The Circleville Letters That Terrorized Ohio Town

In the small town of Circleville, Ohio, in the late 1970s, a series of anonymous letters began arriving in the mailboxes of local residents, sparking a chain of events that would grip the community in fear and intrigue for years to come. The Circleville Letters, as they came to be known, were filled with ominous threats, accusations, and dark secrets, leaving their recipients shaken and bewildered. Decades later, the true identity of the letter writer remains a mystery, making the Circleville Letters one of the most enduring unsolved crimes in American history.



The saga of the Circleville Letters began in 1976, when Mary Gillespie, a school bus driver, received the first of many threatening letters. The letters accused Mary of having an affair with the superintendent of schools, Gordon Massie, and warned her to end the relationship or face dire consequences. Mary and her husband Ron were understandably alarmed by the letters and contacted the local authorities, but little could be done to stop the anonymous writer.



As the letters continued to arrive, they grew increasingly menacing in tone and content. In addition to targeting Mary Gillespie, the writer also began to harass other members of the community, including Ron Gillespie and various local officials. The letters were often accompanied by graphic and violent imagery, leading many to fear for their safety.



Despite the efforts of law enforcement to track down the letter writer, the Circleville Letters continued to arrive with alarming regularity. The case took a tragic turn in 1977, when Ron Gillespie was killed in a car crash under suspicious circumstances. Many suspected foul play, and some believed that Ron's death was connected to the letters, but no evidence was ever found to support this theory.



In the years that followed, the Circleville Letters continued to haunt the town, with new recipients coming forward to report receiving threatening messages. The case attracted national attention, with media outlets across the country speculating about the identity of the mysterious letter writer. Despite numerous investigations and the deployment of various forensic techniques, including handwriting analysis and DNA testing, the identity of the Circleville Letter writer remained elusive.

One of the letters was even addressed to Mary’s husband Ron that threatened his life if he didn’t put a stop to the affair.



Several theories emerged to explain the origins of the Circleville Letters, but none have ever been definitively proven. Some believe that the letters were the work of a disgruntled former employee of the local school district, while others suspect that they were the product of a deranged individual seeking to sow chaos and terror in the community. Still, others speculate that the letters were part of a larger conspiracy involving multiple individuals with a vendetta against the Gillespie family.



One of the most enduring mysteries of the Circleville Letters case is the identity of the letter writer. Despite the efforts of law enforcement and amateur sleuths alike, the true identity of the person behind the letters remains unknown. The case remains open to this day, with the letters themselves stored in the archives of the local sheriff's department as a haunting reminder of the unsolved mystery that continues to haunt the town of Circleville.



The story of the Circleville Letters is a chilling reminder of the power of anonymity and the enduring allure of unsolved mysteries. For the residents of Circleville, Ohio, the letters are more than just a distant memory; they are a living nightmare that continues to haunt them to this day. Until the truth is finally uncovered, the Circleville Letters will remain one of the most enduring and perplexing unsolved crimes in American history, a dark chapter in the annals of true crime that refuses to be forgotten.