Upper Melinda

Maryland · United States · Execution site

A Maryland grave marked only with those two words. The mob that hanged her cut her in half and buried the two halves on opposite sides of Reisterstown.

The grave lies at Reisterstown, Maryland, and the headstone carries two words: UPPER MELINDA.

The account behind it holds that a woman local tradition calls a witch taunted the townspeople through the 1800s. Before an angry mob hanged her and cut her body in two, she is said to have cursed the town: anyone who visited her grave would bring her two halves a little closer together, until one day she would be whole again.

The townspeople took that seriously enough to act on it. They buried her upper half on one side of Reisterstown and marked it. The other grave was left unmarked, and it has never been found.

Additional information supplied in February 2007 comes from a group of investigators who entered the site.

What makes this legend unusual is that the marker exists and says exactly what the story says it says. Whether a woman was ever killed that way is another matter, and no record supports it.

FAQ

Where is Upper Melinda located?

Upper Melinda is in Maryland, United States.