The Circleville Letters: A Bizarre Mystery That Haunts Ohio Since 1977

The Circleville Letters case is one of the strangest unsolved mysteries in Ohio’s history. Beginning in 1977, the residents of the small town of Circleville were terrorized by a series of anonymous, threatening letters. These letters revealed intimate knowledge of the recipients’ personal lives, often accusing them of misconduct, affairs, and other scandals. The campaign of fear lasted for years, spiraling into attempted murder and shocking accusations, and although arrests were made, the true author of the letters has never been conclusively identified. This bizarre case continues to captivate true crime enthusiasts, leaving behind a trail of suspicion, paranoia, and unanswered questions.

The Town of Circleville: A Quiet Community in Turmoil

Circleville, Ohio, is a small, quiet town located about 25 miles south of Columbus. Known for its rural charm and strong sense of community, Circleville seemed like the last place where such a bizarre and chilling mystery would unfold. However, in 1977, the town was thrust into the spotlight as an unknown individual—or group—began sending threatening and accusatory letters to various residents.

The letters, which were often handwritten in blocky, uppercase letters, revealed scandalous and highly personal details about the recipients. Many residents received letters accusing them of infidelity, dishonesty, or illegal activities. The letters were laced with intimidation and threats of violence, creating an atmosphere of fear and suspicion that quickly enveloped the town.

The Targeting of Mary Gillespie

One of the earliest and most well-known targets of the Circleville letters was a woman named Mary Gillespie. A school bus driver, Mary received a series of letters accusing her of having an affair with the local school superintendent, Gordon Massie. The letters urged her to end the alleged relationship, warning that dire consequences would follow if she didn’t comply.

Despite denying the affair and ignoring the letters at first, Mary and her husband Ron Gillespie continued to receive the threatening correspondence. The writer appeared to know intimate details about Mary’s life, making the threats all the more terrifying. In one letter, the writer even mentioned the route she drove her school bus, leaving Mary convinced that someone was closely watching her every move.

The writer also expanded the campaign of harassment to include other residents of Circleville, including members of the Gillespie family. The letters began to target Ron Gillespie, demanding that he put a stop to his wife’s alleged affair. The tone of the letters became increasingly ominous, with threats of violence against the couple if they failed to comply with the demands.

The Tragic Death of Ron Gillespie

The mystery of the Circleville Letters took a dark and tragic turn on August 19, 1977. That evening, Ron Gillespie received a phone call that is believed to have been from the anonymous letter writer. According to reports, Ron was furious after the call and grabbed his gun before leaving the house in his truck, determined to confront the person responsible for the harassment.

Not long after he left, Ron’s truck was found crashed into a tree, and he was discovered dead at the scene. His gun had been fired once, but there was no evidence to suggest that he had been shot. The circumstances surrounding Ron’s death were suspicious, and although it was initially ruled an accident, some believed foul play was involved. The letter writer seemed to have a hand in this tragic event, as the letters continued to arrive even after Ron’s death, fueling the belief that his death was somehow connected to the ongoing harassment campaign.

The Mysterious Signs and the Attempted Murder of Mary Gillespie

In 1983, six years after Ron’s death, the Circleville letter writer’s harassment took another dangerous turn. Mary Gillespie began noticing large, hand-painted signs along her bus route, accusing her of inappropriate behavior with Gordon Massie. On one occasion, Mary decided to remove one of the signs herself, but when she approached it, she discovered that it was rigged with a booby trap.

Attached to the sign was a loaded pistol, aimed directly at her. The device had been rigged to go off when the sign was tampered with, but fortunately, it failed to discharge properly when Mary attempted to remove it. This near-miss was regarded as an attempted murder, escalating the seriousness of the case and leaving the small town more shaken than ever.

The discovery of the booby trap led to an investigation, and the gun used in the device was traced back to a man named Paul Freshour, the estranged husband of Ron Gillespie’s sister. Paul had been at odds with Mary and had reportedly held suspicions about her alleged affair. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder, though he denied any involvement in the letters or the booby trap.

The Trial and Conviction of Paul Freshour

In 1983, Paul Freshour stood trial for the attempted murder of Mary Gillespie, but he was never charged directly with writing the Circleville letters. However, investigators and prosecutors believed that Freshour was indeed the mysterious letter writer and had been responsible for orchestrating the campaign of harassment.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that linked Freshour to the booby trap, including the fact that the gun used in the device had belonged to him. Handwriting experts also testified that the letters bore similarities to Freshour’s handwriting, though this evidence was disputed by the defense. Despite Freshour’s consistent claims of innocence, the jury found him guilty of attempted murder, and he was sentenced to 7 to 25 years in prison.

