The Circleville Letters — Anonymous Terror in Ohio — Paranormal History

What Were the Circleville Letters?

The Circleville Letters were a series of anonymous letters sent to residents of Circleville, Ohio, beginning in 1976. Written in distinctive purple ink, the letters exposed secrets, accused officials of corruption, threatened murder, and destroyed lives. The letters continued for over two decades, terrorizing the community and leaving a trail of broken relationships, ruined careers, and fear. The writer was never definitively identified.

History

The First Letters (1976)

The Circleville Letters began arriving in mailboxes in 1976. The letters were written in purple ink — a distinctive feature that would become their hallmark. They were addressed to a wide range of recipients, including private citizens, school officials, and local politicians.

The first letters were relatively benign — exposing minor secrets and making vague accusations. But they quickly escalated in tone and content. The letters began to:

Expose secrets — affairs, criminal activity, hidden relationships
Accuse officials — of corruption, abuse, and cover-ups
Threaten murder — specific people were targeted by name
Name children — the letters referenced children by name, adding a disturbing personal element

The letters were postmarked from various locations across Ohio, making it difficult to trace their origin.

The Case of Mary Gillespie

One of the most prominent targets of the letters was Mary Gillespie, a school bus driver and teacher’s aide in Circleville. Beginning in 1976, Mary received letters accusing her of having an affair with the local school superintendent, Gordon Massey. The letters threatened her life and the lives of her children if she did not end the affair.

Mary’s husband, Ron Gillespie, was also targeted. In 1977, Ron received a letter threatening to kill him if he did not confront Massey about the affair. That same night, Ron drove to Massey’s home and was found dead in a single-car accident. The official ruling was accidental death, but many believed he had been murdered.

Mary Gillespie continued to receive letters for years. In 1983, she shot and killed a man named David Longberry — who she believed was the letter writer. She was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to prison. However, the letters continued even while Mary was incarcerated, suggesting she was not the author.

The Arrest of Paul Freshour

In 1994, Paul Freshour — Mary Gillespie’s ex-husband — was convicted of sending the Circleville Letters. The conviction was based on circumstantial evidence, including the fact that Freshour had a motive (he was angry about the alleged affair) and that he had access to purple ink.

However, the letters continued after Freshour’s arrest. This fact — along with inconsistencies in the evidence — led many to question whether Freshour was actually the writer. In 1996, Freshour was released from prison, and he maintained his innocence until his death in 2012.

“Every day, new letters. Every day, new secrets. The town was tearing itself apart.” — Circleville resident, 1980s

The Mystery

Who Wrote the Letters?

The identity of the Circleville Letter writer is the central mystery. Despite extensive investigation, no one was ever definitively identified as the author.

Several theories have been proposed:

Paul Freshour: The most widely accepted theory is that Paul Freshour was the letter writer. He had a motive, access to purple ink, and a history of anger and resentment. However, the fact that letters continued after his arrest casts doubt on this theory.

David Longberry: Some believe that David Longberry — the man Mary Gillespie killed — was the letter writer. Longberry had a grudge against Mary and had threatened her in the past. However, Longberry died in 1983, and letters continued for over a decade after his death.

Multiple Writers: Some researchers have proposed that the letters were written by multiple people — perhaps a group of individuals with shared grievances against the community. This theory would explain the diversity of targets and the persistence of the letters.

The Original Target: Some believe that the letters were written by someone who had a specific grievance against one of the early targets — perhaps Mary Gillespie or Gordon Massey — and that the campaign spiraled out of control.

The Impact on the Community

The Circleville Letters had a devastating impact on the small town. The letters destroyed relationships, ruined careers, and created an atmosphere of fear and suspicion. Residents were afraid to open their mail. Neighbors suspected each other. Trust in local officials eroded.

The letters also exposed genuine secrets. Some of the accusations — including the alleged affair between Mary Gillespie and Gordon Massey — were true. This made the situation even more complex, as some residents felt the letters were performing a public service by exposing corruption.

Why Did the Letters Stop?

The letters stopped in the late 1990s, shortly after Paul Freshour’s release from prison. Did the writer die? Was he or she imprisoned for another crime? Or did the writer simply decide to stop?

The cessation of the letters is as mysterious as their origin. The writer — whoever it was — vanished into the silence, leaving behind a legacy of fear and broken trust.

Evidence and Investigations

The Investigation

The Circleville Letters investigation was one of the most extensive in Ohio history:

The FBI was consulted and provided assistance
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation conducted forensic analysis of the letters
Over 1,000 letters were collected and analyzed
Purple ink was traced to a specific brand — Papermate — but this did not narrow down the suspect list

The investigation was hampered by several factors. The letters were postmarked from various locations, making it difficult to trace their origin. The handwriting analysis was inconclusive. And the sheer volume of letters overwhelmed investigators.

Forensic Analysis

Forensic analysis of the letters revealed several details:

The letters were written on various types of paper
The purple ink was consistent across all letters
The handwriting showed some variations, suggesting the writer may have used different styles or that multiple writers were involved
The postmarks were from various locations across Ohio

Despite these findings, the analysis did not definitively identify the writer.

“We collected every letter. We analyzed every word. We tested every piece of ink. But the writer was smarter than us.” — Investigator, 1990

What Do You Think?

The Circleville Letters are a reminder that anonymous communication can be a powerful weapon. A single person — with a typewriter, purple ink, and a mailbox — terrorized an entire community for over two decades.

Was the writer Paul Freshour? David Longberry? Someone else entirely? The evidence is fragmentary and contradictory, and the mystery endures.

For the residents of Circleville, the letters left scars that never fully healed. Trust was broken, relationships were destroyed, and the community was never quite the same. The Circleville Letters are a cautionary tale about the power of words and the destruction they can cause.

Summary

Anonymous letters in purple ink terrorized Circleville, Ohio, starting in 1976 and continuing for over two decades
The letters exposed secrets, accused officials of corruption, and threatened murder
Paul Freshour was convicted in 1994, but the letters continued after his arrest, casting doubt on his guilt
The letters stopped in the late 1990s — the writer was never definitively identified
Bottom line: The Circleville Letters are one of America’s most disturbing anonymous letter cases, a campaign of terror that destroyed a community