Sydney Lassals was one of the most accomplished swindlers and bigamist of the 19th century. So accomplished

that when he died in Asheville, North Carolina in 1992, it took years to track down

someone who knew his real identity. The search for answers

continued because undertakers had embalmed Sydney's body, believing him to be the

wealthy Lord Beersford.

They assumed his family would claim his body for burial

when news of his death reached them in England.

The telegrams sent to England went unanswered, and Sydney Lassals embalmed and eventually

mummified body stood erect in the back room of a funeral home for almost seven years,

until a mysterious woman arrived to claim him for burial.

Welcome to Southern Mysteries, exploring history and mysteries of the American South.

I'm your host, Shannon Ballard.

This is the mystery of Sydney Lassals, the remarkable rascal.

Sydney Lassals was born to wealthy parents in Australia in 1857. Financial missteps led to

his father losing the family fortune. He was forced to take his family back to his

roots in England. Sydney's father took a job as a gamekeeper on the estate of

the Duke of Devonshire, one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century.

His fox hunting skills impressed the Duke's guest and endeared him to the men of high society who visited the estate.

His good looks endeared him to just about any woman he met.

He was dashing, tall, dark, and handsome.

And the more he learned from the men of the upper class,

the more irresistible he became.

...