Mysterious Letters

By D.S.Pais

"In the peaceful, town of Nashville, Tennessee, confusion creeps

in and the town becomes famous for all the terror generated by

the compounding letters that disturb the sentiments of the locals

residing in the town. The letters are provocative, and sensitive,

talking about guilt, affairs, and all the talks that could dest

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ukiyoto Publishing
• Release date: May 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9789361727542

Book preview

Letters Arrive

I

t was the year 1962. A young couple, Reese and Davis married. They decided to settle in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a place that rarely attracted outside attention and suited a lovely life together. But it all went hay-wire with time. The town became famous for events that went out of control. In the year 1976, something strange happened, and the town got the attention of a lifetime - the frightening letters started to arrive.

The first letter was received by Valerie, a school bus driver. The letter was strange. It stated that she was having an affair with the superintendent of schools.  The letter indicated that the affair needed to be stopped.

It also included an ominous threat. I know where you live. I observe your house. You have children…

The envelope was postmarked to Columbus, Tennessee. There was no return address, no signature inside, and no way to tell who had sent it.

A week later, Valerie received another letter with a similar tone. Valerie kept the letters to herself- Until her husband Black also received one.

Strangely, Valerie lived in Nashville, Tennessee, but the envelope was postmarked to Columbus, Tennessee which was several miles away.

And this letter, addressed to Black, told him that if he didn’t do something to stop this affair, his life was undoubtedly in danger.

The alleged affair became the talk of Nashville.  The Letter read, in part: Black, you have had 2 weeks, since the letter was delivered to you, and you have done nothing about this.  If no action is taken on your part, I will broadcast it on posters, signs, and billboards, until the truth comes out.

Valerie and Black had to do something about it. They decided to talk about it among their family members to resolve the issue. They invited Black’s sister, her husband, Benjamin Davis, and Benjamin’s sister home.  The couple discussed at length those letters with them.

Towards the end of the discussion, Valerie said: It should remain just amongst us. We are already the talk of the town, and we must see that whatever we do, just remains within us.

They all agreed.

I have an idea about who is sending the letters. I have a plan. Valerie said.

And what is that?  Her husband asked her.

We must write him back so that he knows what we know. Valerie said.

Who will write those letters back to him? Benjamin asked.

Why not you? Valerie requested.

They decided to have Benjamin write letters to the suspect, claiming that they know who he was.

We will just scare the guy. There will be no violence in them or anything, just that they know who he is and what he is doing. Valerie said.

Benjamin wrote five letters one after the other and sent them to the person whom they believed was the man behind those anonymous frightening letters.

Black

T

he plan seemed to work; the letters stopped for several weeks.

However, very soon in a matter of a few weeks itself, Nashville, Tennessee, residents opened their mailboxes to find mysterious letters meant to terrorize them. There was a horrendous influx of hate mail.

One of the letters read in part:

Failure to comply…. and no one can protect you.

Then, on August 19, 1977, Black received a phone call. The call seemed to confirm Black’s suspicions about the identity of the letter writer.

As he was opening the door of his house to step out, Black told his children: I am going out to confront the letter writer. Black slammed the door and went out in a jiffy. He was fuming in anger.

He took his weapon. He did not seem to be drunk; it wasn’t the time for any of that.

Angry and upset, Black hurried to the family’s red-and-white pickup, even though the letter writer had said he was watching it.

Within a short distance, he lost control of the vehicle, hit an obstacle, and was killed on the spot.

At the accident spot, a huge crowd gathered and for obvious reasons, the police were beckoned. They too had their suspicions.

After a very little investigation, the police eliminated one potential suspect, then ruled Black’s death as an accident.

This did not go well too.

Several Nashville residents soon received anonymous letters accusing the Sheriff of a cover-up.

Black’s brother-in-law, Benjamin Davis, said the Sheriff had changed his story:

He was telling me that it wasn’t foul play, that the suspect had passed a polygraph test.

Black had .16% alcohol in his blood, which would, in Tennessee, be one-and-a-half times the legal limit. His family and most people said that he was not a heavy drinker and were surprised by that kind of finding. The kids too remembered that their father had left the house without consuming even a pint of alcohol.

Benjamin Davis

M

ost of the letters were postmarked to Columbus, Tennessee, which was about 30 miles north of the town where the incidents were occurring. The peaceful character of the small town best known for its annual Pumpkin Show changed in March 1977, as Nashville businesses and select residents started receiving anonymous letters with personal information and accusations.

Valerie and the Superintendent later acknowledged a relationship, although they claimed that it did not start until after the letters were sent. 

In 1980, the couple Reese and Davis bought Lot 137 in the Hide-A-Way Hills development. The marriage was heading nowhere, and it was turning sour day by day, the indifferences between the couple became inconsolable. 

One day when Valerie was driving on her usual bus ride, she saw something strange on the roadside. When she looked closer, she realized that it was a crude booby trap, and it was addressed to her. She took it on the bus and decided to see it at home. Strangely, it seemed to her that it was designed to fire the gun at her. She consented to the authorities, as this required their attention.

When lab tests were able to read the number on the gun accurately, the case took an incredible turn: it belonged to Valerie’s brother-in-law, Benjamin Davis. He had just split up with his wife, Black’s sister at around that time.

Reese sued for divorce in 1982 at which time a restraining order prohibited Davis from encumbering, or in any way disposing, of their joint assets.  The sale proceeds were to be used to pay off certain debts, and the remainder of the proceeds were to be divided equally between Reese and Davis. The sale, however, never took place.

 The authorities questioned him. Benjamin denied any involvement: I admit the gun is mine, but I hadn’t seen it for a long time. I don’t know what happened to it, and that’s the truth. And that’s how it is. He said and perhaps he was speaking the truth too.

 Davis was indicted by the County Grand Jury on March 4, 1983, and charged with attempted murder. That same year, to finance his defense of the criminal charge, Davis executed a $15,000 promissory note to Gallucci and Ms. Betty Hayes. Davis also executed and delivered to them a mortgage on his interest in the Hide-AWay Hills property to secure payment of that note. 

Trial

J

udicial proceedings commenced in the Court of Common Pleas, Tennessee on October 24, 1983. Upon completion of the questioning of the potential jurors, a jury was paneled, and the change of venue motion was overruled. A motion for separation of witnesses was made by counsel for Defendant-Appellant before opening arguments and the Trial Court granted the motion. 

At trial, evidence was presented. 

Valerie was called to testify. She testified thus: I was employed as a bus driver for the Westfall School District and about 3:30 in the afternoon I saw a sign on a fence post that referred to my daughter. I stopped my bus, removed the sign, and went home.

Valerie later returned these materials to the County Sheriffs. She further testified concerning letters she had received over a period until December 23, 1982. 

Before her testimony concerning these letters, the Trial Court gave a limiting instruction to the jury that the letters were to be considered only for the state of mind of the Defendant-Appellant as they related to the charge of attempted murder. 

 The Court summoned Richard Phillips, who was the Sheriff, involved in the investigation. 

Richard Phillips testified: Valerie brought the sign and the box containing a gun into my office. I turned these materials over to Detective Parish.

Detective Parish was thus summoned, and he agreed to the testament.

Wesley Wells, a co-worker of the Defendant-Appellant was also summoned. 

He testified: "I sold a gun