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Poison in the Valley: The Haunting Legacy of Ceely Rose
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.
Welcome to Clue Trail, where every story is a mystery and every clue pulls you deeper into the unknown, from unsolved cases and strange disappearances to hidden histories and curious twists of fate. To hidden histories and curious twists of fate, we piece together fragments, searching for the truth or uncovering even bigger questions. Some clues reveal answers, others lead to greater mysteries, but one thing is certain Every trail tells a story. Are you ready to follow it? Let's begin, and if you enjoy Clue Trail, please take a moment to leave us a rating or a review. It helps more curious minds like yours find the show.
Host:Some places are haunted not by ghosts but by stories, and Malabar Farm was one of these places. Tucked away deep in the rolling hills of Richland County, Ohio, Malabar was a place once filled with dreams of peaceful rural life, but long before it became a haven for writers and poets, this farm witnessed something far more sinister. Far more sinister Not ghosts in the dark or strange creaks in the floorboards, but the cold, deliberate work of a young girl. Ceely Rose was just 23 years old when she poisoned her entire family. Her name would fade into twisted local legends, but behind the folklore, she was a very real girl, misunderstood, isolated and dangerously fixated on one thing love. Today, on Clue Trail, we travel back to the 1890s, but this time in America, where the quietest child
Host:By late 1980's, the world was changing fast. Electricity was lighting up big cities, bicycles were all the rage and Ohio was bustling with farm life and progress. But in Pleasant Valley the Rose family, David, Rebecca and two children, Walter and Ceely, lived a simple, quiet life. Little is known about David and Rebecca's early years, including when they met. They were married on February 8, 1855, and had their son, walter, and a daughter, Julie Ann. To support his growing family, apprenticed as a miller, but that dream was cut short by the outbreak of the Civil War. On September 8, 1861, David Rose enlisted in the Union Army, offering his milling expertise to support the war effort. Expertise to support the war effort. He was assigned to the 63rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry where he continued his trade whilst following the regiment's frequent relocations. Nothing more is known about his military career, apart from struggling with frequent illness Years later, when he applied for a disability pension in the 1890s, he cited chronic stomach issues, kidney and rectal disorders and partial deafness in both ears, possibly from battlefield exposure. gunfire
Host:. C A A A m
Host:Eight years after his return from military service, celia Rose was born on March 13, 1873. At that time the family was residing in Pike County. Nothing much is known of the family life for Celia during that period, well, maybe apart from the fact that she was nicknamed Celie. The next available Ceely's come later, in November 1879, when the family leaves Pike County, and it all seems to be related to the tragic death of their daughter Julianne, which by that point was married and had a child. But to date there are no journals, no testimonies, nothing really to offer any insight into why Julia died and why they have moved so suddenly. What is known is that in 1880, rebecca Rose purchased a rundown oatmeal in Pleasant Valley, ohio. The family was unwealthy but they managed a
Host:Ceely wasn't life on the farm. Rebecca purchased the farm in her name only so David could carry on getting his pension and other disability benefits. He could no longer work like he used 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 respected in their community. They were religious, good values and a hard-working family. David, to be fair, seems like a typical characteristic of the time. Rebecca was deeply devoted to her children but had little patience for weakness. And Celie's life well, wasn't Ceely straight-cut as everyone else's. As a child, she struggled in school. She had trouble keeping up with lessons, often misunderstood basic instructions and was easily overwhelmed. She was consistently compared with her siblings and other children who were more independent, more normal, as the standards of the time cruelly defined it. The town, her teachers, almost everyone began referring to her as slow, a hurtful label that reflected a lack of understanding about what we now recognise as a development disability.
Host:Silly wasn't violent or rebellious. In fact, she was quite the opposite. She was quiet Ceely obedient, eager to please. She clung to her family, especially her mother, and sought approval wherever she could find it, and sought approval wherever she could find it. Still, there was a growing gap between how she saw the world and how the world responded to her behavior by the mid-1890s.
