The Bunnyman is going to get you

[King Of Kings]

The Bunny Man is an urban legend based in Clifton in Fairfax County, Virginia. The stories in the legend can be wide in variance from the origin of the killer, names, transportation changes, the killer's motives, the weapon(s) of choice, the design or color of his bunny suit, and the possible demise of the killer. The killer's ghost or aging spectre is said to come out to the "Bunny Man"'s place of death each year on Halloween to commemorate his untimely demise. Sometimes, victims' carcasses are said to be left in varying states of death, sometimes having been skinned or gutted, and some victims appeared with horns fashioned out of deer antlers or sticks protruding from the head

[King Of Kings]

The Legend

For more than 25 years stories of the Bunny Man have been kept alive primarily amongst our teenage population. Over the years the story has evolved into a ghost story suitable for parties, camp outs, and any occasion that such tales are exchanged. It was at one such gathering in 1976 that the author first heard it told. The Bunny Man was said to be responsible for the deaths of two disobedient children in the Clifton area. Others were rumored to have disappeared, and there was talk of animals found horribly mutilated. I never saw the Bunny Man myself, but then I never strayed into the woods at night, especially not near the Bridge...

Most childhood ghost stories are forgotten as one gets older. However, the Bunny Man followed me. After graduating from college, I accepted a position with the Fairfax County Public Library, eventually becoming an Information Specialist in the Virginia Room. One day around 1992 a very well-spoken young lady came into the Virginia Room with a question. She wanted to know how she could find information on a murder that was supposed to have taken place near her home. As I interviewed the patron to ascertain what hard facts she had to go on, some vague memory nagged at me. Two children were allegedly murdered by a local hermit for trespassing, and their bodies left hanging from a covered bridge. She had no names and only a vague idea of a time frame. The whole story seemed a little fantastic, but the thing that really bothered her was the guy was supposed to be an escaped inmate dressed in a bunny suit. At this point, even though the story had evolved a bit, I recognized the tale from my own youth. We were unable to confirm any of the elements of the story as she or I had first heard it, and I put it down in my mind as a story fabricated to scare children.

I likely would have forgotten about the Bunny Man again if the questions didn't begin coming on a regular basis. 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 various Internet versions have carried the story to new heights. The most widely circulated written version entitled The Clifton Bunny Man and signed by Timothy C. Forbes, Virginia, was posted on a Web site called Castle of Spirits around 1999.2 This version of the tale is actually quite notable because of the number of specific facts given. Forbes claims that in 1904 inmates from an insane asylum escaped while being transferred to Lorton Prison. One of these escapees, Douglas J. Grifon, murdered fellow escapee Marcus Wallster and eventually became the Bunny Man. Not only is the location identified, but also the names of several victims and the dates of their murders. The story ends with a challenge for the reader to check with the Clifton Town Library for verification of the facts.

[Dr Cheese]

Somehow the thought of a "bunny" man is less than terrifying.

[moondance]

Somehow the thought of a "bunny" man is less than terrifying.

Oh really????

[snowbunny]

[Kounelaki]

Somehow the thought of a "bunny" man is less than terrifying.

Oh really????

[Dr Cheese]

I'm suddenly a bit uneasy!

[Blackheathen]

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.

http://www.guba.com/watch/3000004690?category_id=456&duration_step=0&filter_tiny=0&pp=10&sb=5&set=5&sf=0&size_step=0&o=6&sample=1195352049:4114bc2f5083e47b975266ab674fc8e564a65d5c

[violets]

I know that I would be scared to see a blue bunny suited man coming!

I've heard the version of the Bunny Man where he escaped the insane asylum and lived in the woods nearby the "bridge". It said he got his name from eating the wild bunnies he caught. I think it's funny there are versions of him wearing a bunny suit.