What almost a decade ago became a landmark for an unwanted distinction in northern Brown County is no more.
The “Haunted House” as it was labeled in a recent edition of NBC’s Dateline – the dilapidated home on the property where the remains of 25-year-old Chantay Blankinship were discovered following her May 13, 2016 murder – has been torn down.
A recent Dateline episode regarding Blankinship’s murder and the eventual confession of Ryan Riggs in October 2017 brought renewed – and unwanted – interest to the property.
Land owner Brent Woodley, who resides near College Station, said, “A different program did a story years ago, but this Dateline one got things started all over again. We’ve had trespassers, people jumping over the fence, they can’t read a no trespassing sign 20 feet away from the gate. A bunch came down last weekend, jumped the fence and did whatever they pleased. So we’re tearing it down just because of what happened. We want to erase all those bad memories and make everything fresh you might say. We’re going to get this down as a favor to the community and also to ourselves.”
Regarding the nearby storm shelter where Blankinship was actually found, Woodley said, “I’m going to have that leveled out like it’s never been there. We’re going to cave it in and fill it in on top.”
Charlie Cabler, a self-employed contractor, was contacted by Woodley to handle the demolition of the house and removal of the storm shelter.
“Knowing the story behind this location and actually visiting the place here, I hope this provides more closure for Chantay’s family,” Cabler said. “Also to me and what I do, this is my opportunity to erase evil or demolish the devil if you will. A lot of evil things took place here, so if I can bring some peace and solace by erasing this place, then I think I’m doing what I’m put on this earth to do.”
While the house and storm shelter will be no more, tributes to Chantay will remain.
“We’re going to leave the wishing well, there’s a water well about 30 feet deep, so when we get done here the house of horrors will be erased and gone, and what we’re going to leave is peace and hopefully serenity for the family who come to visit the memorial at the front gate,” Cabler said.
Woodley stated the property has been in his wife’s family since the 1800s, but the unpleasantness associated with the house and storm shelter since 2016, as well as the unwelcome visitors on the property, have spoiled what the land used to mean.
“There was nothing but joy and my wife spent many a Sunday dinner here eating lunch along with her family,” said Woodley, who stated he mostly returns to Brown County now for turkey hunting and deer hunting. “It’s a sad thing, but now we’re going to try and wipe off some of these old, bad memories.”
Following his confession in 2017, Riggs is now serving a life sentence in prison.
