If you've been scanning the net looking for weird stories you've probably heard about the severed human feet clad in running shoes that have been washing ashore in Vancouver, BC. If not, here's a couple of links for your reading pleasure:
http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=597081
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/06/18/floating-feet-a-worldwide-phenomenon.aspx
http://www.nationalpost.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=597143
Yeah, and the weird thing is that they are all right feet.
Quote from: PPI Brian on June 21, 2008, 01:41:45 PM
Yeah, and the weird thing is that they are all right feet.
All but one of them have been right feet. And they said that none of them appeared to have been "mechanically severed" meaning cut with a knife. Apparently they rotted off and the shoes allowed them to float away. Curioser and curioser... :P
This is just plain straight out of CSI.......bizarre. :-\
Theory: the assailant wraps the victims in plastic sheeting except for the foot, which he (or she) needs expose in order to tie a rope around the ankle to drag the body onto a boat; the body is then winched by said rope and lowered iuntil just the foot is left above water. Murderer cuts the rope at that point and lets the body sink to the ocean floor. The rope, however, has perforated the flesh and the act of dragging and winching the body by it has very likely begun breaking up the ankle, which demarcates the foot from the rest of the body. As the corpse rots in the water, the rope-burn rots first and the foot with shoe still attached is the first part to separate and float away while the rest of the body remains contained in its plastic sheeting at the bottom of the ocean.
Also, there's something transparently "Dexter" about this, no?
Quote from: PPI Karl on June 23, 2008, 01:06:40 PM
Theory: the assailant wraps the victims in plastic sheeting except for the foot, which he (or she) needs expose in order to tie a rope around the ankle to drag the body onto a boat; the body is then winched by said rope and lowered iuntil just the foot is left above water. Murderer cuts the rope at that point and lets the body sink to the ocean floor. The rope, however, has perforated the flesh and the act of dragging and winching the body by it has very likely begun breaking up the ankle, which demarcates the foot from the rest of the body. As the corpse rots in the water, the rope-burn rots first and the foot with shoe still attached is the first part to separate and float away while the rest of the body remains contained in its plastic sheeting at the bottom of the ocean.
Also, there's something transparently "Dexter" about this, no?
Karl....you're scaring me.
Having recently found out that Karl has only 3.5 degrees of seperation from Damer, and with his clear insight on how the feet are being found; I believe the case is solved.....
Excellent observation, Karl. But I believe they would have to weight down the body... decomposition causes bodies to bloat and float to the surface. :P
Quote from: PPI Brian M on June 23, 2008, 01:41:56 PM
Excellent observation, Karl. But I believe they would have to weight down the body... decomposition causes bodies to bloat and float to the surface. :P
Oh God! Not you
TOO!
Maybe they stick them in a plastic bag that also has weights in it. The foot sticks out the top so you have something to handle it by like Karl said. This way you counter the floater issue and still explain the feet.
Quote from: TAPS Tracy on June 23, 2008, 06:41:57 PM
Quote from: PPI Brian M on June 23, 2008, 01:41:56 PM
Excellent observation, Karl. But I believe they would have to weight down the body... decomposition causes bodies to bloat and float to the surface. :P
Oh God! Not you TOO!
Sorry, Tracy. I had hoped to become a forensic anthropologist in my youth...
Quote from: PPI Brian M on June 23, 2008, 11:52:33 PM
Quote from: TAPS Tracy on June 23, 2008, 06:41:57 PM
Quote from: PPI Brian M on June 23, 2008, 01:41:56 PM
Excellent observation, Karl. But I believe they would have to weight down the body... decomposition causes bodies to bloat and float to the surface. :P
Oh God! Not you TOO!
Sorry, Tracy. I had hoped to become a forensic anthropologist in my youth...
I was just kiddin', Brian. Actually, forensics fascinates me. Science in general. And if I had college to do all over again..........
