Author to discuss serial killer at CRF series
Author Mark Sebastian Jordan will examine the story of Cletus Reese, the former resident of Coshocton County who sparked headlines in the 1950s after a streak of murders, in his Oct. 17 presentation at the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum in Loudonville.
The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum in Loudonville will kick off its fall Speaker Series on Monday, Oct. 17 with a look at Cletus Reese, the former resident of Coshocton County who sparked headlines in the 1950s after a string of murders.
In 1952 mental patient Cletus Reese was sent home from the Cambridge State Hospital on a trial release. He was to live by himself on his family’s old farm near Newcastle, along the Coshocton and Knox County border, with his sister checking in regularly on his progress. His release turned out to be a mistake as the unstable Reese became delusional, fearing Communist spies were overrunning the farm and that U.S. First Lady Bess Truman was sending him telepathic messages urging him to defend his nation against the spies. At least that’s what Reese said when he finally confessed to the police, three victims having already been discovered on Reese’s farm.
Author Mark Sebastian Jordan will examine the story of Reese, illustrating his talk with numerous pictures and looking into the secret that may have motivated much of Reese’s bizarre behavior. Jordan, a regular speaker at the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum, is well-known as the author of “The Ceely Rose Murders at Malabar Farm” and the weekly History Knox column.
The Speaker Series will continue in November with John Moser of Ashland University, discussing Operation Torch, the Allied gamble to retake North Africa during World War II.
The Speaker Series is free and open to the public. The program will be held in the lecture hall of the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum, 203 E. Main St., Loudonville. Doors for the event will open at 6:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 7 p.m. Due to the popularity of the Speaker Series, guests are encouraged to arrive early as seating is limited.
For more information visit www.crfmuseum.com.