1 00:00:01,367 --> 00:00:03,367 On this episode of "Expedition Files," 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,767 in 1953, climbers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay 3 00:00:08,467 --> 00:00:09,967 are the first to summit Everest. 4 00:00:10,367 --> 00:00:11,100 Or are they? 5 00:00:11,934 --> 00:00:13,800 Now, climbers find a long-lost corpse 6 00:00:14,433 --> 00:00:15,467 that may unlock the truth 7 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,300 behind who conquered the roof of the world. 8 00:00:21,867 --> 00:00:26,467 Then, in 1897, one of the most extraordinary murder trials 9 00:00:27,633 --> 00:00:30,967 in history, as crucial testimony is delivered by a ghost. 10 00:00:32,066 --> 00:00:35,867 We explore the true story of this supernatural case. 11 00:00:36,433 --> 00:00:39,166 [sinister music playing] 12 00:00:41,667 --> 00:00:44,767 [Josh] And Mata Hari was one of the most famous women 13 00:00:45,767 --> 00:00:47,967 in the world before she was executed as a spy 14 00:00:48,500 --> 00:00:49,667 during World War I. 15 00:00:50,734 --> 00:00:53,767 Was this iconic femme fatale really a double agent? 16 00:00:56,867 --> 00:00:58,600 In the corridors of time 17 00:01:00,867 --> 00:01:03,900 are mysteries that defy explanation. 18 00:01:05,367 --> 00:01:09,066 Now I'm traveling through history itself 19 00:01:11,467 --> 00:01:13,367 on a search for the truth. 20 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:16,867 New evidence. 21 00:01:18,467 --> 00:01:20,000 Shocking answers. 22 00:01:21,567 --> 00:01:22,967 I'm Josh Gates. 23 00:01:24,066 --> 00:01:25,166 And these 24 00:01:27,166 --> 00:01:29,400 are my "Expedition Files." 25 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,467 When I was a little kid, one of my favorite games to play 26 00:01:36,567 --> 00:01:38,767 with my friends was telephone. You know how it goes. 27 00:01:39,934 --> 00:01:42,467 You'd whisper a sentence like Mrs. Lawrence teaches math 28 00:01:43,433 --> 00:01:44,600 and blah blah blah, and by the time it gets 29 00:01:45,667 --> 00:01:47,266 whispered around in a circle and gets back to you, 30 00:01:48,133 --> 00:01:49,400 well, let's just say that Mrs. Lawrence 31 00:01:49,934 --> 00:01:50,767 would not be happy. 32 00:01:51,667 --> 00:01:52,867 And that's the thing with some mysteries, 33 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:55,600 they tend to take on a life of their own. 34 00:01:56,467 --> 00:01:58,100 Tonight, we look at three such tales. 35 00:01:58,867 --> 00:02:00,700 All of them appear extraordinary, 36 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:02,567 but we have to ask ourselves 37 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:04,467 a very important question. 38 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:08,266 What's true and what's been lost in translation? 39 00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:11,667 We begin on June 8, 1924, 40 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,266 here at almost the highest point on Earth. 41 00:02:16,233 --> 00:02:18,600 This is Everest in the heart of the Himalayas. 42 00:02:19,767 --> 00:02:21,967 And these two men are striving to become the first people 43 00:02:22,967 --> 00:02:24,567 to ever reach the summit, British mountaineers 44 00:02:25,266 --> 00:02:26,967 George Mallory and Sandy Irvine. 45 00:02:27,934 --> 00:02:30,467 But just hours from now, they will both vanish. 46 00:02:31,433 --> 00:02:33,166 Three decades later, Everest will finally be 47 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,600 officially conquered by another duo, 48 00:02:36,467 --> 00:02:38,367 Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. 49 00:02:39,266 --> 00:02:40,667 But is it possible that the history books 50 00:02:41,166 --> 00:02:42,000 will get it wrong? 51 00:02:43,066 --> 00:02:45,266 Could these two men, Mallory and Irvine, have died 52 00:02:46,433 --> 00:02:49,467 not before, but after reaching the world's tallest peak? 53 00:02:50,467 --> 00:02:52,166 A chilling new discovery at the roof of the world 54 00:02:53,066 --> 00:02:55,166 may unlock the truth behind the mystery. 55 00:03:08,166 --> 00:03:10,767 By the early 20th century, many of the world's 56 00:03:11,667 --> 00:03:13,467 highest peaks have already been summited, 57 00:03:14,266 --> 00:03:15,867 but Everest remains out of reach. 58 00:03:17,700 --> 00:03:22,900 The tallest mountain on Earth towers at 29,031 feet, 59 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,367 or 20 Empire State Buildings. 60 00:03:26,500 --> 00:03:29,200 Located along the border of Nepal and Tibet 61 00:03:30,066 --> 00:03:32,567 in the Himalayas, a 1,500-mile stretch 62 00:03:33,700 --> 00:03:37,967 of rugged mountain range spanning from India to Pakistan, 63 00:03:38,967 --> 00:03:41,000 the peak's remoteness only adds to its allure. 64 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,867 In 1921, no one has dared a serious attempt, 65 00:03:46,533 --> 00:03:47,800 but that's about to change. 66 00:03:48,333 --> 00:03:49,967 [epic music playing] 67 00:03:52,367 --> 00:03:54,567 [Josh] After the horrors of World War I, 68 00:03:55,533 --> 00:03:57,100 Britain is looking for a symbolic achievement 69 00:03:57,734 --> 00:03:58,967 to reclaim national pride. 70 00:04:00,233 --> 00:04:03,100 Climbing Everest becomes a kind of noble quest, 71 00:04:04,300 --> 00:04:07,266 especially for a generation traumatized by trench warfare. 72 00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:10,367 Enter British veteran Lieutenant George Mallory. 73 00:04:11,266 --> 00:04:13,767 Born in 1886, this son of a clergyman is 74 00:04:14,667 --> 00:04:15,967 introduced to climbing by a schoolmaster 75 00:04:17,066 --> 00:04:19,500 at Winchester College and quickly becomes obsessed. 