Emily Chan
If you’ve ever seen the mystery teen drama Pretty Little Liars, you know it’s about four best friends who band together after receiving frightening messages from an anonymous foe named “A,” who threatened to reveal their darkest secrets.
Obviously, the television show is a work of fiction, but you might be surprised to discover that there was once a real-life “A.”
In the late 1970s, someone started terrorizing the small town of Circleville, Ohio, threatening to expose the illicit activities they had been engaging in. Handwritten letters were sent to multiple residents through the mail.
The recipients were accused of things like domestic violence, affairs, and even murder. The writer mainly targeted a woman named Mary Gillispie, who was a local bus driver.
Somehow, someone knew she was having an affair with school superintendent Gordon Massie. At the time, Mary denied it. Later, she admitted that she was actually seeing the superintendent but claimed their relationship only started after the letters.
In the initial letter, Mary was instructed to “stay away from Massie” and not to lie when questioned about meeting him.
The letter writer also stated that they knew where she lived and that she had children, so it was important that she take the situation seriously and stop the affair right away.
Not long after Mary received her letter, her husband Ron began getting mail as well. The anonymous sender told Ron that his wife was having an affair and demanded that he catch them in the act and kill them both.
Another letter addressed to Ron read, “Gillispie, you have had 2 weeks and done nothing. Admit the truth and inform the school board. If not, I will broadcast it on CBS, posters, signs, and billboards until the truth comes out.”
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