Here's the latest on the Floating Feet mystery in Vancouver, BC: scientists have determined through DNA testing that two of the severed feet belonged to one man. Police are now searching through a database of missing persons trying to match DNA collected from the mysterious remains. Here's the article:
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gvtenQJkF4rBgj5PhsgjNJz1no5w
I am thinking that you have put WAYYYYY to much thought into that one.. I's Skerrrd :-\
Quote from: PPI Karl on June 23, 2008, 01:06:40 PM
Theory: the assailant wraps the victims in plastic sheeting except for the foot, which he (or she) needs expose in order to tie a rope around the ankle to drag the body onto a boat; the body is then winched by said rope and lowered iuntil just the foot is left above water. Murderer cuts the rope at that point and lets the body sink to the ocean floor. The rope, however, has perforated the flesh and the act of dragging and winching the body by it has very likely begun breaking up the ankle, which demarcates the foot from the rest of the body. As the corpse rots in the water, the rope-burn rots first and the foot with shoe still attached is the first part to separate and float away while the rest of the body remains contained in its plastic sheeting at the bottom of the ocean.
Also, there's something transparently "Dexter" about this, no?
wow like out of dexter. or csi. Serial killer probaly.
Dexter. Now THERE is a freaky show. :o
That a great show I love crazy shows like that. I love mostly anything morrid.
I stumbled across another article about the floating feet today, and thought I would share it with everyone on the forums. Apparently the severed feet continue to wash ashore along the Pacific Northwest. :P
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26014848
I think it may have to do with some sort of poison......can a chemical cause an imbalance in the body that may contribute to floating limbs. Hmmmmmmm.....
Quote from: PPI Ellie on August 05, 2008, 06:52:21 PM
I think it may have to do with some sort of poison......can a chemical cause an imbalance in the body that may contribute to floating limbs. Hmmmmmmm.....
Sounds like an excellent case for agents Mulder and Scully
You mean Moldy and Skuller.
Crime scene investigaors, one deals in spores, molds, and fungus. the other in bones. Lol. ;D
hehe, i just watched the new movie and it was suspenseful and entertaining. Scully gets Mulder to look into a investigation where a psychic is involved.
"I want to Believe!"
How strange!
I think something afoot. ;D
When did the Captain Ahab style arrive in fashion?
Talk about your message in a bottle.
Quote from: Tim on August 06, 2008, 02:51:43 AM
How strange!
I think something afoot. ;D
When did the Captain Ahab style arrive in fashion?
Talk about your message in a bottle.
ROTFLMAO! ;D
I almost ASNRed on my computer! Something's afoot! ;D Your sick, dude.
On a serious note, I'm still curious where these severed feet came from. I know the authorities have been checking missing persons reports and maritime records for mission boaters, but this is just freaking weird. There had to be several bodies in the water to account for all the feet washing ashore.
It think that the authorities can solve this mystery.
By jumping in with both feet.
They can start off on the right foot.
by putting thier best foot forward. ;D
Sorry, I couldn't stand it anymore.
Tim
:D Yeah, I dont think you want to end up with your foot in your mouth
LOL
Has any more feet floating up yet?
I think that they are ankle deep in this case. More feet would just make thing more difficult.
They will figure it out, hard work and perseverance. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other so to speak.
Maybe it was a bunch of cult sacrifices.....did they say if it was mostly the right foot or the left?
I think it was mainly the right foot.
They made a movie about the left foot.
ok you all and your foot puns are making giving me foot envy so I thought I'd just post up some odd foot stories ;) Articles are in the links.
The sharks figured out how to take over mankind but are still in the beginning stages:
http://xenophilius.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/malaysian-fisherman-reels-in-shark-with-webbed-feet/ (http://xenophilius.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/malaysian-fisherman-reels-in-shark-with-webbed-feet/)
(http://xenophilius.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/shark_web_feet.jpg)
God has one sick sense of humour or scientifically it's a medical dilemma but at least this woman seems to be doing ok with it. Those feet they found floating weren't backwards and upside down or anything were they?
http://www.wunderkabinett.co.uk/damndata/index.php?/archives/1157-Backwards-feet.html (http://www.wunderkabinett.co.uk/damndata/index.php?/archives/1157-Backwards-feet.html)
(http://www.wunderkabinett.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10003/backwards_feet.jpg)
AHHHH!
