- After watching this segment a few times that hand writing kept striking me as somewhat familiar. Then it struck me...THAT IS THE EXACT SCRIPT USED FOR COMIC BOOKS. Im not sure how relevant that is but that got me thinking about something else. There is a clear and obvious link to the school district, has anyone considered that students or former students could have been involved? Perhaps some student stumbled upon Mary and the superintendent and decided to have some "fun" with it. Just a sudden brainstorm...

- Also, hasn't anyone even indirectly related to this case made any statements about this after this long? I know we sometimes hear from people on this very forum who are linked to cases. Has Paul, Mary, the ex-wife, or any of their kids made any comment or introduced new theories since then. I mean it is 2010 now, I don't see how everyone could have kept their mouth shut this long.

- Finally, the people in the original segment seem to be very particular about not mentioning other suspects by name. Have we heard who these other suspects might be by now?

I know this may not be an update on Circleville but I wanted to post/shar ethis someplace. I was doing a search for craft ideas for my students and in my search for "pumpkin" up popped CIRCLEVILLE OHIO! I was so jazzed! Sad, I know. There is a huge pumpkin festival every year there. Oh where the mind goes......I miss that segment.

My best friends family is from Circleville - I remember seeing this the first time and running across the street to tell her~! Pumpkin Show is in October - it's fun and good beer!

Can someone give me a synopsis of this case? I am friends with someone who lives in Circleville now

I have a friend who I used to work with who moved to Circleville six months ago. He'd never heard about the case. I asked him to ask locals about it when he got there!

I found the case on unsolved's site. I posted it on her facebook and told her to ask her mom about it..we shall see.

The case with Circleville is about a mysterious letter writer. He writes to a bus driver about a rumor (he/she seemed to either start or find out) and wrote letters telling her that they (the writer) knows of the affiar and to stop and he writes to her for a bit, then the husband finds out and later the whole family writes a letter to the writer (somehow) and then the writer called the house, husband answered, left in a car (that the writer knew about) and he took his gun, then the husband somehow died. Then later on (supposedly after the husband died) the man rumored to be in the affair with starts dating the bus driver, then a booby trip is laid out for the driver which is intended to kill her, then it's found out that the gun is her brother in laws or something, he goes to prison for the attempted murder and the letters continued to come and one is even addressed to the man in prison. A weird and odd case and unless someone confesses or the letters start up again or if some new evidence is found, i dont see the case being solved.

She replied that her mom doesn't remember but she is going to go ask about town about it....My friend is a hair dresser so she is going to ask as well!

The case with Circleville is about a mysterious letter writer. He writes to a bus driver about a rumor (he/she seemed to either start or find out) and wrote letters telling her that they (the writer) knows of the affiar and to stop and he writes to her for a bit, then the husband finds out and later the whole family writes a letter to the writer (somehow) and then the writer called the house, husband answered, left in a car (that the writer knew about) and he took his gun, then the husband somehow died. Then later on (supposedly after the husband died) the man rumored to be in the affair with starts dating the bus driver, then a booby trip is laid out for the driver which is intended to kill her, then it's found out that the gun is her brother in laws or something, he goes to prison for the attempted murder and the letters continued to come and one is even addressed to the man in prison. A weird and odd case and unless someone confesses or the letters start up again or if some new evidence is found, i dont see the case being solved.


My Lordy! This story has more twists and turns than The Bold and the Beautiful! LOL :crazy:

There is a clear and obvious link to the school district, has anyone considered that students or former students could have been involved? Perhaps some student stumbled upon Mary and the superintendent and decided to have some "fun" with it. Just a sudden brainstorm...

I've always suspected the writer might be a fellow bus driver.

1. The writer did mention that he would broadcast the details of the affair...over CB radio. A necessary device in school buses.

2. The writer seemed to know the bus routes pretty well in order to place the signs and the booby trap.

3. It would be easy for a bus driver to get such gossip from the other drivers regarding Mary's affair.

4. Maybe it;s just bad memories from elementary school....but I always though school bus drivers we're alway a bit off mentally. :lol:


- Finally, the people in the original segment seem to be very particular about not mentioning other suspects by name. Have we heard who these other suspects might be by now?

That is one of the biggest clues in this case. Especially since Paul Freshour was there on that meeting when they discussed who the writer was.

I've always suspected the writer might be a fellow bus driver.

1. The writer did mention that he would broadcast the details of the affair...over CB radio. A necessary device in school buses.

2. The writer seemed to know the bus routes pretty well in order to place the signs and the booby trap.

3. It would be easy for a bus driver to get such gossip from the other drivers regarding Mary's affair.

4. Maybe it;s just bad memories from elementary school....but I always though school bus drivers we're alway a bit off mentally. :lol:




That is one of the biggest clues in this case. Especially since Paul Freshour was there on that meeting when they discussed who the writer was.

I tend to disagree w/ you about this poster and here's why I do:

1) Whoever wrote the letters knew the people well enough not to misspell their names, the name of their town and knew their exact addresses.

That tells me that this person is very close to the people that received the letters.

2) Most people would have simply ignored the letters, thrown them away or taken them to the police. These people decided on another path: they wrote the letter writer(s) back.

This was such a poor decision that I'm surprised that the people involved admitted that they did it. This has always made it seem to me that Paul Freshour and the group were all involved in some type of weird "game" that grew out of control.

3) The affair had to be almost common knowledge around that small town making fear of its "revelation" a tad ludicrous, IMHO. Especially since several months after the arrest, the affair became public anyway.