76 00:04:22,166 --> 00:04:25,767 During World War I, he survives the Battle of the Somme, 77 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,567 one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history, 78 00:04:29,567 --> 00:04:31,867 where over a million men were killed or wounded. 79 00:04:32,500 --> 00:04:34,000 [shooting and explosions] 80 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,367 Forward! 81 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,667 [Josh] When the fighting stops, Mallory's drive to climb 82 00:04:44,667 --> 00:04:47,567 only increases, a way to rise, quite literally, 83 00:04:48,133 --> 00:04:49,100 from the chaos of war. 84 00:04:54,367 --> 00:04:57,367 Mallory turns his attention to Everest, 85 00:04:58,266 --> 00:05:00,367 joining the 1921 reconnaissance expedition 86 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,300 to chart a path up the mountain's northern face. 87 00:05:04,467 --> 00:05:08,000 In 1922, he returns and takes part in two 88 00:05:08,567 --> 00:05:09,667 bold summit attempts. 89 00:05:10,533 --> 00:05:11,867 On the second trek, an avalanche kills 90 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,066 seven of the team's porters, Sherpa guides 91 00:05:15,700 --> 00:05:17,000 indigenous to the region. 92 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:19,867 It's the first ever recorded deaths on Everest, 93 00:05:20,700 --> 00:05:22,500 and a tragedy Mallory never forgets. 94 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,767 But his dream to summit the mountain remains resolute. 95 00:05:30,266 --> 00:05:33,300 In 1924, the 37-year-old Mallory 96 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:35,367 gets another shot at Everest. 97 00:05:36,500 --> 00:05:39,166 This time his team includes 22-year-old Oxford student 98 00:05:39,967 --> 00:05:42,266 Andrew Sandy Irvine, a star athlete 99 00:05:43,233 --> 00:05:45,066 and rowing champion with a mind for machines 100 00:05:45,700 --> 00:05:46,667 and a taste for adventure. 101 00:05:47,700 --> 00:05:50,367 What Irvine lacked in mountaineering experience, 102 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,166 he more than makes up for in engineering genius. 103 00:05:55,233 --> 00:05:57,166 He gets the expedition's temperamental oxygen systems 104 00:05:57,700 --> 00:05:58,500 to work effectively. 105 00:05:59,767 --> 00:06:03,166 That's vital for survival above 26,000 feet, 106 00:06:04,166 --> 00:06:05,767 where the air holds just a third of the oxygen 107 00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:06,967 found at sea level. 108 00:06:08,100 --> 00:06:10,700 At those heights, Everest doesn't just challenge you, 109 00:06:11,834 --> 00:06:14,100 it actively tries to kill you, earning this unforgiving 110 00:06:15,066 --> 00:06:17,100 elevation its grim nickname, the Death Zone. 111 00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:21,767 The team of eight British climbers, their support staff, 112 00:06:22,734 --> 00:06:24,567 and a network of more than 100 local porters 113 00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:27,266 establish base camp at the Rongbuk Glacier 114 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:29,767 around 16,500 feet. 115 00:06:31,700 --> 00:06:33,667 From there, they ascend the north face 116 00:06:34,233 --> 00:06:35,767 of Everest in stages. 117 00:06:36,867 --> 00:06:41,967 Camps one, two, three, four, each one perched higher. 118 00:06:42,767 --> 00:06:45,166 The air thinner, the stakes deadlier. 119 00:06:46,300 --> 00:06:49,600 They push upward to camp five, just above 25,000 feet, 120 00:06:50,266 --> 00:06:51,767 4,000 feet from the summit. 121 00:06:52,767 --> 00:06:54,867 No other climbers have ever reached this spot. 122 00:06:55,867 --> 00:06:57,600 Now suffering the effects of extreme altitude, 123 00:06:58,333 --> 00:07:00,066 every step feels like a marathon. 124 00:07:01,266 --> 00:07:07,166 Then comes camp six, a tiny ledge perched at 27,000 feet. 125 00:07:08,266 --> 00:07:10,767 This is the last stop before their hardest obstacle, 126 00:07:11,700 --> 00:07:13,867 three sections known as Step One, Step Two, 127 00:07:14,300 --> 00:07:15,266 and Step Three, 128 00:07:15,934 --> 00:07:17,367 a series of sheer rock faces 129 00:07:18,133 --> 00:07:19,367 that lead directly to the summit. 130 00:07:23,300 --> 00:07:26,767 On June 8th, 1924, Mallory and Irvine begin 131 00:07:27,834 --> 00:07:30,000 their fateful final climb less than a half a mile 132 00:07:30,433 --> 00:07:31,500 from the peak. 133 00:07:32,633 --> 00:07:35,000 They suit up, each carrying oxygen canisters that add 134 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:37,667 30 pounds of additional weight to their already 135 00:07:38,100 --> 00:07:39,100 cumbersome load. 136 00:07:40,133 --> 00:07:43,100 They're now each hauling around 80 pounds of gear. 137 00:07:44,233 --> 00:07:46,667 Amongst that equipment is a Kodak vest pocket camera. 138 00:07:47,567 --> 00:07:49,567 It's crucial for documenting the summit. 139 00:07:50,567 --> 00:07:52,367 Now, it's up to Mallory and Irvine to bring back 140 00:07:53,500 --> 00:07:56,667 the first photographic view from the top of the world. 141 00:07:57,767 --> 00:07:59,900 Mallory also carries a photograph of his wife, Ruth. 142 00:08:01,100 --> 00:08:02,900 He's promised to leave it at the summit, 143 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,700 a romantic tribute where the earth and heavens meet. 144 00:08:07,667 --> 00:08:09,300 And so they climb. 145 00:08:10,133 --> 00:08:11,467 [dramatic anticipation music playing] 146 00:08:15,266 --> 00:08:19,400 [Josh] At 12:50 PM, Noel Odell, stationed near Camp Five, 147 00:08:19,967 --> 00:08:21,467 scans the upper ridge. 