June 4, 2025 • 34 mins
The quietest murderer in Ohio history wasn't a mastermind, but a misunderstood mind.
Born in 1873, Ceely Rose struggled with cognitive limitations that modern medicine would recognise as a developmental disability. When she fixated on Guy Berry, a neighbours son who showed her kindness, Ceely constructed an elaborate fantasy of their engagement. Her family's attempts to discourage these delusions became, in her warped perception, obstacles to be eliminated.
Today, the former Rose property is part of Malabar Farm State Park, where visitors report paranormal encounters and strange phenomena. But beyond the ghost stories lies a deeper tragedy about a society that failed to understand mental disability, and a young woman trapped between adult emotions and childlike comprehension.
Follow the clue trail into this complex case where the true mystery isn't who committed the crime, but who Ceely Rose really was beneath the labels society placed upon her.
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Episode Transcript
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Host (00:07):
Welcome to Clue Trail, where every story is a mystery
and every clue pulls you deeperinto the unknown, from unsolved
cases and strange disappearancesto hidden histories and curious
twists of fate.
To hidden histories and curioustwists of fate, we piece
together fragments, searchingfor the truth or uncovering even
(00:31):
bigger questions.
Some clues reveal answers,others lead to greater mysteries
, but one thing is certain Everytrail tells a story.
Are you ready to follow it?
Let's begin, and if you enjoyClue Trail, please take a moment
(00:53):
to leave us a rating or areview.
It helps more curious mindslike yours find the show.
(01:25):
Some places are haunted not byghosts but by stories, and
Malabar Farm was one of theseplaces.
Tucked away deep in the rollinghills of Richland County, Ohio,
Malabar was a place once filledwith dreams of peaceful rural
(01:49):
life, but long before it becamea haven for writers and poets,
this farm witnessed somethingfar more sinister.
Far more sinister Not ghosts inthe dark or strange creaks in
(02:10):
the floorboards, but the cold,deliberate work of a young girl.
Ceely Rose was just 23 yearsold when she poisoned her entire
family.
Her name would fade intotwisted local legends, but
behind the folklore, she was avery real girl, misunderstood,
(02:31):
isolated and dangerously fixatedon one thing love.
Today, on Clue Trail, we travelback to the 1890s, but this
(02:54):
time in America, where thequietest child
By late 1980's, the world waschanging fast.
(03:15):
Electricity was lighting up bigcities, bicycles were all the
rage and Ohio was bustling withfarm life and progress.
But in Pleasant Valley the Rosefamily, David, Rebecca and two
(03:36):
children, Walter and Ceely,lived a simple, quiet life.
Little is known about David andRebecca's early years,
including when they met.
They were married on February 8, 1855, and had their son,
walter, and a daughter, JulieAnn.
(03:59):
To support his growing family,apprenticed as a miller, but
that dream was cut short by theoutbreak of the Civil War.
On September 8, 1861, DavidRose enlisted in the Union Army,
offering his milling expertiseto support the war effort.
(04:22):
Expertise to support the wareffort.
He was assigned to the 63rdOhio Volunteer Infantry where he
continued his trade whilstfollowing the regiment's
frequent relocations.
Nothing more is known about hismilitary career, apart from
struggling with frequent illnessYears later, when he applied
(04:47):
for a disability pension in the1890s, he cited chronic stomach
issues, kidney and rectaldisorders and partial deafness
in both ears, possibly frombattlefield exposure.
gunfire.
(05:09):
C A A A mEight years after his return
from military service, celiaRose was born on March 13, 1873.
At that time the family wasresiding in Pike County.
Nothing much is known of thefamily life for Celia during
that period, well, maybe apartfrom the fact that she was
nicknamed Celie.
(05:31):
The next available Ceely's comelater, in November 1879, when
the family leaves Pike County,and it all seems to be related
to the tragic death of theirdaughter Julianne, which by that
point was married and had achild.
(05:51):
But to date there are nojournals, no testimonies,
nothing really to offer anyinsight into why Julia died and
why they have moved so suddenly.
What is known is that in 1880,rebecca Rose purchased a rundown
(06:12):
oatmeal in Pleasant Valley,ohio.
The family was unwealthy butthey managed a
(08:23):
Ceely wasn't life on the farm.
Rebecca purchased the farm inher name only so David could
carry on getting his pension andother disability benefits.
He could no longer work like heused to, so they needed all the
help they could get.
Walter, their son, although 40,was still living at the house
and helping the family.
The Rose family were respectedin their community.
(08:59):
They were religious, goodvalues and a hard-working family
.
David, to be fair, seems like atypical characteristic of the
time.
Rebecca was deeply devoted toher children but had little
patience for weakness.
And Celie's life well, wasn'tCeely straight-cut as everyone
else's.
As a child, she struggled inschool.
She had trouble keeping up withlessons, often misunderstood
basic instructions and waseasily overwhelmed.