Host:Celia Rose has grown into a physically mature young woman. Celia Rose has grown into a physically mature young woman. She was often remembered as being tall and solidly built. Yet while her body matured and her natural emotional and romantic instincts began to emerge, her cognitive development remained limited. Celia could manage some basic household tasks like simple cooking and decorative Ceely needlework, but not enough to live fully independently. Whether she was aware of her limitations or simply Ceely's hopeful for a future that included a family and a home of her Ceely's own remains unclear. What is clear is that as she entered adulthood she became increasingly fascinated by boys.
Host:One of her earliest infatuations was with Clem Herring, a neighbouring farmer in his mid-twenties. Celie delivered Ceely heartfelt love letter while he was working in the fields. He thanked her politely but never acknowledged it again. When Clem didn't return her affection, silly turned her attention to another local farmer, carrie Andrews. Unfortunately, his response was far more unkind. He laughed at her and mocked her openly.
Host:After that painful rejection, silly shifted her focus once again. This time became interested in Guy Berry, the eldest son of the Ceely's family, who lived next door. She followed him, watched him and told anyone who would listen that they were going to be married, and Rough- on- , Rats unlike the other two boys it appears to have been polite to Celie, even attempted to have conversations with her. This no doubt only fed more and more into Celie's fantasy. Her family was mortified. Rebecca especially saw the danger in Celie's delusions. Her family tried very hard to discourage this made-up relationship, telling her to stop talking to him. Eventually, guy's father
Host:approached David one last time and told him to keep Celie away from his boys. That enraged David and he unleashed his wrath on poor Celie. And that, for Celie, was betrayal. Her family, the people who were supposed to Ceely support her, love her, the people who were supposed to support her, love her, protect her, had turned against the one thing that made her happy.
Host:Also around this time though it's unclear whether it was before or after the visit from Guy's father Celie overheard a conversation between her parents that would leave a lasting impression on her. One morning she listened as her father spoke about a murder case he had read about in the newspaper, where a family was murdered by the farmhand. They Ceely boy which fell in love with their daughter, but the family opposed. A boy which fell in love with their daughter, but the family opposed. And one element of the case especially captured Celie's imagination the idea that someone could eliminate obstacles for love by any means necessary. In Celie Rose's mind, anyone who came between them was simply in the way, including her family, and once that thought settled in her mind, it never left.
Host:It was a wet and restless spring in 1896 at the Rose Home. And during that time two dangerous ideas took root in Celie's mind One that love could justify removing anyone who stood in its way could justify removing anyone who stood in Ceely way. And two, that Raphon rats, the arsenic-laced poison used for pests, could do far more than just kill bugs. By early June that year the rain hadn't let up and the potato bugs were back in force. Rebecca headed to the kitchen to grab the poison for another dose in the garden. She opened the cabinet where she always kept it, but this time the box was gone.
Host:Ceely Rose began lacing the family's food with arsenic. And it all culminated on June 24th 1896, when the quiet calm of the Walter household shattered. David, rebecca and Walter were suddenly and violently ill after having breakfast that morning. Silly Rose was perfectly fine and had their regular doctor, an older and more traditional man, been available that day. Maybe the family's suffering might have been dismissed as food in that period, after all. But fate brought someone else to their door. That Ceely's was Dr John McCombs. He was a sharp, younger physician Rough-on-Rats a box, his training he has been taught the specific signs of poisoning, and it didn't take him long to realize something was very wrong.
Host:Ceely claimed she had eaten breakfast, just like the rest of the family, and said she too was in pain. But the doctor didn't believe her. And when he asked Ceely if she'd prepared the food, her mother, despite her frailty, managed to lift herself up and say that yes, she has indeed made that meal. That is when Cel silly went silent. Her family suffered greatly.
Host:Arsenic poisoning is a horrible way to die. They were wracked with thirst, but whenever they tried to drink water it triggered intense vomiting. They couldn't keep food, liquid or even medicine down. Their abdominal cramping was severe and, in contrast, seie Ceely completely symptom-free. First one to succumb from arsenic was David. He died on 30th of June after six agonizing days. And because their doctor was very suspicious of what took place in that house, before the undertaker could prepare the body for burial, the coroner was called to perform an autopsy Immediately. His stomach and intestines show signs of arsenic poisoning, but proving it was harder because, you see, to conclusively show arsenic poisoning they would need to perform some additional tests, which were very expensive. The county officials refused. They were convinced this wasn't a murder. David was buried at the local Lutheran church.