4) The ridiculous booby trap was the icing on this crap cake for me. Unless the person that created the booby trap, knew that it would work, it made little sense to place it where they did.

It also makes me wonder what they thought was going to happen when it was discovered. If they killed the person, a series minor "letter pranks" would have turned into something far more serious and would have introduced a level professional investigation that hadn't been seen previously.

IMHO, Paul Freshour was correctly convicted for his part in this farce, although he shouldn't have gone to prison alone. The fact that Freshour isn't spending time and money trying to clear his name makes me believe that he knows that he was appropriately and fairly sentenced.

Somewhat off-topic, somewhat relevant: I first saw this segment coincidentally two days after I first watched Le Courbeau (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035753/), which is a film about poison pen letters in a small town that I think some of you may enjoy.

Somewhat off-topic, somewhat relevant: I first saw this segment coincidentally two days after I first watched Le Courbeau (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035753/), which is a film about poison pen letters in a small town that I think some of you may enjoy.


Hmmm.. thanks for the link. looks spooky. another film that kinda reminds me of this case is a foreign film called "Cache". about a couple recieving disturbing videos and letters from a stranger.

You say they wrote the letter writer back, where did they send the letter?

You say they wrote the letter writer back, where did they send the letter?

Not sure. Apparently there was a return address (obviously fake) on the letters.

What also surprises me is that the Postal Inspectors are actually a highly competent branch of law enforcement and they have a high rate of case solution. That they were unable to determine who was committing these crimes, which became a Federal offense when they used the US Mail, is very strange.

I've always thought there were several "writers" in the town of Circleville, who used the letter writings as a way to deal out gossip about people in the town. Some of the handwriting they show in the UM segment doesn't appear to look like it was written by the same person. Granted I'm not a handwriting expert, but you can see some obvious differences in the way some were written.

IMHO, Paul Freshour was correctly convicted for his part in this farce, although he shouldn't have gone to prison alone. The fact that Freshour isn't spending time and money trying to clear his name makes me believe that he knows that he was appropriately and fairly sentenced.

Over the years, I've begun to think that Paul Freshour probably did have a role in what you called the "weird 'game'" for many of the reasons you listed--deciding to reply to the "original author" being the largest one. I very much think that the entire party probably knew who the original writer was. I think Freshour knew more than he was telling, and was most likely set up as a fall guy for the rest of the party.

If you'll notice, there are distinct handwriting differences in later letters addressed to Freshour while he was incarcerated and the earlier ones intended for Mary Gillespie. That's what initially piqued my curiousity.

Hmmm.. thanks for the link. looks spooky. another film that kinda reminds me of this case is a foreign film called "Cache". about a couple recieving disturbing videos and letters from a stranger.

Speaking of Cache, Haneke's The White Ribbon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1149362/) seemed to be largely influenced by Le Corbeau. But now I'm getting totally off-topic.

Discussing Michael Haneke on an Unsolved Mysteries forum is sort of a dream come true to me.

What also surprises me is that the Postal Inspectors are actually a highly competent branch of law enforcement and they have a high rate of case solution. That they were unable to determine who was committing these crimes, which became a Federal offense when they used the US Mail, is very strange.

This is true. I want to see the entire Circleville segment from the original run. I never thought Paul was guilty but if I saw the whole segment I could offer up a new opinion.

That is the great thing about this show - when it was first aired I was young and probably naive. I was 22? 23? Now I am all jaded (not really!) but it is interesting to have a different perspective on the episodes.

At his trial, Paul Freshour entered a plea of "Not Guilty by Reason of Mental Disease or Defect." In other words, an affirmative defense. In other words, as part of his defense, he stipulated that he was the one who wrote the letters, etc.

/case closed

Wow! Been a while since I last posted on this site. Just started wondering about this case again and I see that the thread I posted is still active. Any luck with your friends in Circleville yet? They hear anything about this?

Reading the old articles on this from archives on Google news from 1983 google "Sheriff Radcliffe" in the date ranges of 1980-1984. They all seem the mention that Freshour admitted to writing "some of the letters". In fact the article made it seem like it was an open and shut case.


If Unsolved Mysteries had dug deeper into the Freshour/Gillespie connection or his involvement in the community it would have made sense. Why did Freshour write the letters? Also how did they write back to the writer if they didn't know his or her identity? What was the motive of Freshour to do this? Was his brother in-law the intended target?


I have googled Martin Yant and found nothing of his investigation into this yet he has published books on Ohio crime and he has his own PI agency in Ohio. Sadly there are no other articles about the Circleville letters or any other information. Like the poster said earlier it may have started out as some kind of sick prank with several writers and Freshour being the fall guy. Nonetheless, Unless someone has some information from Martin Yant that wasn't mentioned on the show, it's doubtful this case will ever thaw out.

It appears Freshour felt Sheriff Radcliff repeatedly infringed on a number of his constitutional rights during his incarceration. The Sixth Circuit Court apparently didn't agree:


http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/791/791.F2d.932.84-3995.html


http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/985/985.F2d.559.92-3836.html

I personally believe Paul Freshour COULD be the culprit. I'm not saying it is him, but it could be. Just because letters were still being sent while he was in prison does not mean anything. He could have had his wife or another accomplice do it while he was in prison to make it look like he is innocent. Also, this is something that is rarely discussed but I believe it to be important, when Stack is talking about the case, he reads a letter sent by the writer to UM and warns them against coming. In my opinion, it seems likely that someone who was involved in the segment (Freshour perhaps) wrote the letter since he knew they would be filming in the town.

