For more than three centuries, pathologists, corners, and police have been baffled by the

phenomenon known as spontaneous human combustion. These are cases of humans bursting into flames

presumably from the inside of their body. There have been over 200 documented cases

dating all the way back to 1670. The scientific world has been reluctant to accept what many

believe to be indisputable evidence that cases as spontaneous human combustion have occurred.

Most of these cases have just been labeled as puzzling or unsolved. There are occasions

where the investigators themselves are accused of being careless or not thorough enough in their

investigations. Regardless of what you believe in spontaneous human combustion or not, there

are some cases that are very hard to explain. One of the most bizarre is the case of Mary

Hardyouts.

It was the morning of July 2, 1951.

Mary Hreeser, a 67-year-old widow, was visiting her son and grandchildren in St. Petersburg,

Florida. Mary's son and grandchildren had left for the beach early that morning, leaving

Mary alone in the house in her bedroom.

A neighbor, Penny Carpenter, came to the house to deliver a telegram. As she knocked

on the door, she felt intense heat radiating from the other side. She immediately called

for help.

The screen caught the attention of two painters across the street who rushed over to help.

From Elly's mok, they broke the door down and were struck by a blast of hot air.

The painter searched the home for Mary while Miss Carpenter called for the fire department.

Mary Hreeser was nowhere to be found in a house seemed to be out of danger. The only son

of a fire was a smell of smoke and a scorched overhead beam.

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