Spooky Edition: Exploring Virginia’s Mysteries, Folklore, and Things to Do

Hi there. It’s Amie.

I’m a former theatre kid. That means dressing up for Halloween is my jam. For the past few years, I’ve had the perfect excuse to get all dolled up—yep, I have a kid who equally enjoys putting on a costume to go get some delicious sugary delights.

Yet, I’ve found this candy commodity is a double-edged sword. Do I get to dress up and go door-to-door trick-or-treating again? Yep! But do I have any autonomy over what I’m going to be? Nope. For the past few years, we’ve let Colton (who’s now five years old) pick out our costumes. Via his specifications, a quick mask or simple cape from Target won’t do. No, we get rather obscure requests. Case in point: In 2021, I was not just any pumpkin—I was a floating pumpkin—and my husband, Kody, experienced the joy of being a salad. Meanwhile, Colton picked Chase from Paw Patrol for himself.

If you see us out and about this year, Colton and I will be dressed as super awesome monster truck drivers. Poor Kody gets to be Ranch dressing. No matter how we’re dressed, best believe that candy’s getting parent taxed. Those Nerds are mine.

In the spirit (see what I did there) of spooky season, we’ve rounded up some unsolved mysteries, scary stories, and things to do in the days leading up to Oct. 31.

Amie Knowles

Community Editor, Dogwood

5 unsolved mysteries and true crime tales from Virginia that’ll send chills up your spine

Here’s what you need to know: No matter how “safe” a state may be, it inevitably still has a number of unsolved mysteries and true crime tales to tell. Unfortunately, Virginia is no exception.

Help authorities solve these cases:

Couple Murdered in Shenandoah National Park—The murder of Laura “Lollie” Winans and Julianne “Julie” Williams, both of whom were in their mid-20s at the time of their deaths, in Shenandoah National Park in 1996 is still unsolved to this day. The murders are especially chilling for the commonwealth’s queer communities, given that Winans and Williams were a lesbian couple and there’s no telling if that’s why they were targeted.
Colonial Parkway Murders—Over the course of four years in the late 1980s, four double homicides occurred along the 22-mile Colonial Parkway near Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown—a series of slayings dubbed the “Colonial Parkway Murders.” The eight victims were all young adults. In each one of the double homicide incidents, the victims were noted as being couples.
Gina Hall Murder—The 1980 killing of 18-year-old Radford University student Gina Hall remained a mystery for many years, even as Radford resident Stephen Epperly was convicted of the crime. The reason for the lack of closure was that Hall’s body could not be found.
Caldwell Fields Murders—Heidi Childs, 18, and David Metzler, 19, were found murdered at Caldwell Fields, a Jefferson National Forest rural recreation area, in Montgomery County in 2009. The Virginia Tech students were shot to death while on a date.
Ursula Haberland Murder—Unlike the other murders listed above, a 2001 killing in Upperville didn’t target a young adult but rather 81-year-old Ursula Haberland. She was shot multiple times and left to die on her kitchen floor in her home, which was set off a long gravel drive.

While it can be difficult to read tragic true crime news, sharing the stories could (finally) help solve these cases. If you have any tips or information related to these or other unsolved cases in Virginia, please contact local law enforcement officials or follow the instructions outlined in the Virginia State Police’s cold case database.

The Star City has its fair share of spooky tales and urban legends. In one, a “Woman in Black” appeared to a handful of people in 1902. Her presence made early springtime headlines in The Roanoke Times, a local newspaper.

LB Taylor, Jr.’s The Big Book of Virginia Ghost Stories shared the following excerpt from the paper: “Her name was on every lip; strong men trembled when her name was spoken; children cried and clung to their mothers’ dresses; terror reigned supreme!”

A handful of other Virginia cities reported seeing a lady matching the Roanoke woman’s description, both before and after her trip to the Blue Ridge.

Vivint, a smarthome technology provider, recently ranked US cities based on the the number of ghost sightings reported there. It’s no surprise to us that Roanoke made the top five (with Austin, Texas, taking first place). Overall, Vivint crowned Virginia as the 16th spookiest state.

To read more about the “spookiest cities in America,” click here.

Whether you want to take a stroll through a haunted cemetery or visit a haunted house, we’ve got you covered with the spookiest events across NoVA.

**We originally ran this map leading up to Friday the 13th, so one of the featured events has already taken place. If you’re looking for more ideas of things to do, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

We’re planning to share this on our social media accounts over the coming days, but you’re seeing it here first! According to the Virginia Department of Health, these are some of the safety items to consider adding to your child’s costume.

As parents, here are two additional things we like to do in crowded places:

We write our phone number on our kiddo’s arm. In the event that we accidentally get separated, he’ll know how to reach us.
Our family picks a designated meeting spot. We select a tall feature that we can see from many locations (like a church steeple). If we can’t find one another, we’ll head toward that special place to reunite.

Grab the Popcorn; It’s Spooky Short Film Time

WATCH: Virginia’s history is filled with stories that will leave you both bewildered and intrigued. On this episode of “Unearthed Chronicles,” we explore the legend of the Bunny Man who attacked locals in Fairfax County in 1970 and more.

WATCH: From eerie encounters to unexpected natural phenomena, Virginia’s history is anything but ordinary. Click here to learn more about the UFO sightings over Washington, DC in the 1950s and the legend of the Great Dismal Swamp Vampire that goes back to colonial times.

Do you have a spooky Virginia story? Reply back to this email with your own tall tale—besides, sharing is scaring!

This email is written by Amie Knowles, community editor at Dogwood, lifelong Virginia resident, and mom to a fantastic five-year-old who loves monster trucks.
Have a question or comment? Reply back to this email!