, Callan. I didn't intend to be that different with blogging, but that one day I finally decided to answer the question, "are there gay ghosts?" I've found my answer, and felt they needed a voice too. Not all investigators are tolerant people, but at least the dead generally don't judge...

Anonymous said...

Yes great story. Just goes to show what can happen with closed minded people that fear the unknown, even today.

Sh@ney said...

That was so interesting. I would love to visit a haunted dwelling or go on a ghost hunt. Though I would probably run screaming at the slightest hint of paranormal, but I'd run excitedly...lol

Anonymous said...

I walked the ground after the murders two days afterward. I have pictures of the entire place. So it was not in fact burned by the murdurers, but about a month later. The pink room did have about a hundred pornagraphic polaroids of young men and boys. The home was filled with macabe artwork, literature and furnishings. An outside buried refrigerator contained tons of gay magazines. Dead Horse Lane was edged with the plant, Hemloch and wild roses. Growing up about three miles from this place and knowing these men were somewhere on the mountain did not frighten me. But what I experienced on that visit, did frighten me. The air was full of something, not of this world. After that visit, my entire family threw away our shoes because the mud from Corpsewood seemed unholy. We took nothing, but carry the memories and photos of this place.

Anonymous said...

i go up there alot when to two men were still alive some of my family member used to hang out with them and got high with them. personally i dont think the deserved to die. Their manor is nothing like it sed to be ppl have messed that place up some ppl go up there to drink and party but everytime i go up there something bd happpens... one we were up there and when we left theif were handprints all over our car... a local boy took a brick from there then he got in a accedint the next day now hes paraliyzed so the place is strange

Anonymous said...

I grew up in Armuchee (20 miles southwest) and made several trips trying to find Corpsewood Mannor. On the night we found the "dirt road" off the paved road, I was overcome with a serious sensation of dread, despair, and sadness. Within moments I was physically nauseated. I have always been hypersensitive and empathetic... and this was truly eyeopening for me. I fully believe that these two men suffered a terrible, painful, and torturous fate that night. They ARE at unrest, because they don't feel justice has been served.

I am hosting an expedition on Nov 1, 2008 - partially as a celebration of Day of the Dead, and to offer a blessing to their spirits. Openminded individuals feel free to contact me @ Chasity1303 (at) g.mail.com

Anonymous said...

i went to school with brock , he seemed cool back then , you know smoking weed before school and shit , crazy he was a killer to be , i have been to corpsewood as well and the energy there is well fucked up , and this is the creepiest place i have ever been ... lessinister@myspace.com

Anonymous said...

Okat i went to corpsewood manor twice the first time at night and nothing really happend i saw something though it looked kinda like a man and in the chemical tolit i saw a light and the second time it was during the day and we saw some pictures this group took and there was like a green idk what it was. i took a brick and nothings happenede to me yet. i advice u go at night its more scary i had lots of fun

Anonymous said...

i have the police evidence video on dvd i would be willing to sell. the video shows the inside of the whole house. it shows every room in the house and all the outside. does not show inside of chicken house or bathrooms. the video has both men on the ground and there 2 dogs all shot up also.

Ken Summers said...

I might actually be interested in seeing that...

Anonymous said...

I have been to corpsewood twice and have studied it pretty deeply but still have no idea how to get the book. Im a forensic behavioral sciences major. Im extremely interested in getting any additional info from anyone.
thanks

Emperor said...

My blog, and associated company, we will filming a small short-film/documentary of the house. Check out the blog, and keep in touch!

Anonymous said...

they were satanist all right.drug addicts,homosexuals,had torture chambers,practiced rituals,etc. small place chattooga county may be,bible thumping its not.2hear u idiots say it they were just misunderstood.but thats alright,just make it up however u want to,since thats what you are doing anyway.

Ken Summers said...

In other words they deserved it. Right, "anonymous"? Maybe Puritanical would have been a better word choice, and harder to deny given our nation's heritage. Most of the naughty things said about them have other possible explanations which are far less "evil" in the eyes of most people.

As far as being "drug addicts", I'd like more than heresay to say that for sure. And if they were... Sigmund Freud was a drug addict, yet we still praise him in psychological circles consider him a wonderful person, which is rather interesting considering he was a closeted homosexual...

Anonymous said...

it is what it is.reap what you so.

Anonymous said...

who cosiders him a wonderful person,other drug addict closeted homosexuals?i suppose Jungian philosphy is right up your alley too.

Anonymous said...

they had 3 viles of liquid LSD25 {25,OOO DOSES]Enough to dose every man,woman,and child in the whole county.get caught with 25,000doses of cocain and see if u ever get out of prison.sure they were drug addicts on top of many many other things.are we still debating "they were just misunderstood" crap?