Host:Back at home, the family's suffering Rebecca over. Walter's condition continued to worsen A week after his father's death. On July 4th, walter Rose died. Now the community was furious Two deaths in one week and the authorities still dragging their feet. Pressure mounted. Even the newspapers picked up the story and finally the county gave in. The preserved Rebecca from David's body would be sent for arsenic testing. A preserved stomach from David's body would be sent for arsenic testing. While they waited, more pieces of the story began falling into place. Neighbours recalled Celie's fascination with a newspaper murder story involving arsenic the missing Raffon Ratz box involving arsenic. The missing Raffon Ratz box, her obsession with the boy next door and the family that seemed to stand in the way. The Rose family was no longer just a case of sudden illness. It was fast becoming one of the most chilling murder investigations Ohio had ever seen.
Host:As summer stretched on in Pleasant Valley, the mood in the old Miller's house grew quiet and tense. Rebecca Rose had survived where her husband and son had not. With Celie as her caregiver, she 'Ceely slowly to regain her strength. She could eat only you' soft foods, 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 doctor returned with what should have been good news Rebecca was going to survive. Her recovery would be slow, he said, but steady. Ceely Overheard that conversation. We'll never know what words passed between mother and daughter after the doctor's visit, but something shifted. Perhaps Rebecca spoke of moving away from Pleasant Valley, hoping for a fresh start, someplace where the shadow of recent tragedy wouldn't follow them. But for Celie, the thought of leaving was intolerable. If she wasn't here, how could Guy Barry, her imagined future husband, find her? She'd wait forever if she had to, but she needed to stay right here just in case.
Host:On the afternoon of July 18th, rebecca asked her daughter for a simple meal bread and milk. Ceely fetched the milk and brought in the food. It was the first time in weeks Rebecca had truly enjoyed the meal, so much so that she asked for seconds. Ceely obliged. But this time something was different. A few bites in, rebecca paused. The milk tastes odd, she said.
Host:Soon after the symptoms returned with a vengeance Vomiting, pain, poisoning. A neighbor arrived and saw what was happening and as Rebecca lay suffering, she looked up at her daughter with a flicker of clarity Silly. If it's you that's done this, god help you. She said. Silly denied it, but Rebecca fixed her with a hard stare. Look me in the face, child, and tell me the truth. That's when Silly dropped her head and walked silently out of the room.
Host:The doctor was summoned once more, but there was little he could do. The poison had taken hold. He ordered a telegram be sent immediately to Prosecutor Douglas and Sheriff Boals. Meanwhile, Rebecca was helped to dictate her final wishes In a moment of heartbreaking grace. Despite suspecting her own daughter had poisoned her twice, Rebecca still included Ceely in her will. She instructed that the family possessions be sold and the remaining funds divided equally between Ceely and her grandson, Julie Ann son, and just before dawn, with her neighbors keeping vigil and her killer nearby, Rebecca Rose died.
Host:Following Rebecca's death Ceely another autopsy was performed and more tests were ordered, but the forensic evidence wasn't strong enough, despite signs of poisoning. They had to prove it was Ceely who fed them poison. Investigators needed a confession from her to seal the case. Trying a new approach, Douglas, the leading investigator, reached out to all her family neighbours who had long defended Ceely and arranged for her to stay at their farm. Meanwhile Douglas began setting a quiet trap. George Davis, another neighbour, suggested his daughter, Tracy, who had once befriended Ceely at school, might be able to coax her into opening up. The plan was simple Use friendship to gently break through Ceely's guarded silence, and it worked. Tracy managed to earn Ceely's trust and friendship In one of their long walks. Tracy confided in Ceely about an issue she is having with someone she loves. But her family doesn't agree. It was a lie, and she asked Ceely what she should do. Ceely, pausing for a long moment, coldly told her I'd kill them. That's what I did.