She was consistently comparedwith her siblings and other
children who were moreindependent, more normal, as the
standards of the time cruellydefined it.
The town, her teachers, almosteveryone began referring to her
as slow, a hurtful label thatreflected a lack of
understanding about what we nowrecognise as a development
disability.
Silly wasn't violent orrebellious.
In fact, she was quite theopposite.
She was quiet Ceely obedient,eager to please.
She clung to her family,especially her mother, and
sought approval wherever shecould find it, and sought
approval wherever she could findit.
Still, there was a growing gapbetween how she saw the world
and how the world responded toher behavior by the mid-1890s.
Celia Rose has grown into aphysically mature young woman.
Celia Rose has grown into aphysically mature young woman.
She was often remembered asbeing tall and solidly built.
Yet while her body matured andher natural emotional and
romantic instincts began toemerge, her cognitive
(09:23):
development remained limited.
Celia could manage some basichousehold tasks like simple
cooking and decorative Ceelyneedlework, but not enough to
live fully independently.
Whether she was aware of herlimitations or simply Ceely's
(09:44):
hopeful for a future thatincluded a family and a home of
her Ceely's own remains unclear.
What is clear is that as sheentered adulthood she became
increasingly fascinated by boys.
One of her earliest infatuationswas with Clem Herring, a
(10:07):
neighbouring farmer in hismid-twenties.
Celie delivered Ceely heartfeltlove letter while he was
working in the fields.
He thanked her politely butnever acknowledged it again.
When Clem didn't return heraffection, silly turned her
attention to another localfarmer, carrie Andrews.
(10:31):
Unfortunately, his response wasfar more unkind.
He laughed at her and mockedher openly.
After that painful rejection,silly shifted her focus once
again.
This time became interested inGuy Berry, the eldest son of the
(10:58):
Ceely's family, who lived nextdoor.
She followed him, watched himand told anyone who would listen
that they were going to bemarried, and Rough- on- , Rats
unlike the other two boys itappears to have been polite to
Celie, even attempted to haveconversations with her.
(11:19):
This no doubt only fed more andmore into Celie's fantasy.
Her family was mortified.
Rebecca especially saw thedanger in Celie's delusions.
Her family tried very hard todiscourage this made-up
relationship, telling her tostop talking to him.
(11:40):
Eventually, guy's fatherapproached David one last time
and told him to keep Celie awayfrom his boys.
That enraged David and heunleashed his wrath on poor
Celie.
And that, for Celie, wasbetrayal.
Her family, the people who weresupposed to Ceely support her,
(12:03):
love her, the people who weresupposed to support her, love
her, protect her, had turnedagainst the one thing that made
her happy.
Also around this time thoughit's unclear whether it was
before or after the visit fromGuy's father Celie overheard a
conversation between her parentsthat would leave a lasting
(12:24):
impression on her.
One morning she listened as herfather spoke about a murder
case he had read about in thenewspaper, where a family was
murdered by the farmhand.
They Ceely boy which fell inlove with their daughter, but
the family opposed.
(12:44):
A boy which fell in love withtheir daughter, but the family
opposed.
And one element of the caseespecially captured Celie's
imagination the idea thatsomeone could eliminate
obstacles for love by any meansnecessary.
In Celie Rose's mind, anyonewho came between them was simply
(13:07):
in the way, including herfamily, and once that thought
settled in her mind, it neverleft.
It was a wet and restless springin 1896 at the Rose Home.
(13:29):
And during that time twodangerous ideas took root in
Celie's mind One that love couldjustify removing anyone who
stood in its way could justifyremoving anyone who stood in
(16:42):
Ceely way.
And two, that Raphon rats, thearsenic-laced poison used for
pests, could do far more thanjust kill bugs.
By early June that year therain hadn't let up and the
potato bugs were back in force.
Rebecca headed to the kitchento grab the poison for another
dose in the garden.
She opened the cabinet whereshe always kept it, but this
time the box was gone.
Ceely Rose began lacing thefamily's food with arsenic.
And it all culminated on June24th 1896, when the quiet calm
of the Walter householdshattered.
David, rebecca and Walter weresuddenly and violently ill after
having breakfast that morning.
Silly Rose was perfectly fineand had their regular doctor, an
older and more traditional man,been available that day.
Maybe the family's sufferingmight have been dismissed as
food in that period, after all.
But fate brought someone elseto their door.
That Ceely's was Dr JohnMcCombs.
He was a sharp, youngerphysician Rough-on-Rats a box,
his training he has been taughtthe specific signs of poisoning,
and it didn't take him long torealize something was very wrong
.
Ceely claimed she had eatenbreakfast, just like the rest of
the family, and said she toowas in pain.
But the doctor didn't believeher.
And when he asked Ceely ifshe'd prepared the food, her
mother, despite her frailty,managed to lift herself up and
say that yes, she has indeedmade that meal.
That is when Cel silly wentsilent.
Her family suffered greatly.
