The Corpsewood Manor Murders in North Georgia

by Amy Petulla

In 1982, Tony West and Avery Brock made a visit to notorious Corpsewood Manor under the pretense of a celebration. They brutally murdered their hosts. Dr. Charles Scudder and companion Joey Odom built the “castle in the woods” in the Trion forest after Scudder left his position as professor at Loyola. He brought with him twelve thousand doses of LSD. Rumors of drug use and Satanism swirled around the two men. Scudder even claimed to have summoned a demon to protect the estate. The murders set the stage for a trial vibrant with local lore. Author Amy Petulla uncovers the curious case that left two men dead and the incredible story still surrounded by controversy, speculation and myth.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, True Story

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2016

Reviews

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

True Crime Commemoration # 35

[Anne McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

True crime isn't my usual genre, but this one is set in Trion, GA, my hometown, and my former husband was the assistant DA who prosecuted the case against Tony West. I spent a couple of afternoons at the trial, while my grandparents looked after our baby Nicholas for an hour or two. I know the author, Amy Petulla, who worked in the district attorney's office.

It's a wonder it took this long for someone to write the book about these cold-blooded crimes. Everyone knew from the beginning that this was one for the books - the brick castle in the National Forest, devil worshipers, dead dogs, reluctant teenage witnesses, an eerie self-portrait of a victim that seemed to predict his awful fate.

If anyone involved with this case claims they didn't have bad dreams about it, they're lying. Everyone did.

This was a trip down memory lane for me. Amy Petulla captures the bizarre nature of the case. Corpsewood Manor, the victims' home, featured Satanic memorabilia. Scudder and his companion Joey Odom, kept a guest book rumored to contain names of half the county, including a few Sunday school teachers unable to contain their curiosity about the two men living out in the woods, welcoming their guests with homemade wine. That guest book seems to have disappeared.

Corpsewood haunts people to this day, as witnessed by those who visit the grounds and post videos to YouTube. I've never been there and never will go. Amy Petulla describes some of other weird cases that occurred in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, some of which are almost as bizarre as what would become known as "the devil worshipers murder." Is there an extranormal connection among them, a curse upon the land? Probably not. But haunting is haunting. This much I know.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Charles L. Scudder and his companion, Joseph "Joey" Odom, built a manor house in the middle of the Chattahoochee Forest. (The manor house has since been mostly destroyed, which is a tragedy unto itself.) The pair, and their dogs, were murdered in December 1982 in their home. The culprits, Avery Brock and Tony West, were eventually apprehended and made to stand trial. This case is interesting for several reasons: massive quantities of LSD, membership in the Church of Satan, the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, stupid murder plans, homosexuality in the Bible Belt, and hauntings. If you are looking for a full gambit, this book has it for you.

I bought this book during the most recent 80% off sale on Audible, and was pleased to discover that the author is one of the tour guides here for the ghost tour company in Chattanooga! My coworker just recently took the tour and told me that when I showed her the books I purchased. I found the book to be informative about the victims, others involved, and the locals. I always love reading about places I actually know because it paints a firm picture in my mind. I will say that one of the saddest parts of this book had to be the loss of some wonderful collectable pieces of art and oddities. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and informative

I only heard about this recently. It was interesting that most people didn’t mind these two dudes but some misinformed idiots decided to take their lives.

The book was well written and took the reader through every facet of them building the house to the trial and afterwards. I wish there was more Information and details on the lives of the two men, but it is what it is.

[Paulette Illmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but thorough, this details the murder of the two residents of Corpsewood Manor, as well as including several other noteworthy crimes in the same area. The timeline at the end gives perspective on how coincidentally related these could seem, although they are not linked. Is it possible for an area to draw evil to it? Perhaps small town life has so little crime in comparison to more populated areas, that when it strikes, it is all the more noticeable. Regardless, this is well told.

[Ephiny Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, I would give it a 3.5, but since we can only do whole stars here, I always round up, so hence why it's a four.

Anyway, I bought this at my local bookstore, where they have a section for local (Georgia) writers. This case happened five years before I was born, but I was curious because I'd never heard of this case (neither had my mother, who lived in GA since the 60's--though admittedly in the lower Metro-Atlanta area).

It was written alright, and I liked hearing the history with all the players involved--the judge, the perps, the victims, the attorneys. Petulla really did her research. I do wish though she had stuck with the crime and related events, rather than trying to dip her toe into the supernatural "curse" post-murders or at least developed that portion better. Still, it was a quick read, and I got to learn something new.

P.S. I know this has nothing to do with anything...but God, this book smelled good!

