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E173: Rodney Marks
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Rodney Marks was only 32, but he had already earned so much respect as an astrophysicist. And he took his work seriously, signing up for multiple long stints at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station, run by the National Science Foundation. A job assignment like this one was not for the faint of heart as it required working more than half a year in darkness and in an environment of such extreme temperatures that even a plane couldn’t land because its fuel would freeze. It also meant months of complete isolation from the outside world; so, when Rodney Marks fell ill, there were limited resources. When he died on May 12, 2000, it would be over five months before his body could be removed from the Antarctic continent and an autopsy performed. A full seven months after Marks passed away, autopsy results revealed the biggest shock of all—he had been poisoned.
This week we are joined by Richard, co-host of both Private Dicks and Unethical podcasts. If you like comedic, light-hearted true-crime, check out his pods here:
Private Dicks: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-dicks/id1607947543
Unethical:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unethical-podcast/id1555266424
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Transcript
Introduction & Podcast Recommendations
00:00:00
Speaker
We want to start this episode by telling you to go, yes, right now, to whatever app you are listening to this episode on and subscribe to the podcast, Love, Murder, because the hosts, Jesse and Andy, are amazing people and so is their podcast. It is one that you will fall in love with during the first listen. Here's a little bit about the show from Jesse and Andy themselves.
00:00:26
Speaker
First comes love, then comes marriage, and then comes murder? Unfortunately, that's the case for most of the episodes of Love Murder. I'm Jessi Prey. And I'm Andi Cassette, and we're the hosts of Love Murder.
Episode Highlight: 'The Young and the Murderous'
00:00:40
Speaker
Love Murder is a podcast about hidden affairs, devious deceptions, and love gone fatally wrong.
00:00:46
Speaker
To get a taste, check out episode 138, The Young and the Murderous, in which a torrid, youthful love affair turns into a brutal double homicide.
Psychological Challenges of Space Travel
00:00:56
Speaker
Follow Love Murder podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
00:01:05
Speaker
While for security purposes, psychologist Kelly Slack, a member of NASA's Johnson Space Center astronaut selection panel, cannot detail the tests astronauts are put through before selection. They must look not only at physical agility but at mental fortitude as well. You see, spending an average of six months in space in close quarters with only a handful of people
00:01:29
Speaker
far away from family, friends, and modern conveniences, as well as the lack of natural light, causes many problems that must be anticipated.
00:01:39
Speaker
The psychological toll of that cramped, dark, and isolated environment quite often leads to anxiety, depression, excessive alcohol use when they return, withdrawal, and sleep problems. In fact, when NASA published an article titled, Five Hazards of Human Space Flight, situated snugly at number two, right below space radiation is the behavioral hazard of isolation and confinement.
Antarctica's Parallels to Space
00:02:08
Speaker
At number three, distance from Earth. Should something happen where supplies are needed or there's a medical event or an emergency, everything from an appendicitis to breaking equipment, there's no easy nor quick fix. They must communicate via telehealth and then treat themselves or wait until they return home to be treated.
00:02:32
Speaker
But what if I told you that there's a place on earth where a similar battery of psychological tests must be taken before you travel there? It's a place where those on winter over must also spend six months of their lives in close quarters with a small group of people. They are thrust into six long months of darkness away from, quote unquote, normal living at a great distance from friends and family.
00:03:00
Speaker
Just like the astronauts, they must plan for six months worth of living, and that living a thousand miles away from the continent's only functioning township of McMurdo.
True Crime Podcast Crossover
00:03:13
Speaker
This place is Antarctica. And the people who travel to work in the South Pole, a special group of people who, like astronauts, have a special set of skills, are called Polis.
00:03:25
Speaker
By special set of skills, I mean two things. First, those who go to work in the South Pole are either scientists or those trained to run and work in isolated station, mechanics, engineers, cooks, etc. Second, they have a personality that allows them to be loners enough that they can handle being away from loved ones and friends.
00:03:46
Speaker
yet are personable enough to get along with others easily. One such pulley was a young 32-year-old Australian astrophysicist working on the Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope and Remote Observatory, ASTRO for short, at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. He was bright, kind, and ambitious. He was also poisoned. This is the case.
00:04:15
Speaker
of Rodney David Marks.
00:04:53
Speaker
Welcome to Coffee and Cases where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Allison Williams. And my name is Maggie Dameron. We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement. So justice and closure can be brought to these families.
00:05:12
Speaker
With each case, we encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, Coffee and Cases podcast, because as we all know, conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness, helping keep their memories alive. So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week. Are we going to be in Antarctica today? Yes, we are. Because I'm on Antarctica TikTok. I don't know how I got there, but I really like it there. That is bizarre.
00:05:42
Speaker
I see all these people on the Drake Passage, and I'm like, ooh, cool. We're going intercontinental today. This is a fun place to go, apparently. I thought it would be not very fun.
00:05:56
Speaker
So before we get into our episode today, we actually want to welcome a special guest whose voice you just heard, who is recording with us, Richard from the Private Dicks podcast and the unethical podcast. So welcome to Coffee and Cases. We are so happy to have you with us this week. And Sleuth Hounds, if you feel the need for true crime with a lighthearted, more casual twist, I think that's how I would describe it, please check out one of his podcasts. So how would you describe your shows?
00:06:27
Speaker
That's the nicest way you could have put it. I like that. Me and the girls on unethical and the guys on private dicks like to joke and it's more of a comedy.
00:06:42
Speaker
True Prime podcast. You guys have more of a serious tone, which is nice. A nice change for me. So I'm glad to be here too. Unethical is more like studies on unethical cases and like private dickses, cold cases, and like mysteries. We solve all the mysteries. We solved a lot of mysteries so far. We solved Jack the Ripper. We've solved a lot. Like if you want to go figure out the solves, go listen to Private Dicks. They're already solved.
00:07:05
Speaker
They've got all the answers over there. Yeah, closure. Yeah, closure, you can get closure there. And I'm not going to say that aware dingo didn't do a lot of things. I'd be lying. But yeah, it's that's usually the way it goes. It goes. We do the case, then it ends turns goofy, which is right. It's just right. Yeah, because you need that. I think with a lot of these cases, you just need that lighthearted twist. Yeah.
00:07:31
Speaker
And it's not anything against the victims or anything. We make light of maybe the bad guys, you know? We're not going to, yeah. Right. So we are going to put the links to those shows in the notes for you. And now you've actually researched this case before, correct?
Amundsen and Scott's Antarctic Legacy
00:07:50
Speaker
We did. I think it'll probably come out at the exact same time in public, like around the same time. Oh, that's amazing.
00:07:58
Speaker
Yeah, you'll get to listen to the serious one and then the one where my guys turned it into the thing. And they will solve it for you. Yeah, exactly. It solved. Exactly. Right. You've got to check it out. Yeah. So you're going to be commenting alongside Maggie. And of course, as always, Maggie has not heard this case. So I think this will be really good because our listeners will get to hear about the case from many different angles. So I thought about giving a history lesson about Rowald
00:08:27
Speaker
Amundsen and Robert F Scott, the two explorers after him, the Amundsen Scott South Pole Station is named. But I decided to just let you know that it was a treacherous trip that happened in late 1911 and early 1912 when the two groups set out to each be the first to explore the South Pole. Now, Richard, did you do a lot of? Yeah, I definitely read about the these guys. It's
00:08:57
Speaker
It really just boils down to one of them made it to magnetic South Pole and the other made it to true South Pole within the ear of each other and dog sleds. And it's not really that.
00:09:09
Speaker
No, you're right to just skip it. I was like, should I bore them with this? Maybe not. But not today. Amundsen and his crew obviously made it first. But the reason why Scott's name is recognized as well, even though he did arrive months later, and he and his crew died on the voyage, is because they managed to collect several Antarctic fossils.
00:09:38
Speaker
that they had preserved before their deaths. So it was that scientific significance of the collection that led to his name being remembered as well. And since the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is a scientific one at heart, it's controlled by the National Science Foundation. That is why both of their names are on it. It's also on the Big Bang Theory. Is it? Yeah, they go to Antarctica.
00:10:06
Speaker
I've never watched the show. How is it? Me neither, sorry. Oh my God! I'm currently binging it for like the fourth time. I need you both to get on it. Okay, so do they mention this? They go to Antarctica, the scientists do, in one of the seasons. Oh, crazy. I'll just take your word for it. Okay.
00:10:30
Speaker
Now I did, I did learn a crazy scientific fact from Richard before we started recording. So do you want to repeat it? Yeah, for sure.
00:10:40
Speaker
I learned a lot about Antarctica, actually. I found it so fascinating. There's only a couple animals that live there, like seals and whales. But the craziest thing is 61% of all of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen in Antarctica. Like 61%. That's more than half of all of our freshwater is Antarctica. That's crazy. Is that not wild?
Living Conditions at the South Pole
00:11:03
Speaker
I think in my subconscious somewhere learn that. Like I feel like that may be knowledge from like fifth grade, you know? I feel like that was a bazinga fact that you got from my. That's also true. A lot of my knowledge does come from TV, so.
