Off the 'Cuff

In the last 10 months, five human feet clad in tennis shoes have been found on beaches and islands around the Straight of Georgia. (Map available here.)

This story has gained international attention, with an Associated Press news item being published across the US, as well as in the UK, Russia, China and India. Theories abound, with the newscasts suggesting Asian gangsters, plane crashes, a serial killer leaving a signature, or medical students playing a cruel hoax as some of the various possible explanations. Experts in oceanography, botany, forensic taphonomy, entomology and geographic profiling have been contacted for their opinions.

On Thursday, the Police Museum was contacted by CBC News for an historical perspective on this case. I gave a short radio interview that focused on the following questions:

• What’s so compelling about this mystery?
• What are my preferred theories?
• Will this case ever be solved?

The next day, after hearing the CBC interview on the radio, a reporter from CTV got in touch and did their own on-camera interview, focusing on similar themes. (Go here, click on “Friday, June 20th”) and fast-forward to 12:35 to see the segment).

This is, of course, not the first time a foot has washed ashore in the Vancouver area; local lore says that in 1887, a leg (in a boot) washed ashore on False Creek–and it was put on display, in the hopes that someone could identify the owner. A mystery that remains unsolved…

There’s something about stories of this type that tug at people–the “Babes in the Woods” case we have on display is an excellent example. In both cases, there’s no story that fits perfectly, no obvious explanation, no way to “close the circle”. We have a deep-seated need to make sense of our world, to apply a narrative to everything we experience and these kinds of mysteries leave us unsettled and unsatisfied.

Time will tell if investigators will be able to solve this modern mystery; perhaps a explanation will make itself known sometime soon, or perhaps it’ll remain an unusual little footnote in the history of our area. (Pun not intended.)

It’s quite possible that there are now five (and counting) victims of foul play out there–we cannot forget that this is a serious event involving real lives. It sure captures the imagination, though, doesn’t it?

Tags:   Current Events · found feet · media interviewsNo Comments