The Circleville Letters
This episode appears to contain dynamically inserted ads. Transcript timestamps may be approximate.
(upbeat music) Something pretty disturbing happened in Circleville, starting small and flourishing over decades. Residents began to receive letters that accused the citizens of being involved in some pretty terrible things. Embesalment, domestic violence, affairs, and even murder. - The Circleville letter writer knew everything about everyone and knew everyone's secrets. - They were vicious and ugly. Somebody with some severe psychological problems I would hazard to guess. - The threatening anonymous letters kept coming, hundreds of them. Most were postmarked from Columbus, Ohio, about 30 miles north, which is where I grew up and where I was living in March of 1977. When small town Circleville began to feel under siege, when just a walk to the mailbox could trigger terror, especially in the case of one woman who lived here, a school bus driver by the name of Mary Gillespie. - Mary Gillespie goes out to her mailbox. She receives a letter, she opens it. It's an anonymous letter, distinct handwriting. And it's telling her to end the affair with the superintendent of the school there, Gordon Massey. - Mrs. Gillespie, stay away from Massey. I've been observing your house and I know you have children. - It's your daughter's turn to pay for what you've done. I shall come out there and put a bullet in that little girl's head. - These letters were being sent to newspapers, elected officials, private citizens. - And they're all saying the same thing that basically Gordon Massey, the superintendent, he needs to be exposed, he needs to be fired. Her husband, Ron, begins to receive them as well. - Mr. Gillespie, your wife is seeing Gordon Massey. You should catch them together and kill them both. He doesn't deserve to live. - Well, he got letters saying that if he didn't do something about this affair, his life would be in danger. - We know what kind of car you drive. We know where your kids go to school. - By August of 1977, everything changes when Ron Gillespie gets a call late one night. Enraged, he picks up a gun, gets in his truck, and drives off.
Transcription truncated.
An anonymous letter writer threatens to expose a town’s rumored secrets. Is anyone safe? "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.