148 00:08:22,333 --> 00:08:24,166 He sees two black specks moving together, 149 00:08:25,233 --> 00:08:27,400 ascending the second step, a prominent rock feature 150 00:08:28,500 --> 00:08:32,467 on the northeast ridge at approximately 28,200 feet, 151 00:08:33,300 --> 00:08:34,867 less than 1,000 feet from the summit. 152 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,667 But then the clouds close in and the view vanishes, 153 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,000 and with it, so do the climbers. 154 00:08:47,900 --> 00:08:51,400 Hours pass with no sign of Mallory or Irvine. 155 00:08:52,367 --> 00:08:54,500 The team launches an all-out rescue mission. 156 00:08:55,700 --> 00:08:57,767 After two days of searching, the rapidly worsening weather 157 00:08:58,600 --> 00:08:59,967 forces the expedition to turn back. 158 00:09:01,133 --> 00:09:04,467 Mallory and Irvine are declared dead on the mountain. 159 00:09:07,667 --> 00:09:10,367 Back in England, the grief is overwhelming. 160 00:09:11,367 --> 00:09:13,800 Britain is in mourning for their fallen heroes. 161 00:09:14,900 --> 00:09:17,600 Mallory had become a symbol of post-war resilience, 162 00:09:18,500 --> 00:09:21,100 of everything the nation hoped to be again. 163 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,166 At the Mallory home, the loss cuts deep. 164 00:09:25,233 --> 00:09:27,000 Ruth is left to raise their three children alone. 165 00:09:28,066 --> 00:09:31,100 At Sandy Irvine's house, the family leaves a light on 166 00:09:32,300 --> 00:09:34,700 and the door unlocked, just in case he finds his way home. 167 00:09:37,667 --> 00:09:41,467 But an Everest-sized question looms like a storm cloud. 168 00:09:42,500 --> 00:09:45,066 Before they died, did Mallory and Irvine succeed 169 00:09:45,967 --> 00:09:48,700 in their quest and summit Mount Everest? 170 00:09:49,700 --> 00:09:51,100 The one thing that could prove it is the remains 171 00:09:52,333 --> 00:09:54,867 of the climbers themselves, not least because those remains 172 00:09:55,967 --> 00:09:58,800 should include the Kodak camera the pair was carrying. 173 00:09:59,700 --> 00:10:01,667 If they summited, it may contain a photo 174 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:03,000 of them at the peak. 175 00:10:04,100 --> 00:10:06,700 This film could settle one of the greatest questions 176 00:10:07,767 --> 00:10:10,367 in the history of exploration, but Everest fiercely 177 00:10:10,900 --> 00:10:11,967 guards its secrets. 178 00:10:13,667 --> 00:10:16,967 For the next decade, no sign of the climbers is found, 179 00:10:17,900 --> 00:10:20,567 but then, in 1933, there's a breakthrough. 180 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,600 A British expedition stumbles across an ice axe in the snow 181 00:10:25,500 --> 00:10:29,867 at 27,700 feet, just below the first step. 182 00:10:30,867 --> 00:10:33,467 It's later identified as belonging to Irvine. 183 00:10:34,333 --> 00:10:36,100 The discovery offers a glimmer of hope, 184 00:10:37,066 --> 00:10:38,967 yet no other trace of the duo is uncovered. 185 00:10:39,934 --> 00:10:42,467 And the 1933 expedition also fails to summit, 186 00:10:43,266 --> 00:10:44,467 a feat that will remain out of reach 187 00:10:45,033 --> 00:10:46,100 for another two decades. 188 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:53,467 It isn't until 1953, 29 years after Mallory 189 00:10:54,433 --> 00:10:56,166 and Irvine disappeared, that Tenzing Norgay, 190 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,400 a Sherpa climber from Nepal, and Edmund Hillary, a beekeeper 191 00:11:01,233 --> 00:11:02,367 turned mountaineer from New Zealand, 192 00:11:03,633 --> 00:11:06,266 become the first to officially stand on the summit of Everest. 193 00:11:07,967 --> 00:11:10,767 [reporter] 35 miles from Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, 194 00:11:11,834 --> 00:11:13,166 Hillary and Tenzing were welcomed and congratulated 195 00:11:14,066 --> 00:11:15,700 by their fellow members of the expedition. 196 00:11:16,834 --> 00:11:18,767 Two unassuming men had climbed the 29,000-foot monarch 197 00:11:19,266 --> 00:11:19,800 of the Himalayas. 198 00:11:20,233 --> 00:11:20,967 [camera clicks] 199 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:23,867 It is heralded as one of the greatest 200 00:11:24,667 --> 00:11:26,467 human accomplishments of all time. 201 00:11:27,367 --> 00:11:29,066 To pull it off, Norgay and Hillary scaled 202 00:11:30,100 --> 00:11:32,266 Everest from the mountain's south face in Nepal. 203 00:11:33,233 --> 00:11:34,767 Mallory and Irvine had attempted their ascent 204 00:11:35,667 --> 00:11:37,367 decades earlier from the much more exposed 205 00:11:38,066 --> 00:11:39,767 north face on the Tibetan side. 206 00:11:40,867 --> 00:11:43,200 Did Mallory and Irvine reach the top first and do it 207 00:11:43,967 --> 00:11:45,567 via an even more challenging route? 208 00:11:46,133 --> 00:11:47,200 There's still no proof. 209 00:11:49,767 --> 00:11:53,900 Then, in 1991, a startling new lead emerges. 210 00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:56,600 An oxygen canister with the markings of Mallory 211 00:11:57,734 --> 00:12:01,000 and Irvine's expedition is found close to 28,000 feet, 212 00:12:02,033 --> 00:12:03,800 near where the ice axe was previously discovered. 