It appears Freshour felt Sheriff Radcliff repeatedly infringed on a number of his constitutional rights during his incarceration. The Sixth Circuit Court apparently didn't agree:


http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/791/791.F2d.932.84-3995.html


http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/985/985.F2d.559.92-3836.html

I was unaware of these lawsuits. This information clearly paints an even more disturbing picture of Freshour than the UM segment did. Apparently writing harassing letters is a part of Mr. Freshour's personality makeup and he couldn't even stop himself from doing it when he was incarcerated for this same thing.

This would also explain why he was incarcerated for the length of time that he was. I had always thought his sentence was rather excessive given what he was convicted of doing. However, if he got into trouble while in prison than that would explain the length of his stay.

I was unaware of these lawsuits. This information clearly paints an even more disturbing picture of Freshour than the UM segment did. Apparently writing harassing letters is a part of Mr. Freshour's personality makeup and he couldn't even stop himself from doing it when he was incarcerated for this same thing.

This would also explain why he was incarcerated for the length of time that he was. I had always thought his sentence was rather excessive given what he was convicted of doing. However, if he got into trouble while in prison than that would explain the length of his stay.

Well, I don't believe it was ever determined if it was actually Freshour who was writing those letters (or directing someone else to) while incarcerated, as he was in prison in Lima, and the letters mailed during that time were postmarked Columbus, over a hundred miles to the southeast. He was also placed into solitary confinement for a time, without writing material at his disposal, and the letters were still being sent.

The continuation of the circulation of the letters was used in part to deny him parole, however (IIRC).


I just found it interesting that Freshour kept insisting that his constitutional rights were being violated while he was in prison, and that it was only Sheriff Radcliff and a city or county official he filed suit against originally, rather than appeal the case that landed him in the correctional center in the first place. But then again, there may be some legal nuances there I'm unaware of that prevent him from doing such--to clarify, I wonder if there are any bars to the appellate courts if you plead 'Not Guilty by Reason of Mental Disease or Defect', as mozart told us he did.

I honestly think the letters Freshour admitted to writing were the ones he and Gillespie's initially sent to the man they suspected being responsible. I posted this in another thread but here's my take on the crime Freshour was convicted of:

Obviously whoever set this booby trap for Mary Gillespie was pretty sloppy about it all. We have a witness say she saw a man fiddling around with something in the same area Mary would find the trap later that day driving an El Camino. Freshour had no ties to anyone with an El Camino. Why would Freshour use his own gun and not completely erase the serial number? That tells me someone wanted it to be known that it was Freshour's gun used in the booby trap. If Freshour is guilty, he's an idiot. The trap was crudely made, and it seems like it was never actually intended to kill anyone. Just seems like a sick way to set up Freshour as the fall guy IMO. Lastly, what exactly did Freshour plan on doing by setting up this booby trap? Obviously if Freshour set the trap and actually succeeded in murdering Mary Gillespie, the gun would easily be traced back to him in no time. It's not like Freshour was waiting in the wings so he could hurry up and dispose of the booby trap and then Mary's body. And what guarantee did Freshour have that Mary would be the one tearing down the sign? It all just seems too contrived to me, it definitely seems like a set up.

Why would Freshour use his own gun and not completely erase the serial number? That tells me someone wanted it to be known that it was Freshour's gun used in the booby trap.

What sticks out at me is that there was an attempt to remove the serial number. That's indicative of someone NOT wanting the gun traced at all, let alone to Paul Freshour. I'm not sure whether he was the one who constructed the booby trap or not, but it seems to me whomever was responsible didn't want anyone tied to it.

What sticks out at me is that there was an attempt to remove the serial number. That's indicative of someone NOT wanting the gun traced at all, let alone to Paul Freshour. I'm not sure whether he was the one who constructed the booby trap or not, but it seems to me whomever was responsible didn't want anyone tied to it.

I agree. Plus the fact that it was Freshour's gun that was used could be indicative of his guilt. He could simply say that someone stole it and is trying to frame him. IMO, there is just too much that casts speculation on Freshour for it not to be him.

I agree. Plus the fact that it was Freshour's gun that was used could be indicative of his guilt. He could simply say that someone stole it and is trying to frame him. IMO, there is just too much that casts speculation on Freshour for it not to be him.

Didn't the UM segment state that the serial number was almost half-heartedly rubbed off? I seems to me if you intend to kill someone with your own gun you wouldn't use it until all of the numbers were rubbed off. That's why I think whoever set the trap left the numbers on to frame Freshour.

As to the letters being sent after Freshour was incarcerated, who in their right mind would assist Freshour while in jail? Wouldn't they be fearful of prosecution (by getting caught mailing his letters for him) as a co-conspirator? And just how was Freshour getting these letters to his accomplice? I'm assuming his visits were all under the watchful eye of guards in the prison. The fact that the letters were still being sent after Freshour was in solitary (without any implements needed to write and mail a letter BTW) tell me was innocent. I've always wondered what the note sent to Freshour in prison meant when it said something like, "I told you when we set them up they stay set up." I've always wondered if Freshour's ex-wife and Mary Gillespie conspired together to set Freshour up for whatever reason, and the line about setting people up could be in reference to that. It could also be a reference to when the Freshours and the Gillespies got together and wrote the letters to the man they initially suspected.

Didn't the UM segment state that the serial number was almost half-heartedly rubbed off? I seems to me if you intend to kill someone with your own gun you wouldn't use it until all of the numbers were rubbed off. That's why I think whoever set the trap left the numbers on to frame Freshour.

I believe the removal attempt was simply described as "amateurish". Perhaps the responsible party thought if the number wasn't apparent visually, it must be "gone for good", which is definitely not true.

