Morbid Podcast

Haunted Getaways: West Virginia Edition!

Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Date: March 30, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ash and Alaina take listeners on a “lighthearted nightmare” tour of some of West Virginia’s most haunted getaways—one chilling true crime tragedy at the infamous Cabin 13 in Babcock State Park, followed by ghostly happenings at the historic Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg. Delivering their signature blend of creepy research, candid banter, and gallows humor, the hosts explore tales of murder, restless spirits, and even a few quirky hauntings, perfect for fans craving a double dose of real-life terror and the supernatural.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Banter (01:24–07:37)

• Ash and Alaina catch up: Playful confusion about who introduces the show, jokes about slipping into dimensions, and updates about Elena’s books and Ash mastering TikTok.
• Shout-outs: Elena discusses her PR box from Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series and shares excitement about their upcoming Radio City Music Hall show (06:00).
• Theme Reveal: Both hosts felt the itch for spookiness and dedicated the episode to haunted West Virginia tales—Alaina focusing on true crime, Ash on classic hauntings.

“We were craving a spooky ookie episode.” – Ash (07:41)

Segment 1: True Crime & Hauntings at Babcock State Park’s Cabin 13

Speaker: Alaina (10:00–33:19)

[Cabin 13: The Setting and Legend]

• Cabin 13 is the last in a row of secluded cabins at Babcock State Park, infamous for its isolation and dark history.

[The Murder of Cheryl Flippo] (11:48–27:44)

• 1996: Cheryl Flippo, wife of Reverend James Michael Flippo, is brutally murdered in Cabin 13.
• Backstory: The couple appeared happy but endured years of stalking via anonymous, threatening notes (ultimately revealed to be sent by James himself).
• Days before, Reverend Flippo baptizes a friend, Joel Boges, in the park; borrows Joel’s red Camaro for a “romantic” getaway to Cabin 13.
• The Crime: At 2:11am, Flippo calls 911, claiming he and Cheryl were attacked by a masked intruder; Cheryl is found dead with her skull crushed, and James has only minor self-inflicted injuries.
• Investigation Red Flags:
  • No forced entry or muddy footprints despite recent rain.
  • Implausible claims about an assailant wearing a “toboggan” (leading to humorous banter about the word).
  • Inconsistencies in statements and weak injury evidence.
  • $100,000 life insurance policy taken out less than 30 days prior.
  • James is revealed to be financially unstable, a thief, and possibly engaged in extramarital affairs.
  • Evidence planted clumsily: only his fingerprints on duct tape, his cell phone found burned in the fireplace, blood stains staged.
  • The borrowed car is found at the scene though he denies knowledge.

“Why would a killer just sit on top of you and cut your legs?” – Ash (26:05)

• Conviction: Life without parole; his case shapes a Supreme Court ruling about search times at crime scenes.

[Hauntings Linked to Cabin 13] (29:40–33:19)

• Unmistakably eerie atmosphere; “the hollow around cabin 13 falls silent, like they’ve entered a void.” (31:22)
• Sightings of a woman in a nightgown staring from the window or wandering the woods—always mournful.
• Sounds of struggle, residual noises of fights, unexplained sobbing at night.
• Guests report waking to shadow figures lingering at the foot of the bed, being shaken awake, or hearing an unintelligible female voice pleading for help.

“People say they see a woman standing in the window when the cabin is vacant… she just stares outside.” – Alaina (30:11)

Segment 2: Old World Hauntings at the Blennerhassett Hotel

Speaker: Ash (33:19–57:36)

[History & Opulence of the Blennerhassett Hotel] (33:30–42:54)

• Opened 1889, Queen Anne–style luxury, steam heating, elevators, intricate architecture; named for Irish aristocrats Harmon and Margaret Blennerhassett (who were, scandalously, uncle and niece).
• Historic stays, including JFK in 1960.