213 00:12:06,100 --> 00:12:10,867 In 1999, an American expedition led by legendary mountaineer 214 00:12:11,567 --> 00:12:13,266 Conrad Anker sets out to find 215 00:12:14,100 --> 00:12:15,867 Mallory and Irvine's bodies at last. 216 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,166 On the Tibetan side below the mountain's north face, 217 00:12:21,367 --> 00:12:24,967 they discover a body preserved by decades of cold and ice. 218 00:12:25,834 --> 00:12:27,266 They reach inside the frozen clothing 219 00:12:28,300 --> 00:12:31,066 and find something jaw-dropping, a name tag reading 220 00:12:31,500 --> 00:12:32,600 George Mallory. 221 00:12:33,500 --> 00:12:35,767 After 75 years, one of history's greatest 222 00:12:36,567 --> 00:12:38,200 missing explorers had been found. 223 00:12:39,033 --> 00:12:41,367 But did this man summit Everest first? 224 00:12:42,266 --> 00:12:44,400 And will his remains provide the answer? 225 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,967 [Josh] Near Mount Everest's unforgiving peak, 226 00:12:54,166 --> 00:12:57,300 a staggering discovery is made, the body of George Mallory, 227 00:12:58,433 --> 00:13:03,400 face down at 26,760 feet, 2,000 feet from the summit. 228 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,367 Seventy-five years after Mallory went missing, 229 00:13:06,900 --> 00:13:08,100 he is finally found. 230 00:13:09,333 --> 00:13:12,000 Historian Matt Breen has spent years analyzing the discovery. 231 00:13:13,567 --> 00:13:16,700 The body of George Mallory had injuries consistent 232 00:13:17,533 --> 00:13:19,867 with him attempting to stop himself 233 00:13:20,567 --> 00:13:22,200 from falling down the mountain. 234 00:13:23,266 --> 00:13:25,200 He had many broken bones, including an absolutely 235 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,400 shattered leg, which would have been consistent 236 00:13:29,100 --> 00:13:30,400 with falling a long distance. 237 00:13:31,266 --> 00:13:33,400 Also, he had an injury to his forehead 238 00:13:34,233 --> 00:13:36,667 believed to be caused by his own ax. 239 00:13:37,767 --> 00:13:39,367 And what happens with that is a person starts to go 240 00:13:40,567 --> 00:13:43,967 down a slope, and they take their ax, they try to grab it 241 00:13:45,033 --> 00:13:47,066 into the mountain, sort of get a bite to keep them 242 00:13:47,500 --> 00:13:48,500 from going down. 243 00:13:49,567 --> 00:13:52,567 The problem is, is if it falls, the axe can rebound, 244 00:13:53,567 --> 00:13:55,400 and it can hit you right back in the forehead. 245 00:13:56,166 --> 00:13:58,800 So the condition of Mallory's body 246 00:13:59,433 --> 00:14:01,100 gave us a lot of answers. 247 00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:04,166 [Josh] There's no sign of climbing partner Sandy Irvine, 248 00:14:05,133 --> 00:14:06,467 and there's no sign of the Kodak camera that 249 00:14:07,667 --> 00:14:10,100 could hold proof they summited, though some experts believe 250 00:14:11,033 --> 00:14:12,600 Irvine would have been the one to carry it. 251 00:14:13,233 --> 00:14:14,500 But there are other clues. 252 00:14:15,633 --> 00:14:17,567 Mallory's dark snow goggles were found in his pocket, 253 00:14:18,700 --> 00:14:20,200 a possible indication that the fall could have occurred 254 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:22,767 at night after the two had summited 255 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:24,700 and were descending down. 256 00:14:25,567 --> 00:14:26,767 And the photo of Mallory's wife, Ruth, 257 00:14:27,667 --> 00:14:29,000 the one he promised to leave at the top, 258 00:14:29,567 --> 00:14:30,467 is nowhere to be found. 259 00:14:31,567 --> 00:14:34,667 Was the photo left at the summit? 260 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,367 Then, in 2024, a full century after Mallory and Irvine 261 00:14:40,567 --> 00:14:44,300 vanished into the clouds, Everest offers up more answers. 262 00:14:45,433 --> 00:14:47,967 A team led by acclaimed climber and filmmaker Jimmy Chin 263 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:49,967 uncovers a haunting clue. 264 00:14:51,066 --> 00:14:53,667 A single boot, still laced, containing a human foot 265 00:14:54,166 --> 00:14:55,567 in a woolen sock. 266 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:58,000 Faded but legible, the name stitched 267 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:01,567 into the fabric reads A.C. Irvine. 268 00:15:02,467 --> 00:15:04,467 After 100 years, Mallory's climbing partner 269 00:15:05,367 --> 00:15:07,567 has been found, or at least part of him. 270 00:15:09,567 --> 00:15:13,367 [Matt] What's believed to have happened is that they fell together, 271 00:15:14,166 --> 00:15:15,667 the rope snapping, and both of them 272 00:15:16,233 --> 00:15:16,667 going down the mountain. 273 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:19,367 Mallory's body ended up lodged not that far 274 00:15:20,033 --> 00:15:20,900 from where they had fallen. 275 00:15:21,867 --> 00:15:23,667 But Irvine's went down the mountain further, 276 00:15:24,533 --> 00:15:27,000 and it landed at the Rongbuk Glacier. 277 00:15:27,900 --> 00:15:30,367 A glacier is a living, breathing entity. 278 00:15:31,433 --> 00:15:34,567 It moves all the time, very slowly, and it is like 279 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:35,867 a meat grinder. 280 00:15:36,834 --> 00:15:38,100 Things go into it, and they just get churned 281 00:15:39,333 --> 00:15:42,467 and churned, so his body was transported further and further 282 00:15:43,300 --> 00:15:44,467 down the mountain, getting chewed up 283 00:15:45,367 --> 00:15:47,300 and probably ripped apart along the way. 284 00:15:48,633 --> 00:15:50,867 [Josh] With the discovery of Irvine's body so far from the summit, 285 00:15:52,066 --> 00:15:54,467 Breen and other experts argue Mallory and Irvine must have 286 00:15:55,433 --> 00:15:57,166 aborted their attempt, turning back somewhere 287 00:15:57,734 --> 00:15:58,767 around the Second step, 288 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:01,667 the penultimate sheer rock face below the summit. 