McKamey Manor, known as “America’s scariest attraction” has been facing major backlash after a scare actor posted a 13-part series exposing the tour’s gruesome nature.
On July 22, Becca went on TikTok to share information on the highly publicized and controversial event. Although she was not affiliated with the event and hadn’t visited the haunt—an attraction built to scare visitors for entertainment—she mentioned her extensive research was enough to form an opinion.
Highlights
- McKamey Manor is criticized for alleged torture disguised as a haunt.
- Forced bug ingestion, suffocation, and fish hooks are part of the experience.
- Participants can't leave until Russ decides, and few finish with the supposed $20K prize.
These videos were posted following the arrest of Russ McKamey—the owner of the attraction—for attempted murder, rape, and domestic violence on July 19.
However, these charges were dropped on September 24 because “the allegations had no merit whatsoever.”
McKamey Manor’s reputation is in shreds after a haunt actor discussed its torturous practices, following its owner’s arrest
Image credits: mckamey manor
For years, McKamey Manor was discussed in a somewhat positive light. Many people described it as “the next logical step in the escalation of haunts” and the majority—including Becca—saw it as “nothing more than an immersive haunt.”
After her deep dive into the attraction, however, she confidently labeled it as “torture porn,” saying mental and physical abuse are part of the experience.
Forceful ingestion of live bugs, carbon monoxide poisoning, serious flesh wounds from fish hooks and nails, suffocation from drowning, and more are things participants are said to potentially experience, as written in the waiver.
Becca also mentioned there is no escape if a guest decides the haunt is too much, saying the owner derives “sick pleasure” from “tortur[ing] these people.”
Image credits: withlove.becca
After learning exactly what happened to those who went in the manor, Becca was “disgusted” that Russ would continue to call his “backyard torture chamber” a haunt.
“As a member of the haunt industry, a true haunt is never supposed to end with a trip to the hospital or a therapist,” she told The Blast. “It’s all about the fun of spooky season, jump scares, and fog juice. The haunt industry as a whole seems to have a problem with McKamey calling what he does a haunt.”
Although the waiver informs people of what they’re getting into, previous visitors have said the adrenaline rush distorts their thinking.
“If the waiver would have said, ‘a man is going to come out of the woods and murder you during this event,’ I would’ve signed it,” said a past participant in a Hulu documentary.
The main purpose of the haunt is to make it through the entire attraction to win their grand prize
Image credits: withlove.becca
A supposed amount of $20,000 awaits whoever is brave enough to complete the haunt. However, no one has actually made it that far.
Russ doesn’t think anyone will make it all the way through “because it’s so mentally and physically challenging” while simultaneously being the “most exciting thing you’ve ever done.”
But Becca questioned whether there was a reward at all, seeing it rather as a way to “[convince] people to let him do terrible things to them.”
Image credits: withlove.becca
In her videos, the scare actor said Russ is the one who determines when a participant has had enough and it usually comes down to “when it is the most convenient to him.”
“If he is still gaining some sort of sick pleasure off of torturing you, then you’re not done,” she said. However, if a visitor is getting “too close to winning,” Russ will stop the attraction under the pretense of a serious physical or mental injury.
Russ McKamey was arrested in mid-July, just days before Becca’s initial video on TikTok, but the charges were recently dropped
Image credits: Russ McKamey
WKRN reported that Russ was first arrested on a domestic assault charge after he allegedly strangled his girlfriend on July 17, causing the woman to nearly lose consciousness. He was detained on a $1,000 bond.
After Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office learned he had previously raped and attempted to strangle the woman, he was additionally charged and his bond was increased to $100,000.
All charges were dropped, however, after a hearing on September 23. Russ’ attorney Davis Griffin said “that nothing in this case was prosecutable against Mr. McKamey.”
Image credits: Russ McKamey
According to Becca, the girlfriend was someone who spoke out against Russ when she went to McKamey Manor, saying that part of her “immersive haunted experience” was getting assaulted. She left with multiple broken bones.
Russ had allegedly posted about her on his social media, and “[made] fun of her with his audience of other people who also very much deserve to be on some sort of watchlist.”
Becca’s exposure video has caused an uproar on social media
Image credits: Russ McKamey
Comments under the original TikTok video quickly blew up in outrage.
“I’ve always loved haunts,” said one user. “I never classified McKamey Manor as one, that’s a torture chamber.”
Another added, “If there was promise of a cash prize, and the funds were never available to potentially pay out that prize, it should be a pretty straightforward fraud suit for any participant…”
“I don’t understand how they are still operating and how this is legal,” someone commented.
Image credits: WKRN News 2
The Internet was not happy when news of his charges being dropped was released.
“How no one has stopped this man from operating gives me little hope for humanity. We wouldn’t let people do what he does to prisoners of war, why do we let him do it to confused individuals with more stupidity than brains trying to win his unwinnable $20k?” read a comment.
Another wrote, “This man is a ghoul and sadist and I wish he’d f–k off.”
A documentary on Hulu was the first mainstream source of media to talk about the truth of McKamey Manor
The description reads, “MONSTER INSIDE: AMERICA’S MOST EXTREME HAUNTED HOUSE follows the story of Russ McKamey. The Navy Veteran turned master of horror, who lures horror enthusiasts into his web.
“They find themselves pulled into the no-holds-barred world of McKamey Manor — a haunt that doesn’t end until Russ says so.”
Image credits: Russ McKamey
Lovers of haunted houses and similar attractions expressed their disgust at McKamey Manor