Ken Summers said...

It fascinates me how many people are experts on Corpsewood, Scudder, and Odom just as much as it fascinates me how often anonymity is an excellent guise for negativity and speaking ill of the dead.

My purpose was to briefly sum up an allegedly haunted location not cast moral judgments, but it seems like that's the most popular thing to do. that's not the purpose of this blog. If you want to get into an argument, feel free to join one of the message boards or groups out there on the subject. There's plenty of bickering going on there...

t1annette said...

I saw a post about the chimical toliet and a green glob.I snapped a few pics of the ceiling in that room and have caught 2 pics with what looks like green lightning and white lightning.I also have pics of large orbs one orb was orange in color.I thought about sending these to someone to see if they could tell me what they are.Anyway something strange seems to be going on on that beautiful piece of land.

scout said...

I have just become aware of this tragic tale and it fascinates me. The more I read, the more tragic it seems. Regardless of any type of religious affiliation these men may or may not have had, regardless of their sexual identity, regardless of their use of LSD, their murders are what was "unholy."

They were harming no one. They made a life for themselves out in the woods away from society. Those who joined them were there on their own accord. The 70's were beginning of the gay revolution and the stand against the likes of Anita Bryant and Jerry Falwell. It was the end of the hippy era of LSD and psychedelic drugs. Now Chattooga county is eat up with METH!

Santanism? I doubt it. Pagan? Could be. Who care?! All religions are cults, even the Baptists and Evangelicals. I am Anglican, and it's still a type of "cult.

Anonymous said...

I went there last Saturday twice once during the day and once at night...I felt strong heaviness during the day heard a loud growl...Anyone willing to share pics pls email me I'm very interested in this place, but no one deserves to be murdered,My sister was it's wrong..
parker2588@yahoo.com

Nickels said...

A couple of friend took me to see Corspewood Manor Sunday before last! I slept the whole way out there so i missed the history lesson! It was like 4 in the morning. I wasn't really freaked out but I also had not idea of the events that had happened there! Can't wait to go back! It is so interesting!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I remember well when this all took place. I was a child and my father new Tony West from the time he was a small boy. When he was arrested my father a christian man spoke to him. The story he told was far different than the one reported in all the stories. These men freaked because of drugs and the things they saw around them. HELL, WHO WOULDN'T. You all make these comments however,place yourself in a dark castle with heavy drugs, Devil portraits, and the stuff they saw. I would freak out. YOU ALL WOULD TOO! If you saw what was actually found there you would crap your pants. Also, yes the castle was burned sometime after the deaths. This was done by someone other than the men who rid the world of these monsters. How long before men started to go missing, get real. This crap was not a game or a lifestyle that was just innocent. This was gonna be like the one big graveyard of young men, someday. I have nothing against someone being gay, but this is not the norm. This was BEYOND CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown said...

e and my friens wet there today. The ruins are amazing so when the house was there it must have been breath taking. The whole time we was there, we felt like someone was watching us. We only stayed 10 mins. but its a 10 mins we wont forget. Alot of people in my family has gone up there at night and had some really scary stuff happen to them. After hat happened today when the sun was shining, I know I wont go there at night.

vandredi said...

i was 17 yrs old when this went down, i remember it well, a close friend of mine went up there, he dug up some of the rose bushes for his mom, several, they all died, keep in mind he could grow ''things'' really well, and his mom had loads of flowers, it was not her first rodeo by any means, also a few years back my ex gf worked for the walker county messenger,(news paper) they were throwing out boxes of old photos taken by treir reporters, in the boxes i found several photos of the inside of the house, and my conclusion is they were indeed satanists, i saw small statue of ''ol beez'' and a round stained glass window with a pentagram and goats head if i remember correctly, also one of the outside with the gargoyle's in it, it was a horrible thing those two did to those folks, who cares if they were satanists, or drug users, they were not bothering any one,christians are the real killers, you cant deny history, salem witch trials and many other 'cleansing' events, they are dangerous and narrow minded, in my opinion religion should be outlawed,it starts wars and divides mankind, sorry if i offend any one but thats my opinion ALSO @anonymous who said ''
i have the police evidence video on dvd i would be willing to sell. the video shows the inside of the whole house. it shows every room in the house and all the outside. does not show inside of chicken house or bathrooms. the video has both men on the ground and there 2 dogs all shot up also.

January 18, 2010 8:39 AM
I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED in seeing this, i have the corpsewood book, but i would like to see more, e mail me at dansmith078@gmail.com

cowboy21_357 said...