289 00:16:03,266 --> 00:16:06,767 The Second Step is the most difficult part of the climb 290 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,166 to the summit, and that is because it is a sheer 291 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:11,800 vertical climb. 292 00:16:12,433 --> 00:16:14,800 It is really, really hard. 293 00:16:16,066 --> 00:16:20,100 It's so difficult that it was not actually climbed until 1960. 294 00:16:21,033 --> 00:16:25,600 In 1924, the gear was rudimentary at best. 295 00:16:26,567 --> 00:16:28,567 Could they have done that part of the climb? 296 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,467 It's possible, but probably unlikely. 297 00:16:33,533 --> 00:16:36,200 It is really at the edge of George Mallory's ability 298 00:16:36,633 --> 00:16:37,700 as a climber. 299 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:39,667 In my opinion, I don't think they reached 300 00:16:40,233 --> 00:16:41,000 the summit of Everest. 301 00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:44,200 It's a tragedy, without question, 302 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:46,567 but what these men did is an inspiration. 303 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,166 It is the willingness to try to do great things. 304 00:16:53,166 --> 00:16:56,767 To many, the position of both bodies closes the case. 305 00:16:57,834 --> 00:16:59,500 But others continue to argue that the men may have 306 00:17:00,467 --> 00:17:01,867 achieved their goal, falling on their way 307 00:17:02,433 --> 00:17:03,367 back from the summit. 308 00:17:04,467 --> 00:17:06,300 After all, Mallory's daytime goggles were discovered 309 00:17:06,867 --> 00:17:07,767 tucked in his pocket. 310 00:17:08,967 --> 00:17:10,900 And there's that missing photo of his wife that he intended 311 00:17:11,433 --> 00:17:12,467 to leave at the top. 312 00:17:13,533 --> 00:17:15,300 And speaking of photos, there's also whatever images 313 00:17:16,133 --> 00:17:17,500 were snapped on their missing camera. 314 00:17:18,633 --> 00:17:20,867 The Kodak company has even issued special instructions 315 00:17:21,867 --> 00:17:24,100 for processing the film in case it's ever found, 316 00:17:25,166 --> 00:17:27,467 which means that somewhere near Everest's icy peak, 317 00:17:28,266 --> 00:17:29,367 a definitive answer to the world's 318 00:17:30,467 --> 00:17:33,100 coldest cliffhanger is just waiting to be developed. 319 00:17:33,633 --> 00:17:36,266 [epic music playing] 320 00:17:40,100 --> 00:17:42,367 We descend from the heights of Mount Everest 321 00:17:43,433 --> 00:17:45,767 to the valleys of Appalachia to discover a somehow 322 00:17:46,433 --> 00:17:47,867 even more haunting mystery. 323 00:17:48,867 --> 00:17:51,667 It's 1897, and I'm in a small country farmhouse 324 00:17:52,500 --> 00:17:54,166 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. 325 00:17:55,266 --> 00:17:57,266 It's a day of sorrow, a wake for a young woman gone 326 00:17:57,700 --> 00:17:58,567 much too soon. 327 00:17:59,533 --> 00:18:02,266 Zona Shue, just 23 years old, died suddenly. 328 00:18:02,834 --> 00:18:03,767 Heart failure, they say. 329 00:18:04,700 --> 00:18:06,600 At the coffin stands Zona's husband, Trout, 330 00:18:07,266 --> 00:18:08,667 refusing to leave her side. 331 00:18:09,767 --> 00:18:12,400 But not everyone is convinced his sorrow is sincere. 332 00:18:13,633 --> 00:18:16,767 And soon, a chilling accusation surfaces, not from a witness, 333 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:18,667 but from beyond the grave. 334 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:21,300 What follows is arguably the most sensational 335 00:18:22,100 --> 00:18:23,767 murder trial in America's history, 336 00:18:24,967 --> 00:18:27,166 because the prosecution's star witness will be none other 337 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:28,467 than a ghost. 338 00:18:29,467 --> 00:18:31,767 Is this really a case of supernatural justice, 339 00:18:32,700 --> 00:18:34,967 or is there a much more earthly explanation? 340 00:18:40,467 --> 00:18:43,367 [banjo playing] 341 00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:45,767 [Josh] This story of the Greenbrier ghost, 342 00:18:46,934 --> 00:18:49,367 as it will come to be known, begins three months earlier 343 00:18:49,867 --> 00:18:51,700 in October, 1896. 344 00:18:53,166 --> 00:18:56,266 Zona Heaster is a beautiful young woman with dreams 345 00:18:57,166 --> 00:18:58,400 of getting married and starting a family. 346 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,967 Enter 35-year-old Erasmus "Trout" Shue. 347 00:19:04,533 --> 00:19:05,767 A blacksmith by trade, 348 00:19:06,734 --> 00:19:08,567 the ruggedly handsome Trout is hard to miss. 349 00:19:10,100 --> 00:19:14,066 Zona falls for him fast, and the feeling is mutual. 350 00:19:15,166 --> 00:19:17,467 Despite her mother's objections, Zona and Trout elope 351 00:19:18,133 --> 00:19:20,100 after a whirlwind courtship. 352 00:19:20,900 --> 00:19:22,266 [Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" playing] 353 00:19:23,500 --> 00:19:25,700 [Josh] For Zona, her new life feels like a dream come true. 354 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,100 The newlyweds settle into a house not far 355 00:19:29,734 --> 00:19:30,967 from the blacksmith shop. 356 00:19:32,033 --> 00:19:34,400 From the outside, everything appears to be perfect, 357 00:19:34,967 --> 00:19:36,467 until tragedy strikes. 