Ghost Reports: "They buried Mrs. Kyle twice"

Post Reports – The Washington Post
Release Date: October 30, 2025
Host: Elahe Izadi
Reporter & Narrator: Clarence Williams
Length: ~18 minutes

Overview

In this special Halloween “Ghost Reports” edition of Post Reports, host Elahe Izadi introduces a chilling tale by local reporter Clarence Williams. He returns to his childhood home, Foxcroft School in Loudoun County, Virginia, to unravel the legend of Mrs. Kyle—a restless spirit whose remains were uncovered (and then reburied) on the school’s historic grounds. The story, richly atmospheric and full of unexpected turns, blends personal memoir, local folklore, and a touch of true-crime mystery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Foxcroft School and Halloween Traditions (01:59–03:47)

• Clarence Williams recounts growing up on the Foxcroft School campus, where his parents were on staff.
• Foxcroft is modeled after British boarding schools, with competitive houses (“Foxes” and “Hounds”) and horse riding traditions.
• A unique annual ritual: On Halloween, students are led to a cemetery on school grounds to hear an old recording—Miss Charlotte Haxel Noland, the school’s founder, recounting the legend of the ghost that haunts Foxcroft.

2. Introduction to Miss Charlotte & the Legend of Mrs. Kyle (03:47–06:42)

• Miss Charlotte (recorded before her death in 1969) explains her fascination with ghost stories, inherited from her grandfather.
• Mrs. Kyle’s Story:
  • Mrs. Kyle, allegedly related to Mary Ball Washington, lived in the early 1700s.
  • After a traumatic birth with no medical help, Mrs. Kyle suffered what would now be called postpartum depression.
  • She was chained in the attic as “treatment.”
  • Mrs. Kyle died attempting to escape—supposedly falling and breaking her neck.
• Miss Charlotte describes the house, attic, and chains—features still present at the school.

“When Mrs. Kyle had a baby, there was no doctor within hundreds of miles... the story is that she went off her head.”
— Miss Charlotte (05:34)

3. Ghostly Visitations and School Lore (06:42–09:01)

• Miss Charlotte lived in Mrs. Kyle’s former house and reported sensing Mrs. Kyle’s ghost.
• Multiple teachers and staff corroborated haunted sightings—footsteps, cold drafts, uncanny sensations.
• The school’s founder considered Mrs. Kyle a benign spirit.

“She was kind and good. I could feel her right behind me, breathing on my neck as I walked up the steps...”
— Miss Charlotte (08:16)

• The puzzling question: Did Mrs. Kyle have unfinished business?

4. The Grisly Discovery: Digging Up the Past (11:20–14:11)

• Determined to solve the mystery, Miss Charlotte literally digs up Mrs. Kyle’s grave with top-performing students and local help.
• The excavation is almost a community event, culminating in the discovery of human bones and Mrs. Kyle’s skull—with a conspicuous bullet hole.

“It was wonderful... right then, about five thirty on a May afternoon, I found out the secret of why she wandered. When I looked at the skull... she was shot right through the very top of her head. A big bullet hole.”
— Miss Charlotte (12:54)

• The remains are taken to the Smithsonian for testing (though no documentation exists), and the wound is identified as a “pre-revolutionary bullet hole.”

5. Mrs. Kyle’s Real Fate: A Theory Emerges (14:11–14:59)

• Miss Charlotte’s theory: On the night Mrs. Kyle died, she was shot by the man caring for her (not her husband), and the story about falling down the steps was a fabrication.
• This revelation reframes the ghost story as one of injustice and hidden violence.

“As you rushed down the steps, the man... just leaned over the banister and shot her right through the head... and then, being scared to death... they arranged to have her break her neck falling down the steps.”
— Miss Charlotte (14:27)

6. Revisiting the Haunt: Clarence Williams’ Personal Connection (14:59–16:44)

• Clarence returns as an adult, reflecting on memories of ghost tales, dares among children, and the attic’s intimidating presence.

“I lived there for nearly 16 years and only once screwed up the courage to climb that staircase. I'm attempting it now, late at night...”
— Clarence Williams (15:14)

• He locates the orchard and describes the ritual reburial of Mrs. Kyle’s bones by Miss Charlotte, in a giant pickle jar beneath a tree, marked by a plaque.

7. Final Thoughts: Rest, Storytelling, and Legacy (16:44–17:05)

• The bones lie beneath the tree; the ghost, presumably at peace.
• The plaque reads, “Here lie the bones of Mrs. Kyle... Her ghost still haunts Foxcroft.”

“She’d gotten the story to us. She told what she wanted... and she wanted us to know. And now she rests right there under the tree.”
— Miss Charlotte (17:05)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Ghost Story Tradition:
  “Each Halloween, they tell a ghost story... the upperclassmen walk the younger students deep into the woods to a tiny cemetery...”
  — Clarence Williams (02:32)

• Firsthand Haunting Account:
  “I could feel her right behind me, breathing on my neck as I walked up the steps...”
  — Miss Charlotte (08:16)

• Excavation Excitement:
  “We began in real earnest... and there we hit Mrs. Carl's bones. If you can imagine the excitement...”
  — Miss Charlotte (12:05)

• Revelation of the Skull:
  “When I looked at the skull... she was shot right through the very top of her head.”
  — Miss Charlotte (12:54)

• Miss Charlotte’s Theory:
  “He just leaned over the banister and shot her right through the head... being scared to death... they arranged to have her break her neck...”
  — Miss Charlotte (14:27)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:59 – Clarence Williams introduces Foxcroft and the Halloween ritual
• 03:47 – Miss Charlotte’s original cassette plays—the legend begins
• 05:43 – The attic imprisonment and Mrs. Kyle’s attempted escape
• 08:08 – Miss Charlotte’s ghostly encounters
• 11:36 – The grave-digging event and discovery of remains
• 12:54 – Revelation: Mrs. Kyle was killed by a gunshot
• 14:27 – Miss Charlotte’s theory of murder
• 15:14 – Clarence’s personal return to the haunted stairs
• 16:35 – Reburial in a pickle jar, plaque under the tree
• 17:05 – Resolution and closing reflection

Tone and Narration

The episode is steeped in a reflective, slightly eerie mood, with Clarence Williams’ personal nostalgia balanced by Miss Charlotte’s matter-of-fact, even fond, delivery of the ghost tale. The voices carry warmth, curiosity, and a respect for the power of stories to connect the past to the present. The blend of folklore, history, and unresolved mystery leaves listeners with a haunting sense of intrigue—and the comfort that some spirits may eventually rest, once their stories are told.

End of Summary