and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. I studied this legend extensively in my Folklore and Mythology concentration at George Mason and sadly (or gladyly!) On the edges of the bridge, there are wear marks from where all the people where hung. 43The "Rabbit" Reappears. 17No Clew Yet. This material has finally come to rest in the holdings of the University of Maryland. October 29, 1970. Today, the story of the Bunny Man has overtaken the actual truth. It is possible that a young man did dress in a rabbit suit and put an ax into someone's porch post, or that another man did indeed throw an ax at a pair of trespassers while dressed as either a bunny or (more likely) in a Klan outfit. Little effort was required to show that all of the specifics given in the Forbes version are false. The story also received wide recognition after being featured on national television. She remembered very clearly combing glass from the shattered glass window out of this girls hair, says Conley. To this day, its said that if you are at Bunny Man Bridge at midnight on Halloween night, you too will meet the fate of those teens and rabbits. The Bunny Man has actually begun appearing in print in recent years, having been mentioned in several high school newspapers,1 and more recently, on the Internet. The Bunny Man is an urban legend that originated from two incidents in Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1970, but has been spread throughout the Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas. The couple quarreled and Mrs. Holober took the child and walked away from her husband and never returned. [9], Norfolk Southern freight train at Colchester Overpass, Train and road traffic at Colchester Overpass. Either way, it makes for a great story this Halloween. First, although the tale is told in jurisdictions all around the Washington, D. C. area, the bulk of them take place in Fairfax County. The careful work of these two, combined with the searching capabilities of a computer database, allowed us to extract every murder and killing reported by the local press from 1872 through 1973. And all of a sudden, they looked up and there was this bunny. I got tired of saying I dont know, he explains. Less than two weeks ago a man wearing what was described as a rabbit suit accused two persons in a parked car of trespassing and heaved a hatchet through a closed window of the car at 5400 Guinea Rd. Updated: 08/07/2018 . b. Eighteen involve the Bunny Man chasing or frightening people, usually children, with a hatchet or ax I was even further surprised to find a second appearance recorded two weeks later: The "Rabbit" Reappears34 As of this writing, no one has come forward and admitted to being the notorious Bunny Man. Theres no record of a Douglas J Griffin or an inmate with that name. But, is this story true or is it just an urban legend? Hopefully, you wont be standing in the way. Bunnyman, Bunnyman, Bunnymansay the word Bunnyman three times and something exciting is supposed to happen at Bunnyman Bridge. Two documented appearances by a bunny-suited figure in the same Fairfax County community. Others were rumored to have disappeared, and there was talk of animals found horribly mutilated. He was born in Margaretville, NY and lived in Roxbury, NY, Wayne, NJ, and Media, PA. . 2901 Tanglewood Drive Kempner, Copperas Cove, TX is the last known address for Douglas. Except Lorton wasn't built for pyschopaths, but rather as a workhouse for "less serious offenders". March 14, 1971. For the next several weeks more reports came into local PD and resulted in several articles in the Washington Post. The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) and the Norfolk Southern police department took interest. He had scratches on his face and hands, was wearing freshly laundered clothes, and claimed to have no memory of the events between his leaving Camp Humphries and his capture. Upon interviewing every one in this case that may have had any knowledge of any incidents concerning a white rabbit, that has been no significant information uncovered that would lead to the identity of the person or persons that were posing as a white rabbit. The media got a hold of it and stories of the Bunny Man flew off the shelves. I used to party there all the time. Edit Search New Search. 1971. Weeks passed, and rabbit corpses began appearing in the woods. He recalled that there was physical damage to the car and that the couple seemed genuinely frightened by the event. I was listening to the news. 474 ii Minerva 6 Griffin [1397], born 4 Jun 1817 in Smithville, Ontario, Canada; died 1817. Being forced to watch helplessly while the face of your community changes around you can elicit strange behavior in some people. 