I discovered podcasts two or three years ago, which was reason enough to start writing reviews of them, but now - under lockdown in London - they’ve become a true lifesaver. After all, what - in the midst of a global pandemic - can be better than lounging on the sofa, or lying in bed, listening to tales of life and loss?
Anyhow, I’m kicking off this section of my blog with a look at the gripping and compelling “Death in Ice Valley” podcast. Co-hosted by Norweigan investigative journalist Maritt Higraff and Neil McCarthy of the BBC, it’s focused on the strange - and sinister - death of a woman almost 50 years ago, whose identity remains unknown to this day but who is now commonly referred to as the ‘Isdal Woman.” (Warning: if you don’t want to know more, stop reading now and just begin the podcast!)
A little background. Close to the city of Bergen, in Norway, is a place by the name of Isdalen, meaning ‘Ice Valley” but also referred to as Death Valley, because of its history of suicides and hiking accidents. In November 1970, whilst in the valley, a young girl stumbled upon the charred remains of a woman’s body, surrounded by an array of objects (including a sweater, jewellry, burnt paper and a pair of rubber boots).
The police, having initially ruled the death as suicide, soon realised there were many incongruous elements to the scene. An autopsy showed remains of sleeping pills (phenobarbital) in her stomach, as well as soot in her lungs, which led the authorities to conclude she had been alive whilst on fire.
Photo courtesy of NRK
Moreover, had she wanted to commit suicide, why would she have gone to such a remote location, only known by locals (one thing they realised quickly was that she was a foreigner).
Who was this ‘Isdal Woman’ and had she, in fact, met an untimely death?
A couple of days later, two of her suitcases were found at Bergen Railway Station.
Their contents included wigs and glasses without corrective lenses (ideal for someone who wanted to change their appearance), a large amount of Deutschmarks and expensive clothes, again all with all of their labels cut off. Enquiries soon showed that she had stayed at a number of hotels in Bergen and wider Norway, but in each instance she had signed her hotel registration card with a different name.
Soon after her death, a fisherman came forward with an interesting story. He reported that he had seen her speaking with a Naval Officer close to Stavanger, around the time that a new anti-missile system, the Penguin, was being tested. Soon after, he admitted, had been warned to protect himself by local police, who gave him a gun “for his own safety.” Certain police involved in the case also felt the story had been ‘shut down’ by Kripos, the Norweigan Secret Service. Was the Isdal Woman involved in espionage and, if so, for whom did she work?
All in all, she had eight aliases and all that linked them was her claim to be a Belgian national, born some time between 1942-1945.
Witnesses interviewed described her as 1 metre 65, with brown eyes and a full figure.
She spoke poor English (it was definitely not her native tongue) and several commented that she smelt of strong perfume and garlic.
She was described as looking ‘sad’ and ‘serious’ and ‘odd’ in her behaviour in the hotel.
What really makes the story intriguing is the timeline - the Isdal Woman died whilst the Cold War was raging.
Photo courtesy of the BBC
The podcast twists and turns, and with its gloomy backdrop (Norway in the winter) and haunting music (which sent a shiver down my spine) it’s utterly compelling. I found myself completely immersed in the story and at certain points - where Mariff and Neil walk up into Ice Valley, or set off to Nuremberg, where DNA results show she was born - my heart was skipping beats.
It’s no wonder that, since it aired, Death in Ice Valley, has been downloaded more than 3 millions times and has its very own Facebook page, with followers from around the world, all with their own theories as to what fate befell the Isdal Woman. (Interesting fact: she was buried in a zinc-lined coffin, deliberately chosen to preserve her remains, should someone one day come forward to claim her).
Photo courtesy of NRK
This is one of the best podcasts I’ve listened to in 3 years (admission: I listened to the whole thing a second time, before I wrote this). It’s so well-made it leaves you gripped to your seat and I can’t help but hope this cold case will be solved as a result of the hard work that went into it. Ultimately, though, it’s important to remember that this was a woman who died alone and was buried without friends or relations. Someone out there might still know something - which is yet one reason to start listening.
Marks? A resounding ten out of ten!
Listen to the podcast here…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p060ms2h/episodes/downloads