358 00:19:38,767 --> 00:19:41,900 On January 22, 1897, 359 00:19:42,700 --> 00:19:43,500 three months into their marriage, 360 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:45,600 Zona has apparently fallen ill. 361 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,367 Trout must go to work and asks a neighbor, Andy Jones, 362 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:53,867 to check in on Zona and see if she anything from the market. 363 00:19:57,667 --> 00:19:59,400 But upon approaching the house, 364 00:20:00,333 --> 00:20:02,767 Andy spots a trail of blood on the steps. 365 00:20:03,333 --> 00:20:04,867 [ominous music playing] 366 00:20:07,967 --> 00:20:09,000 [gasp] 367 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:15,100 [Josh] Inside, sprawled on the floor, is Zona Shue, dead. 368 00:20:15,633 --> 00:20:17,000 [Andy] Please, help! 369 00:20:19,367 --> 00:20:21,367 By the time the town doctor, George Knapp, 370 00:20:22,533 --> 00:20:25,700 arrives at the Shue house, Trout has already rushed home. 371 00:20:26,500 --> 00:20:27,667 The doctor finds Trout on the bed, 372 00:20:28,367 --> 00:20:29,467 cradling his dead wife's head. 373 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,700 Knapp examines Zona as closely as the grieving husband 374 00:20:34,100 --> 00:20:35,266 will allow, 375 00:20:36,333 --> 00:20:38,166 determining the cause of death to be heart failure, 376 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,000 or what he terms an everlasting faint. 377 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,767 At the wake, Trout appears grief-stricken, 378 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:46,967 but people notice something strange. 379 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:50,667 He refuses to leave the coffin unattended and keeps propping 380 00:20:51,533 --> 00:20:53,367 Zona's head up with a folded bedsheet. 381 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:56,667 Trout also prevents Zona's own mother, Mary Jane, 382 00:20:57,500 --> 00:20:58,567 from getting too close to the coffin. 383 00:20:59,567 --> 00:21:01,500 [somber music playing] 384 00:21:02,467 --> 00:21:03,967 [Josh] From the start, Mary Jane felt uneasy 385 00:21:04,900 --> 00:21:07,000 about her daughter's relationship to Trout. 386 00:21:07,934 --> 00:21:09,667 Not only had they eloped, but even after, 387 00:21:10,767 --> 00:21:12,367 she had never been invited into the newlyweds' home. 388 00:21:14,667 --> 00:21:17,700 And now her daughter is dead, and the only thing 389 00:21:18,734 --> 00:21:21,000 this grieving mother can do is pray for answers. 390 00:21:22,367 --> 00:21:24,567 And after a few nights of intense pleading 391 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:28,266 with the heavens, Mary Jane apparently gets her wish. 392 00:21:29,667 --> 00:21:32,867 She claims a darkened figure appears to her, 393 00:21:33,934 --> 00:21:36,100 a figure that turns out to be her daughter, Zona, 394 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:38,266 a vision from beyond the grave. 395 00:21:39,900 --> 00:21:41,900 But there's something even more shocking 396 00:21:42,734 --> 00:21:43,800 than the appearance of Zona's ghost. 397 00:21:44,967 --> 00:21:48,166 Mary Jane says Zona reveals the unthinkable, 398 00:21:49,567 --> 00:21:52,200 that she was killed by her husband, Trout, 399 00:21:52,834 --> 00:21:54,266 in a violent fit of rage. 400 00:21:59,700 --> 00:22:03,166 So, Mary Jane contacts Greenbrier County Prosecutor 401 00:22:04,233 --> 00:22:06,867 John Preston and asks him to open an investigation 402 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:09,100 into the potential murder of her daughter. 403 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,500 Preston pays a visit to Dr. George Knapp, 404 00:22:15,567 --> 00:22:18,100 hoping to get clarity on Zona's mysterious death. 405 00:22:19,133 --> 00:22:21,166 Though the official record lists natural causes, 406 00:22:22,033 --> 00:22:23,900 Dr. Knapp reveals a troubling detail. 407 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,367 Trout had refused to let him fully examine the body. 408 00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:32,300 Concerned, the prosecutor orders Zona's body 409 00:22:32,900 --> 00:22:34,066 exhumed for an autopsy. 410 00:22:35,033 --> 00:22:36,200 -[mysterious music playing] -[crows cawing] 411 00:22:41,066 --> 00:22:44,867 [Josh] When Dr. Knapp carries it out, he uncovers a chilling truth. 412 00:22:46,266 --> 00:22:49,767 Zona's neck was broken. She had been strangled. 413 00:22:50,867 --> 00:22:53,467 Trout is swiftly arrested and charged 414 00:22:54,066 --> 00:22:54,867 with murdering his wife. 415 00:22:58,900 --> 00:23:04,767 Five months later, on June 30th, 1897, the case goes to trial. 416 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,500 The judge hears the evidence against Trout, how he prevented 417 00:23:09,300 --> 00:23:11,066 the original examination of the body, 418 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,567 potentially covering up injuries he was responsible for. 419 00:23:15,767 --> 00:23:18,500 Witnesses follow, telling suspicious stories 420 00:23:19,467 --> 00:23:21,900 about Trout's controlling, erratic behavior. 421 00:23:22,767 --> 00:23:25,166 Then, the prosecutor drops a bombshell. 422 00:23:26,133 --> 00:23:28,367 Not only has Trout been married twice before, 423 00:23:29,633 --> 00:23:32,967 but his second wife also died under suspicious circumstances. 424 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:35,367 It turns out that when Trout was fixing the roof 425 00:23:36,467 --> 00:23:39,567 of their home, a brick slipped from his hand and fell 426 00:23:40,667 --> 00:23:43,166 right on top of his second wife's head. 427 00:23:43,734 --> 00:23:44,300 What are the chances? 