Ken. Nice work on your research. You really need to read my blog on here though just google the Truth about Corpse Wood Murder and you should be able to see mine. I live right off in the valley from where the Castle like home stood and my family is talked about in the news paper as one member owning two of the puppies from their dogs. and another family member is the one who dug out the drive way for them that would be later called Dead Horse Road. So I know my research and I know my shit when it comes to this so if you want to check it out please do

Unknown said...

my name is jonathan i lived in rome,ga for 17 years my first time i went up to subligna, ga and went up to the house. it was night time and when we would stop on the road that led up to the drive way the road would get longer and longer. once we got close to the house i heard a dog barking then i heard someone yell then a gun shot! every hair on my whole body stood straight up. i didn't go back for a while. last year i took my wife and two of her friends up there once again at night we got about fifty feet from the house my wife's cell phone started playing patients by guns -n- roses she handed me her cell and i cut it off we took about three more steps and her cell that was in my hand ( cut off mind you) started playing the song again. well my wife took off back to our car and we left. so i know for a fact that place is haunted by someone or something.

Anonymous said...

I remember when these murders happened as I lived in Chattanooga at the time and the story was all over the local news. As I recall though, the two murderers fled the area and were caught in Mississippi where they had murdered somebody in an attempt to steal a vehicle. I wonder what ever happened to the killers? Are they still in prison or have then been executed long ago?

Anonymous said...

These drugged out thieves also killed a off-duty Navy man for his car.
Sounds like very ignorant country folk live up there, and a lot of comments posted to "justify" cold blooded murder. Sad and definitely Not Christian

pepsimax5454 said...

I know its a longshot being 5 years ago, but to the person that says they have a dvd of the police video footage, I am interested, I actually owned a VHS tape of this and about 10-12 years ago let a co-worker borrow it and never got it back. If you or anyone else has a copy of this I am interested you can contact me at pepsimax5454@yahoo.com thanks

Anonymous said...

I think they both played a part in the evil bunny murder photo of a girl in a chicken mask someoñe had to take the phpto... That mysteriously gets found in a dumpster the same year they were murdered. Was there any easter bunny masks in evidence video? The place in evil bunny photo looks like Corpsewood Manor definitely made of bricks too. And, I don't think dead horse road was named for a deceased equine either. I think they fed remains of victims to dogs and bones are in the mortar of corpsewood manor & quite possibly the bricks too. I wouldn't take a brick home. I can see all of Scudder's & Odom's VICTIMS trying to come oout of the walls & all I've seen are photographs. I live in New Mexico and I'm not an expert but I'd bet all my possessions that innocent blood went into all the walls of their castle. And they should have checked their stomach contents too & especially their dogs! That one looked like it had a tiger's tail & leopard's body!

Anonymous said...

I think they both played a part in the evil bunny murder photo of a girl in a chicken mask someoñe had to take the phpto... That mysteriously gets found in a dumpster the same year they were murdered. Was there any easter bunny masks in evidence video? The place in evil bunny photo looks like Corpsewood Manor definitely made of bricks too. And, I don't think dead horse road was named for a deceased equine either. I think they fed remains of victims to dogs and bones are in the mortar of corpsewood manor & quite possibly the bricks too. I wouldn't take a brick home. I can see all of Scudder's & Odom's VICTIMS trying to come oout of the walls & all I've seen are photographs. I live in New Mexico and I'm not an expert but I'd bet all my possessions that innocent blood went into all the walls of their castle. And they should have checked their stomach contents too & especially their dogs! That one looked like it had a tiger's tail & leopard's body! I wouldn't take a brick if I was double dawg dared. They all should be checked for DNA and then buried!

Anonymous said...

I know one is in prison for sure

Unknown said...

I've actually been here before with my siblings, step mom, and dad. It was eerily quiet and had a very dad undertone feeling in the air to it. When we went it was getting scary because my dad went off somewhere and he told us he had found a small campfire with stone around it. There were also cans in what looked like a bathroom of some sort. After that we high tailed it out of there.

Jeanie said...

There are lots of versions of this story that can be googled...everyone a different from another. This one is well written, but I still would not know the true one.. either way, it's tragic that these two men could not live their chosen life and were savagely murdered by two ignorant, no-life, hillbilly's. It is also a shame that even after their grisley demise, rumors, tales and untruth ran rampant then and even today. I've read and believe that Charles Scudder was not a member of the satanists, he only paid for a subscription to a newsletter which cost him $10.00. I have also read that he had a Bible. I've also read that the manor was burned later by others, not by the killers and not during the murders.