Dr. Charles Scudder was many things: an artist, musician, pharmacology professor, and a practicing member of the Church of Satan. He also had a flair for the dramatic. Shortly after his fiftieth birthday in 1977, he announced his retirement from Loyola University, sold most of his possessions, and vanished into the north Georgia wilderness with 12,000 hits of LSD to build a castle.
It was called Corpsewood Manor, named after the bleak, barren trees that grew on his forty-acre parcel of land on Taylor Ridge. Together with his lover, Joseph Odom, Scudder constructed the brick monstrosity in just under two years. When the main structure was finished, they built a three-story “chicken house.” The first floor was indeed a home for chickens; the second floor stored their pornography collection, and the third floor, known as the “Pink Room,” was reserved for entertaining.
Scudder had grown disenchanted with the modern world, loathing its structure, dependencies, and politics. He longed for independence and privacy, where he could live off the grid—free from bills and self-sufficient. The property had no electricity, phone lines, or sewer service. Scudder dug his own well and grew much of his food. For a time, he, Odom, and their two English Mastiffs lived in their own private paradise.
Scudder and Odom were open about their sexuality and affiliation with Satanism. Their dogs were named after demons (Beelzebub and Arsinath), and their home was decorated with Satanic imagery, including a stained-glass relief of Baphomet, handcrafted by Scudder. It’s important to note that Scudder and Odom were followers of the Church of Satan, founded by Anton LaVey, which is strictly atheist and does not worship any deity, Satan or otherwise. Despite their eccentricities, the couple was accepted by nearby communities, and they had no conflicts with their neighbors.
In 1982, 17-year-old Kenneth Brock wandered into Corpsewood while hunting. Scudder and Odom extended their hospitality, and they quickly became friends. Brock became a regular visitor to the Pink Room in Scudder’s chicken coop. Fueled by homemade wine and LSD, their encounters often turned sexual. It remains uncertain whether Brock was coerced by Scudder, but it’s clear the activities continued for some time, with Brock eventually inviting his roommate to join.
Brock’s roommate, 30-year-old Tony West, was vehemently opposed to homosexuality and refused to participate in that aspect of the parties, although he still attended. West had deep psychological scars, likely stemming from a tragic childhood accident in which he killed his young cousin while playing with a loaded gun. By all accounts, West was a deeply troubled individual, prone to violence.
West convinced Brock that Scudder was taking advantage of him and devised a plan to retaliate. A popular rumor in the area claimed that Scudder and Odom were extremely wealthy and that their castle was filled with riches. Tony West believed this rumor and, on the night of December 12, 1982, he and Brock set their plan in motion.
Joining West and Brock were Brock’s friends Joey Wells and Teresa Hudgins, who came along for the ride but had no idea what West had in store. The evening began like any other party in the Pink Room, with the guests enjoying their preferred recreational substances. In this case, they were huffing paint thinner and varnish fumes, supplemented by Scudder’s wine.
As the party continued, West excused himself. He retrieved a rifle from his car, then went to the main house, which was off-limits to all party guests. He entered, killed both English Mastiffs, and shot and killed Scudder’s partner, Joey Odom.
West then returned to the Pink Room, forced Scudder out at gunpoint, and dragged him to the main house. After showing him the bodies of Odom and their dogs, he tied Scudder up and began torturing him, demanding he hand over his riches. It soon became clear that no treasure existed. West shot Scudder five times in the head at point-blank range, then proceeded to loot the house for whatever he could find.
It was reported that Charles Scudder’s last words were, “I asked for this.” This statement remains puzzling, given his violent death. A self-portrait painted by Scudder may shed light on his strange remark. Created after a particularly bad dream, the portrait depicts Scudder bound and gagged with five bullet holes in his forehead. When asked about the painting, Scudder would say, “This is how I will die.”
Brock and West fled to Mississippi, where they killed another man in a robbery gone wrong. Feeling remorseful, Brock returned to Georgia and surrendered to police on December 20. West would remain on the run for another five days, turning himself in on Christmas Day in Tennessee.
In the aftermath of the murders, Scudder’s estate was settled, and the property was sold. Tony West and Kenneth Brock were both arrested and tried for their roles in the brutal killings. West, who had fled following the murders, was captured in Tennessee and brought back to Georgia, where he was convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to life in prison. Brock, who had surrendered to authorities in Mississippi, was also convicted and received a lengthy prison sentence. In a grim twist, just months after the murders, Corpsewood Manor and its strange chicken coop were consumed by fire, which was almost certainly arson. The ruins that remain today, with their weathered bricks and crumbling foundation, stand as a haunting reminder of the tragedy.
The remnants of Corpsewood Manor fade into the sickly trees it was named after. The site has since become a popular spot for explorers and paranormal investigators. Locals have renamed Taylor Ridge, Devil Worshiper Ridge, a dark remembrance of the events that transpired in winter of 1982. Accounts of eerie phenomena persist—shadowy figures seen moving through the trees, the sounds of phantom screams and barking, and the distant echo of gunshots.
Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
