Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Starvation Doctor” Linda Hazzard Pt. 2

Episode Date: October 22, 2020

When British heiresses Dora and Claire Williamson reached out to Linda Hazzard, she might have thought draining their bank accounts would be easy enough. But she didn't count on the sisters’ resilience, or the might of one formidable governess... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode features graphic descriptions of the effects of starvation that some people may find disturbing. Extreme caution is advised, especially for children under 13. 43-year-old Linda Hazard watched the sunset with one of her patients, 37-year-old Dora Williamson. Linda reckoned Dora weighed about 70 pounds, thanks to the extreme fast that Linda had described. By any measure, Dora should have been dead by now, but this woman turned out to be stronger and more attached to life than Linda had expected. Linda thought that maybe Dora just needed a little nudge, so she pointed to a deep ravine off in the distance and mentioned

that one of her former patients had attempted suicide by throwing themselves off the edge of it. In a honeyed voice, Linda asked Dora if perhaps she was considering doing the same. After all, thought, death is inevitable, and surely for Dora, it was only a matter of time. Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. This is Serial Killers, a Spotify original from Parcast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we're concluding our two-part series on Dr. Linda Burfield Hazard, a fasting specialist who murdered unsuspecting patients with her starvation cure. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other originals from Parcast for free on Spotify,

or wherever you listen to podcasts. Last time, we learned about Linda's childhood exposure to harmful medical treatments and charted her evolution into a popular alternative medicine guru, and ultimately a killer. Today, we'll see how Linda victimized wealthy British sisters, Dora and Claire Williamson, at her horrific sanitarium in Washington State. And finally, we'll see how Linda victimized wealthy British sisters, Dora and Claire Williamson, and finally, we'll cover how her deadly medical practice was exposed for what it truly was murder. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by ZipRecruiter. Whether you're hiring for a role or searching for a killer, the hunt can be exhausting. When detectives looked and searched to find any kind of

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Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at Shopify.com slash killers. That's Shopify.com slash killers. This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection, featuring three perfume intense scents, inspired by a unique orchid accord, paired with vanilla, each with its own distinct attitude, each with its own universe, bold elixir, sensual, woody, addictive, magnetic elixir,

sweet and romantic like a lingering touch, Solar Elixir, a radiant expression of joy, ultra-concentrated for amplified impact and lasting power. Find your euphoria. Discover the Euphoria Elixir Collection by Calvin Klein. By 1911, 43-year-old Linda Burfield Hazard was a successful businesswoman, health guru, and seasoned killer. She was a passionate believer in the powers of fasting to cure disease. But her methods were extreme. And if they resulted in death, well, Linda Linda wasn't too bothered, especially if the patient had money. Between 1902 and 1911, at least 13 of her patients died from starvation. But that did nothing to quell her popularity. In late

1910, two British heiresses, 33-year-old Claire and 37-year-old Dora Williamson, came across Linda's book. They wrote to her, asking for her help. Linda, aware of the women's wealth, was only too happy. to make them her special clients. In February 1911, the sisters moved to Seattle to start their fasting regimen under Linda's care. They were thrilled that the doctor with the cult following had agreed to take on their cases. For the laundry list of ailments they described to her, Linda prescribed her usual Spartan menu, one cup of vegetable broth and a teaspoon of orange juice a day.

Two months later, the sisters were emaciated. Dora was delirious, and Claire could barely walk. Their neighbors were aware the women were starving, but were helpless to do anything. Even Linda's nurse was concerned, but Linda told the sisters they were improving. She also said it was time to bring them to her sanitarium in Olala, about a two-hour ferry ride from Seattle. On April 21st, 1911, two ambulances arrived to transport the sisters to Alala. Each woman was strapped onto a gurney, covered in thick woolen blankets to hide her skeletal frame, and carried out of the building. Linda looked on, pretending to offer words of comfort.