Why even bother to remove a serial number if you're attempting to implicate someone? Why would you not just leave the weapon as it is?

And just how was Freshour getting these letters to his accomplice? I'm assuming his visits were all under the watchful eye of guards in the prison. The fact that the letters were still being sent after Freshour was in solitary (without any implements needed to write and mail a letter BTW) tell me was innocent. I've always wondered what the note sent to Freshour in prison meant when it said something like, "I told you when we set them up they stay set up." I've always wondered if Freshour's ex-wife and Mary Gillespie conspired together to set Freshour up for whatever reason, and the line about setting people up could be in reference to that. It could also be a reference to when the Freshours and the Gillespies got together and wrote the letters to the man they initially suspected.

If it was Freshour and I am by no means saying that although I do lean that way, Freshour could have had the letters pre-written before he went to jail and told his accomplice to mail them out randomly to make it look like its not him so he can get out of jail.

If it was Freshour and I am by no means saying that although I do lean that way, Freshour could have had the letters pre-written before he went to jail and told his accomplice to mail them out randomly to make it look like its not him so he can get out of jail.

While that is possible, I still don't see what motive or logical reason anyone would have in assistnig Freshour. There would be no financial gain, and Freshour was convicted of the attempted murder not the letters so mailing them in an attempt to "clear" Freshour wouldn't make sense either.

Check out the articles mozartpc27 posted in this thread (while wading through a bit of hissy fit between two other posters and an early post of mine when I was convinced Freshour was framed):

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-179615.html


Other interesting things I had forgotten:

1. According to the first article, Paul never reported his handgun stolen even though he stated he knew it was missing.

2. Mary Gillespie never opened that booby trap. She immediately turned it over to authorities.

Didn't the UM segment state that the serial number was almost half-heartedly rubbed off? I seems to me if you intend to kill someone with your own gun you wouldn't use it until all of the numbers were rubbed off. That's why I think whoever set the trap left the numbers on to frame Freshour.

As to the letters being sent after Freshour was incarcerated, who in their right mind would assist Freshour while in jail? Wouldn't they be fearful of prosecution (by getting caught mailing his letters for him) as a co-conspirator? And just how was Freshour getting these letters to his accomplice? I'm assuming his visits were all under the watchful eye of guards in the prison. The fact that the letters were still being sent after Freshour was in solitary (without any implements needed to write and mail a letter BTW) tell me was innocent. I've always wondered what the note sent to Freshour in prison meant when it said something like, "I told you when we set them up they stay set up." I've always wondered if Freshour's ex-wife and Mary Gillespie conspired together to set Freshour up for whatever reason, and the line about setting people up could be in reference to that. It could also be a reference to when the Freshours and the Gillespies got together and wrote the letters to the man they initially suspected.

Almost everybody involved w/ this entire affair seems to be an idiot. Are you really asking why stupid people did stupid things?

If anyone actually believes Ron Gillespie was not drunk when he left the house to confront whoever called him on the phone, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you. Speaking of which, since Ron died in 1978 before Freshour was even considered a POI in the case, isn't it safe to assume that he was headed out to confront the guy he thought was responsible for writing the letters? I think this guy they were writing letters to was the one to call Gillespie, who else would have angered Gillespie so much that he would take his gun with him? Another reason I don't believe it was Freshour.

Speaking of which, since Ron died in 1978 before Freshour was even considered a POI in the case, isn't it safe to assume that he was headed out to confront the guy he thought was responsible for writing the letters?

In the new episodes with Dennis Farina, he says that that is exactly what Gillespie was going to do, confront the mysterious caller.

In the new episodes with Dennis Farina, he says that that is exactly what Gillespie was going to do, confront the mysterious caller.

Yeah but I wonder if the mysterious caller was this guy they had been writing letters to? Just seems unlikely to me that Freshour would be the one calling for one, and two provoke Gillespie to come comfront him with a gun.

Yeah but I wonder if the mysterious caller was this guy they had been writing letters to? Just seems unlikely to me that Freshour would be the one calling for one, and two provoke Gillespie to come comfront him with a gun.

I agree completely that there is nothing that suggests that scenario. But it does not preclude the possibility that Freshour was involved in the grand scheme, which may be more convoluted and complex than we might have been led to believe. A lot of those articles in the thread link I posted above suggest interfamilial discord.

I just don't believe Freshour did it. The level of masterminding that would have to be planned ahead of time so that those letters would be sent by an accomplice to the prison is just to much for this type of case. These were not criminal geniuses by any mean. If anything, the reason the guilty party has not been found is because the police spent so much time focusing on Freshour instead.

BTW, who was the person that the family believed was doing it? They made the claim that they knew who it was but that information was never made public. Still wondering how more information has not come to light by now.

Apparently a Paul Freshour is listed on Facebook in Ohio. Could be the same dude, he looks older in his picture probably in his 60s or 70s.

I just don't believe Freshour did it. The level of masterminding that would have to be planned ahead of time so that those letters would be sent by an accomplice to the prison is just to much for this type of case. These were not criminal geniuses by any mean. If anything, the reason the guilty party has not been found is because the police spent so much time focusing on Freshour instead.

BTW, who was the person that the family believed was doing it? They made the claim that they knew who it was but that information was never made public. Still wondering how more information has not come to light by now.

Freshour admitted that he did it as part of his insanity/mental defect defense. It was an affirmative defense and, to plead it, you have to make the judge believe that you understand what you are doing (or, in most cases, don't understand what you are doing) when you plead that. So even if you believe that Freshour didn't "do it", he had to state that he did to make the plea and would have had to shape his testimony during the trial in a manner to make that plea believable.

