Braley Pond

Braley Pond is a picturesque body of water in the George Washington National Forest surrounded by the mountains in western Augusta County. This day use area has hiking trails, a campground, picnic area, and the pond is stocked with trout throughout the October–May stocking season. This tranquil setting seems far away from it all—it is a world away from city traffic and the annoyances of daily life—a place to unplug and unwind. But even all the way out here, in the seclusion of the national forest, the evil of the outside world can find its way in.

In May 2003, members of the Crips street gang lured nineteen-year-old Christopher Kennedy to Braley Pond and killed him. Kennedy had expressed interest in leaving the gang, and according to court documents, Kenneth E. Jackson, Candace Knott, Kalani Noa and Seth Tinsley feared he might inform the police of their activities and decided to kill him. Court records state:

"The defendant [Kenneth E. Jackson] gave Noa and Tinsley an order to kill, and Knott, the acting leader of the gang, approved his order. Noa testified, Kennedy “was to die. We was to kill him.” Later that night, Noa and Tinsley lured the victim to a remote part of the county, stabbed him thirteen times, and dumped his body in a pond. They returned with the victim’s watch and bloody shirt to prove they had carried out their orders. The defendant told police he only wanted Kennedy beaten, but he conceded he gave the order to kill and Knott approved it."

Although most cities in the Shenandoah Valley have some level of gang activity taking place, the brutality of the murder and its remote location was shocking to Augusta County residents. As someone who has visited Braley Pond, and hiked on the area trails, it is almost unthinkable that such a thing could happen here. Perhaps it is the residual effects of the horrific murder, or maybe something else is at play, but Braley Pond has quite the reputation for being haunted. Some think it is one of the most haunted places in Virginia and perhaps the entire country. It definitely ranks among the top as far as haunted campgrounds go. There is a creek that runs through the woods near the pond and witnesses have claimed to see an apparition levitate above it, and supposedly spirits have been spotted hovering above the pond and underneath its waters. In what I think is one the scariest paranormal manifestations, some have heard the laughter of children. Other phantom sounds include muffled voices, the clip-clop of horse hooves on the roads near the pond and splashing sounds coming from the water. Greenish orbs float above the pond and move about in an erratic manner and then disappear into the darkness of the night. Some have experienced disorientation, sudden bouts of nausea, an impending sense of dread or paranoia.

Every great haunted location has its unverifiable claims and Braley Pond is no different. According to the internet at least, a paranormal investigator went insane after conducting an investigation at Braley Pond. There are also internet rumblings of suicides and missing hikers—which, of course, cannot be substantiated—that have taken place in the vicinity of Braley Pond.

I featured Braley Pond in my book Haunted Shenandoah Valley published by The History Press. Get your copy today!

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