428 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,600 And with that, the stage is set for the dramatic arrival 429 00:23:54,266 --> 00:23:56,066 of Zona's mother, Mary Jane. 430 00:23:57,100 --> 00:23:59,567 I know who the killer is, and he is in this room 431 00:23:59,934 --> 00:24:01,166 right now. 432 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:03,467 [Josh] She does something totally unprecedented 433 00:24:04,700 --> 00:24:07,600 in an American court of law, testifying her daughter's ghost 434 00:24:08,300 --> 00:24:09,667 convinced her of Trout's guilt. 435 00:24:11,367 --> 00:24:13,667 Trout takes the stand in his own defense, 436 00:24:14,667 --> 00:24:17,000 denying everything and swearing his innocence. 437 00:24:17,433 --> 00:24:18,467 It doesn't work. 438 00:24:19,533 --> 00:24:21,700 After only an hour and 10 minutes of deliberation, 439 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:25,467 the jury finds Trout guilty of first-degree murder. 440 00:24:26,233 --> 00:24:27,467 He is sentenced to life in prison, 441 00:24:28,166 --> 00:24:29,567 where he dies three years later. 442 00:24:33,266 --> 00:24:37,100 Today, over a century on, the story of the Greenbrier 443 00:24:38,066 --> 00:24:40,266 ghost remains the only case in U.S. history 444 00:24:41,100 --> 00:24:43,000 where testimony from a supposed spirit 445 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:45,467 helped secure a murder conviction. 446 00:24:46,233 --> 00:24:48,166 Now we can reveal the true story 447 00:24:49,100 --> 00:24:51,367 behind this so-called paranormal witness. 448 00:24:57,500 --> 00:24:58,900 According to legend, a young woman's spirit returns 449 00:24:59,834 --> 00:25:01,867 from beyond the grave to name her killer, 450 00:25:02,967 --> 00:25:04,800 leading to one of the most unforgettable convictions 451 00:25:05,333 --> 00:25:06,367 in criminal history. 452 00:25:07,333 --> 00:25:09,967 But what's the truth behind the ghost story? 453 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:15,100 [Molly] During the trial, Mary Jane insisted that this ghost 454 00:25:16,100 --> 00:25:17,667 was in front of her and it was talking to her, 455 00:25:18,834 --> 00:25:21,567 and it was telling her all the details about the murder. 456 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:24,867 Well, as it happens, the day that the Greenbrier 457 00:25:25,900 --> 00:25:28,967 Independent Newspaper published Zona's obituary, 458 00:25:30,066 --> 00:25:31,867 there was also a story right there on the front page 459 00:25:32,867 --> 00:25:35,900 about an Australian man who had solved a murder 460 00:25:36,533 --> 00:25:37,367 with the help of a ghost. 461 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,467 A man in New South Wales told authorities 462 00:25:42,467 --> 00:25:44,367 he claimed to see the ghost of a missing man, 463 00:25:45,300 --> 00:25:46,900 which led police to the location of the body. 464 00:25:48,033 --> 00:25:50,000 In reality, he may have been an accomplice to the crime 465 00:25:51,100 --> 00:25:53,200 and used the ghost story to avoid implicating himself. 466 00:25:54,500 --> 00:25:58,467 [Molly] Mary Jane, Zona's mother, quite possibly saw that story, 467 00:25:59,433 --> 00:26:00,800 and it just became part of her subconscious. 468 00:26:01,767 --> 00:26:03,500 And it probably planted the seed of this idea 469 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:05,467 of Zona's ghost coming to her. 470 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:12,000 She had to know something terrible had happened. 471 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:13,467 And when she put it all together, 472 00:26:14,433 --> 00:26:16,400 Trout's suspicious behavior at the funeral, 473 00:26:17,500 --> 00:26:20,000 his unwillingness to let the doctor examine her body... 474 00:26:20,367 --> 00:26:21,066 Moms know. 475 00:26:22,066 --> 00:26:23,467 They know when something's wrong, and they have 476 00:26:24,100 --> 00:26:25,400 to protect their children. 477 00:26:26,233 --> 00:26:27,200 Even if it's too late to save her life, 478 00:26:27,900 --> 00:26:29,567 she had to protect her memory. 479 00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:32,667 Was this a true case of ghostly confession, 480 00:26:33,734 --> 00:26:36,266 a grief-induced hallucination, or perhaps something 481 00:26:36,834 --> 00:26:37,600 even more intentional? 482 00:26:38,767 --> 00:26:40,500 A grieving mother who would do anything for her daughter, 483 00:26:41,467 --> 00:26:43,667 including spinning a mesmerizing ghost story 484 00:26:44,233 --> 00:26:45,567 to see justice served. 485 00:26:46,500 --> 00:26:48,166 Today, a historical marker in West Virginia 486 00:26:48,734 --> 00:26:49,700 commemorates the ordeal, 487 00:26:50,934 --> 00:26:53,266 affirming the spectral evidence, which ensures that the legend 488 00:26:54,233 --> 00:26:56,767 of the Greenbrier ghost will live on forever. 489 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:05,800 It's dawn, October 15th, 1917, just east of Paris, 490 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:09,166 and a woman is being led before a firing squad. 491 00:27:10,133 --> 00:27:12,166 She stands tall, facing her fate with a dignity 492 00:27:13,133 --> 00:27:15,667 few could summon, because this is Mata Hari, 493 00:27:16,633 --> 00:27:19,300 and she is nothing short of a global sensation. 494 00:27:20,166 --> 00:27:21,800 She is famous for being an exotic dancer 495 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,100 and a courtesan, catering to some of the most influential 496 00:27:25,734 --> 00:27:27,266 and wealthy men in Europe. 