Since he was convicted and went to prison, it appears that while the jury believed that he did it, they didn't believe that he was mentally ill or insane at the time. And since he hasn't tried to "clear his name" (other than his very weak and rather unconvincing UM appearance) in the time since then, it's safe to assume that even he knows that he was correctly adjudicated.

Here's another thing: If the family thinks that someone else "did it" why haven't they filed a civil suit against that person. That way, they could obtain at least a measure of justice. The fact that they haven't tells me that they may talk a "good game", they know that this case was correctly judged.

Freshour admitted that he did it as part of his insanity/mental defect defense. It was an affirmative defense and, to plead it, you have to make the judge believe that you understand what you are doing (or, in most cases, don't understand what you are doing) when you plead that. So even if you believe that Freshour didn't "do it", he had to state that he did to make the plea and would have had to shape his testimony during the trial in a manner to make that plea believable.

Since he was convicted and went to prison, it appears that while the jury believed that he did it, they didn't believe that he was mentally ill or insane at the time. And since he hasn't tried to "clear his name" (other than his very weak and rather unconvincing UM appearance) in the time since then, it's safe to assume that even he knows that he was correctly adjudicated.

Here's another thing: If the family thinks that someone else "did it" why haven't they filed a civil suit against that person. That way, they could obtain at least a measure of justice. The fact that they haven't tells me that they may talk a "good game", they know that this case was correctly judged.

The Freshours, the Gillespies, and Paul's sister all had an idea who was writing the letters. That was the man they wrote the series of letters to telling him they knew who he was and that he should stop writing the letters, etc. Then the letters ceased until the night of Ron Gillespie's death. That is what truthbtold was referring to when he talked about the other person they thought was responsible. I wonder if this person is the suspect Martin Yant referred to as having a brother with an El Camino? If that's the case, I believe he is the guilty party.

Like I've stated before, Freshour used an affirmative defense based off of what he had on his plate and from advice from his lawyer. Everything in the case pointed to Freshour being responsible and I think he plead not guilty by reason of insanity as a last resort to avoid serious jail time. If it worked he wouldn't have faced jail time but instead would have went to a mental hopsital until they deemed him "sane" enough to return to society. What possible defense could Freshour have used by pleading innocent? His gun was used in the booby trap, Mary Gillespie would go on to testify against him, there was a handwriting "test" that allegedly concluded that Freshour was the one writing the letters...he really didn't have a legal leg to stand on other than some circumstantial evidence and his word that he didn't do it. I can't say for certain why Freshour plead the way he did, but the evidence (IMO) in the crime he was convicted for suggest someone else was responsible.

I don't see what Freshour could do to "clear his name" at this point. He was paroled, and will likely never be pardoned for his crimes. He's out of prison, and he still insists he's innocent, what if he really just wanted to put all of that behind him and move on?

What possible defense could Freshour have used by pleading innocent? His gun was used in the booby trap, Mary Gillespie would go on to testify against him, there was a handwriting "test" that allegedly concluded that Freshour was the one writing the letters...he really didn't have a legal leg to stand on other than some circumstantial evidence and his word that he didn't do it. I can't say for certain why Freshour plead the way he did, but the evidence (IMO) in the crime he was convicted for suggest someone else was responsible.

Normally, I agree with you on your points but here, I have to disagree. The reasons you say that he did not have a legal leg to stand on are the exact reasons why he was convicted. The evidence did show that it COULD have been Freshour, but I'm not sure that I agree that it shows that someone else is responsible.

Normally, I agree with you on your points but here, I have to disagree. The reasons you say that he did not have a legal leg to stand on are the exact reasons why he was convicted. The evidence did show that it COULD have been Freshour, but I'm not sure that I agree that it shows that someone else is responsible.

I agree with this assessment.

From the very first time I saw the segment, I always perceived a hint of strife and hard feelings pervading that entire family, and I get the feeling it was either caused or exacerbated by the Freshours' divorce. I think it's possible that it may have resulted in Paul being established as a 'fall guy'.



As well, I wonder what was the nature of the relationship between the Gillespies and Sheriff Radcliff, if any. I recall that postcard sent into UM mentioning something to the effect of leaving the Sheriff out of the matter. Just wondering what was meant by that and why it was said, especially in light of the fact that Paul sued him at least twice.

Interesting note: Sheriff Radcliff is still in his office in Pickaway County, and has been since 1965.

http://www.pickawaysheriff.com/history.html

Normally, I agree with you on your points but here, I have to disagree. The reasons you say that he did not have a legal leg to stand on are the exact reasons why he was convicted. The evidence did show that it COULD have been Freshour, but I'm not sure that I agree that it shows that someone else is responsible.

I totally understand what you're saying. The evidence was pretty cut and dry in pointing guilt to Paul Freshour. But the reason I think it shows more likely that Freshour was set up as the fall guy other than guilty is the fact that if Freshour is responsible he would have to be a compelte moron based off of everything that he did. He openly wrote hundreds of letters of harassment to people, including those he was related to, used his own gun in the booby trap, and he consented to a handwriting analysis test which showed he was the culprit behind the letters. A couple of things regarding Freshour's guilt do not make sense to me:

1. The motive. Why would Freshour care about the affair between Mary and the superintendent? He didn't work at the schools or for the county as far as I know, so why would Freshour care about an affair that involved his sister-in-law? And then to go far enough to push Ron Gillespie to his death, and then target Mary Gillespie and attempt to murder her all over an affair? Did the prosecution ever present a logical motive Freshour would have in committing these crimes?

