Forensic Investigation

Two-year forensic investigation conducted in 1984 looked into the alleged Spontaneous Human Combustion cases of 18th to 20th centuries. Investigators found that the burned bodies were in close proximity to plausible sources for the ignition: candles, lamps, fireplaces, etc. Such sources were often omitted from published accounts of these incidents, presumably to deepen the aura of mystery surrounding an apparently "spontaneous" death. A correlation was found between alleged SHC deaths and the victim's intoxication.