In the United States is a magical, wonderful, sensual place called Virginia. It’s a land of sexy hobbits and a surprisingly rich array of wildlife. But there are also darker elements to the state. Somewhere in Virginia is a small tunnel avoided by locals who know what’s best for them. It is one of America’s most mysterious and notorious locations thanks to it’s connection to a several decade old urban legend.
Passers by often claim to witness strange occurrences within the tunnel. Visions of deformed figures dragging a bloody axe, dead animals hung up by chains or the terrifying screams of someone about to die. There are many different stories about the tunnel. But all feature a murderous figure known to attack anyone to come near what he considers his land. This is the legend of that bridge – a legend of murder, mystery, and bunnies.
Late in the night of October 19th 1970 an engaged couple were driving through fairfax county in Northern Virginia. Pulling over at the side of the road they began to feel as if they were being watched. Suddenly a hatchet flew through the wind shield, narrowly missing the female passenger. Before they could realise what had happened they saw what appeared to be a man screaming at them. He warned them to stay off his land and never come back – and so, with the hatchet still in the car, they sped off. When reporting the incident to local police one of them said the stranger who attacked them was dressed as a white bunny with large ears. Police examined the hatchet but the subsequent investigation was fruitless.
A short while before this, another couple were driving through the same area when they pulled over for a brief rest. As if out of no where a mysterious figure emerged from the tunnel in front of them, screaming at them. He was screaming threats at them unless they leave immediately… so they did. This time the victims made no mention of rabbits, saying they could not clearly see him but thought he was wearing some kind of white suit. With two incidents like this occurring in the same location rumours began to spread. Some said the attacks were carried out by a KKK member in full uniform. But most soon tolf of an axe wielding maniac dressed as a bunny, who attacks anyone to approach the local tunnel on dark nights. That is how the bunny man urban legend was born.
You might wonder why a violent criminal would disguise himself as a bunny, and the truth is those creatures are evil. I have a rabbit myself. On the outside he might seem cute and cuddle but behind his fluffy exterior he’s a bloodthirsty sadistic murderer. All rabbits are, making the bunny man even more intimidating. On October 29th a construction site security worker approached a man standing alone in the site. He was wearing a greyish bunny costume and clutching an axe. He began to chop at a wooden post with his axe before turning to the security guard and saying: “All you people tresspass arpund here. If you don’t get out of here I’m going to bust you in the head.” 1police looked into this report but like others, found no sign of the bunny man.
Newspaper stories sprung up around the incidents with headlines like “The Rabbit Reappears” and “Bunny Man Seen”. Stories of the bunny man killing and eating rabbits were widespread echoing his origins. According to legend a notorious inside asylum once stood in Clifton Virginia. Some of America’s most deranged criminals were taken to that asylum and locals didn’t like it. They feared an inmate might one day escape and cause havoc.
So a petition was started in Fairfax county, one that successfully saw the asylum shut down. Her inmates moved out of the county – which might have made it the greatest petition of all time. I’ve never seen a petition that actually led to any change… and they’re usually a lot less ambitious than trying to get a massive asylum shut down. Also you have to wonder what kind of person would start that petition. I feel – that there are better ways to focus your energy than on trying to put insane asylums out of business. So keep that in mind.
The asylum was shut and dismantled with patients being transported to new locations. One bus transporting inmates crashed into a tree, instantly killing most on board, including the driver and security. Ten patients escaped into the woods surrounding the area Ten of the country’s most violent criminals were now at large. Luckily all of them were soon recaptured, apart from one. There was no sign of the final patient as if he had vanished into thin air. His escape took place in 1904. That same year hundreds of freshly killed and skinned rabbits were found hanging from trees surrounding the tunnel.
It was assumed the last inmate at large Douglas Grifon was behind it. When the body of a human was found strung up in similar fashion to the rabbits, searches for Grifon intensified. One dark night police found Grifon at the tunnel. But when they tried to apprehend him, he jumped onto the train tracks just as a train was passing by. It was first thought he was killed by the train. But when no corpse was found investigators had to assume he escaped. No sign of him was ever found again – but every now and then locals have claimed to see the bunny man.
If you visit the area today and ask locals about the bridge you might just meet people who claim to have seen the bunny man, discovered dead rabbits, or at least heard mysterious laughter while walking through the tunnel. These people are crazy Virginian liars. But there does seem to be at least some truth to the bunny man urban legend. So if you ever find yourself in Virginia’s Fairfax county, be sure to avoid the overpass tunnel even if your are a rabbit yourself.