Arsenic poisoning is a horribleway to die.
They were wracked with thirst,but whenever they tried to drink
water it triggered intensevomiting.
They couldn't keep food, liquidor even medicine down.
Their abdominal cramping wassevere and, in contrast, seie
Ceely completely symptom-free.
First one to succumb fromarsenic was David.
He died on 30th of June aftersix agonizing days.
And because their doctor wasvery suspicious of what took
place in that house, before theundertaker could prepare the
(17:04):
body for burial, the coroner wascalled to perform an autopsy
Immediately.
His stomach and intestines showsigns of arsenic poisoning, but
proving it was harder because,you see, to conclusively show
arsenic poisoning they wouldneed to perform some additional
(17:27):
tests, which were very expensive.
The county officials refused.
They were convinced this wasn'ta murder.
David was buried at the localLutheran church.
Back at home, the family'ssuffering Rebecca over.
Walter's condition continued toworsen A week after his
(17:52):
father's death.
On July 4th, walter Rose died.
Now the community was furiousTwo deaths in one week and the
authorities still dragging theirfeet.
Pressure mounted.
Even the newspapers picked upthe story and finally the county
(18:16):
gave in.
The preserved Rebecca fromDavid's body would be sent for
arsenic testing.
A preserved stomach fromDavid's body would be sent for
arsenic testing.
While they waited, more piecesof the story began falling into
place.
Neighbours recalled Celie'sfascination with a newspaper
(18:43):
murder story involving arsenicthe missing Raffon Ratz box
involving arsenic.
The missing Raffon Ratz box,her obsession with the boy next
door and the family that seemedto stand in the way.
The Rose family was no longerjust a case of sudden illness.
It was fast becoming one of themost chilling murder
investigations Ohio had everseen.
(19:06):
As summer stretched on inPleasant Valley, the mood in the
old Miller's house grew quietand tense.
Rebecca Rose had survived whereher husband and son had not.
With Celie as her caregiver,she 'Ceely slowly to regain her
(19:27):
strength.
She could eat only you' softfoods, but Ceely were signs of
progress.
Then, during the third week of'Look, the doctor returned with
what should have been good news.
' Week of July Ceely the doctorreturned with what should have
(19:48):
been good news Rebecca was goingto survive.
Her recovery would be slow, hesaid, but steady.
Ceely Overheard thatconversation.
We'll never know what wordspassed between mother and
daughter after the doctor'svisit, but something shifted.
(20:09):
Perhaps Rebecca spoke of movingaway from Pleasant Valley,
hoping for a fresh start,someplace where the shadow of
recent tragedy wouldn't followthem.
But for Celie, the thought ofleaving was intolerable.
If she wasn't here, how couldGuy Barry, her imagined future
(20:33):
husband, find her?
She'd wait forever if she hadto, but she needed to stay right
here just in case.
(20:55):
On the afternoon of July 18th,rebecca asked her daughter for a
simple meal bread and milk.
Ceely fetched the milk andbrought in the food.
It was the first time in weeksRebecca had truly enjoyed the
meal, so much so that she askedfor seconds.
Ceely obliged.
But this time something wasdifferent.
(21:16):
A few bites in, rebecca paused.
The milk tastes odd, she said.
Soon after the symptoms returnedwith a vengeance Vomiting, pain
, poisoning.
A neighbor arrived and saw whatwas happening and as Rebecca
(21:46):
lay suffering, she looked up ather daughter with a flicker of
clarity Silly.
If it's you that's done this,god help you.
She said.
Silly denied it, but Rebeccafixed her with a hard stare.
Look me in the face, child, andtell me the truth.
That's when Silly dropped herhead and walked silently out of
(22:12):
the room.
The doctor was summoned oncemore, but there was little he
could do.
The poison had taken hold.
He ordered a telegram be sentimmediately to Prosecutor
Douglas and Sheriff Boals.
(22:33):
Meanwhile, Rebecca was helpedto dictate her final wishes In a
moment of heartbreaking grace.
Despite suspecting her owndaughter had poisoned her twice,
Rebecca still included Ceely inher will.
She instructed that the familypossessions be sold and the
(22:55):
remaining funds divided equallybetween Ceely and her grandson,
Julie Ann son, and just beforedawn, with her neighbors keeping
vigil and her killer nearby,Rebecca Rose died.
(23:29):
Following Rebecca's death Ceelyanother autopsy was performed
and more tests were ordered, butthe forensic evidence wasn't
strong enough, despite signs ofpoisoning.
They had to prove it was Ceelywho fed them poison.
Investigators needed aconfession from her to seal the
(23:50):
case.
Trying a new approach, Douglas,the leading investigator,
reached out to all her familyneighbours who had long defended
Ceely and arranged for her tostay at their farm.
Meanwhile Douglas began settinga quiet trap.
(24:10):
George Davis, another neighbour, suggested his daughter, Tracy,
who had once befriended Ceelyat school, might be able to coax
her into opening up.
