A Popularity Contest...

It never ceases to amaze me the Google searches people type in that lead them to Spooked! I review them every so often when curiosity piques. Some are just absurd. Others are about people and places I've mentioned. Yet two specific search terms bring people here most often: Corpsewood and Chip Coffey.

Why? Well, let's review them.

Corpsewood Manor (yes, that was its real name) is a rural Georgia ruin: the site of a grizzly murder in the 1980s. Because of this, it is allegedly haunted by victims Charles Scudder and Joseph Odom, as well as one of their beloved pets. Some say it was a hate crime, instigated by narrow-minded people not so kind toward a gay couple (or jilted by unaccepted advances). Other evidence insists it was a robbery gone awry. I've researched the haunting and it's included in my upcoming book, Queer Paranormal. The isolated place has become an enigma and a favorite place to investigate for many people. Though I haven't yet had the pleasure (or terror, depending on whom you ask) of visiting it, a few friends have. It's legendary. It's dangerous. And it seems that everyone wants to know more about it.

Chip Coffey is a psychic, best known for his regular appearances on Paranormal State and Psychic Kids. Loved by some, hated by others, he is often a topic of rumors, speculation, and gossip (after all, people love to gossip). I do tend to mention him a lot on here. Why? Because I like him on a human level. We think alike in many ways and share many viewpoints. He, too, is a survivor. And he's realistic in his approach to both the paranormal and life. His ability to tell it like it is can be too much for some people to swallow; his fame makes him a prime target for anyone who thinks psychics are a joke. But the more visible anyone is, the more rotten fruit is thrown at them. I've refrained from commenting on here about any of his psychic ability, but that's simply because I don't know. I've never had a reading from him so I can't judge accuracy. And that's true with many psychics I know.

Like FOX News, I try to be "fair and (mentally un-) balanced". I point out both sides of most situations and beliefs, yet I find humor wherever possible. And controversial topics are unavoidable. But I mention the things, people, and places that intrigue, amuse, and enlighten me. Sometimes, these topics jive with what others find interesting, as is proved by Google. Other times, I'm way off base. But that's part of the chaos that is Spooked! And I wouldn't have it any other way.

News from our Strange World...

It's an odd word out there. We're in the middle of some scary times... and I'm not even talking about the economy! If those dire tales of woe from your local broadcasters are turning you numb, here are just a few of the more amusing news stories you missed.

Needling those Politicians...

Sorry, President Sarkozy. A French court has decided against banning voodoo dolls made in his image. The novelty toys may have won, but they didn't walk away unscathed. K&B was ordered to pay one Euro in damages plus court costs and now needs to attach a disclaimer to the doll stating that the President of France disapproves. I'm sure Sarkozy is feeling a but more blue than his fabric likeness.

Girl Power(s)...

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has decided to 'spice up her life'. The actress and singer recently discovered her own psychic abilities! As proof of her supernatural skills, she accurately predicted that one of her PAs would give birth to a girl. Good going, Ginger. It's the little victories that matter most, right?

¡Salsa Dios Mío!

The Virgin Mary decided to get a little favor when she miraculouly appeared in salsa splatter on a wall in Bakersfield. While mincing the Spanish treat in a blender, the California woman noticed the pattern on her kitchen cabinet after some dip splashed out of its container. The anonymous homeowner says there is also the scent of roses in her flowerless home. She told local media sources that she beieves it to be a sign that "people need to start treating each other better". She could start by passing the nachos...

Drive-In Ghost Tours...

Don't believe what you hear; ghost hunting can be deadly! Participants in a Charleston ghost tour discovered this for themselves Tuesday night when an out-of-control Mazda RX7 crashed through the crowd at Meeting and Broad streets, known as the Four Corners of Law. The driver accidentally stepped on the gas instead of the clutch, injuring two tourists. Tour owner John LaVerne refunded everyone, though most continued the tour. Talk about your die-hard ghost hunters!

I Fell into a Burning Ring of Fire...

What do you do when your apartment is infiltrated by evil? Well, a woman in Marietta, Georgia thought she chose the best solution: burn it down. Claiming that items inside her dwelling were possessed by voodoo curses, Felicia Johnson stacked the belongings in two piles and lit them ablaze to "cleanse the apartment of the spirits". Marietta Fire Department quickly conquered the flames and avoided serious damage to the complex. She was charged with first degree arson and taken to a hospital to undergo mental evaluation.

Planting the Seed of Mystery...

