Community rallies around North St. Paul woman who received demand to take down skeleton display

NORTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Halloween may have been months ago, but a spooky display is still scaring up quite a reaction.

Spooky season 

What we know:

Arianna Newlin has been fascinated with skeletons since she was a child.

Now she has a bone to pick with an unknown neighbor.

"It's sad to think that somebody wants to take away somebody else's harmless fun," said Newlin.

Scary reaction

The backstory:

Newlin put two 12-foot-tall skeletons in her front yard back in September to decorate for Halloween, which she usually leaves up until April or May.

But earlier this month, she received an anonymous letter in the mail, telling her to take down her spooky skeletons or the writer would make her display go away.

"Creeped out. I guess scared a little bit. Just thinking that they felt they had the right to tell me what to do with my property," said Newlin.

Show of solidarity

What they're saying:

After Newlin posted pictures of the letter on the North St Paul Friends Facebook Group, she received hundreds of messages of support from around the world.

In fact, people started putting skeletons in their yards around town to show their solidarity with Newlin, and posting photos of them on social media with #nspskellygate.

"It felt amazing and very heartwarming," said Newlin.

"There's a way to go about talking to somebody about it. A threatening letter isn't the way," said Rachel Thompson, one of the administrators for the North St Paul Friends Facebook group.

Newlin plans to put her skeletons away for the summer in a couple of months, but she plans to bring them back next Halloween.

"It's been super fun seeing everybody come together and support me. And I want to thank them for having my back," said Newlin.

In addition to the supportive posts, community members raised more than $2,000 for the North St Paul Food Shelf.