Va - Murders At Bunny Man Bridge

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

Two murders near Bunny Man Bridge in Clifton, VA .

Police investigate apparent homicide in Fairfax Station
Responding officers saw the man had trauma to his upper body and rescue crews “determined that he was dead on the scene,” Pfeiff said. Police said no weapons were found.

Police investigating 2nd traumatized body found in Clifton in just over a month
McDonald’s body marks the second young man’s body discovered in Clifton with "upper body trauma" in just over one month.

Could the Bunny Man axe murderer be back?

The Scary, Weird, Somewhat True Story of the Fairfax "Bunny Man" | Washingtonian

Clifton, VA - Bunny Man's Bridge - Urban Legend

 

[Breach_and_Clear]

Hmm. This is pretty interesting to me since I live pretty close to the area where they were found. Some of the news is reporting that Mr. Cooker unfortunately had a problem with drugs. And Mr. McDonald went missing for a few days before being reported. Behavior sometimes common place with a drug problem.

Perhaps both victims knew each other or ran in the same circles if drugs were involved. Additionally, without knowing the exact manner of death and weapon used, it might be hard to say they are connected.

Northern Virginia has been hit pretty hard with MS13 murders lately. Most of which involve stabbings in wooded areas. However, the victims are usually ex-gang members, witnesses, or people that refused to join the gang. Teenage Hispanic males and females mostly. So I'd be surprised if they were involved at all.

 

[Breach_and_Clear]

So just seeing what information is actually available to public, I played around with the crime map feature that FCPD posts online. Since 4/27 to 5/23 there have been a total of 6 "suspicious person, vehicle, or event" calls to the neighborhood where the bodies were found.

Since police are not saying where the actual murder took place, its unknown if their bodies were disposed of at these locations, or murdered at these locations.

I am also not familiar with what constitutes a report for a suspicious person in that jurisdiction. For instance, in my jurisdiction, if we respond to a suspicious event, it doesn't warrant a police report unless a crime occurred. However, FCPD has generated police reports for all the incidents. It might be something as simple as how different agencies handle calls. Therefore I wouldn't read too much into it. It also could be nosy rich people just calling the police on people that didn't belong in the neighborhood according to them. However nosy neighbors have solved crimes before.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been 17 events listed as "suspicious" that FCPD has responded to in that neighborhood.

Without the contents of the reports, its impossible to see if there is a pattern or a similar description of a suspect or vehicle.

 

[ClipboardFox22]

I'm just going to throw this out here, not knowing the area or how close the murders were to the actual bridge, but frankly two deaths of tenuous connection to axes, much less an old urban legend, does not the return of the Bunny Man make...
Even just reading up on it makes it pretty clear to me that the whole legend stems from two incidents involving some nutjob in the seventies who may or may not have even been wearing a bunny suit, followed by a small wave of local hysteria. There's no confirmed murder related even.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

Hmm. This is pretty interesting to me since I live pretty close to the area where they were found. Some of the news is reporting that Mr. Cooker unfortunately had a problem with drugs. And Mr. McDonald went missing for a few days before being reported. Behavior sometimes common place with a drug problem.

Perhaps both victims knew each other or ran in the same circles if drugs were involved. Additionally, without knowing the exact manner of death and weapon used, it might be hard to say they are connected.

Northern Virginia has been hit pretty hard with MS13 murders lately. Most of which involve stabbings in wooded areas. However, the victims are usually ex-gang members, witnesses, or people that refused to join the gang. Teenage Hispanic males and females mostly. So I'd be surprised if they were involved at all.

We're neighbors!

Yes, likely drug related, but rather an odd area for that... A few miles West would be more likely.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

To shed some more light on the area, the first body was found very close to Bunny Man Bridge. Colchester Rd by the bridge is narrow, winding, and woodsy. The bridge itself is a one lane tunnel under railroad tracks. The road dead ends just beyond the bridge, and there is a newer subdivision of very expensive homes. This is the area he was found, it sounds like right near the entrance to that subdivision. LE regularly patrols this area due to the notoriety of the bridge and its appeal to teenagers.