00:11:21
Speaker
So, to set the stage here, Peter West on the National Science Foundation website actually described the station in this way. He said, quote, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station sits at the Earth's axis atop a continental ice sheet more than a mile thick.
00:11:42
Speaker
that moves 30 feet every year, perhaps the world's most remote research facility. It lies at the heart of a continent the size of the US and Mexico combined that is cut off from the rest of the globe by a circulating southern ocean current. This station is an amazing feat of engineering dedicated to advancing the farthest frontiers of science."
00:12:09
Speaker
But this station where the scientists are based, the first iteration of the station was actually built between 1956 and 1957. The second was built in 1975. That's the one that we're in for our case this week that took place in 2000.
00:12:25
Speaker
and then they built the most recent in 2008. And before I describe to you what this looks like, can I just pause to say, can you imagine actually building a structure
Isolation's Psychological Impact
00:12:38
Speaker
in temperatures that range from negative 13.6 degrees Celsius to negative 82.8 degrees Celsius, or for us American Fahrenheit-ers, between seven degrees and negative 117? No, I am.
00:12:55
Speaker
The lowest ever recorded temperature in Antarctica was in 1983 at the Soviet Vostok Station. It was actually minus 89.2 degrees Celsius, which is bonkers.
00:13:10
Speaker
On this station, the main structure in the station was actually built to house 18 individuals during the winter and 33 during austral or southern summer. And that's scientists and support staff together. However, by 2000 and actually before, there were roughly 50 people working during the winter over period, which ran from late February until October.
00:13:38
Speaker
So that's winter is February to October, really. And 150 people during austral summer, which ran November through part of February. And they were all in that building that was made 33 people. Okay. Yes. Yeah. So you got to get cozy with everybody. And they called it the winter over.
00:14:02
Speaker
because once the last plane left at the end of summer, around the first week of February, no plane could come in or out until the roughly eight months of winter was over because it would get so cold that the plane's fuel would freeze upon landing. Interesting. Yeah, this becomes a big part of the case, actually. So yeah, it's crazy. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
00:14:31
Speaker
I feel like that kind of shows you how similar this Antarctic outpost is to space. Right? Because it's like once you get there, you're stuck.
00:14:44
Speaker
So yeah, for eight months, you just had to survive no matter what came your way. I think I read that actually, and you might've read this too, Richard, that one of the, I think it was the basis physician found out that she had cancer while she was there and had to just treat herself until the winter was over.
00:15:06
Speaker
They did a lot of that and it was, they sat phone other doctors to be like, what do I do next? Like you'd have to do it over a phone. You know, I get, I get annoyed when I have to do like a phone teleconference with my doctor, nevermind being an Antarctica. You know what I mean? Like so for eight months.
00:15:21
Speaker
You just had to survive no matter what came your way. And survival wasn't easy, even if you manage the physical conditions. Author of multiple behavioral studies on the effect Antarctica has on social dynamics, Lawrence Polinkis, told reporter Will Cockrell of Men's Journal, quote, we are social animals.
00:15:42
Speaker
The separation from friends and family is stressful, but the lack of stimulation, of new scenery, new faces, actually causes people to have difficulty with cognitive thought. Even in well-adjusted groups, we estimate between 3% and 5% will experience some form of psychological problem, sleep disorders, depression, alcohol addiction, end quote.
00:16:08
Speaker
Interesting. Polies must have been like, during the, when pandemic first started, they must have been like, ha ha, suckers. Yeah. Let's see how many of you survive.
Life at the Amundsen-Scott Station
00:16:20
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I know. They were like, open up the ribbon.
00:16:24
Speaker
Crack a bottle, guys. You're going to have to get used to it. To combat those dangers though, the police actually made the station living as comfortable as possible. The structure that existed in 2000 was affectionately known as the dome or, and I love this, dome sweet dome.
00:16:44
Speaker
I'm thinking much of it sounds very sweet. It is majestic. It was an 18,000 square foot geodesic dome that encapsulated the buildings occupied and used for everyday life at the South Pole. And these were, there were three two story structures that kind of looked to me like shipping containers. Yeah. With, with like those freezer doors that you see in commercial kitchens with the big
00:17:12
Speaker
You know, latch, you got to lift up. Yeah, I would imagine they probably like were a type of pre-made thing like that. Like I would imagine it's it came in one big piece and they just dropped it there. Like it's got to be hard to do all that construction out there. So a big shipping container makes sense, you know. Yeah.
00:17:35
Speaker
Because I mean, when, and I don't think I clearly described this, but when you're flying into Antarctica, you fly into that town McMurdo, which is basically the only town, functioning town in Antarctica. But then this scientific station is a thousand miles away from that. So you have to get on another plane and take it there.
00:18:01
Speaker
So did normal, like, non-scientific people, they live in this town? Like, I could move to this town. Not that I would want to, but... You mean McMurdo? Yeah. I... I assume so. I don't know who to put on there.
00:18:17
Speaker
That's what I'm saying. I'd imagine you'd only want to go there if you had like a job lined up or so. Like there's no people just transiently moving there. Like I'm going to find a job construction. Witness protection program though. Yeah, that's probably for sure. That's a good place. I would be like, just let the whoever get me, if you're going to move me to Antarctica.
00:18:38
Speaker
I'll take my chances. Yeah. Yeah. But in this space, you actually had the living quarters and then all the necessities of basic survival and the running of the station. So of course, in addition to basic necessities like and these are things I feel like you don't even think about waste management, fuel storage, a power plant, a cafeteria. I mean, you've got to have all of these places at the scientific station.
00:19:08
Speaker
And then you also have one room, one physician in a biomed facility that was equipped with fairly basic testing equipment, I would say. And of course access to telehealth calls and things like that. You had in terms of
00:19:29
Speaker
keeping you occupied or preoccupied when you're not at work. They had a library with a collection of books that a lot of workers brought with them and they just kind of left for the next crew. So that collection had grown and probably the most popular, a bar called the 90 South that was stocked with free alcohol for the police and even had its own still so they could make their own liquor.
00:19:57
Speaker
for, you know, if they happen to run out. Which they probably never would if they had so much alcohol there. Yeah. So books, basically books, drinking, and sex.
00:20:10
Speaker
were quite honestly just about all of the entertainment that they had at the South Pole. The workers there, they were generally not only a very bright, but also very hardworking bunch. And I mentioned before, obviously, important scientific research is going on at the Astrophysical Observatory, where
Antarctica's Unique Research Opportunities
00:20:32
Speaker
scientists from actually all around the world would come to live out their dreams as much as you can live out dreams in a place like Antarctica.
00:20:40
Speaker
But they would come to live out their dreams of studying space and, you know, feel like their research actually means something. Yeah. And some people are just isolate. They like to be isolated too. So it's a place to go if you're that scientist and there's not going to be a lot of people around, you know, like I feel like there's a certain personality type that would be like, and it occurs the best. It'll only be 50 people.
00:21:04
Speaker
Yeah, this is heaven. Yeah, exactly. And so the work that was actually going on at Astro, where that astrophysicist would study and this is per an article in the New York Times.
00:21:18
Speaker
quote radiation from gas clouds around star forming regions in space end quote. So the actually the the research telescopes benefited from being in Antarctica because there was a high elevation but extremely low humidity and low temperatures at the South Pole I guess was able to cut through I guess a lot of whatever the
00:21:47
Speaker
haze that's caused by, you know, humidity, human pollution, different things like that. Yeah. Light, light was a big part of the pollution that they could cut through because they're dark there six months of the year. Right. So you wouldn't have light pollution ever. Right. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And where those telescopes were was actually in a region that was known as the dark sector. And again, I'm not I don't enjoy cold.
00:22:17
Speaker
And I'm probably not cut out to be Canadian in some areas of Canada because of that.
Tourism and Territorial Politics
00:22:25
Speaker
But when the scientists would travel to the radio telescopes, they would actually have to trek about half a mile or roughly eight tenths of a kilometer to and then obviously back from work in those cold elements.
00:22:47
Speaker
And I saw some pictures, I looked them up and of course every hair on their face was an icicle. Yeah, it's not a good day. No, I think I would do it. I think I would go like one time. Just to try it out. Yeah.
00:23:05
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like you like in the summer months, it wouldn't be that bad. It's just when it's minus 80, you got to go out there. Oh, God. I know. On my for you page, you know, because I'm on Antarctic TikTok. These people are going there to jump into the sea. What? They like jump off a boat, like they're traveling to Drake Passage.
00:23:26
Speaker
No, they have actually Antarctica during the summer months has like 40,000 tourists a year going there. So it's actually a pretty big tourist destination these days. Ron Amundsen and Scott Times, not a great time to visit, but now people go there. So yes, people jump in the water. It's minus 10.
00:23:47
Speaker
which is like, yes, it's cold, but it's not outrageous. It's livable. Like when it's minus 10 here, where I live, you can, depending on like, if it's the first part of the winter, it sucks wearing coat and stuff. But like if it was minus 30 the day before, and then it's minus 10, you can go in a t-shirt. You wouldn't even know this. You got to acclimate it, right? No.