The plan was simple Usefriendship to gently break
(24:31):
through Ceely's guarded silence,and it worked.
Tracy managed to earn Ceely'strust and friendship In one of
their long walks.
Tracy confided in Ceely aboutan issue she is having with
someone she loves.
(24:52):
But her family doesn't agree.
It was a lie, and she askedCeely what she should do.
Ceely, pausing for a longmoment, coldly told her I'd kill
them.
That's what I did.
(25:25):
Ceely Ros e confession left nodoubt about her actions, but it
raised deep uncertainty abouther mind.
She had poisoned her entirefamily with methodical precision
, yet didn't grasp the horror ofit.
She spoke about the murderswith a strange detachment, never
(25:50):
acknowledging the finality ofdeath or the pain she had caused
.
When the case went to court,the question wasn't if she had
done it.
It was why the defense arguedthat Ceely was feeble-minded, a
(26:10):
term used at the time todescribe individuals with
development and cognitiveimpairments.
Several witnesses, includingneighbors and doctors, testified
to her odd behavior, herchildlike demeanor and her
inability to understandconsequences.
(26:31):
Her fixation on Guy Berry wasdescribed not as a delusion, but
as a symptom of emotionalunderdevelopment.
The prosecution, while deeplydisturbed by the fact, couldn't
deny the reality either.
(26:52):
This wasn't a hardened criminalmastermind.
This was a girl who had neverfully developed emotionally, who
couldn't comprehend what deathtruly meant.
And so the jury returned averdict that changed the course
(27:14):
of Ceely's life by reason ofinsanity and committed
indefinitely to the Toledo StateHospital for the Insane, one of
Ohio's largest and mostnotorious psychiatric
institutions.
In 1915, seeley was transferredto a newly built Lima State
(27:37):
Hospital, but life in the insidewas a far cry from the farm
fields of Pleasant Valley.
Built to house hundreds ofpatients, the institution was a
sprawling complex with lockedwards, long corridors and strict
routines.
(27:57):
Though modern medicalhealthcare was in its infancy,
Lima was considered one of thebetter facilities at its time,
but that didn't mean it was easy.
Her behavior in the hospitalwas reported as quiet and
(28:18):
compliant.
She wasn't violent, she didn'tcause trouble.
In fact, many staff membersdescribed her as gentle, even
pleasant, but she remaineddeeply withdrawn and her
obsession with Guy faded overtime.
It was replaced by routines,hospital meals and silence.
(28:44):
Ceely Rose died on March 14,1934, at the age of 61.
She was buried in the hospitalcemetery.
No family visited, no obituarywas written, but her story
(29:06):
wouldn't be forgotten.
After Ceely was committed, theRose farmhouse sat empty for
years, slowly falling intodisrepair.
(29:26):
But the story didn't fade.
Over time, the quiet tragedy ofthe Rose family became
something else entirely a ghoststory.
People began to say the oldRose House was cursed, that you
(29:47):
could still feel her footstepsat night, that Celie's voice
sometimes echoed through thehalls, that her spirit remained
searching, pacing, waiting forthe life she was denied.
In 1939, the land that oncebelonged to the Rose family was
(30:12):
purchased by Louis Bromfield.
A model of sustainableagriculture and a retreat for
artists and thinkers from acrossthe country.
Malabar Farm became famous, aplace where Humphrey Bogart and
(30:36):
Lauren Bacall were married andwhere writers like Louis Howe
and John Steinbeck once walkedthe fields.
But even as the farm gainedacclaim, the legend of Ceely
Rose lingered.
Visitors reported cold draughtsand flickering lights.
(30:58):
Some claimed to hear cryingfrom upstairs rooms.
Others said they saw a youngwoman standing at the window.
One moment there, the next gone.
Paranormal investigators beganvisiting in the 1970s, calling
(31:22):
Ceely's story one of Ohio's mostactive hauntings.
The Rose House still stands onthe property.
Inside you'll find periodfurniture and informational
plaques.
But there is a heaviness to thespace.
(31:54):
The story of Ceely Rose isn'tjust a murder case.
It's a story about how societyresponds or, more accurately,
fails to respond to those whodon't fit their idea of normal,
(32:26):
of social norms, struggling in aworld that saw her as strange
and with a family unsure of howto help her.
And it's a story of a communitythat turned her into a ghost
long before she died.
What Ceely did was horrifying,cold and deliberate and
irreversibly tragic, and forthat she lived out her days in a
(32:50):
hospital remembered by few.
And yet her name lives on, notas a patient or a sister, but as
a murderer and a ghost.
There's something deeply sadabout that.
It raises uncomfortablequestions.
(33:12):
What if someone had helped hersooner?
What if she'd been born in atime when development
disabilities were betterunderstood?
What if she had simply beengiven the space to be different,
born in a time when developmentdisabilities were better
understood?
What if she had simply beengiven the space to be different?