But as soon as the vehicles were on route, Linda's attorney, John Arthur, swooped in. His mandate from Linda was to get the sisters to create a new will. He asked Claire if there were any changes she wanted to make, in case she didn't survive the journey to O'Lala. she dutifully put pen to paper. After leaving Margaret all of her jewelry, she promised the Hazard Institute 25 British pounds per year. Then she directed her remains to be left under the care of Dr. Linda Hazard. When she was done, Arthur signed off on the letter.

Without knowing it, Claire had just created a new will. The sisters were then loaded onto a steamboat that would take them across Puget Sound. Ship captain Nell's crew, Christensen saw both women during the journey. He recalled that the girls were at best 50 or 60 pounds. Neither could stand. It was troubling to say the least. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode.

Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. Despite Captain Christensen's obvious concern for the Williamson sisters, he did nothing to intervene. nor did he question why the women were so thin. This phenomenon in which witnesses look on while others are victimized is known as the bystander effect.

According to social psychologist Dr. Rachel Manning, there's a negative correlation between the number of witnesses at a crime scene and the likelihood that any of those bystanders will speak up. Essentially, in the presence of many people, individuals are more likely to assume that others will intervene, shifting the responsibility to those around them rather than taking action themselves. In the case of Claire and Dora Williamson, Captain Christensen undoubtedly believed that if something were horribly wrong with the sisters, another person with them, the lawyer, the paramedics, or their own doctor, would have said something.

But they didn't. And so, with no protest or resistance from any of the many bystanders on the boat, Linda and the starving sisters made the two-hour voyage to O'Lala. At the time, O'Lala was a sparsely populated village, and the locals gave Linda a wide berth. They'd seen her skeletal patients walking the paths, and word quickly spread that strange things were afoot on her property, which they dubbed Starvation Heights. When the Williamson sisters finally got to the property, they were disappointed in the extreme. Instead of the luxurious retreat they'd imagined, they found a collection of rough cabins with no electricity or running water, surrounded by forest. The only finished portion of the facility was Linda's house, where she lived with her husband, Sam.

Linda told the sisters that they were to stay in the attic. 33-year-old Claire had her own small, bare room, while 37-year-old Dora was ordered to sleep outdoors. Her bed was on a landing, separated from Claire's room by a wooden screen. Linda claimed that sleeping outside would help Dora take advantage of the fresh Washington air. But the lows in Olala were near freezing, and Dora had lost nearly all of her body fat. That first night, she shivered in the frigid air, her blanket barely protecting her from the cold. The very next morning, as soon as the sisters woke up, Sam Hazard offered to help them right letters to their loved ones. At the time, Dora was feeling too delirious to speak properly.

Claire, however, agreed, appreciating this seemingly kind gesture. Sam told her that he would type the letter as Claire dictated to him. Claire barely managed to speak, only muttering vague sentiments about how happy she was to finally be in Olala. Then her strength was gone, and she needed to rest once more. Sam, meanwhile, kept typing. And... typing. Then he had her sign the letter. Unbeknownst to Claire, instead of sending well-wishes to her family, she had just signed away a portion of her wealth. It was only the first of many financial documents that Sam and Linda forged, ultimately granting the hazards access to the sisters many assets. But their manipulation didn't stop there. As soon as Linda had the sisters isolated from the outside world, she went to work

on isolating them from each other. With Claire and Dora in separate rooms and unable to walk on their own, they had no way to communicate, and Linda insisted that any contact would only be a distraction from their recovery. Instead, the sisters relied on Linda and her nursing staff to pass along messages, but neither knew if the other ever received them. When Dora begged Linda to see her younger sister, Linda claimed that Claire was far too weak for visitors. And when Claire asked after Dora, Linda said that her mental state had deteriorated, telling Claire that Dora was altogether out of her head. Though the sisters were only a room apart,

these lies made them feel as if they were miles away and too helpless to come to the other's aid. But one day, Dora took matters into her own hands. Desperate to see her sister, Dora pushed herself fond of the floor of the attic and crawled over to her sister's bed. From her spot on the ground, Dora peered up at Claire's unmoving figure on the bed. She called to her, Claire, can you hear me? But as Claire stirred and turned over, Dora was stunned. Her younger sister was gaunt beyond recognition, the skin on her face clinging tight to her skull. Claire was also shocked. Dora's starved body was just as sickening. Like seeing twisted reflections of their own amaciation. The sisters were horrified at the sight of one another.