00:24:08
Speaker
See, but I like the cold. I just don't know if I would like it that much, but I mean, I would maybe go one time if I can, if I knew I would easily be able to get back in like a couple of days. I actually did include some pictures, Maggie, so you can see it. Obviously, Richard, I know you've seen it. Um, and I'll share these pictures with you on Monday. So it looks like an Antarctic Epcot.
00:24:30
Speaker
It really does, like the Epcot Center Circle at Disney World. Yeah, for sure. It looks exactly like Epcot. You're not wrong. I didn't even think of that until you just said that, but it's still true. Yeah. So do you see those buildings too, Maggie? It's kind of like, the one looks like a house, but the rest kind of look like shipping containers.
00:24:55
Speaker
They're like prefab houses. It's like prefabricated, dropped in their houses. That's what it looks like to me. Like little storage units or something. That final picture is the dark sector. Those are where the telescopes are. I'm glad you mentioned Epcot because I think the whole premise of Epcot is where the world comes together because they have the different regions and different things like that.
00:25:24
Speaker
The Amundsen Scott Station, this was a United States station run by the National Science Foundation on Antarctic land that was owned by New Zealand where scientists from all around the world came to study and work.
00:25:44
Speaker
Yeah, the the politics in Antarctica get really weird if you start looking at how the actual division is like, sure, it's owned by New Zealand. But like in this, they have a treaty. But like in the Treaty of Russia and America don't own any of it. But they just say, we can go claim whatever part we want. At some point, everyone's like, sure, let's sign that treaty. So it's like, it gets really confusing when you start to read into how it actually works there. So yes, it's
00:26:10
Speaker
Super multicultural in that way. I understand what you're saying, but like it's still way more complicated than just like Australia or New Zealand owns it right America has a station there. It's like but who gets anyways, there's all sorts of crap going on there. It's crazy Yeah, and and all of that I bring it up and you know this Richard Maggie you don't yet because it will be an issue later Yeah
00:26:37
Speaker
Yeah, so and you'll see why.
Rodney Marks: Life and Work
00:26:40
Speaker
So when these workers are done working hard, they obviously want to be able to relax with really one of the three types of entertainment that they had that I mentioned.
00:26:51
Speaker
Apparently, and I don't know if this is true or it's just a legend, a rumor that has grown into a legend that has been passed on, but it's said that one of the Russian stations in Antarctica used to have another form of entertainment, chess, until a Russian scientist ruined that for everyone by attacking his opponent with an axe after losing. Oh my. Yeah. I read that too in Canadian Geographic.
00:27:20
Speaker
where they said, like, that's what I mean. And then it goes to, you read it in like 10 different articles and the story changes to like, the guy survived, the guy died. So I'm with you. I don't know how legend that is either. Right. But I guess, you know, chess is just too high stress to count as a pastime. So workers took instead to reading, which again, according to stories was nearly ruined when somebody was attacked for spoiling all of the endings to the books.
00:27:48
Speaker
Luckily, this person, I guess, who was ruining all the endings stopped telling people. So a lot of the workers would take to books or obviously to sex. I read that a lot of the scientists took what they called an ice wife for the winter over months. So they could have, you know, somebody I guess to shack up with. Yeah, when my husband got home, he would
00:28:14
Speaker
Not be he be covering his case on here. And then obviously the most popular form of distraction which was drinking. At the station. And one such scientist who enjoyed all of these things was a thirty two year old Rodney marks.
00:28:34
Speaker
And according to an article in Men's Journal, Marx actually grew up on the southern coast of Australia, where he loved to surf, he loved music, he loved to watch Aussie football, but he also excelled in school. So he had attended prestigious schools, including a prep school in his hometown of Geelong.
00:28:55
Speaker
in Victoria, Australia. His college degree from the University of Melbourne and a PhD from the University of New South Wales. And no matter where he attended school, even among the most elite students, he stood out as bright and interested with an aptitude for science. And just to illustrate how intelligent he was, when he was 24,
00:29:16
Speaker
He found out from one of his professors about some of the science that was going on at the South Pole that was actually being conducted by the French University of Nice. So he spent a couple of months becoming fluent in French and 18 months later, fast forward, landed himself a two week stretch at the South Pole to work in one of their science facilities. So he was like, oh, that sounds pretty cool. Let me learn French. Let me learn French. And just, you know, trek on down there.
00:29:44
Speaker
Yeah, super smart dude. He was a super smart dude. And, you know, that really shows you to how driven he was. And once he worked in the South Pole, he was hooked. I think he was one of those scientists, like you were talking about earlier, who said, you know what, I'm fine with not a lot of people here. Just let me do my work and then let me have my fun. Did you know that he was like, he had Tourette's as well?
00:30:10
Speaker
Yes, I did. So I think that had a lot to do with why he liked it there because he got to be away from people, like I said, right? And then I read that that's also a reason why he drank was because it would kind of mask a lot of the symptoms. Yeah.
00:30:29
Speaker
Only a couple years after that, in 1997, Marx did his first winter over, an experience that he signed up for again, two years later in 1999 for the winter over of 2000. And that gets us to where we are for this case. And the position there, it was a perfect fit for his specialty in radio astronomy. And because of the description of Rodney that I've given, I don't know, Maggie, what you're picturing in your head.
00:31:00
Speaker
But it's probably the people from Big Bang Theory. Oh, yeah, that is not that is not Rodney Marks. I think to me he kind of looks like this cool hippie scientist rather than the nose in the book straight lace scientific type. So he just reminds me of like a 90s punk rock guy. Oh, yeah, you know, like the quiet guy who would just like love punk rock, but then super smart. Like there's guys like that. He reminds me of that, like a punk rocker from the 90s.
00:31:30
Speaker
I could totally see it. And Maggie, I'm going to show you a picture here in a second. Okay. Because I was about to Google it. Yeah. She always does this. She always tries to get ahead of me. He stood six foot two with longer hair that he sometimes wore in dreadlocks. He started a band at the Amundsen Scott station that was called, and this is quite possibly the best name for a band that I've ever heard.
00:31:57
Speaker
Fanny Pack and the Big Nancy Boys. You know, I really love it. I am a big proponent of the Fanny Pack. That, as a teacher, having a Fanny Pack was game changing. You need a Band-Aid? No, I'm not a Fanny Pack. You need a pencil and a Fanny Pack. I mean, it was a game changer. Yeah.
00:32:21
Speaker
I also saw that like Fanny Pack or Fanny Pack and the Big Nancy Boys is amazing, but I also saw that it was named the changelings, which is less fun. So I'm going with Fanny Pack and the Big Nancy Boys. It hasn't changelings. We'll make that official.
00:32:36
Speaker
I kind of want a t-shirt that says Trini Pack in the big Nancy Boys. Maybe we should make one. That would be amazing. Yeah, we need a logo to go with it. In addition to that, so obviously, I mean, that makes him seem cool, at least to me, and probably among all the scientists. But he also got along with everybody. In fact, he had this warm reputation for mingling with everyone who worked at the station. So he wasn't just part of the scientist clique.
00:33:04
Speaker
Gene Davidson, who was a telescope maintenance worker, told reporter Will Cockrell of Marx, quote, he had a PhD and yet he would play poker, smoke cigarettes and drink whiskey with the carpenters and plumbers, end quote.
00:33:20
Speaker
I would imagine that that station would be tiered like that. You know, like the, we're the high super smart scientists go back to your maintenance room maintenance guys. Like I would imagine that would be like that. And he, like you said, bridge that gap with everyone. So that's amazing.
00:33:37
Speaker
And more often than not, he was in the bar, hanging out with anyone and everyone from the station. And like we were talking about earlier, the drinking stemmed not only from the boredom of the South Pole, but also from his desire to mask his mild form
Marks' Illness and Misdiagnosis
00:33:55
Speaker
of Tourette's. And from everything I read, it was a pretty mild form of Tourette's, like some deep sniffing, some slight twitches, but he was extremely self-conscious about it.
00:34:06
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. And partly due to that mingling, a young woman named Sonya Walter, who was stationed there as part of the summer maintenance crew, actually joined the band along with Rodney, and they began a relationship. But this relationship wasn't one of those Ice Wife unions, so you can be happy, Maggie. This was something real, and everybody around the pair seemed to see it.
00:34:33
Speaker
seemed made for one another. And they actually began making plans for the future. As for the immediate present, they didn't want to spend any time apart that they didn't have to. So, Sonya actually applied to be part of the winter over crew as well so that she could stay with Rodney. Because remember, she was just on for the summer. Seriously, to stay in Antarctica away from everybody.
00:34:56
Speaker
Maybe you can, maybe you can clear this up for me a little bit here. Cause I had a hard time figuring out whether or not that was a super rare thing to happen for someone to just go like, no, I'm staying. And then someone's like, okay, cool. Cause I thought you had to go through extra tests if you were going to stay the winter, right? That's what I thought too. Yeah. Yeah. So I didn't think you could just call and go like, I'm staying and everyone like, oh, okay, cool. Did you have to do the psychological test? Cause I thought there were psychological tests to be able to stay in pure darkness for six months.
