Over 50 years ago, a serene Florida apartment became the setting for a highly scrutinized and strange death. The perplexing passing of Mary Hardy Reeser has sparked much debate since her charred remains were discovered in a room that remained mostly undamaged. Originally from Pennsylvania, Mary relocated to Florida in the 1950s to be closer to her son, Richard, and his family. She resided in a St Petersburg residence shared only with her landlady, Pansy Carpenter. The modern apartment featured a living area, an electric kitchen, a bathroom, and a garage.
Mary returned to her apartment one evening after spending time with her family. Her landlady, Pansy, last saw her in her usual nightwear and informed Pansy that she had taken sleeping pills and was heading to bed. Later that night, Pansy heard a noise resembling a door closing but found nothing unusual when she checked. The next morning, noticing Mary’s radio silent and receiving no response to a telegram, Pansy grew concerned. Touching the door handle and screen, she felt an unusual heat and alerted neighbors, leading to the involvement of the police and fire department.
Upon entering the smoke-filled apartment, responders encountered a peculiar scene – heavy smoke but minimal active fire. The living room held a disturbing sight – Mary’s remains, mostly turned to ash, with only parts of her foot, backbone, and shrunken skull remaining. Investigators were confounded by the fact that only specific items near Mary had burned, leaving nearby objects unscathed.
Authorities launched a thorough investigation, engaging the FBI to unravel the mystery of how a human body could be incinerated while leaving the surrounding area intact. The FBI’s examination revealed no traces of accelerants, only liquefied human fat from Mary’s body. The conclusion pointed to the ‘wick effect,’ suggesting that Mary accidentally caught fire, and her body fat acted as fuel, sustaining the fire without spreading.
Although officially deemed accidental, Mary’s death is often discussed and speculated as a case of “spontaneous combustion,” where bodies seemingly burn with limited impact on their surroundings. Mary was laid to rest in Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Pennsylvania, with her demise remaining a well-examined modern historical fatality.