And maybe that's why her storyendures, because it leaves us
(33:34):
with more questions than answers, because even after all this
time, we're still trying tofigure out who Ceely Rose really
(33:56):
was.
That's a wrap for today'sepisode.
Thanks so much for tuning in.
We appreciate every single oneof you.
If you enjoyed the show, don'tforget to follow us on social
media to stay updated on allthings ClueTrail.
You can find us on Instagram,facebook and TikTok on ClueTrail
Podcast.
Thank you.
Welcome to Clue Trail, where every story is a mystery
and every clue pulls you deeperinto the unknown, from unsolved
cases and strange disappearancesto hidden histories and curious
twists of fate.
To hidden histories and curioustwists of fate, we piece
together fragments, searchingfor the truth or uncovering even
(00:31):
bigger questions.
Some clues reveal answers,others lead to greater mysteries
, but one thing is certain Everytrail tells a story.
Are you ready to follow it?
Let's begin, and if you enjoyClue Trail, please take a moment
(00:53):
to leave us a rating or areview.
It helps more curious mindslike yours find the show.
(01:25):
Some places are haunted not byghosts but by stories, and
Malabar Farm was one of theseplaces.
Tucked away deep in the rollinghills of Richland County, Ohio,
Malabar was a place once filledwith dreams of peaceful rural
(01:49):
life, but long before it becamea haven for writers and poets,
this farm witnessed somethingfar more sinister.
Far more sinister Not ghosts inthe dark or strange creaks in
(02:10):
the floorboards, but the cold,deliberate work of a young girl.
Ceely Rose was just 23 yearsold when she poisoned her entire
family.
Her name would fade intotwisted local legends, but
behind the folklore, she was avery real girl, misunderstood,
(02:31):
isolated and dangerously fixatedon one thing love.
Today, on Clue Trail, we travelback to the 1890s, but this
(02:54):
time in America, where thequietest child
By late 1980's, the world waschanging fast.
(03:15):
Electricity was lighting up bigcities, bicycles were all the
rage and Ohio was bustling withfarm life and progress.
But in Pleasant Valley the Rosefamily, David, Rebecca and two
(03:36):
children, Walter and Ceely,lived a simple, quiet life.
Little is known about David andRebecca's early years,
including when they met.
They were married on February 8, 1855, and had their son,
walter, and a daughter, JulieAnn.
(03:59):
To support his growing family,apprenticed as a miller, but
that dream was cut short by theoutbreak of the Civil War.
On September 8, 1861, DavidRose enlisted in the Union Army,
offering his milling expertiseto support the war effort.
(04:22):
Expertise to support the wareffort.
He was assigned to the 63rdOhio Volunteer Infantry where he
continued his trade whilstfollowing the regiment's
frequent relocations.
Nothing more is known about hismilitary career, apart from
struggling with frequent illnessYears later, when he applied
(04:47):
for a disability pension in the1890s, he cited chronic stomach
issues, kidney and rectaldisorders and partial deafness
in both ears, possibly frombattlefield exposure.
gunfire.
(05:09):
C A A A mEight years after his return
from military service, celiaRose was born on March 13, 1873.
At that time the family wasresiding in Pike County.
Nothing much is known of thefamily life for Celia during
that period, well, maybe apartfrom the fact that she was
nicknamed Celie.
(05:31):
The next available Ceely's comelater, in November 1879, when
the family leaves Pike County,and it all seems to be related
to the tragic death of theirdaughter Julianne, which by that
point was married and had achild.
(05:51):
But to date there are nojournals, no testimonies,
nothing really to offer anyinsight into why Julia died and
why they have moved so suddenly.
What is known is that in 1880,rebecca Rose purchased a rundown
(06:12):
oatmeal in Pleasant Valley,ohio.
The family was unwealthy butthey managed a
(08:23):
Ceely wasn't life on the farm.
Rebecca purchased the farm inher name only so David could
carry on getting his pension andother disability benefits.
He could no longer work like heused to, so they needed all the
help they could get.
Walter, their son, although 40,was still living at the house
and helping the family.
The Rose family were respectedin their community.
(08:59):
They were religious, goodvalues and a hard-working family
.
David, to be fair, seems like atypical characteristic of the
time.
Rebecca was deeply devoted toher children but had little
patience for weakness.
And Celie's life well, wasn'tCeely straight-cut as everyone
else's.
As a child, she struggled inschool.
She had trouble keeping up withlessons, often misunderstood
basic instructions and waseasily overwhelmed.
She was consistently comparedwith her siblings and other
children who were moreindependent, more normal, as the
standards of the time cruellydefined it.
The town, her teachers, almosteveryone began referring to her
as slow, a hurtful label thatreflected a lack of
understanding about what we nowrecognise as a development
disability.
Silly wasn't violent orrebellious.
In fact, she was quite theopposite.
She was quiet Ceely obedient,eager to please.
She clung to her family,especially her mother, and
sought approval wherever shecould find it, and sought
approval wherever she could findit.
