Above: a costume inspired by the Five Smiles Murders
The gruesome nature of the murders, combined with a string of unexplainable occurances that followed, helped cement the Five Smiles Murders as one of the most shocking and disturbing unsolved mysteries in Savannah.
Supernatural Activity
Despite its charming facade and prime location, the house at 56 East Broad Street remained vacant for nearly a decade following the murders. During this time, a string of unexplainable occurances took place.
Caretakers tasked with maintaining the property reported hearing a soft jinggling sound, like a tiny bell. A source connected to the Prescott family later revealed that Louise "Polly" Prescott often stitched tiny bells to her socks, which made a soft jingling sound with every step she took. Upon learning this, the caretakers refused to return to the property.
In 1959, the city of Savannah commissioned several workers to perform basic maintenance on the property. This required electricity to be restored to the property, temporarily. Shortly after reconnecting to the electrical grid, the workers reported all of the lights in the house simultaneously turned on. A few seconds later, all of the light bulbs burst.
During the same maintenance visit, workers reported hearing footsteps running up and down the stairs and second floor hallway.
In 1973, a couple of homeless drifters gained entry to the home and squatted there. They reported no strange activity until the third night. Reportedly one of the squatters, a young woman, was studying her reflection in the bathroom mirror when a red smile materialized on the glass, as if drawn over her reflection by a fingertip.
This account wove its way into Savannah lore, and to this day it's a local urban legend that if you stare into a mirror and repeat the word "smile" five times, the red mark will appear over your reflection.
Widower John Radcliff has also earned his status as an urban legend. There have been numerous reports over the years that he stalks the property, wearing his makeshift paper mask. What he's seeking, nobody knows.