CBS 48 Hours: What was in The Circleville letters?

The upcoming episode of CBS' 48 Hours focuses on the infamous writer who wrote anonymous poison pen letters to the residents of Circleville in the late '70s. Titled The Circleville Letters, the official synopsis of the episode on CBS News reads:

''An anoynymous letter writer threatens to expose a town's rumored secrets. Is anyone safe? 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.''

The letters contained disturbing secrets about the residents' personal lives, which the writer threatened to expose. Without further ado, read on to find out more about the Circleville letters ahead of the 48 Hours episode.

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CBS 48 Hours: Mary Gillespie and others in Circleville received anonymous letters

In March 1977, many residents of Circleville, a little town in the state of Ohio, were shocked to receive several anonymous letters containing secrets from their personal lives.

One of the main targets was a school bus driver named Marie Gillespie, whom the writer accused of having an extra-marital affair with a school superintendent named Gordon Massie. According to CBS News, one of the letters that Gillespie received read:

This is your last chance to report him: I know you are a pig and will prove it and shame you out of Ohio: A pig sneaks around and meets other womens husbands behind their backs, causes families and homes and marriages to suffer."

Marie's husband, Ronald Gillespie, also received a letter wherein the writer spoke of his wife's alleged affair with the school superintendent. The letter stated (obtained via CBS News):

''You should catch them together and kill them both.''

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CBS 48 Hours: Did police find the man behind the letters?

In a shocking turn of events, Roland received an anonymous phone call in August 1977, following which he took off and got killed after his pickup truck rammed into a tree. Subsequent investigation revealed a gun under his body, which had been fired once. Although his death was ruled an accident, many continue to believe he was murdered.

Almost six years after receiving the first letter, Mary Gillespie, while driving, found a vulgar sign about her teenage daughter on a fence, which she tried to pull down. However, the sign was tied to a box, which she later found had a loaded gun. She reported the incident to the police, who then started an investigation.

Authorities traced the gun to Mary's brother-in-law Paul Freshour, who maintained his innocence and told officers that his gun had been stolen a few weeks back. In a shocking development, Freshour's estranged wife Karen Sue told police that she suspected Paul was the man behind the poison pen letters.

In the ensuing trial, Paul was convicted of attempted murder and received a maximum sentence of 7-25 years. During his time in prison, Paul himself received an anonymous letter that said:

''Freshour: Now when are you going to believe you arent getting out of there: I old you two years ago when we set em up: they stay set up.''

Paul got out of prison after ten years, and around the same time, the residents of Circleville stopped receiving anonymous letters. Many believe he was the man behind the letters, while others think the wrong man was convicted. In June 2012, Paul passed away after suffering from a heart attack.

Don't miss CBS 48 Hours: The Circleville Letters on Saturday, August 6, 2022, at 10:00 PM ET.