Deep in the woods of North Georgia, Dr. Charles Scudder and his partner, Joseph "Joey" Odom sought a peaceful, off-grid life in a hand-built brick mansion they called Corpsewood Manor. Rumors always swirled about the lovers and their quaint handbuilt home in the woods. The fact that they were "homosexual devil worshippers" was often the talk of the area, but these men were kind, welcoming, and enjoyed the simple life with the occassional wild party. But in 1982, their castle became the site of a g...
Deep in the woods of North Georgia, Dr. Charles Scudder and his partner, Joseph "Joey" Odom sought a peaceful, off-grid life in a hand-built brick mansion they called Corpsewood Manor. Rumors always swirled about the lovers and their quaint handbuilt home in the woods. The fact that they were "homosexual devil worshippers" was often the talk of the area, but these men were kind, welcoming, and enjoyed the simple life with the occassional wild party.
But in 1982, their castle became the site of a grisly double homicide that shocked the nation when two young men devised a plot to rob the men, thinking they must be millionaires due to their extravagant home. Dr. Scudder and Joey invited a 17-year-old hunter in the area, Avery Brock to parties at their home when he stumbled upon it while hunting, asking if he could hunt on the property. Avery then discussed the men and their "so-called fortune" with his troubled roommate, 30-year-old Tony West.
On the night of December 12, 1982, Avery and Tony decided to put their robbery plan in motion by attending a party at Corpsewood Manor. They brought along two unsuspecting friends, as well, Tony's nephew, Joey Wells, and his friend, Teresa Hudgins. The pair weren't aware of the robbery plan. At the party, Avery shot and killed Joey Odom in his kitchen along with their two English Mastiffs when he tried to explain to them that there was no large fortune hidden in the home. Avery and Tony then tied up and tormented Dr. Scudder, and when he also gave them no fortune, the men shot him 5 times in the head before fleeing the scene with only silver jewelry and Dr. Scudder's black jeep.
To this day, Corpsewood Manor sits in ruins after a fire destroyed everything but the bricks. Many say it still has an eerie and sad air about it, with people claiming to hear the dogs barking, gunshots, and other unsettling noises.
Sources
Abandoned Georgia (2023)
Abandoned Southeast
Atlanta Magazine (2022)
Oxford American (2024)
Atlas Obscura
Church of Satan
Justia Law- Supreme Court of Mississippi (1985)
Books/Documentaries
The Corpsewood Manor Murders In North Georgia by Amy Petulla
Dead Silent S01E2: Welcome to the Devil House
Podcast by ID: Deadly Nightmares: Welcome to the Devil House
Mystery Archives YouTube: The Untold Story of Corpsewood Manor-Georgia (2025)
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