Still, there was a growing gapbetween how she saw the world
and how the world responded toher behavior by the mid-1890s.
Celia Rose has grown into aphysically mature young woman.
Celia Rose has grown into aphysically mature young woman.
She was often remembered asbeing tall and solidly built.
Yet while her body matured andher natural emotional and
romantic instincts began toemerge, her cognitive
(09:23):
development remained limited.
Celia could manage some basichousehold tasks like simple
cooking and decorative Ceelyneedlework, but not enough to
live fully independently.
Whether she was aware of herlimitations or simply Ceely's
(09:44):
hopeful for a future thatincluded a family and a home of
her Ceely's own remains unclear.
What is clear is that as sheentered adulthood she became
increasingly fascinated by boys.
One of her earliest infatuationswas with Clem Herring, a
(10:07):
neighbouring farmer in hismid-twenties.
Celie delivered Ceely heartfeltlove letter while he was
working in the fields.
He thanked her politely butnever acknowledged it again.
When Clem didn't return heraffection, silly turned her
attention to another localfarmer, carrie Andrews.
(10:31):
Unfortunately, his response wasfar more unkind.
He laughed at her and mockedher openly.
After that painful rejection,silly shifted her focus once
again.
This time became interested inGuy Berry, the eldest son of the
(10:58):
Ceely's family, who lived nextdoor.
She followed him, watched himand told anyone who would listen
that they were going to bemarried, and Rough- on- , Rats
unlike the other two boys itappears to have been polite to
Celie, even attempted to haveconversations with her.
(11:19):
This no doubt only fed more andmore into Celie's fantasy.
Her family was mortified.
Rebecca especially saw thedanger in Celie's delusions.
Her family tried very hard todiscourage this made-up
relationship, telling her tostop talking to him.
(11:40):
Eventually, guy's fatherapproached David one last time
and told him to keep Celie awayfrom his boys.
That enraged David and heunleashed his wrath on poor
Celie.
And that, for Celie, wasbetrayal.
Her family, the people who weresupposed to Ceely support her,
(12:03):
love her, the people who weresupposed to support her, love
her, protect her, had turnedagainst the one thing that made
her happy.
Also around this time thoughit's unclear whether it was
before or after the visit fromGuy's father Celie overheard a
conversation between her parentsthat would leave a lasting
(12:24):
impression on her.
One morning she listened as herfather spoke about a murder
case he had read about in thenewspaper, where a family was
murdered by the farmhand.
They Ceely boy which fell inlove with their daughter, but
the family opposed.
(12:44):
A boy which fell in love withtheir daughter, but the family
opposed.
And one element of the caseespecially captured Celie's
imagination the idea thatsomeone could eliminate
obstacles for love by any meansnecessary.
In Celie Rose's mind, anyonewho came between them was simply
(13:07):
in the way, including herfamily, and once that thought
settled in her mind, it neverleft.
It was a wet and restless springin 1896 at the Rose Home.
(13:29):
And during that time twodangerous ideas took root in
Celie's mind One that love couldjustify removing anyone who
stood in its way could justifyremoving anyone who stood in
(16:42):
Ceely way.
And two, that Raphon rats, thearsenic-laced poison used for
pests, could do far more thanjust kill bugs.
By early June that year therain hadn't let up and the
potato bugs were back in force.
Rebecca headed to the kitchento grab the poison for another
dose in the garden.
She opened the cabinet whereshe always kept it, but this
time the box was gone.
Ceely Rose began lacing thefamily's food with arsenic.
And it all culminated on June24th 1896, when the quiet calm
of the Walter householdshattered.
David, rebecca and Walter weresuddenly and violently ill after
having breakfast that morning.
Silly Rose was perfectly fineand had their regular doctor, an
older and more traditional man,been available that day.
Maybe the family's sufferingmight have been dismissed as
food in that period, after all.
But fate brought someone elseto their door.
That Ceely's was Dr JohnMcCombs.
He was a sharp, youngerphysician Rough-on-Rats a box,
his training he has been taughtthe specific signs of poisoning,
and it didn't take him long torealize something was very wrong
.
Ceely claimed she had eatenbreakfast, just like the rest of
the family, and said she toowas in pain.
But the doctor didn't believeher.
And when he asked Ceely ifshe'd prepared the food, her
mother, despite her frailty,managed to lift herself up and
say that yes, she has indeedmade that meal.
That is when Cel silly wentsilent.
Her family suffered greatly.
Arsenic poisoning is a horribleway to die.
They were wracked with thirst,but whenever they tried to drink
water it triggered intensevomiting.
They couldn't keep food, liquidor even medicine down.
Their abdominal cramping wassevere and, in contrast, seie
Ceely completely symptom-free.
First one to succumb fromarsenic was David.
He died on 30th of June aftersix agonizing days.
And because their doctor wasvery suspicious of what took
place in that house, before theundertaker could prepare the
(17:04):
body for burial, the coroner wascalled to perform an autopsy
Immediately.