I confess that more often than not, I tell myself I want to read a certain book and end up forgetting all about it. As with my list of "to-watch" movies, my "to-read" list is quite lengthy. Yet I finally took the time to read a former best-seller... 15 years after it was published.

Although I've watched the film more times than I can remember, I wanted to take time to read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evilwhile I had the chance. I spent the past weekend in the company of the novel, which turned out to be quite a good and amusing read. The characters were diverse. The crime (you can't call it a "murder" since he was acquitted, apparently) still baffles some people. Yet as a piece of literary history, I was impressed.

And I'm left wondering if the term "dead time", so often tossed around by the troop on Paranormal State, isn't some extrapolated redefinition of the identical phrase used in this book.

Of course, no good book comes without controversy, and I know there was plenty of it. John Berendt has suffered a good tongue-lashing from critics and journalists. Much of the "non-fiction" work ended up being inaccurate. There was a secret contract which, to this day, has never been made pubic between the author and Jim Williams, the accused. Random House was up in arms when these details leaked out. But it doesn't end there.

The house, now owned by Jim's sister, became famous and a popular stop for tourists. Yet she was never the intended owner. Her inheritance consisted of the rights to a game named "Psychic Dice" and the whopping sum of $10. That's when it really gets interesting. The house was placed on the market for the absurd price of $9 million (but it failed to sell, so was taken off the market). $1 million in antiques owned by Jim found their way to Sotheby's for auction (including the very rug Danny Hansford died on). People selling photographs of the front of the house found themselves in legal trouble, since his sister claimed legal ownership of the exterior images.

What a nightmare.

The house is currently a "museum" and there are many mixed feelings about it. Yet it is a beautiful piece of Italianate architecture and quite infamous to say the least. Then there's the haunting, which makes it a perfect mention for this blog.

Regardless of what has and will be said by many, I still would recommend the book. Just be sure to take it all with a grain of salt. As a novel, it's an excellent read. As a historical chronicle, however, you might want to dig a little deeper.

And most interesting of all, there is something this tale has in common with the Corpsewood Murders... but I'll leave you all wondering for a while.

Messin' with Sasquatch...

If what Matthew Whitton and Tom Biscardi claim is true, the mystery of Bigfoot finally might be solved.

And they have the corpse to prove it.

Whitton, a police officer, and his friend Rick Dyer, a former corrections officer, say they didn't shoot the animal. They found the dead body in the woods of northern Georgia. It is described as 7 feet 7 inches tall, weighing over 500 pounds, having reddish-brown hair or fur, and having feet over 16 inches long.

They stored the body and froze it to keep it from further decay. There are even pictures.

Biscardi, CEO of Searching for Bigfoot Inc. in California, has examined the body and sent the DNA in for testing. The results are in, and the answer is...

Well, we'll have to wait a few more days to find that out. A press conference to be held on Friday at noon in Palo Alto, California will reveal all the answers to this mystery.

The greater question is, if this is the real McCoy, how did he die? Too much beef jerky?

Supernatural Spotlight: Chip Coffey

It's hard to throw a stone without hitting a psychic these days (I wouldn't recommend it... some of them might take offense). Though many undergo tough scrutiny, a few names have managed to work their way into the limelight. Since I have mentioned him in passing on several occasions, I felt compelled this week to highlight Chip Coffey.

Coffey is a medium, paranormal investigator, and writer from Elmira, New York whom many of you may be familiar with from his work on Paranormal State on A&E. He is clairvoyant, clairaudient, and clairsentient (able to see, hear, and feel psychic impressions, respectively).

His abilities seem to run in the family: his great grandmother, Minnie Sue Morrow Foster, was a Native American shaman and medicine woman. Both Coffey's mother and sister were visited by her ghost after her death in 1936.

When he's not trying to help the dead, he does his best to help the living as well. Coffey holds a Masters Degree in Counseling and provides spiritual support through various hospice organizations. InStyle Magazine called him "a cross between John Edward and Dr. Phil".

Aside from his many television and radio appearances, you can find Coffey on MySpace.com or check out his old blog on Blogspot. I personally find him very amusing (in a good way, of course)... and his sense of humor is very refreshing! He also teams up with psychic Patti Starr for Ghost Chasers International. He is currently based in the Atlanta area.

Chip will be appearing this Wednesday morning (May 14th) on Sirius Radio's OutQ in the Morning with Larry Flick at 9:00 AM EST.

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...