Spontaneous Human Combustion - Reeser's Death
Was SHC, Cremation of a Body without External Ignition, the Culprit?
Oct 4, 2009
The spontaneous human combustion case of Mary Reeser is a perplexing one. The last time Mary Reeser was seen alive was on July 1, 1951. Her son and landlady, Pansy Carpenter, had been visiting and left around 9:00 p.m., which was the last time she was seen before her apparent death by spontaneous human combustion.
Reeser’s Remains Found
Accounts vary in details. The prevalent account is that Carpenter woke up at 5:00 a.m. to the smell of smoke and assumed it was an overheated water pump. She fell asleep again. A telegraph delivery boy woke Carpenter up around 8:00 a.m. He had a message for Reeser. She signed for it, then went to Reeser’s door, but there was no answer and the doorknob was hot. Carpenter ran outside to find help. Two nearby house painters answered her pleas. They managed to force Reeser’s door open and felt a blast of intense heat.
The only part of the apartment that was burned was the corner where the remains of Reeser and her chair. Her left foot was intact. Her skull was the size of a baseball. The rest of the apartment showed signs of heat damage. Walls were covered with greasy soot, a mirror was cracked, plastic switches, a plastic tumbler in the bathroom and candles on a dresser were melted. A clock near Reeser’s remains stopped at 4:20 a.m.
Reeser’s Official Cause of Death
Months later, after exploring multiple explanations, law enforcement officers signed a statement attributing Reeser’s fiery death to a lit cigarette.
Although experts said this was impossible, the investigation was closed.
Debunked Theories about Reeser’s Death
There were speculations about the cause of the woman’s mysterious death. Those offered and discounted are:
- Lightning – There was no lightning that night.
- Murder or suicide by an accelerant – An FBI pathologist tested for these and found no accelerant.
- Murder by a flame-thrower – The burn pattern was inconsistent.
- Suicide by swallowing an explosive – No explosive could so easily cause a fire.
- She was burned somewhere else and was returned to her apartment which was arranged to make her death look accidental – This didn't match facts and there were no viable suspects.
Debate About a Lit Cigarette Causing Reeser’s Death
The main argument against this theory, according to experts, is that a cigarette igniting clothing couldn’t produce the 2,500 degree temperature that’s required for death by cremation. The rebuttal is that such high temperatures aren’t required for human combustion.
Reeser was smoking, wearing a flammable nightie and sitting in an upholstered chair. She had taken two sleeping pills and told her son she was going to take two more. It’s possible that she fell asleep holding a lit cigarette Fiery deaths can be caused by smoldering when cigarettes ignite bedding and upholstery. The smoldering slowly spreads and can consume furniture without flames. The candle effect is created when low temperatures smolder and use the victim's clothes as a wick and body fat and furniture as fuel, reducing the body to ashes.
The rebuttal is that the fire started at 4:20 a.m. when the clock stopped so there wasn’t enough time for the candle effect to cremate the body.
Did SHC Cause Reeser’s Death?
Many proponents of this theory claim human bodies are difficult to burn. Crematoriums use temperatures as high as 2,500 degrees to reduce bodies into ashes. The process usually takes about three hours.
Reeser was last seen alive at 9:00 p.m.; her remains discovered at 8:00 a.m., eleven hours later, so it’s possible the candle effect could have caused her death. This doesn’t satisfactorily account for Carpenter smelling smoke at 5:00 a.m. and the clock stopping at 4:20 a.m. The actual cause of Reeser’s death by cremation is a mystery that may never be solved.
Articles about Mysterious Fires Related to the Reeser Case
Readers who enjoyed this article might be interested in Brown Mountain Lights – A NC Mystery, along with Marfa Lights Mysterious Fire and Spontaneous Human Combustion (SHC).
Sources:
- Mysterious Fires and Lights, Vince Gaddis, (A Dell Book, 1967).
- Stranger than Science, Frank Edwards, (Lyle Stuart, Inc., 1959).
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