By Jove, there's mystery afoot! We may have gotten 3 feet of snow this winter, but Vancouver got 3 feet.
In August of 2007, a white and blue sneaker washed ashore on Jedidiah beach; a tiny isle in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and Vancouver, British Columbia. It wouldn't have been so strange, except the sneaker contained a severed human foot. A right, size 12, male foot, to be precise. Six days later another right, size 12, gym shoe, containing a second severed foot was found on Gabriola Island. Then, last month, a 3rd human right foot, tied into a tennie, was found on neighboring Valdes Island. Rule of three.
"This is the first incident in recent memory where we've had three such similar sets of remains come to our attention in a certain time frame and a certain geographic area," said B.C. assistant deputy chief coroner Jeff Dolan. Curtis Ebbesmeyer, an expert on things that float and where they float to (really) has commented on the case as well: “Running shoes are quite buoyant. They would tend to encase a foot and keep it floating. A body comes apart naturally; it’s called disarticulation. The head usually comes off first. The parts of the body that are protected will last the longest. The shoe usually floats soles up, so that might prevent the seabirds from pecking at it.”
In August of 2007, a white and blue sneaker washed ashore on Jedidiah beach; a tiny isle in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and Vancouver, British Columbia. It wouldn't have been so strange, except the sneaker contained a severed human foot. A right, size 12, male foot, to be precise. Six days later another right, size 12, gym shoe, containing a second severed foot was found on Gabriola Island. Then, last month, a 3rd human right foot, tied into a tennie, was found on neighboring Valdes Island. Rule of three.
"This is the first incident in recent memory where we've had three such similar sets of remains come to our attention in a certain time frame and a certain geographic area," said B.C. assistant deputy chief coroner Jeff Dolan. Curtis Ebbesmeyer, an expert on things that float and where they float to (really) has commented on the case as well: “Running shoes are quite buoyant. They would tend to encase a foot and keep it floating. A body comes apart naturally; it’s called disarticulation. The head usually comes off first. The parts of the body that are protected will last the longest. The shoe usually floats soles up, so that might prevent the seabirds from pecking at it.”
So that, graphically, answers how 3 human feet might make it back to land, but how did they get into the water? A spokesperson for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police called the odds of 2 different right feet washing up on shore in a 40 mile radius "a million to one". Now there's a third. What do you think those odds are?
I'll go out on a limb here, but because they were still in their shoes, I suspect those feet weren't planning on leaving their legs. If foul play is to blame, I sure hope they're able to catch the heel that's responsible. Unfortunately, police are stumped and investigators are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Save for one sole lead, the cops don't have a leg to stand on. And that lead? The RCMP are following up on a tip that one victim goes by the name, "Ilene".
Makes me crave some IHOP for lunch.
ReplyDeleteUmmm...OK, Chester Dahmer, what are you talking about?
ReplyDeleteIlene/IHOP? Get it? Plus I happened to be hungry when I wrote that.
ReplyDeleteI-hop!
ReplyDeleteOMG, I-an idiot.
Oh so punny!
ReplyDelete