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true account of the deaths of Dr. Charles Scudder and his companion, Joey Odom. They bought an area of land in North Georgia and built a house and called it Corpswood Manor, where they practiced homosexuality, drugs and satanism. They were both killed there by their house guests, Tony West and Avery Brock. Even to this day, people believe it is haunted! No Spoilers! I highly recommend this true crime book!

[Lisa Kizer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of the book was interesting. But once the author got to the trial and afterwards she became almost too technical to understand. She finishes with a little bit of ghost stories concerning the murdered couple, Scuddle and Odom.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are a number of books about this case; surely there's a better one available.

[Daniel Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times self incriminating - helpful for this book. Smoothly arranged with few distractions. Far fetched in connections at times.

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nowhere outside the fictional town of Castle Rock has such a plethora of aberrant crime flourished in such a small community.

Absolutely unequivocally crazy!

As a resident of northwest Georgia and local history nut, it’s going to be impossible for me to be unbiased about this book. Not only is the site of the notorious Chattooga County ‘devil house’ less than an hour from my front door, but one of the lead investigators of the case was a former boss. Years after the murders, I actually responded to what some might characterize as a supernaturally-influenced epilogue to the infamous klllings: the horror show at the infamous Tri-State Crematory. I wish I could say that author Amy Petulla embellished the macabre aspects of the case just to sell a few more books, but this is the definitive take on that grisly double homicide, replete with its connections to drugs, orgies, Satanism and occultism, the details of which continue to chill the spines of those who have heard tales of Corpsewood Manor.

Constructed in a remote section of Chattooga County by the eccentric Dr. Charles Scudder, Corpsewood Manor might appear a dark reflection to the nearby Biblically-inspired Paradise Gardens (built by the equally eccentric folk artist Howard Finster). The manor’s thick brick walls hiding antique furnishings, skulls and gargoyles, Satanically inspired architectural flourishes, with a nearby outbuilding for chickens, pornography, and a pink-painted adult playroom. Petulla hides none of the bizarreness, delivering a starkly unsettling real-life, rural gothic, that begins with a nice sketch of small-town charm and peculiarity before stagediving into the oddities of Corpsewood even before murder further darkened its reputation. The book is only made all the creepier by Petulla’s catalogue of black-and-white photos – including a few from the crime scene that are NOT for the faint of heart -- that will quickly raise even the jaded reader’s skin to gooseflesh.

As strange a story as this is, it would have been easy (even tempting) for Petulla to slip into sensationalistic tripe, but she only spices the story with the supernatural, acknowledging the strange occult influences that some see as hanging over the case – from the bad luck that seems to clings to the estate’s souvenir hunters, to the self-portrait of Scudder that seems to presage his murder, to the unseen menace that police investigators felt watching them during their first hours at the manor house. The head nod to the uncanny only adds to disturbing feel of the book. At the same time, her portrayal of other principle characters in the case, such as Sheriff Gary McConnell (who hired me into the Georgia Emergency Management Agency more than two decades ago), is fair and honest, capturing for example McConnell’s larger-than-life presence on the pages.

If there’s a slow spot to the story, it’s the trials; interesting, but after the batshit crazy of the opening chapters, its hard to maintain that level of jaw-drop. Regardless, whether you’re a fan of true crime, weird world tales, north Georgia esoterica, or just a GEMA-alumni, The Corpsewood Manor Murders in North Georgia is titillating reading.

[Side Real Press · Rating 2 out of 5]

My days of reading tales of true crime are largely over but as my neighbours knew and visited the couple at their house in the woods I was suitably intrigued.

So, a gay couple escape the rat-race, move to the rural Georgia and build themselves a house. They hold a few discreet sex parties and have some ‘weapon grade’ liquid LSD. They are also (probably card carrying) members of La Vey's Church Of Satan and their place has a bit of a Gothic look about it.

Now although they likeable and discreet, as much as one can be in the countryside, they (obviously) get a ‘reputation’ and two small time criminals decide they must have a lot of cash on the premises and so murder them, get caught and go to trial. This is pretty much the book.

Now, I might have made it sound suitable weird and exciting, but really this is a sad, even banal, murder story albeit with a few ‘juicy’ trappings. It’s a crime that becomes local folklore because it occurred in ’the sticks’ and not much goes on there. Even now, the site is supposed to be haunted (of course!), bad luck follows those who steal a brick as souvenir (of course! but why would you do so?) etc. etc.

For those who remember the likes of ’True Detective’ magazine which detailed grisly murders with a sex-angle the Corpsewood case is manna from heaven and probably worth about as large a page count. The writing style is only a tad above this calibre, being a bit gushing and rove repetitive, yes! They are gay! They had some parties! We know…

This book has been spun out to just over a hundred and twenty pages which is a hundred too many. Look the case up online and if you feel you need to know (a little) more get this book.

