Russ McKamey, owner of the controversial haunted house, McKamey Manor, has been arrested. Per PEOPLE, McKamey was arrested on July 19 on charges of sexual assault, domestic violence, and attempted murder. McKamey is scheduled for an initial court appearance in August. He posted a $1,000 bond and was ordered to have no contact with the victim.
McKamey and the unnamed victim knew one another. "McKamey allegedly tried to kill the woman on Wednesday and assaulted her again on Thursday. He allegedly attempted to kill her again and [sexually assaulted] her on Friday, per the online records," PEOPLE reports. Per an arrest affidavit, the woman lost consciousness during both alleged murder attempts.
McKamey is the divisive figure behind the infamous McKamey Manor. The Tennessee attraction was the subject of a Hulu documentary, Monster Inside: America's Most Extreme Haunted House. After years of scattered controversies and personal accounts of terror and trauma, the documentary spurred the Tennessee Attorney General's Office to formally investigate the attraction.
Russ McKamey, Owner Of The Controversial McKamey Manor, Has Been Arrested
A letter shared by The Tennesseean detailed allegations of "horrors visitors are subjected to, which includes getting dragged via heavy chains or locked into confined spaces while water pours in." According to WKRN, many participants flat-out stated McKamey Manor was a torture chamber disguised as a haunted house.
"There were multiple reports; one was a neighbor seeing a woman dragged behind a vehicle and then there was another report of screams and a person or neighbors saw a woman being put in a vehicle against her will," District Attorney Brent Cooper stated.
"You have someone tied up and bound and gagged and they give the safe word... if you don't release them at that point, then you are potentially looking at kidnapping for having them confined like that against their will."
Furthermore, there have been reports of the police being called to the location on multiple occasions. No charges were ever filed against McKamey regarding the allegations against the attraction, however. As it stands, that's where the situation has settled for now. When we at Wide Open Country learn more, we'll be sure to keep our readership informed.
