Halloween decoration of hanging man in neighborhood is causing controversy

NEWBURGH, Ind. (WFIE/Gray News) - Halloween is supposed to be scary, but it’s also meant to be a little fun with some decorations.

Residents in a Newburgh neighborhood say one homeowner’s Halloween display they are seeing isn’t very fun.

Neighbors are calling for the removal of what they say is a realistic depiction of a man being hanged from a tree.

Homeowners Betsy and Danny Matthews say it is not the way to capture the Halloween spirit.

“I drove by it the first day I saw it and a couple times and asked myself ... ’Is that real?’ Then I stopped and looked at it and I said, ‘Oh, that could be real ... but it’s not,’” Danny Matthews said.

Residents contacted 14 News to voice their concerns. They say the decoration looks more like a depiction of a lynching or someone taking their own life.

Betsy Matthews says the display reminds her of a tragic experience she had in her childhood.

“When I was a kid, there was a guy who hung himself in a tree,” she said. “I was probably like 8 or 9 and now seeing that hanging there ... I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I get flashbacks.”

Some of those who complained say that many children live in the area.

The home itself is just a few blocks from Sharon Elementary School, and neighbors say they don’t want their kids to see it.

The Matthews say they try to avoid their grandkids from seeing it, and their children avoid the area altogether.

“I think it could be very damaging, seeing that. They have to be a little scared of it,” Betsy Matthews said.