If I had feet like that....
Where's the knife?
Isn't that a form of club foot? My husband was born with a mild case of club foot and had to have a casted bar between his feet for a period of time.
Did you see the 'camel girl'? That to me was uber creepy looking...like something out of a creepy movie. That had to be hard to live with, being so different.
Has anyone heard anything about this lately???
I haven't seen any updated articles on the subject, but here is a video from a video journalism webiste
http://www.vancouveriam.com/videos/4f290ae1c050 (http://www.vancouveriam.com/videos/4f290ae1c050)
Wow, that was an awesome video. Thanks for sharing that with us, Kristen.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, another detached foot washed ashore on the West Coast since the first grisly discovery a year ago. The left foot New Balance running shoe, thought to be a woman's, has been turned over to the Coroners Service of British Columbia, so that any residual tissue inside the shoe can be processed for DNA.
Here's a link to the story: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=1a32ca6f-af2a-4381-a462-31baf01cdd47
Wow,
I was totally unaware of this story! What strikes me as most odd is the fact the feet became detached due to "Naturally processes" as if it were some type of sick "Got Milk" commercial.
I just imagine a TV commercial with a guy walking down the street, his feet fall off, and two kids inside a nearby house look on in horror through their kitchen window as they feverishly gulp down their milk.
Another thing that strikes me is the type of running shoes found. I'm in to running and see a lot of different running shoes. All the shoes I've seen in the videos look like pretty top of the line running shoes. And those aren't the type of running shoes people buy and wear around the house or go fishing with. They are very light, become very uncomfortable when wet, and are not very durable so not well suited for uses other than running. This sure has all the trappings of serial killer. But I think it's good the police are keeping an open mind since there are so many unknown variables.
I wish I were working this case. I love a puzzle. But my heart goes out to the victims and their familys and surely hope police come up with some answers soon.
Quote from: PPI Jason on November 14, 2008, 05:07:58 PM
Wow,
I was totally unaware of this story! What strikes me as most odd is the fact the feet became detached due to "Naturally processes" as if it were some type of sick "Got Milk" commercial.
I just imagine a TV commercial with a guy walking down the street, his feet fall off, and two kids inside a nearby house look on in horror through their kitchen window as they feverishly gulp down their milk.
Another thing that strikes me is the type of running shoes found. I'm in to running and see a lot of different running shoes. All the shoes I've seen in the videos look like pretty top of the line running shoes. And those aren't the type of running shoes people buy and wear around the house or go fishing with. They are very light, become very uncomfortable when wet, and are not very durable so not well suited for uses other than running. This sure has all the trappings of serial killer. But I think it's good the police are keeping an open mind since there are so many unknown variables.
I wish I were working this case. I love a puzzle. But my heart goes out to the victims and their familys and surely hope police come up with some answers soon.
Jason - that "Got Milk" scenario is quite the visual. It's disgusting yet oddly amusing at the same time. i guess that says a lot about MY warped sense of humor?
Having read all of the instances of finding these feet, have me thinking that some may be the work of a serial killer, but I also wonder how many may be copy cat crimes or even hoaxes. They have found at least one instance of a hoax, if my memory serves me correctly.
I know this is an older topic, but youl'll never guess what I watched tonight during my dinner: A Nat. Geo. Explorer episode on this very topic about the seven disembodied feet that washed ashore in Vancouver, B.C. I know, I know--staying in on a Saturday night to watch esoteric forensic documentaries before taking my weekend bath means I have officially turned into my father, but it was actually interesting enough to save on my DVR.
I take it they never solved this one?
The salvageable DNA did not match any of the DNA in their missing persons data base, but I think they cross-referenced the DNA of some relatives of missing individuals who were strong candidates and may have solved one or two.
Wow. I don't know that I would really find any kind of closure if the medical examiner gave me a family member's foot as "the body". :-\