“He said, I’m not building a hotel, I’m building the hotel. And I respect that.” – Ash (34:53)

[Haunted Hotspots] (44:02–57:36)

• Suite 409: “The Most Haunted Room in WV”

  • Site of the “man in the bowler hat”: a solid figure in early 20th-century business garb. Most guests see him silently, but one woman was reportedly held down by the neck.
  • Other spirits include the probable presence of hotel founder Colonel William Chancellor, often detected via the smell or sight of cigar smoke.
  • During renovations, Chancellor’s displaced portrait seemed to disturb the supernatural peace; staff experienced ghostly figures and heard declarations like “I was here first.”

• Paranormal Parties

  • Guests in or near 409 often awaken to raucous, Gatsby-style phantom parties; one guest learned he was alone on the floor despite the noise.
  • Unexplained movement of furniture and rearranged place settings in the ballroom.

• The “Woman in White”

  • Sighted on the second floor—1920s–style white dress and cap, always accompanied by the scent of lavender.
  • She sometimes holds elevator doors open, but vanishes as soon as anyone approaches.

• Child Spirits

  • Pranks on maids (toilet paper spinning, children’s footprints on beds).
  • Disembodied children’s voices sing “Jingle Bells” during holidays—an unsettling highlight for Ash.

“Here I am like, this man in a bowler hat is just, like, materializing in your room, sometimes choking you, and I’m like, the kids thing is a little unsettling. I hate that.” – Alaina (55:08)

• Other Entities
  • Ghostly sea captain or possibly Harmon Blennerhassett seen in mirrors.
  • Library haunted by residual screams (possibly from a tragic accident at the building’s earlier incarnation as a bank).
  • “Howdy, fellas!” — A cracking female voice once came through the ballroom microphone, believed to be a local madam making the afterlife fun.

“That’s what you should do with your afterlife. You should jump onto microphones and be like, ‘Howdy, fellas.’” – Alaina (56:26)

Notable & Memorable Quotes

• “Sometimes the right decision is right in front of you. All you have to do is trust your gut.” – Ash (00:42)
• “It just makes me think of Hannibal Lecter saying to Clarice Starling, ‘Your accent, which you try so hard to shed, is pure West Virginia.’” – Elena (08:39)
• “Dude, is that your car? …And James Flippo was like, ‘No, that’s not my car.’” – Alaina (15:44)
• “No forced entry, no evidence of anyone else being there, and things that were even put in strange places, like they were trying to make it look like a scene.” – Alaina (24:08)
• “The whole hollow around cabin 13… just falls silent, like they’ve entered a void.” – Alaina (31:22)
• “If you go to the Blennerhassett and you see a man walking down the hallway in a nice suit smoking a cigar, he’s a ghost and he was there first.” – Ash (48:07)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [07:37] – Switch to main content, preview of each host’s story
• [10:00] – Start of Cabin 13 / Cheryl Flippo segment (true crime + hauntings)
• [29:40] – Discussion of Cabin 13 ghostly activity
• [33:19] – Ash begins Blennerhassett Hotel segment
• [44:07] – Suite 409 and its hauntings (“man in the bowler hat”)
• [48:22] – Great Gatsby–style phantom parties
• [49:30] – The “woman in white” and the haunted elevator
• [51:34] – The haunted library and its tragic history
• [54:00] – Disembodied children’s voices and haunting pranks
• [55:36] – Ballrooms and the “Howdy, fellas” ghostly microphone moment

Episode Tone & Takeaways

The episode perfectly balanced dark, real-life horror (the brutal murder case and subsequent haunting) with the gleeful weirdness and wit listeners expect from Morbid. No matter how grisly or bizarre, Ash and Alaina inject levity, empathy, and skeptical curiosity into every ghost story and true crime case. The show offers both a chilling exploration for haunted travel dreamers and an affectionate roast of America’s spookiest getaways.

Final Note:
Stay weird, but “not so weird that in your afterlife you don’t just yell, ‘Howdy, fellas!’” – The Morbid Team (58:06)