16, 1951, P.1, 11Holober to Have New Trial. A creepy guy, on Halloween, dressed oddly, throwing hatchets at peopleits just too bizarre to possibly be true, says Fairfax County Archivist Brian Conley, But it is.. Public records show that the phone number (254) 547-2756 is linked to Dorothy Marie Rusin, Donna J Walker, Katherine A Grunden, Ronald L Grunden. Griffin is an English, Irish, and Welsh surname, with different but related origins in each case. Fairfax County Police Department. Fairfax Herald, June 16, 1950, P.1, 10Holober Sent to State Hospital. Pam Jinks, 68 - Apr 17, 2020 Robert Lester Blake, 62 - Apr 15, 2020 Lynda Posey, 76 - Apr 9, 2020 Lester Arnold, 71 - Apr 8, 2020 Judy Shumway Purdy, 74 - Mar 31, 2020 Charles Edward . Then one Halloween night, a group of kids were hanging around the bridge. 2http://www.castleofspirits.com/ghoststories/classic/clifton.html. Dr. Griffin specializes in foot and ankle conditions in patients of all ages. And then they found these places that sell costumes and all. On October 18, 1970, the Washington Post reported that Air Force Academy cadet Robert Bennett and his fiance were sitting in a car on the 5400 block of Guinea Road in Fairfax around midnight near Bennett's uncle's house when "a man dressed in a white suit with long bunny ears appeared.". Additional thanks belongs to everyone who shared their personal recollections with the author. Cumming, Douglas & Kchling, Gerrit & Neukirchen, Daniel & Posch, Peter, 2022. Third, neither Grifon nor Wallster appear in the court records of Fairfax County. On the morning of Aug. 4, 1918, Eva Roy, age 14, left her home near Burke, at around 9:00 a.m. to tend her father's small herd of cows. With him resided his eldest daughter Caroline, her husband William K. Jerman, and his younger daughter Eva. "29 This paper was compiled as part of the course work for a class entitled Introduction to Folklore (English 460). 1973 University of Maryland undergrads class paper, Google Maps now even calls Bunny Man Bridge, Fearless Artist Is Helping Creators Overcome Obstacles, Rebecca Boggs Robertss New Book Highlights the Other President Wilson, Goodbye, Mazza Gallerie and Lakeforest Mall, Dan About Town: The Best of Bashes, Balls, and Benefits This Past January and February, 5 Takeaways from ESPNs (Newest) Bombshell Dan Snyder Report, Trucker Convoys Began to Fail Their Way Around DC One Year Ago, PHOTOS: Supporters Rally for Ukraine on the Anniversary of the Russian Invasion, DCs Hottest Dating Show Is the Zoos Horny Ducks, Check Out DC Uniteds New Cherry Blossom Jersey (Sorry, Kit), DCs Best Breakfast Sandwich Pop-Up Is Becoming an All-Day Restaurant, 11 Fun Things to Do in the Washington, DC, Area in March, The 100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington. Fox News National Security Reporter Jennifer Griffin Ripped Ex-Trump Advisor Douglas Macgregor To Shreds For Spewing Putin Propaganda On The Network. Investigator Johnson was following leads generated by school-yard rumors less than two weeks after the first appearance of the Bunny Man, and by the time Patricia Johnson began her work two-and-a-half years later, the story had mutated in location, frequency, and severity. His infrequent and widespread appearances tended to occur in secluded locations and usually tell of a figure clad in a white bunny suit armed with an ax threatening children or vandalizing property. Fairfax County Police Department. Location & Hours 15 Wirt St SW Leesburg, VA 20175 Get directions Edit business info Recommended Reviews Your trust is our top concern, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. This last assertion is based upon one other important factor that has emerged through my research. Officers later found that Grifon was institutionalized for killing his family and children on Easter Sunday. Its a public place, right? On October 18 the Bunny Man accused Robert Bennett of trespassing.42 On October 29 the Bunny Man told security guard Paul Phillips that "You all trespass around here. With development came a paved road, new residents, Virginia Railway Express trains and more traffic. First, there has never been an asylum for the insane in Fairfax County. I was elated (and not a little surprised) to find the following: Man in Bunny Suit Sought in Fairfax33 He claimed the presence of the girl's father spurred him to recant his confession. The investigation report confirms the basics of the event as told in the October 31 Washington Post article. Third, the original event was probably criminal in nature. Douglas J. Grifon Alias The Bunnyman Origin Urban legends (around 1970) Occupation Serial killer Vengeful ghost Powers / Skills Increased speed Survival skills Stealth Teleportation Weapon usage Murder skills Nigh-invulnerability Invisibility Hobby Killing people and cannibalizing their bodies (often stringing them up over the bridge). [10]. Not only is the location identified, but also the names of several victims and the dates of their murders. 