The House Red
History is stranger than fiction---and we're here to prove it. Welcome to The House Red, the podcast where we uncork the wildest, weirdest, and most unbelievable true stories from history. From bizarre plagues to daring heists, twisted scandals to forgotten legends, we dive into the past's juiciest tales with a twist of dark humor and a splash of intrigue. So pour yourself a glass and get ready---because history has never been this intoxicating.
The House Red
Up in Smoke: The Mystery of Mary Reeser
In July 1951, a quiet neighborhood in St. Petersburg, Florida, was rocked by an unexplainable horror. Mary Reeser, a 67 year-old widow, was found reduced to ash in her favorite armchair-her body almost completely incinerated, yet the room around her was barely touched. The only thing more unsettling than the scene itself was the theory floated by investigators: Spontaneous Human Combustion.