2. The handwriting test. All Freshour had to do was decline taking one. It was that simple. By all accounts he was cooperative with police, and the fact that he took the handwriting test casts some doubt on his guilt IMO.

3. The letters. Freshour received letters while he was in solitary. Someone else had to have written them. It's not like Freshour predicted he was going to be moved into solitary confinement and decided to hurry up and write some letters to himself, smuggled them out of prison, and then had someone else mail them to him. The line in one of the letters Freshour receieved, "When we set them up, they stay set up." to me tells me that someone is openly taunting him about being framed.

You know what always bothered me about this case, is that after the death of the husband, they said Traci Gillispie actually started dating the school principal. Why in the hell would she do that if she was threatened before about that exact man? My bet is she WAS having an affair when she denied it I suppose

Did they ever publish copies of the actual letters in the Ohio newspapers? I think someone posted that actually over a THOUSAND letters had been sent.

If there are any Circleville residents that post on this board - is there still talk about this in town?

Did they ever publish copies of the actual letters in the Ohio newspapers? I think someone posted that actually over a THOUSAND letters had been sent.

If there are any Circleville residents that post on this board - is there still talk about this in town?

As far as I know, the letters were never published. And I don't think there are any Circleville residents that post on this board, but I do know people who either lived there after the letter writing or close to Circleville have stated that they don't talk about it anymore.

Freshour admitted that he did it as part of his insanity/mental defect defense. It was an affirmative defense and, to plead it, you have to make the judge believe that you understand what you are doing (or, in most cases, don't understand what you are doing) when you plead that. So even if you believe that Freshour didn't "do it", he had to state that he did to make the plea and would have had to shape his testimony during the trial in a manner to make that plea believable.

Since he was convicted and went to prison, it appears that while the jury believed that he did it, they didn't believe that he was mentally ill or insane at the time. And since he hasn't tried to "clear his name" (other than his very weak and rather unconvincing UM appearance) in the time since then, it's safe to assume that even he knows that he was correctly adjudicated.

Here's another thing: If the family thinks that someone else "did it" why haven't they filed a civil suit against that person. That way, they could obtain at least a measure of justice. The fact that they haven't tells me that they may talk a "good game", they know that this case was correctly judged.

Pointing to the statement in the above post where it is stated the Freshour would have had to "shape his testimony during the trial in a manner to make that plea believable." Freshour may have admitted guilt to make the plea for an affirmative defense but he never took the stand at trial in his own defense, so he did not have to "shape his testimony" to do anything. The UM segment very specifically mentioned that he did not take that stand and it is also in the synopsis of the segment on their website.

I personally don't believe that Paul is guilty of this crime for many of the reasons listed earlier in this thread. I feel the "amateurish" attempt to remove the serial numbers from the gun was done to cast suspicion on Paul. Why would they make an "amateurish" attempt and not just leave the gun as it is. If the person who set the trap was smart, they may have realized that making an attempt to remove the numbers would cast more suspicion on Paul than just using his gun.

Also, the level of intelligence that went into planning this just seemed to be above Paul Freshour based on what I saw of him in the segment. I don't mean any offense, just that this was a very complex crime.

Much has been made of the fact that the Gillespies/Freshours wrote back to the "letter writer." They said in the segment that they wrote to who they thought was writing the letters. Could they have been wrong, and someone got an unexpected, unfriendly letter? Possibly. It also mentions in the UM segment that it was Mary who came up with the possible suspect and that it was her idea to write back to him/her.

I am led be a couple of things to believe that the sheriff or someone from his office was involved. The main thing that leads me to this conclusion is something mentioned specifically in the segment. It is stated that the police investigating Ron Gillespie's death first ruled out a suspect then declared his death an accident. Why did they declare it an accident when the suspect was cleared? I mean, either the evidence led to the conclusion that it was an accident or it supported foul play. It seems fishy that they had a suspect who was cleared then decided after clearing the suspect that the death was an accident.

I feel that Mary Gillespie was involved in all of this along with others. I don't think that this will every be solved. Too much time has passed with no word from anyone.

So are you saying you think the recipients of the letters were involved in sending them?

That opens a whole can of worms....Maybe mary gillespe was setting her self up to be a vitim so that she could have her husband killed and have the blame go to the letter writers? That ouwld explain why the letters were still being sent while Freshour was in solitary confinement.

It would probably cost a small fortune, but couldn't the police lift some DNA from the envelope...at least try....at least they could rule Freshour out

It would probably cost a small fortune, but couldn't the police lift some DNA from the envelope...at least try....at least they could rule Freshour out

Freshour was convicted and served his time. As far as the police are concerned the case has been solved and closed, so they have no reason to rule him out on anything. The letters have long since ceased as well. This case is simply a thing of the past at this point in time.

yeah I understand....but even though Freshour served time...and if evidence is preserved, just clearing ones name is worth it.....also, wasn't Freshour locked up tight and was sent a letter stating "we set em' up and knock em' down"

So are you saying you think the recipients of the letters were involved in sending them?

That opens a whole can of worms....Maybe mary gillespe was setting her self up to be a vitim so that she could have her husband killed and have the blame go to the letter writers? That ouwld explain why the letters were still being sent while Freshour was in solitary confinement.

This is one of the two theories I have always thought were most likely. Another possibility is Paul and his wife were both in on the letters. When Paul went to prison, his wife might have begin sending out others, which would explain how he ended up receiving them as well. There's little doubt in my mind that the guilty party is either Paul, his wife, or Mary herself. Or perhaps Paul had another accomplice (El Camino guy), but I do think if Paul didn't do it himself, he was in on it at some point.

