Cabin on 360 – Mechanicsville, VA
As soldiers, we are conditioned to glorify battle and turn off our moral compass when it comes to the destruction of our enemy. On the modern battlefield, rules of engagement and the Geneva Conventions govern how violent we can be toward our enemy.
At first glance, driving past this unassuming log cabin, you aren’t yet aware of the amount of carnage that has taken place beneath your very feet. Nor can you envision the overwhelming violence on these hallowed grounds.
Murder is a hard word to swallow. But let’s look at it as it is. Just about every death that has occurred on this property has been, by definition, murder.
Mounds of supposed graves decorated with the remains of Yucca plants litter the grounds behind the Cabin, possibly the final resting places of many of the thousands of Civil War deaths throughout the war.
While the grounds hold many claims, including shadow figures, disembodied voices, apparitions, and the residual sounds of carriages and footsteps along the gravel roads, the cabin and brick rancher on the property are where the History meets the Haunt.
If I had to sum up the theme of experiences surrounding the Cabin and Rancher, it all comes back to a manipulation of some sort. There have been claims and attempts to identify the entity that has affected so many people on the property, but none have prevailed. Howie Odell believes it’s an elemental; others believe it’s something darker.
A remote viewer friend described a dark “nosferatu” looking creature crawling up from the basement. This creature was bald with weird ears. Dennis Estlock, before this conversation, showed me a picture that a guest had drawn and a thermal image captured during an investigation, and my jaw dropped.
Eric, a Ghosted Magazine location scout, accompanied me to this investigation and was stopped in his tracks while entering the basement, as he described a person walking past the staircase as he descended.
There have been countless claims of something taking over the thoughts of guests and even going as far as causing some of those guests to black out and regain consciousness in other areas of the property, confused as to how or when they got there.
Our experiences in the basement of the brick rancher were engaging. To preface this, I need everyone to know I am a huge skeptic. I am open-minded, and I believe in the paranormal. I am incredibly skeptical of locations and location owners who often exaggerate their claims to book more. And 9 out of 10 times, that is the case. This was the 1 out of 10 where I was pleasantly surprised.
Let’s explore what makes the Rancher such an exciting location beside the Cabin.
The Rancher is a brick house that was the site of a horrific rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl named Melissa Elliot. Her rapist and killer was her stepbrother, Randy Elliot. Randy claims he blacked out, but the facts of the case state that Randy not only raped his stepsister, he shot her twice in the chest. After shooting Melissa, he tossed her body out of the window of the single-story home, drug her body approx. One hundred yards into the woods, and stuffed her body into a box. She was later found by two workers collecting straw.
Randy was later arrested after he fled to North Carolina and extradited back to Virginia. To this day, Randy claims that he was there, but he wasn’t there, possibly attempting to lay blame on the negative entity that haunts the home.
While some people may believe that explanation, I do not.
Randy is now 58 and has since been released from prison. He currently resides in North Carolina with his mother.
The Cabin next door is an interesting location in its own right, with stories of full-bodied apparitions and disembodied voices; the History of gore has also plagued this unassuming log cabin.
One of the stories told was of a tenant who one night called her friend to let her know she was going to the office (the Cabin). The call itself wasn’t disturbing; how the call ended concerned her friend.
Upon arriving at the office, the tenant claimed to have blacked out, similar to what Randy claimed, but it was a little different this time. The tenant consumed a large amount of prescription medication (which she did not have a prescription for, nor could she recall how the drug got to the office, to begin with), took a knife from the kitchen, slit both her wrists, and sat down in the office chair to bleed out.
The tenant vividly recalls having an out-of-body experience, watching herself bleed all over the floor, and being accompanied by an older gentleman and a child. The two ghostly figures told her it was not her time to go yet. The tenant returned to consciousness to paramedics performing life-saving CPR and first aid on her.
She owes her life to the concerned
friend who called the police after the earlier phone call.
These are just two stories shared with me during our interviews that may shed light on some of the claims surrounding the Cabin on 360.