00:35:25
Speaker
Maybe because she was a big Nancy boy, they were like, you know what? She's famous. So we're going to cut her some slack. That could be it. I just I put that in a part of a theory, though. Oh, interesting. Because like, did she just start to go crazy out there anyways?
00:35:45
Speaker
Right, because we don't know if she had any predisposition for anything. Was she tested? I don't know. I don't know either. But she did find out only one week before that last plane was set to leave that she had been accepted and would be with Rodney for the rest of the winter. But her excitement was short lived. Now, before I tell you why, I put some pictures in here, Maggie, so you can see what Rodney Marks looks like. Yeah, definitely not like the guys from the Big Bang Theory. No.
00:36:15
Speaker
He looks really cool though. And with the ice wife thing, I just thought of that. Why can't it be an ice husband?
00:36:21
Speaker
Hashtag down with the patriarchy. That's right. Break that glass ceiling. Get yourself a nice husband, girls. Yeah, that's right. So her excitement was short lived because as Rodney was walking back to the dome from the dark sector after a shift at work on May 11, 2000, he began to feel sick. He felt weak. He was struggling to catch his breath.
00:36:52
Speaker
He made it back to the dome and he told Sonia how he was feeling. And the two actually went to the dining hall to grab dinner, hoping that eating something might make him feel better. But Rodney barely touched his food and only had one beer with dinner. That was in some reports. Other reports said that he didn't have alcohol that night. But on a night that the two would normally have then hit the bar,
00:37:17
Speaker
to round out the day. Rodney and Sonia decided to turn in early around 9.30 p.m., which is late to me. That's not early. But they turned in early hoping that, you know, maybe a good night's sleep would be the remedy. Around 5.30 a.m. on May 12th, Rodney woke up, sick to his stomach, and began vomiting blood.
00:37:41
Speaker
He decided it was time to pay a visit to the station's doctor, Dr. Robert Thompson in Biomed. But he didn't just see the doctor one time. Over the course of that day of May 12th, Rodney actually went to see Dr. Thompson three separate times. Dr. Thompson just said, oh, you're probably nervous and sent them home the first time. Yeah, I was wondering why you had to go back multiple times. Yeah.
00:38:08
Speaker
I question Dr. Thompson. And there's only one doctor, right? And they have limited medical supplies for a facility that's like over 150 people? Yes. Universe Today reported that a report by Dr. Thompson read that Marx had been, like you said, Richard, quote, nervous, anxious, and upset.
00:38:32
Speaker
end quote, when he came looking for help. Well, yeah, because he's vomiting blood. Yes, sure. Right. I would be freaked out. And telling the doctor that he had barely drunk alcohol in the previous 36 hours, Dr. Thompson initially felt that Rodney was suffering from alcohol withdrawal, which can have some of the same symptoms that Rodney was experiencing. So he actually just gave Rodney an antacid and told him to rest. OK.
00:39:01
Speaker
But contrary to getting better, throughout the day, Rodney's stomach pains grew more severe. He additionally began experiencing joint pain and most oddly, sensitivity to light. So even in darkened rooms and outside in the dark, Rodney wore sunglasses because what little light was present was excruciatingly painful.
00:39:25
Speaker
Interesting. He made his way to the doctor a second time when Dr. Thompson gave Marx a sedative to calm him.
00:39:34
Speaker
again telling him, go back to your room and rest. And I believe it was on this visit and not the third one, though it wasn't really clear in the research, I think I have it on the second one, that Dr. Thompson drew blood from Rodney. And as he did so, he noticed two needle marks on Rodney's dominant arm, but believing that his actions would lead to Rodney's recovery, he didn't even mention those needle marks to Rodney.
00:40:01
Speaker
Yeah. And he, he drew blood. It was the second time from my research. It was the second time he went. So yes. And then the needle marks thing, I feel like we'll talk about it more probably later. I feel like that's an afterthought because he didn't even say anything ever until later on that he says that, right? Like,
00:40:20
Speaker
Is that real? I don't know. Unfortunately, while the biomed facility had a satellite phone with internet connection to get a second opinion or to seek information, both of them were down at the time, according to Will Cockrell's article in men's journal. I mean, this almost seems a little coincidental. I mean, I know we talked about that a lot, but I feel like there's lots of things going wrong for him. Yeah, lots going awry.
00:40:47
Speaker
Rodney returned to his room, but he didn't improve. Rodney woke up again and again vomited blood. Now he was frantic. According to Cockrell, quote, his breathing was now uncontrollably fast. Pain throbbed in his joints and he began to panic. He made his way back to biomed, this time stumbling through the dimly lit tunnels disoriented as if in fast motion. By the time he arrived, he was hyperventilating and combative.
00:41:15
Speaker
end quote. And this is why on that third visit, wanting to bring Rodney some comfort and worrying that what was causing the symptoms was something psychological perhaps rather than physical, Dr. Thompson gave Rodney an anti-psychotic injection of howl doll.
00:41:36
Speaker
Now briefly, Rodney did seem to be doing better. His breathing slowed and he finally seemed able to relax. Did they think he was making up the blood, the blood vomit? I don't think so.
00:41:50
Speaker
No, I think Dr. Thompson said it was like, Oh, you are experiencing a panic attack. So you will be puking blood now, which I find crazy. Right. Yeah. I think he was just trying to make it fit with what he thought was the diagnosis. And almost like what that facility would be able to handle, you know?
00:42:13
Speaker
That's part of it for sure. Yeah. So after Rodney has given this antipsychotic injection, astronomer Dr. Adair Lane told a reporter from the New York Times, quote, his condition did improve for a while and he was conscious and he was able to converse with the people attending him.
00:42:31
Speaker
and suddenly his heart stopped and all the resuscitation failed." And Sonia, who was there as well, corroborated that statement with her own in a report of Marx's death that read, quote, I thought he was getting better. His pupils were huge. They got smaller. He squeezed my hand. He tried to sit up.
00:42:52
Speaker
He then quit breathing and we tried CPR," end quote. Minutes after that injection, Rodney Marks went into cardiac arrest and at 6.45 PM on May 12th, 2000, Rodney David Marks was pronounced dead. Which is crazy because I feel like all these tests they do, part of them have to be physical tests, right? So these people are in good physical health and a 32 year old man's just going to head over with cardiac arrest.
00:43:19
Speaker
Yeah, yes. And interestingly, Maggie, even though you say that the National Science Foundation in charge of the Amundsen Scott South Pole Station issued a statement within hours, according to men's journal, that Rodney had, quote, apparently died of natural causes. Well, they apparently lied.
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Speaker
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Aftermath and Investigation
00:47:15
Speaker
Initially, Marx's body was placed in a body bag and stored in the fuel arches area of the dome where cold would actually preserve his body. Oh yeah, because he's going to be there for a while. Yes, until a flight could be made out of the South Pole. Because remember, he is pronounced dead on May 12th. Which is the beginning of their winter. Yes, winter isn't over until October.
00:47:41
Speaker
But his friends actually felt like Rodney deserved more than to be tucked into a corner. So workers at the station from carpenters to scientists to machinists, worked together to construct a casket for marks made of oak with a plaque that Sonya made of the Scorpio constellation, which was Rodney's favorite. And she made that in brass and actually took the casket via a sled.
00:48:08
Speaker
to the geographic South Pole and lowered him into the ice, marking the mound. Some pictures I saw had a cross, but most of the descriptions I saw said they marked it with an Australian flag so that they could return, obviously return him to his family once summer arrived.
00:48:27
Speaker
When the National Science Foundation, those guys put out the release saying that he died of natural causes, everyone just cleaned up as if he never existed. You know, like, because they were like, oh, natural causes, there's no problem here. You're right, because of that statement. And it seems like when they said he died of natural causes, like you just said, everyone just accepted that claim.
00:48:56
Speaker
And everything continued as normal. So other scientists took over working at the telescope. I think a few of his personal effects were packaged up so that they could be sent back to his family. But yeah, most of the rest of Rodney's things, it was thrown away.
00:49:13
Speaker
Yeah, Sony, Sony actually moved into his his room, right? And stayed there. And a big part of this too, with that, especially them just cleaning everything up is like, if your husband, let's pretend you're on with your boyfriend on this place, and he's puking blood, are you just gonna be like, yep, natural causes clean up everything? Are you gonna like demand somebody look into it? You know what I mean? So like, that's crazy to me. That's a fair point.
00:49:37
Speaker
That is a fair point. And obviously it would be months, not until the end of winter in October, October 30th to be exact, before a plane could land to retrieve Marx's body for proper burial or even for an autopsy, which was something that Dr. Thompson was not trained to do.
00:49:55
Speaker
And so that at least allowed some time to figure out what would be a logistical nightmare of jurisdictions. And that's what you were talking about the beginning, Richard, because with Marx as an Australian citizen who died at an American science base on what was land claimed by New Zealand, now who is going to get his body? Who is going to do this investigation, right? Like who's in charge?
