The Bunny Man of Virginia
The legend of the Bunny Man has captivated those in Fairfax County, VA, and the surrounding areas, for decades. Sightings of the alleged Bunny Man date back to the 1970s and although there are slight variations, the main description of the Bunny Man is a man wearing a white bunny suit, armed with an axe, threatening people and causing general mayhem.
An urban legend particularly popular with teenagers around the area looking for an encounter, the Bunny Man story has evolved over the years to grow more gruesome than the original 1970s tale.
In fact, if you believe the legends the Bunny Man is said to have murdered two children who refused to listen. Besides the murders, it is said he mutilated animals, vandalized property, and scared whoever was near enough.
But who is the Bunny Man? His true identity has never been unmasked, but there are certainly theories. One of the most popular, and undoubtedly untrue, is that the Bunny Man was a mental patient who escaped custody to exact revenge. He didn’t wear an actual bunny suit, but rather the pelts of rabbits he killed and ate in the woods. Local children would venture to the woods to take a peek at him, but sometimes they were found hurt or even, in a few cases, murdered in the woods. Why do I believe this is untrue? Well, the explanation is likely capitalizing on the fear of mentally ill or untreated people.
Others believe Bunny Man is simply an evil man living in the woods, looking for a reason to cause terror and enact violence. Why? This Bunny Man doesn’t need a reason, he only needs someone to scare or kill.
Even more believe he may just be a spirit lurking in the woods, scaring all those who cross his path.
There is one tale, way back in 1949, that some believe lends credence to the Bunny Man legend. It is the tragic murder of 37-year old mother, and her 8 month old daughter. The two were found buried in a shallow grave in Fairfax. They had disappeared shortly after a car ride with the husband and father. The woman had been beaten and shot and her baby girl had been buried alive. The husband was eventually arrested, then convicted, and sent to live out his days at a mental institution. However, there is no proof or link to any sort of Bunny Man activity or even a bunny suit or particular affinity for bunnies.
However, it seems the Bunny Man may simply be an urban legend. You can read all of the wonderful, nearly decade-long research curated and explained by Brian A. Conley here. In summation, his dedicated research led him to conclude:
a. Fourteen different geographic locations are mentioned
b. Eighteen involve the Bunny Man chasing or frightening people, usually children, with a hatchet or ax
c. Fourteen tell of attacks on cars
d. Nine claim he attacked a couple parked in a car
e. Five accuse him of vandalism on homes or buildings
f. Only three mentioned a murder
Perhaps, the Bunny Man never existed...or perhaps, he is a tulpa created over decades by teenagers looking for a thrill.
But, if you’re still with me there is just a little more of the Bunny Man lore. Some believe that the Bunny Man has died. But, just because his physical body is gone doesn’t mean he’s done terrorizing the residents of Virginia.
The railroad and, in particular, the Clochester Overpass, are said to be his favorite hunting grounds. In fact, the Overpass is sometimes called the Bunny Man Bridge. As legend has it, if you walk underneath the train tracks at midnight and say the Bunny Man three times you may get a glance of his ghost, in a white bunny suit stained with blood and dirt. But, be warned...he hates visitors. He will chase you out with his axe and, if he catches you, you may never live to tell the tale.
Thanks to Tim T. for the blogstonishing suggestion!
The blog image shows a A Washington D.C. bound Amtrak train crosses over Colchester Road in Fairfax Station, Virginia at Colchester Overpass aka Bunnyman Bridge, taken by Kolchester. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