Eric from Ghosted Magazine and Austin Ingle from Forgotten Explorations, along with one other, investigated the prominent location, having multiple experiences on the grounds near what is referred to as “the Portal,” an opening in the woods along the trail. For their group, most of the action took place inside the brick house, specifically the basement.
Without a doubt, the Cabin on 360 holds a mystery, and one day, one of your readers may be the one to unlock it.
To book this location, you can find the Cabin on 360 of Facebook here.
Ryan C Jones:
I am one of the caretakers of the cabin on 360. I am a member of commonwealth researchers of the paranormal, all seeing paranormal society and spirited investigators paranormal. I am the host of the freakin awesome paranormal show podcast with my cohosts angela parker, cr zarn and sometimes rhonda harris doughty. I am the cofounder of the vibe radio network with holly mullins. I have over 10 years of experience in the paranormal field.
Dennis Estlock:
I’m a medium and remote viewer with over twenty years as a paranormal investigator. My first memorable interaction with spirit was at age 7, when my grandfather passed and came to me to say goodbye. I had no knowledge he had passed just a couple hours earlier, as they lived over 100 miles away. A second family member, my older brother, also came to me to say goodbye after he committed suicide when i was 16, he was 20. I conducted my first evp session, not even knowing it was called that, at age 10-12. Had heard you could listen to/hear spirits if you placed a recorder in a cemetery. So, being a curious kid, myself & two cousins did just that. We did capture someone whistling a tune, later to find it a popular tune from the 1940’s.
Currently, i’m a care-taker for an actively haunted location just outside of mechanicsville, va that sits on 7 acres of battlefield from the battles of bethesda church. The cabin on 360, as it’s known, is open to teams to book investigations, and we host numerous events/investigations for fund-raising causes.
I am available to lecture on remote-viewing, investigating the paranormal, to discuss the cabin on 360 and the lands’ history, as well as investigating private & commercial locations with activity. I additionally aid teams from time to time on locations that they have activity with.
Ed Howie Odell:
A graduate of hargrave military academy, with high honors learned leadership, honor , respect, and loyalty . Raised in the spiritual and the paranormal learning from two generations of family. Homed his skills in the mid-90’s when i created commonwealth research society- the research of the paranormal and supernatural. As years progressed who took under the study of many known scientists and para-researchers.
After the commonwealth research society disbanded i went back to the drawing board. Learning and training in the area’s of metaphysics and spirituality. I then took a leave for several years to home in on his traits . In 2012 i began a new society, all seeing paranormal society, with some you know today. The society lasted several years tell the members took on their own paths and i set out to find out what is out there for me and find my inner truth. In this i took under the study of one han who ,master illusionist and electrical expert with va. Power. Here mr. Woo mentored me in the arts of magic , illusion , and in a new thought in spiritualism .He has a solid background in : private investigation , paranormal research and investigations, spiritualism, metaphysics, quantum theories, as well as home improvement
The c.E.O. Of the r.I.F.T. Radio network found on www.Blogtalkradio.Com
( 2016 -2019 )A network
Giving a voice to those who may not had the chance to speak.
Now : r.I.F.T. Nation network – vidcast talkshows
The network has shows such as: the orion effect true crimes: mysteries behind the scenes, the otter’s den, mystic mayhem, raven’s flock, what’s going down, paranormal outlaws and more coming to 2024
My studies with mr. Woo has increased my knowledge even more and created a very well rounded unique individual with a mind to match. I am fluent in all research material and equipment
As well as in experimental equipment of my own design . Equipment designed from old theory and modern technology.
Truth, loyalty, knowledge, understanding, respect, and the progress of our youth in the field of the paranormal and spiritual. Giving out his hand when needed but only by the laws of the universe . If you need help , and go to him he will be there… Never assume the guidance one can or can not give..
I live by one motto: virtue be yours!
I chose to:
Live by choice, not by chance
To be motivated, not manipulated
To make changes, not excuses
To excel , not compete
I choose self-esteem, not self pity
To listen to my inner voice
Not to the random opinions of others!
I choose to do the things to help others, so i can do those things for others! Bad people do good things and good people do bad things!
It’s not what you say rather how you say it