The other body was found in a middle class subdivision several miles away. . I'm surprised a body could have been at this location very long... Lots are maybe a third of an acre, houses close together. There's a high school close by so there are a lot of kids walking to and from school.

I'm very familiar with both locations. I lived maybe a half mile away from Bunny Man Bridge, and I used to carpool with someone who lived on the street where the other body was found.

 

[cbs]

I honestly believe they are connected to the house that just burned down

 

[cbs]

I also just remembered there used to be a sign above the bridge that said it was monitored by surveillance... Not sure if it was just to ward off kids or not. If it is true, has anyone checked it? I wish the police dept would update us and use media to spread the word about what happened. Maybe someone out there has trail cams up. The silence is deafening.

 

[cbs]

The owner of the house that burned down on Pope's Head Rd has had numerous offenses to include drugs

The son and daughter of the owner also have several charges to include drug possession.
The screen shot was taken off https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/nameSearch.do

 

[Breach_and_Clear]

I don't know how often bodies are found just littering the streets of fairfax, but it seems back in February another male was found suffering from "upper body trauma" in a residential neighborhood. Less than 6 miles away from the other murders.

I understand thats obviously a stretch as the gang and drug crime in fairfax results for other murders. But without causes of death and other descriptors exactly, we are left to only make assumptions.

Centreville homicide victim is a juvenile

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

I also just remembered there used to be a sign above the bridge that said it was monitored by surveillance... Not sure if it was just to ward off kids or not. If it is true, has anyone checked it? I wish the police dept would update us and use media to spread the word about what happened. Maybe someone out there has trail cams up. The silence is deafening.

Good memory! I had forgotten about the "under surveillance" sign. As far as I know it's still there. So they should have some video of the car.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

I honestly believe they are connected to the house that just burned down

Some links to the house fire...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/patch.com/virginia/vienna/amp/27593857/2-dead-huge-fairfax-house-fire
Three dead in Pope's Head Road house fire

Three victims identified in Pope's Head Road house fire

page started for couple who died in Fairfax County house fire

The last link has a nice video with some additional information.

 

[cbs]

Good memory! I had forgotten about the "under surveillance" sign. As far as I know it's still there. So they should have some video of the car.

The only reason I remember is because I was once one of those curious kids.

 

[cbs]

Have yet to hear any updates. Also waiting for FCFD to update us about the cause of the fire on Popes Head Rd.

 

[Breach_and_Clear]

Yea, I've checked but still haven't seen anything. FairfaxUnderground is a decent website for rumors and scuttlebutt from residents though if you're looking for a hypothesis

 

[cbs]

Graffiti found near area where James McDonald's body was found:

fcpdnews.wordpress.com/2018/06/07/update-detectives-seek-help-from-the-public/

 

[cbs]

Looks like local home depot, Lowe's, or Michael's Crafts surveillance videos or sales reports need to be checked to see if anyone recently purchased red and white spray paint with rose stencils.

 

[Breach_and_Clear]

Interesting. I assume its probably friends or family leaving some impromptu memorial. The intricacy and message doesn't seem to portray nefarious intent.

The only concerning piece of information would be if the graffiti was found at or near the exact death location and that it was never made public. However, if the exact location was made public then I would lean towards the memorial concept.

 

[2Hope4]

Graffiti found near area where James McDonald's body was found:

fcpdnews.wordpress.com/2018/06/07/update-detectives-seek-help-from-the-public/

That has a feminine touch to it. So I don't know if a female was involved in the murder, or as someone above posted, it was left as a memorial. I don't know if the dollar tree in that area has stencils, but in my area it does and at one point that rose was sold there. Of course it could have been sold anywhere though. And if anyone has a cricut, they can make any type of stencil.

MS13 beheaded a young man in my area. So it may be related to that gang.

 

[cbs]

Still... no word about any of these cases, including the house fire.