28Reel, Monte, Famed Goatman Forever Held in Dusty Room. As the population increased the fears of living near an insane asylum arose and eventually a petition was signed by the populus of the county to have the inmates transferred to another facility known as the Lorton Prison. He is married to Annie Poirier. Vol. Two weeks later, the Bunny Man showed up again about a block away from his original sighting, according to a October 31 Washington Post article. The build-up of Federal employment in the region fueled intensive residential development in the closer suburbs of Arlington and Fairfax Counties. Or, 2) There are multiple copy cats doing this in different locations. Fairfax Herald, Jan. 28, 1938, P.1. Dr. Douglas Griffin, DPM is a Podiatry Specialist in San Tan Valley, AZ. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. He asked her for food and in a conversation with her he told her he was an ex-convict. Amywas born on December 22 1885, in Dormston, Worcestershire. Conley was also able to track down the still-married couple that had the hatchet thrown at them. Was he trying to make an existing legend come to life? The railroad tracks and the overpass structure are owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC). More importantly, the earliest versions (dating to the 1970s) did not mention any deaths at all. Find a Doctor. It was out of the way and hard to find unless someone showed you how to get there. B1. Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries, College Park, Md. Robinson's enrollment would top 5000 students within 10 years. Bennett and his fiancee were not injured. The somewhat modest developments of the early 1960s eventually gave rise to near town-size projects like Reston and Burke Centre. Fairfax Herald, Nov. 29, 1918, P.3, 26Hall Acquitted. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "A tale about a tail: Northern Virginia band explores the bloody Bunny Man myth in a new rock opera", "Antics of 'Bunny Man' Start Police Hopping", "The Bunny Man Unmasked - Page 4 - Fairfax County, Virginia", "The Bunny Man Unmasked - Page 3 - Fairfax County, Virginia", "Neighbors Find 'Bunnyman Bridge' an Unwelcome Attraction", The Bunny Man Unmasked: The Real Life Origins of an Urban Legend, Tales of The Bunnyman of Northern Virginia, "Bunny man protects territorial imperative", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bunny_Man&oldid=1135396876, Articles needing additional references from July 2013, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Man in Bunny suit Sought in Fairfax" (October 22, 1970), "The 'Rabbit' Reappears" (October 31, 1970), "Bunny Reports Are Multiplying" (November 6, 1970). Since police records are not available for casual review and court records are indexed by the names of those involved, not by location or type of crime, I had to begin by checking the local newspapers. For Patients . At 10:30 p.m. on October 29, 1970 six officers responded to 5307 Guinea Road for "a subject dressed as a Rabbit with an Ax. Or 3) The repeats were really made up because the person needed a scapegoat, or was just bored. While on the way to the police station he confessed to Eva's murder. 28, 1919, P.3, 27Obituary of Peter Roy. Griffin Greenhouse Supplies is one of the finest companies in horticultural services and is dedicated to providing the best all-around service to . TRENTON - The Catholic Diocese of Trenton has named 30 former clergymen who stand credibly accused of sexual abuse against children. Often with urban legends, theres the story and theres the truth. To this day, no one knows who the Bunny Man was or what motivated him. While the legend may be more horrific, frightening and blood curdling, the truth is just as bizarre. The bridge itself is way out in the woods. One of these escapees, Douglas J. Grifon, murdered fellow escapee Marcus Wallster and eventually became the Bunny Man. While searching for him, authorities found a trail of half-eaten, gutted bunnies with many hanging from what was then-called Fairfax Station Bridge. Then an old man came out of the house and warned them to get off of his property. Ten days later a construction worker came upon a man wearing a rabbit suit in the nearby area threatening to hurt him if he doesnt get off his property, waving a hatchet in the air. Producer: The Universe. Fairfax County Police Department. On November 4, Investigator Johnson received a call from a resident of the area who informed him that her son claimed to know the identity of the "Bunny Man." And the police, you know, went back and all and asked him if he had seen anything. 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