Mary Reeser is Real, But is Spontaneous Human Combustion?
I’m Jyvur Entropy and I wrote ‘Combustion.’ This is my most popular book. It’s a very personal book for me, so I’m forever grateful that the story connected with so many others.
I thought for this guest post, I’d do a bit of a ‘behind the scenes’ sort of thing, and explain the story that my main character, Rachel, is fixated on: the story of Mary Reeser.
Many readers have asked me if Mary Reeser is real. Some have asked me if Spontaneous Human Combustion is real.
To answer the first question, yes, Mary Reeser is real. The story of supposed Spontaneous Human Combustion that Rachel is fixated on is real. Did Mary actually spontaneously combust? Her death, which occurred all the way back in 1951, remains a mystery to this day. At this point in time, Spontaneous Human Combustion is the most reasonable explanation.
And I can see how lovers of the paranormal came to that conclusion. It makes sense, to an extent. I mean, spontaneous combustion can occur in nature (piles of hay and compost can burst into flame-Oh the times I had to rush and put out a mulch fire when I was a manager at Home Depot…) and if piles of compost can spontaneously combust, why can’t people? That’s the general line of inquiry anyway.
Mary Reeser’s death is incredibly mysterious. She is often referred to as ‘The Cinder Woman.’ The evidence from the crime scene doesn’t make much sense. Almost her entire body is gone, save for one foot still in its slipper, a portion of her spine, and her skull. The weird part about her skull is that it was shrunken. Some say her skull was as small as a teacup. Many stories of supposed SHC include the victim’s skull being shrunken.
Add to all of that the absence of any damage to the room around her. All that burned was Mary and the armchair she sat in (do NOT google image search that unless you have a VERY strong stomach. I do not-surprisingly considering what I write-and I regret my choices).
No external fire source was found and far more of Mary was burned than the armchair. This has led many investigators of the paranormal to conclude that the fire came from inside of Mary’s body.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, “There was a layer of soot that ringed the upper part of the apartment walls. It looked very much like what results from a long-burning candle or a kerosene lamp. Electric outlets above this line had melted, but the switches below were intact. An electric clock on a table had stopped at 4:20, presumably a.m. It worked when plugged in elsewhere.”
All of these creepy details are what keep paranormal enthusiasts coming back to this classic story of SHC. While there are a handful of other SHC tales, Mary’s is the most infamous.
So as the human who wrote ‘Combustion,’ do I actually believe Mary Reeser spontaneously combusted? Do I really believe that humans can succumb to the ‘wick effect’ and become, essentially, human candles? Their spine acting as the wick and their fat and organs like the wax of a candle…
I think anyone who knows my views on the paranormal could deduce my true opinion on this cold case.
For those who aren’t familiar with me, I’ll say this…
I think there are other threats in this world far worthier of your fear.
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