00:50:24
Speaker
Yeah, and it's really actually kind of sad. What actually should have happened, according to what the treaty says, is that since it happened on a US base, it should have been the US authorities taking care of it. Really?
00:50:37
Speaker
Um, but what ends up happening is not that, which is okay to actually, I think it's better. This what happened this way, because I don't think the U S would have done as much as what the New Zealand people did anyways. I would agree with that as well. Yeah. Ultimately, Australian and U S authorities agreed that Rodney Marx's body should be sent to Christchurch, New Zealand for the autopsy. And Sonia, as well as Rodney's friend, Darren Schneider accompanied the body.
00:51:05
Speaker
and did meet with Rodney's grief stricken mother and his two sisters. So at least Sonia's there. Yeah, no, it's true.
00:51:13
Speaker
But on December 19th, 2006, weeks after Rodney Marks's body arrived in New Zealand, a shocking discovery was made. Rodney, well, shocking for the people who believed the statement by the NSF, not shocking to the rest of us. Rodney Marks only had trace amounts of alcohol in his system at death and had not died of natural causes. Instead, he had died of methanol poisoning.
00:51:40
Speaker
So those little needle marks could be important. Potentially. I don't really know how one dies of that. Well, I'll just, let me give you some numbers to illustrate the gravity of this poisoning. I'll just throw some numbers out at you. According to McMaster textbook of international medicine, quote, the consumption of as little as 10 milliliters of pure methanol may result in permanent loss of vision.
00:52:09
Speaker
as little as 30 milliliters may be lethal, with the median lethal dose being 100 milliliters," end quote. Rodney Marks had ingested 150 milliliters. So was this easy to get at the base? I'm not sure we'll talk about that, too. Yes, it was. Just for reference for people who don't understand what 150 milliliters is, Americans, it's a long address.
00:52:39
Speaker
It's like a wine glass. It's a wine glass full of, full of methanol, which isn't a little amount. You know what I mean? Like that's enough. Yeah. Yeah. So we know if this was, I don't know if they can tell this, but was it over like an extended period of time or was it like he just drank a glass of wine that was literally, you know? That's a great question, but I got the sense that it was not over an extended period of time. I don't think so either.
00:53:07
Speaker
You got to remember no one actually looked into it. So we're looking at a body that's been frozen for four or five months in the middle of nowhere and then getting an autopsy then. Like I don't even know how methanol works in a body. Does it all pool after it's been frozen? You know what I mean? Like it's alcohol. Would it freeze at the same way? So everything's freezing. Would it just push it to the same spot? You know what I mean? Like I'm not a scientist. I'm no big bang theory, but I feel like that might be what happens.
00:53:35
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, regardless of what does happen, it's clear that this was no accident. For sure. To me. So it appeared as though either Rodney Marks had taken his own life, and we'll talk about that as a theory, or that he had met with foul play of some sort. Sadly, other truths did become apparent with the autopsy, namely,
00:54:02
Speaker
that in the corner of the room in that biomed facility at that South Pole Station, sat a machine that could have told Dr. Thompson what was ailing Rodney Marks.
00:54:20
Speaker
Yes, the Ectacum blood analyzer machine, if used, would have shown high levels of methanol in the bloodstream, which could have easily been counteracted by a mixture of ethanol and saline and quite likely have saved Rodney's life. But that machine wasn't used.
00:54:42
Speaker
It had a low battery, which meant that every time it was turned on, it would take between eight to 10 hours to recalibrate. So it wasn't even attempted. But I just feel like when we were talking about, or you were talking about what the doctor did, I don't, you, it would take a lot for you to get me out of your exam room when I'm vomiting blood. And the first thing you do is give me thumbs. I know.
00:55:11
Speaker
Right. Like, I just don't think I would have been okay with that. And taken that as an explanation. Yeah. And then I know if this was Anthony and me in this situation, I would be like, um, excuse me. No, sir. We're not leaving. Like, he's vomiting blood. Exactly. Exactly. And I don't know if Sonia went to the doctor with him. She did for sure. Because she was there when he was dying, right?
00:55:38
Speaker
She was holding his hand. She was there then and so was a friend, but like the first two times? Yeah, I guess you're right. Yeah, I'm not sure on that either. I think she's the one who convinced him. If I'm not mistaken, she's the one that like, you got to go to the doctor and he's like, nah, I'll be fine. She's like, come to the doctor. So like, I don't know if she brought him, but she for sure convinced him to go. Okay. So if he did, if she wasn't there, that would totally be a guy move where they just go like, I'm fine. I'll go. Like I get that too. Yeah.
00:56:04
Speaker
And because of the autopsy results, which is routine and the death of someone who was so young, the coroner, Richard McElray, called for an investigation that was soon headed by Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Wormald from the New Zealand police. Research reports that I read stated that the NSF had conducted their own investigation into Marx's death, but none of those results have been made public, ever. Yeah, to this day still.
00:56:32
Speaker
to this day. Instead, as Wormald requested information from the NSF, from lab results to the names of individuals who were at the station that winter over, because obviously if this is foul play, there are 49 other people. Right. You have a pretty limited list. Right. But every time he would request information from the NSF, he was met continually with the exact same response. And that was silence. An article by Andrea Hautier,
00:57:01
Speaker
in the Sunday Star Times, notes the following statement from Wormald, quote, we wanted the results of the NSF internal investigation and to get in contact with people who were there to ask them some questions. They weren't prepared to tell us who was there. They have advised that no report exists. To be frank, I think there's more there. There must be, end quote. Agreed. Yeah.
00:57:31
Speaker
And I feel like his friends that were there and his girlfriend, I would be like, this person was there. This person was there. This person was there. Yep. Yeah, you're right. You think they would have said, well, surely they know the other 40 some people. Right. For sure.
00:57:50
Speaker
But like, they don't even get in contact with anyone for a long time anyway. So you kind of forget like, I forget how the time I'd have to look at here. But it was like, anyways, I'm sure you're gonna get to it. But they have a questionnaire that comes from the worm old or whatever. And he wants to give it to everybody, all 49 people that were there. And like,
00:58:10
Speaker
the, the NSF or whatever they're called, the NSF, they say, okay, sure. I'll make it an optional survey and whoever wants to take it can take it. And this is like two years later. Like I don't remember stuff from two years ago. Like you can move jobs, especially guys like this. They're in and out seasonally. Maybe remember the guys you worked with years ago. Yeah. Yeah.
00:58:31
Speaker
Yeah, and the NSF even took out questions, altered questions to the specifications that they wanted. And Richard Wright, yeah, when they finally did send it out, they attached this note that says participation is strictly voluntary. And so only 13 of the 49 other crew actually responded. And even some of the 13 who responded asked to remain anonymous.
00:58:58
Speaker
And so most people say that was out of fear of losing their jobs, of not being selected to return to the station for research at future times. And so again, this is a very unhelpful atmosphere here.
Theories on Marks' Death
00:59:13
Speaker
Yeah.
00:59:14
Speaker
unless there's something else going on. That's right. So despite that small number, Wormald was able to gain some information to help in his deductions in the case, information that I'll reveal to you as we discuss some of the theories. So let's get into those theories. And Richard, I have a feeling you're going to add some to the ones that I've got here. Maybe. So theory number one is suicide. No.
00:59:42
Speaker
I know already, but since experiencing depression and anxiety in the isolation of the South Pole, much like it is in space, is commonplace, some have wondered whether Rodney ingested the methanol purposefully. So they argue
00:59:57
Speaker
You know, perhaps in a moment of desperation, he had drunk the liquid knowing that it would end his life in such a lethal dose. But those who know anything about methanol poisoning say no way because of all the ways to commit suicide. This would not be the one that a person would choose because of the pain that you would go through. Right. And then why would he go to the doctor? Exactly. Yeah.
01:00:21
Speaker
And Rodney was aware of what methanol was. It's not like it was a foreign substance to him because they used diluted stuff to clean the telescope lenses. So he was aware, fully aware of what methanol would do to you. It's not like it would be, like I wouldn't have really an idea until after reading this, right? But this guy was, so yeah, he wouldn't drink that to commit suicide on purpose. I don't think so.
01:00:45
Speaker
Right. And even for other reasons, people who knew Rodney said, no way, because they remind us that he was on the top of his game in the science community. He loved his work. He was in love with Sonia. They were beginning talks of marriage. He didn't have any history nor signs of depression that showed up in that battery of tests that were given to him before joining the station. So for no reason, right, that's clear, would he have committed suicide?
01:01:13
Speaker
And like you said, if he had attended, why would he have gone to the doctor? Three times. That's true. There is also the side of like he did have Tourette's syndrome. And I did read into, like there's a 2016 study that suggests people with Tourette's are associated with substantial risk of suicide. Suicidal behavior should be monitored with these patients.
01:01:37
Speaker
So, and he was suffering that in silence, really just getting hammered all the time to cover it up, right? So maybe, and you don't really know what's going on in people's minds all the time, especially even if he says he's happy and stuff like that, he could just be like dwelling on the fact that he's got Tourette's and he's the weird guy and nobody likes him, even though it's not true, doesn't mean it's not.