BTW, I found Paul on Facebook! :wave:

This is one of the two theories I have always thought were most likely. Another possibility is Paul and his wife were both in on the letters. When Paul went to prison, his wife might have begin sending out others, which would explain how he ended up receiving them as well. There's little doubt in my mind that the guilty party is either Paul, his wife, or Mary herself. Or perhaps Paul had another accomplice (El Camino guy), but I do think if Paul didn't do it himself, he was in on it at some point.

BTW, I found Paul on Facebook! :wave:


Maybe he could shed some light on the case. I always wondered about the El Camino suspect. If he was spotted by another driver before Mary showed up, wouldn't this be enough to put the spotlight on him? Especially because they has another person of interest who drove a similar El Camino?

I've brought this up in previous threads before, but I honestly think there were several letter writers that joined in when the letters entered the thousands. How likely is it that ONE person would have enough time to write all of these letters and mail them? I think initially there was one guy who targeted the Gillespie's and then it spiraled out of control and various people of the town saw the letter writing as a way to spread gossip about their neighbors and/or enemies.

I've brought this up in previous threads before, but I honestly think there were several letter writers that joined in when the letters entered the thousands. How likely is it that ONE person would have enough time to write all of these letters and mail them? I think initially there was one guy who targeted the Gillespie's and then it spiraled out of control and various people of the town saw the letter writing as a way to spread gossip about their neighbors and/or enemies.

I live out in the county in question--though not while the letters were being written--and I could see this being the situation. It's a small town, after all, and as an "outsider" I have been gossiped about enough myself LOL! There are several rural school districts around here, and everyone seems to socialize across districts--probably, as in my kids' case, because they go to churches in town together. So even if only one district was at the center of this case, people in others might have decided this was "something to do". (What does that say about the churchgoers? LOL!)

I live out in the county in question--though not while the letters were being written--and I could see this being the situation. It's a small town, after all, and as an "outsider" I have been gossiped about enough myself LOL! There are several rural school districts around here, and everyone seems to socialize across districts--probably, as in my kids' case, because they go to churches in town together. So even if only one district was at the center of this case, people in others might have decided this was "something to do".

Paul Freshour himself admitted that he, his wife, and the Gillespie's wrote letters to the guy they thought was targeting Mary. There's five people right there who were involved in the Circleville letters.

EDIT - Another thing I just thought of for those that believe Freshour was guilty, if he were the sole letter writer and also the one who targeted Mary, why did he write that letter to Unsolved Mysteries (the one that calls them "el sickos") threatening them not to do the story on Circleville, only to appear on camera for an interview?

Paul Freshour himself admitted that he, his wife, and the Gillespie's wrote letters to the guy they thought was targeting Mary. There's five people right there who were involved in the Circleville letters.

EDIT - Another thing I just thought of for those that believe Freshour was guilty, if he were the sole letter writer and also the one who targeted Mary, why did he write that letter to Unsolved Mysteries (the one that calls them "el sickos") threatening them not to do the story on Circleville, only to appear on camera for an interview?

That could be sort of the "reverse psychology" or deception behind the entire deal...make it out to be that it could not possibly have been him if he willingly appeared on camera when they did the segment...as someone else stated though, he does not necessarily come off as a guy sharp enough to be able to think that far into it.

do any of you also find it odd that the bus driver claims she saw a man put what was eventually the gun trap by the road? Heck, how would the bus driver herself be estute enough herself to see that some random sign with her name onit was written. I think most likely, paul was set up.

Mary Gillespie certainly knew more than she was leading on. How else did she suspect who was sending the letters initially? And why didn't the police suspect the man whom Paul Freshour, his wife, and the Gillespie's wrote letters to as the true Circleville Writer?

I honestly do think the "original" or "true" Circleville Writer was the man that Mary Gillespie initially suspected. Because the letters did stop after they mailed a letter to him. I do not think the writer had anything to do with Ron's death and I believe it was an unfortunate accident. I then tend to think that while Paul and his wife were divorcing/separating, Paul was set up by someone close to him, possibly his ex-wife. The main reason why I think Paul Freshour was innocent of any wrong doing is because there is a huge lack of a motive. The Circleville Writer wanted to end this affair between Mary Gillespie and the school superintendent, nothing more nothing less. Paul Freshour would have no reason to want this affair ended, since Mary was a sister-in-law and the Gillespie's shared no blood relation to Paul. And what reason would Paul have in wanting Mary dead, since whoever set the trap obviously was attempting to shoot her? Unless someone set the trap with Paul's gun (to make him the fall guy), and set it "crudely" knowing it wouldn't go off and not harm Mary, simply because they wanted to put Paul in prison. I wonder if Martin Yant (the journalist interviewed on UM) is still active and what his thoughts are on the case today.

Mary Gillespie certainly knew more than she was leading on. How else did she suspect who was sending the letters initially? And why didn't the police suspect the man whom Paul Freshour, his wife, and the Gillespie's wrote letters to as the true Circleville Writer?

