Mystery At The South Pole...!

Murder can occur anyplace, as we all know. This report may just be the very first murder at the South Pole, however.

There may be some other explanation for this young man's death, but as yet it remains a mystery. I'm sure it's disturbing for the other folks working there.

South Pole

Photo credit: Wikimedia

Astrophysicist Rodney Marks was stationed at the US Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in May 2000 when he inexplicably began to feel ill. In fact, he felt so awful that he made three visits to medical personnel in the period of 36 hours. There was no explanation found for his ailment, which included him vomiting blood, and on May 12, Rodney Marks died.

It took six months for his body to be flown to New Zealand, where it was found that the 32-year-old had died from acute methanol poisoning. Years later, investigators are still baffled by just how Marks could have become poisoned. It was fleetingly suspected that he may have committed suicide, but that theory didn’t hold water considering he was in a very happy relationship and loved his work. Some suggested he ingested the methanol to get high, while a darker theory suggests Marks had been murdered by one of the other 49 staff members stationed there at the time. To date, the cause of the fatal poisoning remains a mystery. So does the possibility of the first murder at the South Pole.

Whatever the cause of his death, I'm sure the rest of the crew will be happy to find out the answer to this mystery. I know I would.

Coffee out on the patio this morning again. It's a little damp from all the rain yesterday, but we'll make do.