Corpsewood Manor: Murder on the Mountain — Research & References
The story of Corpsewood Manor has been retold for decades, and over time, documented facts have become mixed with local legend, paranormal claims, rumors, and sensationalized reporting.
For this episode of Truth in the Shadows: Crime, Mystery, and Politics, I used a combination of published research, court records, contemporary newspaper coverage, Charles Scudder’s own writing, and later reporting to separate what can be documented from what remains part of the Corpsewood legend.
Some paranormal experiences, alleged curses, and stories surrounding the property cannot be independently verified and are presented as claims or folklore rather than established fact.
Featured Book
Amy Petulla — The Corpsewood Manor Murders in North GeorgiaThe History Press, 2016.
This was one of my primary resources while researching the episode. Petulla explores Charles Scudder and Joseph “Joey” Odom’s lives, the construction of Corpsewood Manor, Kenneth Avery Brock and Samuel “Tony” West, the murders, investigation, trial, estate dispute, questions surrounding the victims’ remains, and the legends that developed around the property afterward. Google Books
Primary & Legal Sources
Charles L. Scudder — “A Castle in the Country,” Mother Earth News, 1981
This one is especially important because it allows Charles to speak for himself. Scudder describes leaving Chicago with Joey and their two English Mastiffs, purchasing the forty acres in Georgia, their difficult arrival, building their home, living without electricity, growing food, and why he wanted a more isolated life. He wrote that within two years they were living in their “mini-castle.” Mother Earth News
West v. State, Supreme Court of Georgia, 252 Ga. 156 (1984)
The Georgia Supreme Court opinion provides an important primary legal record of the murders of Charles Scudder and Joseph Odom, including the homemade wine, toluene, robbery, shootings, ransacking of the home, theft of the Jeep, and West’s defense involving alleged LSD intoxication. The court ultimately reversed West’s original convictions and sentences because of problems with the composition of the grand-jury list, requiring reindictment and retrial. Justia Law
West v. State, Supreme Court of Mississippi, 519 So. 2d 418 (1988)
This opinion concerns Samuel Tony West’s prosecution in Mississippi for the murder of Kirby Key Phelps and is an important source for the events that occurred after West and Brock fled Georgia.
Contemporary Newspaper Coverage
The Summerville News — “Corpsewood Special,” December 10, 1992
This retrospective special contains reporting and interviews connected to the investigation, prosecution, defense attorneys, the condition of the property, and the aftermath of the murders. It also documents that Avery Brock was arrested at a Marietta service station on December 20, 1982, and that Samuel Tony West surrendered on December 24. Georgia Historic Newspapers
Readers should keep in mind that some contemporary reporting used highly sensational language when describing Charles and Joey, particularly regarding their sexuality and religious beliefs. That sensationalism is itself part of the history examined in this episode.
Additional Reporting & Background
B.T. Harman — “The Corpsewood Murders: 40 Years Later,” Atlanta Magazine, October 27, 2022
This long-form retrospective revisits Charles and Joey’s lives, their move from Chicago, construction of their home, relationships with local residents, the Pink Room, the murders, media coverage, and the legends that continued to surround the property forty years later. Atlanta Magazine
North Georgia History — “Death Comes to Corpsewood Manor”
Used as supplementary background while examining the construction of the property, local history, Scudder’s writings, and later accounts surrounding the case. Because some details surrounding Corpsewood differ depending on the source, secondary accounts were compared against stronger primary and legal sources whenever possible. Mysite 1
A Note on the Legends
Stories about Corpsewood Manor did not end with the murders.
Over the years, people have reported strange experiences at or around the ruins, including unexplained sounds, figures in the woods, barking dogs, feelings of being watched, supposedly cursed objects taken from the property, and other paranormal activity. The property’s history has also become intertwined with stories surrounding Charles’s artwork and questions about the final disposition of Charles and Joey’s remains.
These stories are fascinating—and they are part of why Corpsewood has endured in local folklore—but a legend being repeated does not make it a documented fact.
Where the historical record ends and the folklore begins, this episode tries to leave that distinction intact.
Please remember: the Corpsewood Manor ruins are on privately owned property. This episode and reference page are not an invitation to trespass, remove objects, or disturb the site.
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