I honestly do think the "original" or "true" Circleville Writer was the man that Mary Gillespie initially suspected. Because the letters did stop after they mailed a letter to him. I do not think the writer had anything to do with Ron's death and I believe it was an unfortunate accident. I then tend to think that while Paul and his wife were divorcing/separating, Paul was set up by someone close to him, possibly his ex-wife. The main reason why I think Paul Freshour was innocent of any wrong doing is because there is a huge lack of a motive. The Circleville Writer wanted to end this affair between Mary Gillespie and the school superintendent, nothing more nothing less. Paul Freshour would have no reason to want this affair ended, since Mary was a sister-in-law and the Gillespie's shared no blood relation to Paul. And what reason would Paul have in wanting Mary dead, since whoever set the trap obviously was attempting to shoot her? Unless someone set the trap with Paul's gun (to make him the fall guy), and set it "crudely" knowing it wouldn't go off and not harm Mary, simply because they wanted to put Paul in prison. I wonder if Martin Yant (the journalist interviewed on UM) is still active and what his thoughts are on the case today.
one thing is for sure. if I ever go to circleville I won't stay long.

This whole situation is so long since over, and nothing remotely similar has happened since. There is no reason to avoid the town on those grounds, though there might be others--such as the rumored drug ring LOL! Like I said, I live around Circleville and find it a good place to live--even if those who were born around here (unlike me) do tend to stick together. Pumpkin Show is coming up in a couple weeks, everyone should see that at least once!

This whole situation is so long since over, and nothing remotely similar has happened since. There is no reason to avoid the town on those grounds, though there might be others--such as the rumored drug ring LOL! Like I said, I live around Circleville and find it a good place to live--even if those who were born around here (unlike me) do tend to stick together. Pumpkin Show is coming up in a couple weeks, everyone should see that at least once!
I guess I should have said I was joking lol. I live in liberty towship/west chester, OH, in between cincy and dayton. I drive to columbus a lot on business. so one day I will probably pass through. I'm not from ohio originally, my wife was born here. so oddly the only reason I heard of circleville before moving here was because of UM lol. I know that it is a good little town in reality.

There I go again, not recognizing a joke LOL! I'm the opposite, my husband grew up in Ohio, I didn't. I lived in Columbus--there's a place I wouldn't want to live anymore--no joking!

There I go again, not recognizing a joke LOL! I'm the opposite, my husband grew up in Ohio, I didn't. I lived in Columbus--there's a place I wouldn't want to live anymore--no joking!
well I should have said just kidding so you knew.....

I don't know much about columbus other than I am a longhorns fan so I don't like the buckeyes or anything ohio state. other than that I don't mind ohio. it reminds me a lot of texas actually....a lot farming lol and people here are very warm and friendly. cincinnati is a nice town. it has a lot of culture and has a small town feel since everyone for the most part is native here. it's nothing like phoenix or dallas(the other larger cities i've lived) where there are so many people from all over the USA.

Oh well...I am an OSU grad so no comment on that LOL! Interesting re TX being like OH--my husband has a sister who followed her husband to TX for a job and adjusted quite well. That is probably why...never thought of that.

Oh well...I am an OSU grad so no comment on that LOL! Interesting re TX being like OH--my husband has a sister who followed her husband to TX for a job and adjusted quite well. That is probably why...never thought of that.
it's the sports teams that I don't like....not the people. a few of my friends here are buckeyes too.

What I think is funny is my job, I travel to Lima (where Paul was held) and Chillicothe, Ohio, which is close to Circleville. I did ask my co-workers down in Chillicothe if they had heard anything about this case, and they didn't.

I suspect the Sheriff. He is in a perfect position to know everyone's dirty secrets, to cover up exculpatory evidence. and his behavior in the case is beneath contempt. He coached Freshour on how to look guilty in a RIGGED handwriting test, and then used it against him, withheld evidence at the trial, and continued to influence Freshour's treatment after he was imprisoned, even when he was obviously wrong. If he's not the culprit, he's shielding the culprit.

If he's not the culprit, he's shielding the culprit.

That's a pretty good point that I've never thought about before. I actually forgot about the sheriff running Paul through the "motions" when he had him copy the letter in the exact same handwriting as the original Circleville Writer. Either the sheriff was attempting to cover something up or he simply wanted a suspect behind bars due to public pressure.

Yesterday I researched and contacted Martin Yant. He was happy to provide me a few datails as well as an article he wrote on Circleville. Very eye opening. If anyone waney to read the article it is in PDF format and I can email it. Just PM me. I also sent him a link to these forums so he can check ou the Circleville threads. Very nice gentleman!

I just want to add one thing.I don't think the Paul on facebook is the same one in this case.his wall said he just turned 50 and the one on UM would be 69-70 by now.
and other reasons,one being,the PF on UM just doesn't look as tough as that guy.
JMO.

I just want to add one thing.I don't think the Paul on facebook is the same one in this case.his wall said he just turned 50 and the one on UM would be 69-70 by now.
and other reasons,one being,the PF on UM just doesn't look as tough as that guy.
JMO.

IIRC someone on here confirmed that it was the real Paul Freshour on facebook. Even Jule Caylor has a facebook and he's got to be in his 70's.

I don't see a birthdate listed on Facebook--it says on his info that he doesn't share with just anyone. But his wall is visible (?) He looks old enough in the picture IMO.

I don't see a birthdate listed on Facebook--it says on his info that he doesn't share with just anyone. But his wall is visible (?) He looks old enough in the picture IMO.
scroll down thru older posts and he says to someone else he just turned 50.
also I was looking on one of the pplfinder sites and there is a PF age 50 in that city.

scroll down thru older posts and he says to someone else he just turned 50.
also I was looking on one of the pplfinder sites and there is a PF age 50 in that city.


OK gotcha.

Wow, it's been a while since I was on this!

My friend doesn't remember this but she asked her mom and said that she vaguely remembers it. They've lived in Circleville their whole lives. So I'm not sure..