While Paul Freshour was behind bars, many believed that the Circleville letters would stop. However, the letters continued to arrive, even while he was in prison, which fueled speculation that Freshour had been wrongfully convicted and that the real letter writer was still at large. Freshour maintained his innocence until his death in 2012, and many in the town of Circleville continued to question whether he had truly been the mastermind behind the letters.

The Continued Mystery of the Circleville Letters

After Paul Freshour’s conviction, the letters did not stop. In fact, some residents continued to receive threatening and accusatory letters for years, even while Freshour was imprisoned. This raised doubts about his guilt and left many to wonder whether the real writer was still out there, orchestrating the bizarre and terrifying campaign from the shadows.

The case became the subject of widespread speculation, with theories ranging from the involvement of multiple individuals to the idea that the letter writer was someone else entirely. Some believed that Freshour may have been framed, while others suggested that the letters could have been the work of a larger conspiracy within the town.

Despite numerous theories, no one has ever been definitively proven to be the author of the Circleville letters. The case was featured on the popular TV show Unsolved Mysteries in the 1990s, but even the increased media attention did not lead to any new breakthroughs. To this day, the identity of the Circleville letter writer remains a mystery, and the case is considered one of the most perplexing unsolved crimes in Ohio’s history.

Theories and Speculations Surrounding the Circleville Letters

The Circleville Letters case is one of the most perplexing unsolved mysteries in American history, and over the years, numerous theories and speculations have emerged about who might have been behind the anonymous, threatening letters that terrorized the small town of Circleville, Ohio. From personal vendettas to complex conspiracies, these theories attempt to explain how and why the letters were sent, and whether the convicted Paul Freshour was truly guilty or simply a scapegoat. Despite decades of investigation, the case remains open to interpretation, with no definitive answers about the true identity of the letter writer—or writers.

Theory 1: Paul Freshour as the Sole Perpetrator

The primary theory—endorsed by law enforcement at the time—was that Paul Freshour was solely responsible for writing the Circleville letters and orchestrating the events surrounding the harassment of Mary Gillespie and the attempted murder involving the booby trap. Freshour, the estranged husband of Ron Gillespie’s sister, had a clear motive: he allegedly believed that Mary was having an affair and wanted to expose her.

Freshour was arrested in 1983 after the booby trap incident, in which a gun was rigged to a sign along Mary’s bus route. The weapon was traced back to Freshour, and handwriting experts claimed that Freshour’s writing was similar to the distinctive block letters in the Circleville letters. Freshour was convicted of attempted murder, but he was never formally charged with writing the letters themselves.

Supporters of this theory argue that Freshour’s personal vendetta and suspicions about the alleged affair provided sufficient motivation for his involvement. The fact that the letters accused Mary of having a relationship with Gordon Massie, the school superintendent, aligned with Freshour’s supposed beliefs, making him a likely suspect.

However, significant doubt surrounds this theory due to one major fact: the letters continued even after Freshour was imprisoned. Dozens of new letters arrived while Freshour was behind bars, leading many to believe that he was not the true author, or at least not acting alone.

Theory 2: Freshour Was Framed

One of the more compelling alternative theories is that Paul Freshour was framed for the booby trap and the letters, and that the real culprit was never caught. Freshour himself maintained his innocence throughout the entire ordeal, and many supporters argue that the evidence against him was flimsy and circumstantial.

According to Freshour and those who believe he was framed, the gun used in the booby trap had been taken from his garage without his knowledge. Freshour also claimed that the handwriting analysis linking him to the letters was flawed, and that investigators were under pressure to close the case, making him an easy target. Freshour’s supporters point out that he had no reason to attempt to murder Mary Gillespie, as they had no direct conflict, and the continuing letters during his imprisonment further undermined the case against him.

Additionally, the booby trap itself was rudimentary and faulty, raising questions about whether someone as calculating as the letter writer would have devised such an unsophisticated device. Freshour’s family and legal advocates suggest that whoever framed him could have had access to his gun and used it to set him up as a scapegoat.

Additionally, it makes no sense that someone would use a gun that could easily be traced back to them. This makes it more likely that he was set up and framed, because it was an open and shut case, no work for the investigators. Many believe if Paul was the perpetrator, then he definitely would’ve been more inconspicuous with his crime.

Theory 3: Multiple Letter Writers

Another popular theory is that there wasn’t just one letter writer, but rather multiple individuals involved in the harassment campaign. This theory suggests that the letters may have originated from one person but eventually evolved into a broader effort, with different people taking turns writing letters to create confusion and keep the fear alive.