Claire demanded that Dora leave the room. Dejected and disheartened, Dora crawled away. As she dragged herself across the floor, she scraped the crape-thin skin on her knees, leaving a trail of blood from her sister's bed to her own. At this point, it's unclear if the sisters were aware of how dire their situation was. or if they suspected that Linda was trying to kill them. But seeing Dora's skeletal face clearly stirred something in Claire.

Soon afterwards, she wrote a letter to the women's former governess, Margaret Conway. Gathering what little strength she had, Claire wrote just three lines. They read, Come, SS Marma, May 8th, first class, Claire. When Margaret received Claire's message on April 30th, 1911, she was unnerved. Claire's message was so brief, but she understood what it meant. Something was terribly wrong. Worried and confused, Margaret boarded the SS Marma days later from her home in Melbourne, Australia, bound for Alala Washington.

But the journey across the world would take over a month. A month the sisters didn't have despair. Coming up, Margaret races to save the sisters from Linda's murderous clutches. Hey, Parcasters, starting October 1st, we're bringing you the scariest, most hair-raising ghost stories ever imagined. Every Thursday, on the all-new original series Haunted Places Ghost Stories, Alistair Murden summons a new spine-tingling tale of wraiths, phantoms, and chilling apparitions. These stories come from all over the world, including Japan, India, the UK, and even ancient

Rome. Don't miss Stone Cold Classics like The Kit Bag from Algernon Blackwood. a sinister account of a condemned murderer's final wish, and the lengths he go to fulfill it. And the Miserei, a Spanish tale of a wandering musician who hears a terrifyingly beautiful song in a burned-out monastery and is doomed to capture its notes until he dies. You can find and follow Haunted Places Ghost Stories free on Spotify,

or wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget, October is our favorite month and one of our busiest, So make sure to search Parcast Network in the Spotify search bar to see all our new shows. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th,

the powerful vocals of Demi Lovato on May 17th, and the signature Southern Country Rock of Eric Church on July 19th. Tickets on sale now at Yamavatheater.com, only at Yamava Resort and Casino, celebrating its 40th anniversary. UN must be 21 to enter. Now back to the story. In April of 1911,

43-year-old Linda Burfield Hazard was slowly killing her patients, British heiresses, Claire and Dora Williamson. Having isolated the sisters at her unfinished sanitarium in a remote corner of Washington, Linda waited for them to die so she could claim their fortune.

Days into their stay at Olala, the sisters began to desperately crave food, any food. Claire even begged Dr. Hazard for chicken, though she had been a vegetarian for years. But the doctor shot down all requests for anything outside of their strict diet. Instead, she insisted the treatment was working, was restoring their health. She told them, I can see it in your eyes. During one of the few times the sisters were permitted to dine together, the famished Claire grew up. ravenous. The once dainty and well-mannered young woman was so ashamed, she begged Dora to leave her so she could suck spilled broth off her dress. In May, after two weeks at the sanitarium and 60 days of

fasting, Claire's health took a sharp turn. She was deteriorating both physically and mentally, bed-bound and barely able to speak. Separated from one another and with no means to communicate, Dora begged Linda for updates on Claire. But the reports were always vague and offered little information about her sister's condition. Until one day, Linda asked if Dora wanted to speak with Claire. Dora eagerly agreed. When Linda carried her to Claire's bedside,

Dora was horrified by what she saw. Bed soar spread across her sister's body and the outline of her bones poked through her thin, almost translucent skin. Meanwhile, Linda loomed over the pair, taking in Dora's horrified expression. Claire mustered her strength and managed to whisper to her, I want to see Dora alone. Eventually, Linda left the girls and went to linger in the hall outside.