01:01:57
Speaker
going through his mind. Right. So I do know, I don't, I legit don't think that he killed himself, but I do know that there's a higher chance of somebody with Tourette's to kill themselves. Interesting. And if he's using alcohol to mask and he hasn't really had much alcohol in the previous 36 hours, maybe those intrusive thoughts are cropping up more and more.
01:02:20
Speaker
Yeah. And, and you see this with like suicide victim, like tempted suicide victims of like the golden gate bridge where they go, like, I wanted to kill myself. And then I survived and like halfway down, I regretted doing it. So like, maybe that's why he went to the doctor, right? Like I did it. And I went, and I don't want to tell my girlfriend, I just tried to kill myself. So I'm like, kind of trying to keep it right. So it could be, it could have been there, but I doubt it. It's like off my list of real thoughts, honestly, what I think.
01:02:47
Speaker
Theory number two is accidental ingestion from a tainted still. So another theory is that since it was known that there was a moonshine still at the station, which is part of the explanation of how the bar remains well stocked, could someone have added methanol thinking it was something else trying to make the alcohol more potent?
01:03:08
Speaker
This theory, though, loses credibility pretty quickly when you learn that no one else experienced similar symptoms as Rodney Marks. And obviously with the amount of methanol that was in his system, it would most definitely have shown itself in other people who drank.
01:03:23
Speaker
the tainted alcohol. Yeah, that was going to be my question. Yeah. And according to the article in Men's Journal, years after beginning his investigation, Wormald was finally told by the NSF that the moonshine was tested and that it tested negative for methanol. Like, why hold that back? You know, for years, just tell them. Right, right.
01:03:47
Speaker
Well, I have a question about that that I'll get to a little bit later. Theory three is accidental ingestion from homemade alcohol of his own.
01:03:58
Speaker
So since the communal still has been ruled out as a root cause, there has been some speculation that Rodney Marks may have tried his own hand at producing alcohol and as such accidentally tainted it with too much methanol since he was the only one to have been poisoned, right? So it makes sense if he's just brewing it for himself.
01:04:17
Speaker
Yeah, but I just felt like this dude learned French in a few months and then right so smart. I think he would know The lethal amount like you know how much is too much. Mm-hmm for sure Yeah, I'm not a believer in this theory either for me if if he had even the faintest idea of what was wrong with him and
01:04:40
Speaker
then wouldn't he have mentioned that to the doctor on at least one of the three trips that he went to my biomed? So if this is the cause, if he's brewing his own alcohol, and now all of a sudden he's sick, then I feel like he would have indicated that possibility, you know, and said something to the doctor like, Hey, I did try to distill my own liquor. And now I'm sick. So I'm wondering if that can be it. Because that's what I would be doing. I'd be racking my brain of like,
01:05:06
Speaker
what different has happened in my life that may have caused this, but Rodney didn't say anything like that. So that tells me at least that whatever happened to cause the ingestion of methanol had to be commonplace enough that it didn't stand out to Rodney Marks to mention. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good way to put it for sure.
01:05:31
Speaker
Plus, why would he have even tried to distill his own alcohol when alcohol was number one free to everybody who was stationed at the South Pole? And it wasn't as though they had run out. So it's not like there's a need to start brewing your own. So what incentive would there have been for him to do that?
01:05:52
Speaker
And I also feel like Sonya or a friend or somebody would have known that he was trying to brew it and then have said, oh yeah, he was attempting to brew his own alcohol. I don't know.
01:06:06
Speaker
I feel like it's not like drinking was shameful there. Everyone did it. So like, it's not like you'd be hiding that it's like a commonplace thing everyone would be doing. So for sure. Yeah. And then theory number four, and this is my final one. So I want you to throw some out there, Richard, but theory number four.
01:06:22
Speaker
Tainted alcohol. Oh, actually I have one more. I lied. I have five. I was like, I know that this is not going to be where we end this. No, no. Tainted alcohol that Rodney brought with him. So one piece of information that Wormald was able to glean
01:06:38
Speaker
was that a couple of people at the station seemed to remember Marx having a bottle of alcohol that he had brought with him. And it stood out not only because the color of the bottle, but because it had a label that looked like it was written in Portuguese. So could Marx have drunk that bottle of alcohol and it have been tainted with methanol? And we probably will never know because they threw out all this stuff. They sure did. Yeah.
01:07:07
Speaker
But apparently it's fairly commonplace for bootleggers to boost the potency of homemade liquors with methanol. I read an article that was, it was pretty recent, August 19th, 2020, in National Geographic. And the reporter, Kerry Arnold, her article was titled, Tainted Sanitizers and Bootleg Booze Are Poisoning People.
01:07:33
Speaker
And for the article, she interviewed, imagine being this expert, the world's leading expert on methanol poisoning.
01:07:41
Speaker
who was a physician, Newt Hovda, who stated, quote, methanol poisoning is an extremely under-recognized problem. And we also know that just a fraction of those ever get diagnosed. He went on to add, quote, regardless of how cheap you can produce your own alcohol, you can always get a hold of cheaper industrial methanol. By mixing methanol into the liquor,
01:08:07
Speaker
you would be able to sell much more alcohol and make much more money from it." End quote. Yeah. Methanol, it's sweet tasting and it has an alcohol smell to it. So if you were to add that to another bottle of alcohol, you probably wouldn't even notice. So I could see that for sure. When you make your own alcohol, like let's say I wanted to make like, I don't know, wine or beer or something.
01:08:36
Speaker
Is that like a typical ingredient that goes into making your own? No. Alcohol is made from like fermenting fruit or vegetables, right? Methanol is made from fermenting wood products or grass or something like that. So it would be like an additive. It would be a different way of making alcohol completely. Like it's the same way, but it's just not using like it's using wood instead of fruit.
01:09:01
Speaker
So essentially, like this person said, when we, if we added methanol into this, our fermented alcohol mixture, we're doing it because we're able to sell more alcohol at a cheaper price, essentially. Yeah. With greater potency.
01:09:19
Speaker
Yeah. It's like cutting, it's like cutting cocaine with like fentanyl these days. You know what I mean? Like it's putting, making your, just spreading your profits a little bit further, which is super dangerous. And nefarious people do this kind of stuff all the time. And I was actually curious because I didn't know that it was that common, this edition of methanol. So I was curious about how long too it took for the effects of methanol poisoning, because like I said,
01:09:45
Speaker
you know, in my mind, if he's going to the doctor, I said it would have to be something that seemed fairly commonplace or else it would stand out. So I was wondering how long it took before the effects of methanol poisoning are present and I found that it could be anywhere from one hour to 72 hours.
01:10:04
Speaker
according to the CDC, with the most, most commonly presenting themselves in the 12 to 24 hour period after injection. And he had a lot in his system, right? Of methanol, yeah. Yeah. But I was thinking, you know,
01:10:19
Speaker
it could be possible that Rodney drank from this bottle of alcohol, right? The friends saw in his room that they noticed one day, two days, or even three days before experiencing symptoms, right? If we're going to the 70, 72 hour extreme, and maybe that's why the drinking of the alcohol wouldn't immediately have been associated in his mind with what he was currently experiencing, right? Like if I get sick to my stomach, I'm not going to think about what I was eating three days ago.
01:10:49
Speaker
Right. What was I drinking? You know, what was I eating today? Yeah. And I wonder if we were able to perform the autopsy, you know, immediately after his death, if they would have been able to determine how long that had been in his system, you know, Oh, was it all at once? Was it over the span of a few days? Right. Yeah. Had they gotten the test done early on, they could have figured out for sure what exactly was wrong with him, how long he's been like, they just didn't test his blood, which is right.
01:11:19
Speaker
Now with this theory of this, this bottle that people saw in his room, based on that questionnaire that went out from Warmauld, other testimony and even interviews that were obtained by Men's Journal, we know that the South Pole Health and Safety Officer
01:11:35
Speaker
was one of the people who saw that Marx had that odd shaped bottle of liquor with the Portuguese looking writing on it. And he recalls it, even though, like you said, Maggie, it was thrown away after his death. And another individual at the station on the 2000 winter over, someone who asked to remain
01:11:54
Speaker
anonymous, told Men's Journal that he too recalls the bottle and that the liquor was his immediate thought when he heard that Rodney had died of methanol poisoning. He said, oh, I thought of that bottle immediately. And this anonymous source stated that he even sent investigators the names and even contact information for those that he knew of Rodney's friends in Australia who he believed were either with Rodney when the purchase was made of that bottle of liquor
01:12:22
Speaker
or at least might be able to help them figure out where the alcohol came from. But from everything that we know, that lead was never pursued. So, I mean, can you imagine if they had the information, right? Here's this guy who says, oh, as soon as he hears he's poisoned, he had this weird looking bottle of alcohol. Here are the names and addresses, right? And phone numbers of his friends who might be able to tell you where that came from. And like, I wonder,
01:12:51
Speaker
I mean, I'm sure they didn't speak out, like you said, because maybe they're still working there and they don't want to get fired or they want to be eligible to work there, you know, another season or whatever. But at what point does your, you know, conscious take over and you do the right thing? I know. Yeah. Yeah.
