In the summer of 2023, journalist Jon Ronson received a series of alarming text messages from his son, Joel, who had found himself in a precarious situation at a secluded Connecticut estate. Joel described driving through a forest to reach a massive, medieval-style castle, noting that the entire experience felt deeply strange. The property, located in the town of Woodstock, Connecticut, was owned by a man in his early 60s named Chris Mark. Joel and his friends had been invited to a party at the fortress, which was advertised as a formal event starting at 3:00 p.m. and lasting indefinitely.
Upon arriving, the group was greeted by Mark, his partner, and a large black dog named Cerberus. Joel’s friend Delaney described Mark as having sharp blue eyes that appeared glazed over, while Joel noted a visible cut above one of the owner’s eyes. Once inside the banqueting hall, the guests realized there was no party. Instead, Mark informed them that he had invited them to participate in a reality show he was producing, which he claimed would be the most compelling entertainment project ever created. He identified himself as the lord of the castle and explained that he was searching for a queen among 101 princesses.
Mark directed the young women in the group to change into princess costumes and tiaras, leading them to a room near his hot tub grotto, which also served as a botanical garden. While the participants were assured the project was a collaborative effort, the atmosphere grew tense as Mark became visibly irritated by the guests’ lack of interest in his concept. Eventually, he had a videographer inform the group that their participation was no longer required.
Driven by his son’s experience, Ronson later visited the castle himself. He discovered that the structure, while appearing ancient, was actually built beginning in 2003. During his visit, Ronson observed the owner’s dog acting aggressively and questioned Mark about his methods for recruiting visitors. Mark explained that he used dating apps to form relationships, often bringing women to the castle to adapt them to his lifestyle, which included encouraging sexual exploration with other women. Ronson noted several young women moving silently through the dark halls of the estate during his visit.
The situation escalated weeks later when Ronson began receiving a barrage of threatening messages from Mark. The owner claimed he was consulting with lawyers and threatened to send individuals he described as having served prison time for killing someone to confront Ronson. Mark even offered to pay Ronson via Venmo if he would remove these specific individuals from his narrative. The threats were accompanied by messages from an advisor who claimed to handle Mark’s business affairs.
Ronson eventually met with an associate named Cady, who lived near the castle and had been in frequent contact with Mark regarding the journalist’s inquiries. Cady expressed deep regret and naivety regarding his involvement with the project, revealing that he had been in contact with federal authorities about the situation. The investigation highlighted the bizarre nature of Mark’s project and the unsettling reality behind the walls of his Connecticut fortress. The report also notes that while I’d slept, my son Joel had been texting my wife and me a series of unnerving messages about a perilous situation he had found himself in, in Connecticut, i awoke one morning in the summer of 2023 to discover that. The report also notes that as I frantically tried to piece together the night’s events, one of Joel’s friends had been invited to a party being held by a stranger she’d met that week on Tinder, from what I could tell. The report also notes that so Joel and two others went along for the ride. The report also notes that they found the man’s home so bizarre that Joel did something he’d never done before – he sent me the coordinates of his location and a photograph, just in case, but when they arrived. The report also notes that gargoyles and many – I couldn’t shake the sense that there were too many – spires, towers and turrets, reaching like skeletal fingers to the looming clouds above, the photograph was of a vast medieval castle with a drawbridge. The report also notes that “I honestly have no clue what is going on,” read Joel’s second text. The report also notes that “This is very weird.” Then: “You drive down a road in the middle of a forest and then there’s this gate and it’s just a huge, massive castle.”. The report also notes that recounting for me the disquieting events that had occurred that night, i t was a few days later and Joel and his friends were sitting in my office.