However the author did remind me (as she gives a brief biography of him, about the areas other claim to fame which is, the Rvd. Howard Finster. Google him! He is great! Finster has…er…nothing to do with the case at all but does help fill a few pages. Far more worthy of some print than the book under consideration.

I’m astonished to see that there are a number of other books on this case. Crikey!

[Rei ⭐ [TrulyBooked] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first heard of the Corpsewood Manor Murders through this book and I won't deny that I was drawn in by the macabre nature of it all. Two men who were lovers in a time when it wasn't considered "right" for same sex couples to be together, practicing Satanists in a heavily religious South, were murdered in their own home. The culprits blamed the men, they blamed drugs, they blamed everything but themselves for the murders.

Amy Petulla lays out a very factual recollection of the crime. If you're a true crime buff who likes having a straightforward view of what happened, then this is the book for you. As for me? I like it more when my non-fiction reads like fiction, so the book got bogged down in a couple chapters for me, but I liked it.

If you've never heard of Corpsewood Manor or the murders that happened there, it's definitely worth a look.

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

So 2 guys move to a small town in GA's wood, set up there to live and basically have sex party's (never really explained why) and were satan lovers (never explained why) or something like that. They are murdered by 2 guys. This is their story.

The book should have been better and more researched than what is was. She made too many speculations about things and really went off on tangents that weren't necessary and did not make sense. The writing at time was poor. Luckily it was only 125 pages, with photo's...although it was single spaced which made it harder to read. Maybe they did that so they wouldn't waste paper and help the environment.

SKIP!!!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was quite fascinating because it is such a bizarre story and because of the local flavor. The murder took place in neighboring Chattooga County (I live in Dade), Georgia, and the many of the places and names are very familiar. The district attorney, for instance, was also the DA for our county and many of the attorneys were familiar, too.

I did think the author was stretching things a bit by connecting these murders to the infamous Marsh Crematory incident which happened in a neighboring county many years later.

[Maisy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - 1.5 Stars Frankly, this book is so poorly written I couldn't even make it through more than a third. It reads like a high school research paper written the night before the deadline - there's just a bunch of unrelated information all stuffed in to fill up a word count. While I appreciate the author understanding that the murders were most likely the result of bigotry and didn't have anything to do with the men being predatory Satanists, that's basically the only positive thing I have to say about it.

[Angel Giovannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light, engaging read that balances true crime with a glimpse into Appalachian culture and history. I appreciated the background provided on each of the legal figures involved—especially notable given that two of them now sit on Georgia’s Supreme Court. The author takes time to paint the scene not just of the crime, but of the remote North Georgia forest landscape around Corpsewood Manor, which I personally loved as a fan of Appalachian nature. The case is both bizarre and tragic, and Amy Petulla does a good job presenting the facts while acknowledging the myths and local lore that still surround it.

[Julie Angstadt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising Story

I sometimes like true crime stories, just to get a different perspective on things. This one is surprising—two homosexual men move to a plot of land surrounded by national park forest land. They also are Satan worshippers. A couple of young men decide to rob them, not knowing they keep limited cash. This story goes on and on— the trial is difficult. People try to take things from the grounds.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was Chattooga County some sort of Hellmouth back in the 1970's and '80's? Attorney author does a good job of relaying the story of Corpsewood Manor and the deaths of the two supposed Satanists who reigned there until their deaths.

[Charles Reimler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Written Non Fiction True Crime Account Of Eccentric Gay Couple Living Extreme Rural Area, And Teenagers Murder Of Two Adult Males For Pocket Change! Unique Story Factual Research By Quality Author!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpectedly excellent

I admit I wouldn’t have read this book unless recommended for book club, but it was quite an interesting story about local lurid and criminal events a while back. It’s a quick, easy, newsworthy read that was well done. I recommend it.

[Jewell Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in GA and having friends that live in Rome, near where this all took place, made it an interesting read. It definitely wasn't a book to read for pleasure and I got an eerie feeling after I finished it. If you're into the morbid and true facts you'd like it.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I'm a born and bred Trion girl, I never knew the background of this bizarre event. I was gone from the area when the murders happened, but know many of the places and people mentioned in the book and enjoyed reading the story.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

fair warning: pics of the crime scene (including the two dogs' bodies) 2 stars for the research put in, not any further because it felt disrespectful to the victims and also i dont need to know anything about the murderers, let alone their life stories. that's just my personal opinion.

[Ben Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and so, so creepy.

[Tina Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

She does do a great job at telling the story. I've seen the crime scene tape and have read other stories about the murders.

[Donna Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to read because it happened near where I grew up.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

So all this murder and mayhem was happening in my state while I was living the life as an oblivious college student … is that redundant? Anyhoo, an interesting, brutal, sad read.

[Sherrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting case in Trion, Ga, just very poorly written.

[Christy David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read.