His stomach and intestines showsigns of arsenic poisoning, but
proving it was harder because,you see, to conclusively show
arsenic poisoning they wouldneed to perform some additional
(17:27):
tests, which were very expensive.
The county officials refused.
They were convinced this wasn'ta murder.
David was buried at the localLutheran church.
Back at home, the family'ssuffering Rebecca over.
Walter's condition continued toworsen A week after his
(17:52):
father's death.
On July 4th, walter Rose died.
Now the community was furiousTwo deaths in one week and the
authorities still dragging theirfeet.
Pressure mounted.
Even the newspapers picked upthe story and finally the county
(18:16):
gave in.
The preserved Rebecca fromDavid's body would be sent for
arsenic testing.
A preserved stomach fromDavid's body would be sent for
arsenic testing.
While they waited, more piecesof the story began falling into
place.
Neighbours recalled Celie'sfascination with a newspaper
(18:43):
murder story involving arsenicthe missing Raffon Ratz box
involving arsenic.
The missing Raffon Ratz box,her obsession with the boy next
door and the family that seemedto stand in the way.
The Rose family was no longerjust a case of sudden illness.
It was fast becoming one of themost chilling murder
investigations Ohio had everseen.
(19:06):
As summer stretched on inPleasant Valley, the mood in the
old Miller's house grew quietand tense.
Rebecca Rose had survived whereher husband and son had not.
With Celie as her caregiver,she 'Ceely slowly to regain her
(19:27):
strength.
She could eat only you' softfoods, but Ceely were signs of
progress.
Then, during the third week of'Look, the doctor returned with
what should have been good news.
' Week of July Ceely the doctorreturned with what should have
(19:48):
been good news Rebecca was goingto survive.
Her recovery would be slow, hesaid, but steady.
Ceely Overheard thatconversation.
We'll never know what wordspassed between mother and
daughter after the doctor'svisit, but something shifted.
(20:09):
Perhaps Rebecca spoke of movingaway from Pleasant Valley,
hoping for a fresh start,someplace where the shadow of
recent tragedy wouldn't followthem.
But for Celie, the thought ofleaving was intolerable.
If she wasn't here, how couldGuy Barry, her imagined future
(20:33):
husband, find her?
She'd wait forever if she hadto, but she needed to stay right
here just in case.
(20:55):
On the afternoon of July 18th,rebecca asked her daughter for a
simple meal bread and milk.
Ceely fetched the milk andbrought in the food.
It was the first time in weeksRebecca had truly enjoyed the
meal, so much so that she askedfor seconds.
Ceely obliged.
But this time something wasdifferent.
(21:16):
A few bites in, rebecca paused.
The milk tastes odd, she said.
Soon after the symptoms returnedwith a vengeance Vomiting, pain
, poisoning.
A neighbor arrived and saw whatwas happening and as Rebecca
(21:46):
lay suffering, she looked up ather daughter with a flicker of
clarity Silly.
If it's you that's done this,god help you.
She said.
Silly denied it, but Rebeccafixed her with a hard stare.
Look me in the face, child, andtell me the truth.
That's when Silly dropped herhead and walked silently out of
(22:12):
the room.
The doctor was summoned oncemore, but there was little he
could do.
The poison had taken hold.
He ordered a telegram be sentimmediately to Prosecutor
Douglas and Sheriff Boals.
(22:33):
Meanwhile, Rebecca was helpedto dictate her final wishes In a
moment of heartbreaking grace.
Despite suspecting her owndaughter had poisoned her twice,
Rebecca still included Ceely inher will.
She instructed that the familypossessions be sold and the
(22:55):
remaining funds divided equallybetween Ceely and her grandson,
Julie Ann son, and just beforedawn, with her neighbors keeping
vigil and her killer nearby,Rebecca Rose died.
(23:29):
Following Rebecca's death Ceelyanother autopsy was performed
and more tests were ordered, butthe forensic evidence wasn't
strong enough, despite signs ofpoisoning.
They had to prove it was Ceelywho fed them poison.
Investigators needed aconfession from her to seal the
(23:50):
case.
Trying a new approach, Douglas,the leading investigator,
reached out to all her familyneighbours who had long defended
Ceely and arranged for her tostay at their farm.
Meanwhile Douglas began settinga quiet trap.
(24:10):
George Davis, another neighbour, suggested his daughter, Tracy,
who had once befriended Ceelyat school, might be able to coax
her into opening up.
The plan was simple Usefriendship to gently break
(24:31):
through Ceely's guarded silence,and it worked.
Tracy managed to earn Ceely'strust and friendship In one of
their long walks.
Tracy confided in Ceely aboutan issue she is having with
someone she loves.
(24:52):
But her family doesn't agree.
It was a lie, and she askedCeely what she should do.
Ceely, pausing for a longmoment, coldly told her I'd kill
them.
That's what I did.