When she was gone, Claire looked long and hard at Dora, as if she desperately wanted to tell her something. But neither sisters seemed to have the strength, physically or mentally, to speak. They simply looked at one another for a few moments. Then, Dora softly kissed Claire in the forehead as Claire closed her eyes, seemingly asleep. After a moment, Dora stumbled from the side of the bed, back into Linda's arms. It's possible that Linda knew the sisters drew strength from one another and wanted to break their spirits. So when Linda sensed Claire was about to slip away, she made sure that it happened in front of her sister.

On May 19th, 1911, Dora was in the sitting room when Linda came down the stairs with Claire in her arms. This time, Claire attempted to speak to Dora. She whispered, It's me, Dory. But over the dying woman's quiet words came the booming voice of Linda. Dory, is that a pet name? What a lovely name. How do you spell it? Claire continued to whisper, but Linda rambled on, drowning out.

Claire's weak voice. Then to Dora's horror, Linda asked Claire if she would like a treatment. Dora looked on as Linda placed Claire in a bed and hammered her palm against her stomach. Claire let out an infantile cry and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She seemed to fall unconscious. And then Dora realized she was dead. Sobbing, Dora kissed her sister on the forehead. 33-year-old Claire, the only family she had left in the world, was gone.

In the days following Claire's death, Dora was delirious with starvation and her own private mourning. But Dr. Hazard did little to relieve her patient's pain. Instead, she forced Dora into taking regular enemas and subjected her again and again to the same violent massages that literally killed her sister. With one sister taken care of and a series of forged documents granting her access to their wealth, Linda was determined to push Dora even closer to death. Two nights after Claire died, Linda and Dora sat together outside. Linda pointed toward a deep ravine on the property and mentioned another patient's suicide.

Dora snapped that this was a highly inappropriate thing to say in light of her sister's death. Linda met her anger. She called Dora insane and an imbecile. But then, she softened her voice. She lied to Dora, telling her it was Claire's wish that she remained at O'Lala for life. And Linda promised they would fulfill Claire's desire to never let Dora leave. When Dora protested, Linda ignored her. She simply picked up Dora's frail body, telling her it was time for a treatment. Dora, weak and unable to argue. was carried off by the doctor for yet another painful enema and violent massage. Days later, on May 26, 1911, as a grieving Dora wasted away in bed,

Sam Hazard went to the sister's bank. Without informing the cashier of Claire's death, Sam presented a signed money order from Claire to be paid to Dr. Linda Burfield Hazard. Then he withdrew $1,000, about $27,000 today. Nothing, not even death, would stop the hazards from stealing from their patients. But unbeknownst to Linda and Sam, Claire and Dora's former governess had finally arrived in O'Lala. It had taken Margaret over a month to complete the long voyage from Melbourne, Australia, to Washington. Her ship docked on June 1, 1911. Too late for Claire.

But Dora was still alive, and she needed help. When Margaret arrived at the sanitarium, Sam Hazard told her plainly, Miss Claire has died, and Miss Dora is helplessly insane. Margaret almost fainted. She'd had no idea that the sisters had been seeking medical treatment this entire time and was crushed to hear of Claire's death. She was also suspicious, especially when she met Linda, who seemed oddly unaffected by Claire's death. Linda swore that Claire was in such ill health at the start of her treatment that she was already

about to die and that the fasting had little to do with her decline. And then to prove her claim, she described in great detail the autopsy that she'd conducted on Claire's body. She told Margaret that Claire's liver was so hard from cirrhosis that she couldn't get a knife to penetrate it. And supposedly the blood had dried so severely in one of her heart valves that it turned to powder in Linda's fingers. It sounded as if she were talking about an animal, not a human being. Then Linda showed her Claire's embalmed body. The governess hardly recognized the gaunt corpse of her former charge. Regardless, she was determined not to let Dora meet the same fate. Linda led Margaret outside to Dora's cabin, warning the governess that Dora was now mentally incapacitated.