01:13:10
Speaker
See, I don't think that the bottle would be thrown out though. That's my issue with that. I think like once they're cleaning up Rodney's things, they'd be like, ooh, cool Portuguese bottle. Let's have a drink from my buddy. Pour one out for him. Let's have a drink. And someone would have got tainted with that. I don't think they just wouldn't be like half bottle of booze. Let's throw that out. Right.
01:13:29
Speaker
like maybe, maybe, but I, I don't know. I just, that's where that goes the ride of me. Unless no one who ever found the bottle and he just chugged it or something, it was in the garbage already. Yeah. Like he drank the whole thing. Yeah. And he, I mean, he was a heavy drinker, but yeah, I don't know. Yeah. A binge drinker though. Like, Hmm. Yeah. And I don't know, even if it were tainted with methanol,
01:13:57
Speaker
How much of that liquid would he have had to have drunk in order to have 150 milliliters of methanol in his system? Would that be the equivalent of a whole bottle? No. Well, depending on what size of bottle is, but it's like I said, a wine glass full, right? So that's a third of a bottle of wine, you know, that's not right. Well, I'm assuming that this this Portuguese bottle wasn't all methanol.
01:14:24
Speaker
Yeah, that's true. Yeah, I don't know. Theory number five is foul play. This theory is obviously based on the idea that someone else caused Rodney's death intentionally. Recall that there were potentially
01:14:41
Speaker
needle marks in Rodney's dominant arm that the doctor noticed during one of the visits. And since Rodney was not known to even use recreational drugs, and drugs would have been a fireable offense at this South Pole Station, something that most people think that Rodney would not have risked.
01:14:58
Speaker
And if self-imposed, we would assume that the needle marks would have been on his non-dominant arm. Could someone have unknowingly injected Rodney marks with methanol or a substance with methanol? And we don't know, again, unfortunately, because the doctor never asked nor investigated the needle marks.
01:15:21
Speaker
Like I just wonder how that would happen. Are they doing it? Like they're sneaking and doing it? And if that's the case, how the heck are they doing that? And if he's, you know, I just don't know. I don't know this theory either. I've, there is no phlebotomist in the world who has ever drawn blood on me and no doctor who has ever given me a shot who's been able to stick a needle in my arm without me knowing. Right.
01:15:43
Speaker
Yeah. That's, that's the whole thing is like, I don't think you can inject someone without knowing unless they're absolutely plastered after a nice show of like, uh, what's the name of the band and the fanny packs. That's right. Maybe they had a real rager and then, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I don't believe that at all. And if.
01:16:11
Speaker
If the needle marks didn't come from Rodney himself, then I feel like when the doctor turns his arm over to draw blood, you know, you would think he would have noticed the marks himself and been like, what the heck is that? That's on my arm. If they were really there, like you said, Richard, but I mean, one could argue that, you know, maybe his eyesight at this point, so bad that with those sunglasses on, he didn't even see the, the needle marks. I don't know. I questioned whether the needle marks were even there.
01:16:39
Speaker
Dr. Thompson is a terrible doctor. I'm sure you're going to talk about him a little bit more over there. Let's go ahead and talk about him. Speaking of the doctor, there's a lot about him and his role that has been talked about
Suspicion and Conspiracy
01:16:56
Speaker
over the years. In fact, according to Noel Denson, who's the host of the Evidence Locker podcast,
01:17:01
Speaker
The doctor at a nearby research station openly criticized Dr. Robert Thompson, saying that he believed Dr. Thompson's actions on the day of Rodney's death were, quote unquote, questionable. And you add to that statement the fact that most sources I have read reveal that Dr. Robert Thompson's whereabouts haven't been known since 2006. And you've got a conspiracy theory. Like you just fell off the face of the earth in 2006?
01:17:30
Speaker
As soon as Wormald started asking questions, he was gone. Yeah. And I'll be the first to admit, I did wonder several things about the doctor's actions. And here's what I was thinking about. Number one, why didn't he turn on the machine to, you know, knowing that I had to calibrate, you know, turn it on. First of all, if he drew Rodney's blood, why didn't he test it even after Rodney's death? I mean, he already drew it.
01:18:01
Speaker
Yeah. He, he, he says that the people that work there weren't taking care of his machines and it wasn't his job, which it was. Um, he could have calibrated that, put a new battery and it would have been the end of it months before this. And he's saying that it's not his job, which it was. So there's all, there's all sorts of like, like this guy is terrible. I don't know what he was doing up there. Like I don't know. He's doing down there. I feel like there was something else going on for him.
01:18:28
Speaker
I do, too. Yeah, because, you know, especially here's a young guy, a 32 year old, and this guy is a medical professional. And you're telling me he thought that Rodney Marks died of natural causes, seeing all of the, you know, him losing eyesight. And things like, I mean, why would he not have tested it? If he really did see needle marks, why didn't he ask about them?
01:18:50
Speaker
Well, that's why I think he brought up needle marks so he could like throw some shade at Rodney. So like, not really red herring, just like, uh, like I didn't do anything. He was, he was injecting himself with something. I did everything I could. Did I tell you about the needle marks? He was a junkie or whatever. He's trying to like make Rodney look bad. I don't think that's real. I think it's just made up to make himself look a lot better when he looks terrible.
01:19:16
Speaker
Mm-hmm, you know, and like we've said there's only what 50 people there at that time right and What's your most pressing medical need, you know, maybe somebody gets heartburn or something So like why would you not be like, you know what this guy could potentially be really sick? Let me fire up this little machine get that going and we'll just you know get to the bottom of you know, what's going on because you probably aren't very busy you're probably handing out tile and all and
01:19:43
Speaker
And the thing is he had access and he did call, like that's another thing. He called the mainland to see if anybody could help him with what was going on.
01:19:58
Speaker
There's that, like he did put some effort into it, but like minimal, you know, like I bet you the other doctors were like, just test the blood. He's like, well, I can't, the machine's broken. Like, we'll just calibrate it, but it's going to take 10 hours. Right. Yeah. Excuse after excuse. Yeah. Yeah. So I get why a lot of people are drawn to this theory. You know, I'll play devil's advocate for a moment for the doctor. You know, we do have to admit.
01:20:24
Speaker
Maybe he went into hiding because he doesn't want to relive what he feels was the worst experience of his life if he does feel guilty over Rodney Marx's death. So maybe he's in hiding not because he killed Rodney Marx or something like that. Not because he has something to hide. Right, but because of that guilt that he feels. Maybe it's some sort of self-preservation.
01:20:49
Speaker
Other people argue that Marx may have been intentionally injected with methanol, hence the needle Marx, but even his friend Gene Davidson told Men's Journal for their coverage of the case, quote, I never noticed anyone acting different afterward. And I can't think of anyone who would have disliked Rodney that much or had anything against him or even had anything to gain by it, end quote.
01:21:17
Speaker
But here's my theory. And then I want to hear your old theories. OK. OK. So if we believe the foul play theory, I think it's far more likely that Rodney's death was the result of an intentional act, but likely an unintentional effect of death. So I always try to really think about potential theories. And what I think is most likely
01:21:41
Speaker
And this is based on some things I read over and over again, these two facts. Number one, that Rodney Marks was a drinker to the extent that he could consume far greater amounts of alcohol than his peers and still not get wasted.
01:21:55
Speaker
He could drink them under the table. And number two, that Rodney had both a dry sense of humor and he felt that all issues could be resolved over drinks. So what if he's trying to smooth things over with somebody or if somebody else at the station just wanted to play a prank on Rodney for Rodney for once to get far more drunk than somebody else?
01:22:21
Speaker
So maybe they have put methanol in a bottle of alcohol that they knew Rodney would drink, right? Because we know from that last theory that methanol added to alcohol can make it far more potent. So for this prank with that boosted potency, they would then be able to match finally shot for shot with Rodney and turn the tables.
01:22:44
Speaker
I'm going to get him way more drunk than me. But if this is the case, because he was so well-liked, I feel like the person likely didn't know or wouldn't know the harmful side effects of the added methanol, which by extension makes me feel as though it was not one of the scientists who would likely know the side effects, but maybe one of the workers.
01:23:09
Speaker
Right, because he did hang out with, you know, the construction workers. Right, the mechanics. For sure. And I like this theory because it's my main what I think happened to. I have another theory in here, too, that is a possibility, in my opinion. But I think that you're right. I think maybe like I was looking up this one shot of alcohol is about 44 milliliters.
01:23:33
Speaker
Okay, or 50 milliliters so you get him to do one shot of grain alcohol And then you go as if you did that that's crazy And then everyone's like laughing or whatever that he just does two more without even saying anything and then everyone's like oh We just killed that guy even if they did know yeah, you know like I'm not gonna go tell like
01:23:51
Speaker
Maybe he'll survive. He'll be fine. He'll puke that up. He'll be good. He'll be okay. And then by the time they find out it's too late, and this is why people aren't answering questions. This is why everyone's hiding from everyone. It explains a lot. An accident that... I'm on the South Pole right now. I am not going to jail for this. You know what I mean? Yeah, going to prison for life.