(25:25):
Ceely Ros e confession left nodoubt about her actions, but it
raised deep uncertainty abouther mind.
She had poisoned her entirefamily with methodical precision
, yet didn't grasp the horror ofit.
She spoke about the murderswith a strange detachment, never
(25:50):
acknowledging the finality ofdeath or the pain she had caused
.
When the case went to court,the question wasn't if she had
done it.
It was why the defense arguedthat Ceely was feeble-minded, a
(26:10):
term used at the time todescribe individuals with
development and cognitiveimpairments.
Several witnesses, includingneighbors and doctors, testified
to her odd behavior, herchildlike demeanor and her
inability to understandconsequences.
(26:31):
Her fixation on Guy Berry wasdescribed not as a delusion, but
as a symptom of emotionalunderdevelopment.
The prosecution, while deeplydisturbed by the fact, couldn't
deny the reality either.
(26:52):
This wasn't a hardened criminalmastermind.
This was a girl who had neverfully developed emotionally, who
couldn't comprehend what deathtruly meant.
And so the jury returned averdict that changed the course
(27:14):
of Ceely's life by reason ofinsanity and committed
indefinitely to the Toledo StateHospital for the Insane, one of
Ohio's largest and mostnotorious psychiatric
institutions.
In 1915, seeley was transferredto a newly built Lima State
(27:37):
Hospital, but life in the insidewas a far cry from the farm
fields of Pleasant Valley.
Built to house hundreds ofpatients, the institution was a
sprawling complex with lockedwards, long corridors and strict
routines.
(27:57):
Though modern medicalhealthcare was in its infancy,
Lima was considered one of thebetter facilities at its time,
but that didn't mean it was easy.
Her behavior in the hospitalwas reported as quiet and
(28:18):
compliant.
She wasn't violent, she didn'tcause trouble.
In fact, many staff membersdescribed her as gentle, even
pleasant, but she remaineddeeply withdrawn and her
obsession with Guy faded overtime.
It was replaced by routines,hospital meals and silence.
(28:44):
Ceely Rose died on March 14,1934, at the age of 61.
She was buried in the hospitalcemetery.
No family visited, no obituarywas written, but her story
(29:06):
wouldn't be forgotten.
After Ceely was committed, theRose farmhouse sat empty for
years, slowly falling intodisrepair.
(29:26):
But the story didn't fade.
Over time, the quiet tragedy ofthe Rose family became
something else entirely a ghoststory.
People began to say the oldRose House was cursed, that you
(29:47):
could still feel her footstepsat night, that Celie's voice
sometimes echoed through thehalls, that her spirit remained
searching, pacing, waiting forthe life she was denied.
In 1939, the land that oncebelonged to the Rose family was
(30:12):
purchased by Louis Bromfield.
A model of sustainableagriculture and a retreat for
artists and thinkers from acrossthe country.
Malabar Farm became famous, aplace where Humphrey Bogart and
(30:36):
Lauren Bacall were married andwhere writers like Louis Howe
and John Steinbeck once walkedthe fields.
But even as the farm gainedacclaim, the legend of Ceely
Rose lingered.
Visitors reported cold draughtsand flickering lights.
(30:58):
Some claimed to hear cryingfrom upstairs rooms.
Others said they saw a youngwoman standing at the window.
One moment there, the next gone.
Paranormal investigators beganvisiting in the 1970s, calling
(31:22):
Ceely's story one of Ohio's mostactive hauntings.
The Rose House still stands onthe property.
Inside you'll find periodfurniture and informational
plaques.
But there is a heaviness to thespace.
(31:54):
The story of Ceely Rose isn'tjust a murder case.
It's a story about how societyresponds or, more accurately,
fails to respond to those whodon't fit their idea of normal,
(32:26):
of social norms, struggling in aworld that saw her as strange
and with a family unsure of howto help her.
And it's a story of a communitythat turned her into a ghost
long before she died.
What Ceely did was horrifying,cold and deliberate and
irreversibly tragic, and forthat she lived out her days in a
(32:50):
hospital remembered by few.
And yet her name lives on, notas a patient or a sister, but as
a murderer and a ghost.
There's something deeply sadabout that.
It raises uncomfortablequestions.
(33:12):
What if someone had helped hersooner?
What if she'd been born in atime when development
disabilities were betterunderstood?
What if she had simply beengiven the space to be different,
born in a time when developmentdisabilities were better
understood?
What if she had simply beengiven the space to be different?
And maybe that's why her storyendures, because it leaves us
(33:34):
with more questions than answers, because even after all this
time, we're still trying tofigure out who Ceely Rose really
(33:56):
was.
That's a wrap for today'sepisode.
Thanks so much for tuning in.
We appreciate every single oneof you.
If you enjoyed the show, don'tforget to follow us on social
media to stay updated on allthings ClueTrail.
You can find us on Instagram,facebook and TikTok on ClueTrail
Podcast.
Thank you.
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