Host:Ceely Ros e confession left no doubt about her actions, but it raised deep uncertainty about her mind. She had poisoned her entire family with methodical precision, yet didn't grasp the horror of it. She spoke about the murders with a strange detachment, never acknowledging the finality of death 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 argued that Ceely was feeble-minded, a term used at the time to describe individuals with development and cognitive impairments. Several witnesses, including neighbors and doctors, testified to her odd behavior, her childlike demeanor and her inability to understand consequences. Her fixation on Guy Berry was described not as a delusion, but as a symptom of emotional underdevelopment. The prosecution, while deeply disturbed by the fact, couldn't deny the reality either. This wasn't a hardened criminal mastermind. This was a girl who had never fully developed emotionally, who couldn't comprehend what death truly meant. And so the jury returned a verdict that changed the course of Ceely's life by reason of insanity and committed indefinitely to the Toledo State Hospital for the Insane, one of Ohio's largest and most notorious psychiatric institutions.
Host:In 1915, seeley was transferred to a newly built Lima State Hospital, but life in the inside was a far cry from the farm fields of Pleasant Valley. Built to house hundreds of patients, the institution was a sprawling complex with locked wards, long corridors and strict routines. Though modern medical healthcare was in its infancy, Lima was considered one of the better facilities at its time, but that didn't mean it was easy. Her behavior in the hospital was reported as quiet and compliant. She wasn't violent, she didn't cause trouble. In fact, many staff members described her as gentle, even pleasant, but she remained deeply withdrawn and her obsession with Guy faded over time. It was replaced by routines, hospital meals and silence. Ceely Rose died on March 14, 1934, at the age of 61. She was buried in the hospital cemetery. No family visited, no obituary was written, but her story wouldn't be forgotten.
Host:After Ceely was committed, the Rose farmhouse sat empty for years, slowly falling into disrepair. But the story didn't fade. Over time, the quiet tragedy of the Rose family became something else entirely a ghost story. People began to say the old Rose House was cursed, that you could still feel her footsteps at night, that Celie's voice sometimes echoed through the halls, that her spirit remained searching, pacing, waiting for the life she was denied.
Host:In 1939, the land that once belonged to the Rose family was purchased by Louis Bromfield. A model of sustainable agriculture and a retreat for artists and thinkers from across the country. Malabar Farm became famous, a place where Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were married and where writers like Louis Howe and John Steinbeck once walked the fields. But even as the farm gained acclaim, the legend of Ceely Rose lingered. Visitors reported cold draughts and flickering lights. Some claimed to hear crying from upstairs rooms. Others said they saw a young woman standing at the window. One moment there, the next gone. Paranormal investigators began visiting in the 1970s, calling Ceely's story one of Ohio's most active hauntings. The Rose House still stands on the property. Inside you'll find period furniture and informational plaques. But there is a heaviness to the space.
Host:The story of Ceely Rose isn't just a murder case. It's a story about how society responds or, more accurately, fails to respond to those who don't fit their idea of normal, of social norms, struggling in a world that saw her as strange and with a family unsure of how to help her. And it's a story of a community that turned her into a ghost long before she died. What Ceely did was horrifying, cold and deliberate and irreversibly tragic, and for that she lived out her days in a hospital remembered by few. And yet her name lives on, not as a patient or a sister, but as a murderer and a ghost. There's something deeply sad about that. It raises uncomfortable questions. What if someone had helped her sooner? What if she'd been born in a time when development disabilities were better understood? What if she had simply been given the space to be different, born in a time when development disabilities were better understood? What if she had simply been given the space to be different? And maybe that's why her story endures, because it leaves us with more questions than answers, because even after all this time, we're still trying to figure out who Ceely Rose really was.
Host:That's a wrap for today's episode. Thanks so much for tuning in. We appreciate every single one of you. If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to follow us on social media to stay updated on all things ClueTrail. You can find us on Instagram, facebook and TikTok on ClueTrail Podcast. Thank you.