01:24:13
Speaker
Yeah, and that could explain to like you said everyone the doctors like for the national science people They're like, you know what? He died of natural causes and everybody's like yep. He sure did. Yeah, he sure did Question. Yeah, don't say anything Maybe you string with the doctor. Maybe that's why the doctor is so incompetent about the whole thing like maybe Dr. Thompson like Yeah, for sure
01:24:39
Speaker
So for me, that's, I really do think it was like a prank on wrong. That's really what my main theory is. Um, so I don't know if you have any other ones, but I'll tell you my last one if you want. I'm ready. There's this other far out theory that there was drug dealing operation at the base. All right. Uh, apparently weed was being grown in the vent vans. Um,
01:25:04
Speaker
and underground where he could get harder drugs if he suited your fancy. So maybe he was doing drugs, you know, and maybe he just had to be taken out because of debts or something like that. There is on, like I, for private dicks, we go into like crazy theories too. But on Reddit, I went into a deep Reddit hole on this one. And there's a lot of people that do actually think there was like drugs going on, which is funny to think. Because like, why are you going down there to be a big druggie? Like I feel like that's a,
01:25:34
Speaker
But if that's the case, that would explain why people aren't saying anything either. You know what I mean? Like if it's a big drug thing and if the NSF found that out, that would be very embarrassing. So that's why they're covering it up too. They probably would know after they went and did an investigation and they went, no, we're not telling everyone this. This is international territory
Reflections and Remembrance
01:25:50
Speaker
now. We're going to get like kicked off of the Antarctica. Like, you know, like, yeah, like I don't want that either. We need to look at our stars. The gases need to be studied.
01:26:03
Speaker
Right. Yeah. PR nightmare. Yeah. So for one guy to go, like, like,
01:26:12
Speaker
you know, Russia already has one murder. So let's just keep it there. You know what I mean? It's expected from Russia. That's what lying about murder. That's what's expected from the US. So they're just like, whatever, we'll just lie about it. So let's just do that. And I know it's the funniest explanation. Like it's not real. Like I know that's not the case, but like, I just like to think that there's 50 people at the South Pole making the best drugs ever and selling it to America.
01:26:39
Speaker
I mean, it takes a lot of ingenuity if you're growing weed in Antarctica. That's actually, that one I believe. I believe someone was growing weed out there, but the rest of it's just gobbledygook funness for me. I do feel like though, like with the NSF doing their own investigation, if it were an accident, why wouldn't they have released the results? Maybe they just don't know.
01:27:04
Speaker
They're just like, do you mean an accident? Like, you know, we're pranking him and he accidentally died. Yeah. I just think that they would want to cover that up. That looks really bad on you. You know, for sure. Oh yeah. Yeah. That's just a PR thing. I would be like, yeah, we're just going to say this was natural causes and nobody wants to go to jail. So all these people are going to agree. I meant more like if they could, you know, if they've got multiple people saying it's this bottle of alcohol that he drank. Oh, right. You know what I mean? Right. Yeah.
01:27:34
Speaker
Yeah, because then it has nothing to do with them. Yeah, I feel like they would say something if it was a like a bottle of a tainted bottle of alcohol. But if it was a prank on wrong, they would cover that I feel like they right. Yeah, yeah. Or the last and final theory from me. It was the thing from john carpenters, the thing and that was a documentary, not a movie. I promised the guys that would bring it up.
01:27:59
Speaker
We're going off the deep end here. Yeah, I promised the guys I would bring up. That's what they've turned it into, the thing. Coming up through the ice, breaking through. Hey, you're talking to people, though, that, like, think, you know, the Yeti could have been responsible for the people that passed away at Diet Law Pass or Bobby Yaga. So, you know. Yeah, you never know. Yeah, that's right. Although Rodney Marks's case was officially closed in 2008, the coroner has stated that he disagrees
01:28:29
Speaker
that, quote, accidental poisoning and even foul play can be adequately disregarded without a full and proper investigation, end quote. Lead investigator Wormald has agreed, saying, quote, in my view, it is most likely Dr. Marks ingested the methanol unknowingly, end quote.
01:28:46
Speaker
as to how that ingestion may have happened, though. Well, that's anyone's guess. Even Wormald was not privy to whatever findings the NSF had. Wormald noted of the NSF work as reported in Universe Today, quote, it is impossible to say how far that investigation went or to what end, end quote.
01:29:06
Speaker
Of that same lack of cooperation, Rodney's father, Paul Marks, stated, quote, and I don't think we're going to try to find out anymore in regards to how Rodney died. I'd see that as a fruitless exercise. For heaven's sake, a man has died in your care. Why wouldn't you help the police? End quote. Despite the fact that investigations into his death have slowed to a halt,
01:29:29
Speaker
His friends continue to keep his memory alive on the icy continent. There sits a mountain named Mark's Mount, where a plaque rests at the base as a tribute to him. Additionally, as often as he is able, friend and fellow scientist Darren Schneider, along with a couple of Rodney's other close friends, periodically returned to the South Pole with a new Australian flag to maintain the marker of where Rodney Marks's body was buried for several months.
01:29:56
Speaker
Rodney's remains were finally laid to rest in Australia, near the southern shore that he adored growing up. While his second burial brought him home, a second look into his case might bring peace to his family. Rodney Marx dedicated his life, his passion, to figuring out answers to the mysteries of the universe. Now let's use both science and passion to figure out the mystery he left behind here on Earth.
01:30:27
Speaker
Again, please
Podcast Engagement and Community
01:30:28
Speaker
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01:30:56
Speaker
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01:31:24
Speaker
And I am so happy to be back with you guys this week after missing the love notes last week We tried to get ahead and then when we get ahead The love notes, we're not you know what I'm saying? We can't be there yet, right?
01:31:40
Speaker
And speaking of last week, congratulations to Sarah for winning our giveaway. So round of applause. I know she was super excited when I emailed her. So that was super exciting. Yeah. And we have lots of love going out to Marina, Emily, Scott, Nikki, Clara, and Larissa for reaching out to us this past week.
01:32:00
Speaker
Yes, we love hearing from our listeners. Marina actually reached out to say how much she enjoyed the first full interview. Oh, yes, that Maggie posted. Yes, on Patreon. If you are not currently part of our Patreon, we did actually just complete a survey with what our sleuthound family there wants.
01:32:21
Speaker
And we are now in the process of revamping the content that we post because Maggie and I aim to please. That's what I was about to say. Yeah. We want to match those wants. And one of those wants was to have access to interviews rather than some of the many episodes. So make sure you check us out.
01:32:40
Speaker
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01:32:59
Speaker
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01:33:16
Speaker
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01:33:36
Speaker
So if you want gifts or just the gift of bonus content or to support the show, head on over to patreon.com slash coffee cases, or we've made it super easy and put that link in the show notes for you. That's right. We did. And now for our super duper love going out to our most recent five star review writers. The first is 84, would you say Berber or Bear Bear?
01:34:01
Speaker
I don't think Bear Bear sounds cute, but it's probably Bear Bear. I like Bear Bear who wrote, quote, my all time favorite cold case podcast. I have been listening to three to four episodes a week and I'm almost all caught up. It is making me sad to think I will have to cut myself down to one a week.
01:34:21
Speaker
Maggie and Allison are the best hosts and do a wonderful job researching and telling each case. You can tell they have hearts of gold and really care about each and every victim's case. They have wonderful intros and most of them tie in personally to themselves. Keep up the great work, ladies. You two definitely make this world a better place." End quote. And now let me go cry my tears of joy in a corner over here for that review. Thank you so much.
01:34:49
Speaker
That was such a good one. That's one of the sweetest ones, I think. I think so. And we got another super sweet review from Frustrated Coconut, which I love that name. I know. So we're sending you out some love as well. And their review said, quote, found you ladies at the recommendation of a friend and I can't stop listening. Thank you for being tactful, not swearing and bringing light to cases I've never heard. End quote.
01:35:16
Speaker
Well, thank you for taking the time to leave us such a good review. And we are giving so much love for those con words. And please also give love to your friend who recommended us because we appreciate that as well. Yes, we do share the love. And we want to end by sending out love to Curly Belle.
01:35:34
Speaker
a listener from Australia who wrote, I know, I love that you cover cold cases. I'm not particularly loving the loving yourself during COVID suggestions, but that could be that they would have been more useful during COVID. Keep up the great work, end quote. And you know, I suppose those do seem a little bit out of place now if you're just now finding our show, but we do want you to love yourself as much as we love and care about you. So
01:36:03
Speaker
And thankfully, the COVID episodes, we were only separated for a short amount of time. Because I do feel like we're better together. Yes, definitely. And with that, all of our love is going out to each and every one of you. Until next week, Sleuthounds.