Margaret spotted someone seated outside, and at first she believed the small figure was a young child. But as she got closer, she realized it was Dora, skin drawn tightly over her skull, her body a bluish tint. As soon as Linda left the two women alone, Dora begged Margaret to take her from the sanitarium. Margaret embraced Dora and promised she would do everything she could to get her out. But the very next day, Dora changed her. changed her mind. Margaret was shocked. She wondered if Linda had gone to see Dora after Margaret's visit, or if Dora truly had lost her mind, as Linda and Sam insisted. Despite this, Margaret was determined to help Dora escape, and in the meantime, add some weight to her emaciated body.

Sometimes she added rice or flour to the thin tomato broths, but there were nights when Linda dropped in at meal times, making that impossible. Linda watched Dora sip her thin, vegetable broth and gushed over the farm-fresh quality of the produce. It all came from cans, but Linda lied with such conviction, even Margaret found herself believing her after a while. She would say later that part of Linda's power over people was mental suggestion, and Linda's primary suggestion was that her method was to be followed, no matter the consequences. According to the book, Brainwashing, the Science of Thought Control, author Kathleen Taylor, the promise of healing or a cure is a common method of gaining psychological

dominance over a victim. The brainwasher, usually an authority figure, uses these claims to liberate an individual from a supposed false doctrine. They then chain them to another belief that the brainwashers' claims will actually heal their victim. In the case of Linda Hazard and her victims, traditional medicine was the supposed false doctrine and starvation, the proposed cure. Kathleen Taylor writes, brainwashing removes its victim's freedom to act, but leaves them still believing they're acting freely. This is done

through a process Taylor calls mental weathering. Taylor goes on to explain that brainwashing can literally carve out new pathways in the human brain, changing the way a person thinks. These pathways can be overturned, but it takes time. So Margaret was patient with Dora. She stayed by her side, nursing her body and mind back to normalcy. Slowly, Dora emerged from the fog of her starvation, and after some weeks passed, she was able to fully realize the danger she was in. In late July of 1911, three months after her arrival at the sanitarium,

Margaret announced to 43-year-old Linda that she and Dora were leaving. Linda was livid. Her face turned bright red as she told the woman that Dora was by no means allowed to travel in the state she was in. Then Linda dropped a bombshell. She was Dora's legal guardian and therefore could refuse to let her leave. Dora was shocked. She insisted she didn't grant Linda a legal guardianship. But after some investigation, Margaret discovered that when Dora's mental state was at its worst,

Linda's lawyer declared the 37-year-old mentally incompetent. This left Linda as her doctor in charge of the sister's personal and financial matters. Realizing they couldn't simply walk out, Margaret sent a telegraph to Dora's uncle in Portland, John Herbert, urging him to come right away. When John arrived on July 19th, he calmly informed Linda that they would in fact be taking Dora. After consulting a lawyer, Linda finally agreed to release her. least Dora, but only if she paid her remaining bill in full. Gritting his teeth, John handed Linda over $800 in travelers' checks, a little over $20,000

today. But it was a small price for Dora to pay for her own freedom. On July 22nd, John, Margaret, and Dora left the sanitarium. Margaret had been there 52 days. Dora for almost 100. Her mental clarity was increasing every day and by now she knew that she'd barely escaped with her life. The three traveled over Puget Sound on a little steamer bound for Tacoma. When they reached their destination, it was time to seek justice. Dora recruited the help of British Vice Council, Lucian Agassi, and Frank Kelly, a seasoned Tacoma attorney to help build a case against Linda. Their first step was to take her to court over Dora guardianship. That month, they were able to remove Linda as guardian and order her to return

$973, around $26,000 today, though ultimately she was allowed to keep more than half for the medical services she provided. It wasn't a big win, but the legal team hoped it would open the door to criminal charges for Claire's death. And it did. The judge agreed to launch an investigation. Agassi and Kelly began building their case against Linda for manslaughter. Their first order of business was to retrieve the jewelry Linda stole from Claire after her death. Dora estimated that in all, Claire was missing $6,000, or $160,000 today, worth of precious jewels. Many of them family heirlooms passed down to the sisters by their mother. But as usual, Linda gave the legal team the runaround.