This theory gains traction when considering the nature of small-town dynamics in Circleville. In a close-knit community, gossip and grudges can easily escalate into larger-scale conflicts. It’s possible that different individuals, each with their own motivations and suspicions, participated in the letter-writing campaign either to settle personal scores or to stir up trouble.

This theory could also explain why the letters continued while Paul Freshour was in prison. If multiple people were involved, it’s conceivable that others picked up where the original writer left off, using Freshour’s arrest as a cover to continue the harassment undetected. This theory adds layers of complexity to the case, suggesting that there may never be one single person to blame. One flaw in this theory is that the handwriting has been consistent throughout, suggesting that the same person wrote each letter.

Theory 4: A Local Conspiracy

The idea of a local conspiracy suggests that the Circleville letters were part of a broader effort to cover up corruption or personal misdeeds within the town. Some theorists believe that powerful individuals in Circleville may have been involved in a campaign to silence or intimidate potential whistleblowers, including Mary Gillespie.

According to this theory, the anonymous letters may have been sent by someone with inside knowledge of the town’s secrets, and the content of the letters could have been a mixture of truths, rumors, and fabrications meant to control the narrative. The sudden death of Ron Gillespie after receiving a threatening phone call also adds fuel to the theory of a larger conspiracy. Some suspect that his death was no accident but rather an orchestrated murder to silence him or prevent him from revealing crucial information.

The idea of a conspiracy is bolstered by the continued secrecy surrounding the case and the fact that no one has ever been definitively linked to the letters. Some locals believe that law enforcement may have been involved or complicit in covering up the true extent of the crimes.

Theory 5: Ron Gillespie’s Death and Foul Play

The death of Ron Gillespie, Mary’s husband, on August 19, 1977, is another focal point of the Circleville letters mystery. Ron’s death occurred after he received a phone call, believed to be from the letter writer, that angered him enough to grab his gun and leave his house. Shortly thereafter, his truck was found crashed into a tree, and he was discovered dead inside.

While his death was initially ruled an accident, some believe that Ron may have been murdered. His gun had been fired once, but no bullet was recovered, leading to speculation that foul play was involved. Some theorists suggest that Ron may have confronted the letter writer and was killed in the process, though no solid evidence has been found to support this.

If Ron’s death was indeed a murder, it could suggest that the letter writer (or writers) was willing to go to great lengths to maintain their campaign of fear and secrecy. The fact that the letters continued after Ron’s death further complicates the case, suggesting that whoever was behind the letters wanted to maintain control over the narrative and keep the town on edge.

Theory 6: The Letters Were a Hoax That Got Out of Hand

Some speculate that the Circleville letters may have started as a prank or hoax but spiraled into something far more serious. It’s possible that the original letter writer never intended for the harassment to go as far as it did, but once the letters gained attention, the situation escalated.

According to this theory, the original writer may have become emboldened by the fear they caused or even lost control of the situation as others in the town got involved. The booby trap, the attempted murder, and the continued letters may have been the result of multiple individuals trying to build on the initial hoax, each adding their own twist to the mystery.

This theory could also explain the disjointed nature of the letters, with some containing legitimate information and others making wild or unfounded accusations. It’s possible that what began as a small-scale effort to expose certain secrets turned into a full-blown campaign of terror that no one could stop.

The Legacy of the Circleville Letters

The Circleville Letters case has left a lasting mark on the town of Circleville, Ohio. Even decades after the letters first began arriving, the mystery remains unsolved, and the identity of the writer continues to baffle investigators and residents alike. The case has been the subject of books, television shows, and countless discussions, but no definitive answers have ever been found.

The legacy of the Circleville letters lives on as one of the most bizarre and enduring mysteries in true crime history. To this day, it serves as a cautionary tale of how one person’s—or possibly multiple individuals’—campaign of fear can tear apart a community and leave behind a trail of suspicion, paranoia, and lingering questions that may never be fully answered.

Conclusion

The Circleville Letters remain one of Ohio’s most baffling unsolved mysteries. Despite the conviction of Paul Freshour, the continuing arrival of letters while he was imprisoned has left many to wonder if the real culprit was ever caught. The strange, threatening messages, the booby trap, and the unsolved death of Ron Gillespie all contribute to the eerie atmosphere that still hangs over the case.

To this day, the Circleville Letters case stands as a chilling reminder of how seemingly ordinary communities can be shattered by dark secrets and unexplained events. The questions surrounding the case remain unanswered, leaving it as one of the most puzzling unsolved mysteries in the history of true crime.