Can two two identical twin separated from each other possibly die at the exact same time? Could of one soul inhabit two bodies? One of strangest unsolved caves was reported in 1962 in the Chicago Tribune dated April 14 1962.
Morganton, N. C.. April 13 1962 -The Burke county coroner advanced the possibility today that identical twin sisters, who died in a mental hospital here without any apparent cause, might have willed themselves to die.
Dr. John C. Reece offered the theory as one of several explanations. still open to show the cause of death of Bobbie Jean and Betty Jo Eller, 31 year old patients in Broughton Memorial hospital.
The women were found dead in their beds in the hospital yesterday. There were no visible marks on their bodies, and Dr. Reece said autopsies per- formed on both revealed no, 'demonstrable anatomical cause of death."
Study Body Tissues
"I am almost certain there is no homicide involved," said Dr. Reece today, shortly after he sent body tissue to the crime laboratory of the state bureau of investigation. "There are so many possibilities."
* The women, who never married, had been patients here in previous years. They were readmitted to the hospital earlier this month. Because one was a dominating influence over the other, they were separated Wednesday.
One was found dead early yesterday," said Dr. Reece. "Officials immediately went to the opposite ward and found the other sister dead. It's safe to say they died within an hour of each other. They could have died at the same time."
Both women had been taking drugs. Dr. Reece said it may develop that "individual reac- tion to drugs" or a combination of drugs, may have caused the deaths. But he added, "They were being given well established drugs, and it would be most unusual for both of them to have died from this cause, even tho they were twins."
The women were identical twins, Dr. Reece said. They were born triplets, and the third member of the set died shortly after birth. Dr. Reece said they had the same facial and body characteristics. "They were nice looking young ladies, brunettes, with hazel Gray eyes." He said both women suffered from schizophrenia, a mental illness whose chief symptom is a withdrawal by the person from his environment.
Recalls Similar Deaths He said the women, the daughters of a North Carolina mountain minister, were withdrawn and refused to eat at home, one of the reasons they were readmitted to the hospital.
"There are more cases than people realize." said Dr. Reece, "when an exact cause of death is higher among people with mental illness. "The psychiatrists tell me that some psychotics [persons with extreme mental illness], especially schizophrenics, have a will not to live."
Dr. Reece, who was graduated from New York university medical school in 1938 and who has been the coroner here for four years, said he never had experienced another case like the twins' death.
Strange case indeed when one twin is leader the other will follow . Some many unanswered questions.
Kanacki