She claimed she returned some of the jewelry to Dora and sent a portion to her former attorney, John Arthur, for safekeeping. Though they were able to locate $500 worth of jewels, they never found the rest. Dora's legal team also discovered that Sam and Linda had been transferring money to themselves via Claire and Dora's bank accounts after gaining access through forged documents. In all, the pair withdrew around $1,700, approximately, $46,000 today. But the most important discovery by far was that authorities in Seattle had been keeping a file on

Linda. When Agassiz sat down to speak with the Seattle prosecutor about the case he was building against Linda, the attorney let him know that Olala was not in his jurisdiction, but he knew of other cases in Seattle, just like the one involving Claire, that could be prosecuted there. As Agassiz stared in amazement, the attorney pulled out a weathered folder. It was stuffed with notes on all of Linda's Seattle victims, starting with Lewis Rader, the legislator and magazine publisher. He died in Seattle on May 11, 1911, only eight days before Claire. And just as she'd done with Claire, Linda had isolated Rader away from anyone who could have helped him.

Agassie and Kelly sifted through all the hazard complaints, as they were called. It was one name after another. Frank Southerd, Maude Whitney, Blanche Tyndall, Viola Heaton. All in all, they were looking at 11 victims. Linda they saw had an established pattern, starving her clients of their life and, on occasion, their finances, and they were determined to put a stop to it. Coming up, Linda's lies unravel in court.

Now back to the story. After almost a hundred days of isolation, at Starvation Heights, 37-year-old Dora Williamson finally escaped Linda Hazard's clutches. On July 22nd, 1911, she boarded a steamer bound for Tacoma and never looked back. After fleeing Olala, Dora began her arduous recovery from the brink of starvation. But for as far as she had come, she had a whole new battle yet to face. This time, a legal one. First, she had to remove Linda as her guardian.

Then her lawyers began the process of building a case for manslaughter. Soon they uncovered a file being kept on Linda by Seattle authorities. Eleven of her patients had died within three years, and one of them, Eugene Wakelin, was found on her property with a bullet through his head. Lucy and Agassi, the British Vice Council, wasn't sure what surprised him more, that Linda's practices had killed so many, or that officials in Seattle had deliberately,

looked the other way. While Seattle authorities seemed keen to prosecute, those in Olala weren't. Agassi chalked it up to the relative poverty of the rural area. They simply couldn't afford to put Linda on trial. Plus, they knew that their district attorney was no match for any defense lawyer Linda would hire. Aware that a case was being built against her, Linda didn't worry. In fact, she was outraged. She saw herself as a martyr and a scapegoat for her.

alternative medicine. After all, she'd only lost 12 patients out of 1,000. She doubted anyone would have the temerity to charge her with anything. But that all changed on August 3, 1911, when authorities arrived in Olala with an arrest warrant. Her bail was set at $10,000. Finally, on January 15, 1912, after a month's long investigation, 44-year-old Linda Burfield Hazard, stood trial for the manslaughter of Claire Williamson. The proceedings drew massive crowds. During the trial, outbursts frequently came from the gallery, forcing the judge to silence onlookers.

He told them, this courtroom is not a place for amusement. Amidst the chaos, however, Linda and Sam Hazard sat in the courtroom, quiet and aloof, unwaveringly confident in their ability to win the case. When a reporter asked Linda what she would do if she wasn't victorious in the case, She replied with confidence. There's no such thing as if. This demonstration of detachment, paired with a sense of grandiosity, is not an uncommon reaction in killers who face trial.

According to criminology researchers, Bruce A. Arrigo and Ayanna Griffin, public attention around a crime only serves to bolster the criminal's idea that they're larger than life. Origo and Griffin go on to explain that many times, killers take advantage of this opportunity to receive notoriety they may not have been granted otherwise. And Linda, perhaps sensing that her window for fame as an alternative medicine guru was closing, seized her chance to gain publicity by whatever means necessary. At one point, she leaned over and whispered in Sam's ear, then laughed.

When questioned about what had induced the chuckle, Linda told a reporter, do you know I can't feel serious about this trial as I suppose I ought? I really feel almost as if I were at a play. While Dora sat in the gallery, still devastated by the loss of her sister, Linda treated the trial like nothing more than an elaborate performance. Four days after the trial began on January 19, 1912, 37-year-old Dora finally took the stand. Her testimony extended over a two-day period in which he testified in,

great detail about the horrible cruelty she experienced at Linda's hands. The painful treatment sold as cures that ultimately killed Claire. But even among days of damning testimony, Linda remained steadfast in her innocence, and by January 23rd, 1912, news of the outrageous trial had circulated internationally. Even newspapers as far as Australia were reporting on the case. Finally, on February 4th, the jury reached a verdict. 44-year-old Linda Burfield Hazard was found guilty of manslaughter. Linda remained stoic as the verdict was announced, displaying no emotion in the courtroom. But as soon as she stepped outside, she screamed at reporters, I am the victim.

It was a familiar spin, but one that didn't fool anyone. Linda was sentenced to two to 20 years at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Dora Williamson was pleased with the verdict, glad to have put a stop to Linda's killing spree. She told a reporter, even after all I suffered, that would be nothing if I could not do something to prevent others from going through what I did. Dora was on the road to recovery, both physically and mentally, but she experienced medical complications for the rest of her life. Linda's consequences, however, weren't nearly as permanent. Linda was booked at the Washington State Penitentiary on December 29, 1913, but she was mysteriously released after less than two years.

On December 19, 1915, she walked out of the penitentiary on parole. She was released in order to spend Christmas with her family in Seattle, but for reasons unknown, she never returned. Not long after, Governor Ernest Lister granted Linda a pardon under the condition that she leave the United States. So the hazards packed their bags and moved to New Zealand. Linda once again opened a medical practice, which surprisingly was an overwhelming success. About five years later in 1920, the hazards moved back to Washington State with enough money to resume their ownership of the Olala Sanitarium. For the rest of her

days, Linda experienced nothing but mere brushes with the law. She was arrested in 1925 for the death of another patient. A jury found Linda guilty of the death, but she was fined only $100, about $1,500 today. Linda was irate, even at this small punishment telling the press, think of it, being called a murderous for trying to help people. Linda continued practicing until 1935, when a fire consumed Dolaola and her beloved sanitarium. At age 70, Linda lost everything she built, as well as most of her followers. And just three years later, Linda herself fell ill. Ironically, she called on her remaining devotees to carry out the fasting technique on her ailing body. She received enemas, broths, and massages, everything she had administered to her patients. It seemed that Linda really

did believe that fasting was a cure for disease, but she held the cure in higher regard than her patients, and it seems, in higher regard than her own life. Linda passed away just a few weeks later, alone and gaunt in her bed, her own final victim. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers. For more information on Dr. Linda Burfield-Hazard, amongst the many sources we used, we found Starvation Heights by Greg Olson, extremely helpful to our research. You can find all episodes of serial killers and all other originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week.

Serial Killers was created by Max Cutler and is a Spotify original from Parcast. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound designed by Nick Johnson, with production assistants by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden, and Joshua. Kern. This episode of serial killers was written by Bailey Benningfield and Joanna Philbin, with writing assistance by Abigail Cannon and stars Greg Polson and Vanessa Richardson. If you're ready to get into the spooky spirit of the season, remember to follow Haunted Places Ghost Stories. Every Thursday, Alistair Merton brings a new, surprising, chilling, spine-tingling story to life. Follow Haunted Places Ghost Stories free on Spotify,

or wherever you get your podcasts. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up getting ready for bed is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Do you want to hear something spooky?

Some monster, it reminded me of Bigfoot. Monsters Among Us is a weekly podcast featuring true stories of the paranormal. One of the boys started to exhibit demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves. Something very snake-like lifted its head out of the water. Hosted by me, your guide, Derek Hayes. Somehow I lost eight whole hours. Listen now on Spotify or wherever.

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