497 00:27:28,100 --> 00:27:30,467 But she's also something else, a spy. 498 00:27:31,500 --> 00:27:33,266 Branded a double agent, the French say she passed 499 00:27:34,133 --> 00:27:35,867 secrets to the Germans, an act which has 500 00:27:36,300 --> 00:27:37,367 sealed her fate. 501 00:27:38,133 --> 00:27:40,000 A soldier offers her a blindfold, 502 00:27:40,433 --> 00:27:42,100 but she refuses. 503 00:27:42,967 --> 00:27:44,700 In moments, she will die for her crimes. 504 00:27:45,367 --> 00:27:47,367 But is she actually guilty? 505 00:27:48,300 --> 00:27:50,200 A century later, new information will finally 506 00:27:50,934 --> 00:27:52,567 unveil the truth behind the woman 507 00:27:53,133 --> 00:27:54,100 who seduced the world. 508 00:28:02,166 --> 00:28:06,967 Born on August 7th, 1876, in the Dutch city of Leeuwarden, 509 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:09,300 Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born 510 00:28:09,934 --> 00:28:10,967 into a life of privilege. 511 00:28:12,033 --> 00:28:14,800 Her father, a wealthy hat maker, enrolls his daughter 512 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,867 in the finest schools, where she learns multiple languages 513 00:28:19,633 --> 00:28:21,800 and spoils her with lavish gifts. 514 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,166 But in 1891, when Margaretha is 15, 515 00:28:25,834 --> 00:28:27,266 the fairy tale is shattered. 516 00:28:28,166 --> 00:28:30,100 Her mother suddenly dies from tuberculosis. 517 00:28:31,100 --> 00:28:33,500 Her father goes bankrupt and abandons the family. 518 00:28:34,333 --> 00:28:35,867 By the age of 18, she finds herself 519 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:37,600 alone in the world. 520 00:28:38,734 --> 00:28:40,867 She answers a newspaper ad from a wealthy army officer 521 00:28:41,433 --> 00:28:42,367 named Rudolf MacLeod. 522 00:28:43,767 --> 00:28:45,967 Yes, back then, instead of swiping right, 523 00:28:47,100 --> 00:28:49,300 you could simply flip through these spouse-wanted ads. 524 00:28:50,367 --> 00:28:51,967 They quickly marry, move to the Dutch East Indies, 525 00:28:52,867 --> 00:28:55,400 and have two children, Norman and Louise. 526 00:28:56,667 --> 00:29:00,066 But her husband turns out to be a violent drunk and unfaithful. 527 00:29:01,066 --> 00:29:03,600 And when their young son tragically dies in 1899, 528 00:29:04,700 --> 00:29:06,567 he takes their daughter and refuses to give Margaretha 529 00:29:07,100 --> 00:29:07,900 a cent of his money. 530 00:29:09,100 --> 00:29:12,567 But showing a strength that will define the rest of her life, 531 00:29:13,533 --> 00:29:15,800 she uses her charm and beauty to begin again. 532 00:29:17,667 --> 00:29:20,000 It's March 13th, 1905. 533 00:29:21,700 --> 00:29:24,767 And the who's-who of Paris have packed into the prestigious 534 00:29:26,033 --> 00:29:29,500 Art Institute, the Musée Guimet, for a very exotic performance. 535 00:29:30,567 --> 00:29:32,667 The museum's library has been adorned with flowers 536 00:29:33,567 --> 00:29:35,300 to give the appearance of a Hindu temple. 537 00:29:36,300 --> 00:29:39,066 And, as the lights dim, the crowd is transfixed 538 00:29:40,133 --> 00:29:42,567 by the reinvented Margaretha, who takes the stage. 539 00:29:43,233 --> 00:29:44,266 [soft foreign music playing] 540 00:29:44,700 --> 00:29:46,367 [crowd applauds] 541 00:29:47,500 --> 00:29:49,867 [Josh] Inspired by her time in the Dutch East Indies, 542 00:29:50,533 --> 00:29:52,567 she calls herself Mata Hari, 543 00:29:53,467 --> 00:29:54,967 meaning, "Eye of the day" in Indonesian. 544 00:29:56,166 --> 00:29:59,567 She transfixes audiences with her exotic dancing, 545 00:30:00,633 --> 00:30:02,767 uniquely incorporating elements of Southeast Asian 546 00:30:03,333 --> 00:30:04,266 and Indian traditions. 547 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:08,467 Barefoot, with bejeweled transparent costumes 548 00:30:09,233 --> 00:30:11,166 that reveal more than they conceal, 549 00:30:11,967 --> 00:30:14,166 she becomes an instant sensation. 550 00:30:15,100 --> 00:30:16,900 Within the next few years, Mata Hari graces 551 00:30:18,033 --> 00:30:20,700 all the iconic European stages and associates with some 552 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:23,166 of the most powerful men of her day, 553 00:30:23,934 --> 00:30:25,200 including an alleged entanglement 554 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:27,800 with German Crown Prince Wilhelm. 555 00:30:28,934 --> 00:30:30,967 At the height of her fame, Mata Hari is what we'd today 556 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,367 consider a pop star influencer, her name appearing 557 00:30:35,633 --> 00:30:39,000 on everything from cigarettes and liquors to luxury products. 558 00:30:39,500 --> 00:30:40,567 Mata lives large. 559 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:43,266 She stays at the most exclusive hotels, 560 00:30:43,967 --> 00:30:45,000 dines at the finest restaurants, 561 00:30:45,867 --> 00:30:47,767 and dresses in the trendiest fashions. 562 00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:51,367 But this lavish lifestyle takes a toll on her finances, 563 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:54,367 and she's in constant need of money. 564 00:30:55,433 --> 00:30:57,100 Wealthy suitors, especially high-ranking officers 565 00:30:57,900 --> 00:30:59,400 and noblemen, practically line up 566 00:31:00,533 --> 00:31:02,800 for a chance to support her in exchange for, well, 567 00:31:03,700 --> 00:31:05,166 let's just say some quality alone time. 568 00:31:06,166 --> 00:31:08,266 [soft French song slowly distorts] 569 00:31:09,367 --> 00:31:11,500 [Josh] In the summer of 1914, however, 570 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:14,000 the world completely unravels. 571 00:31:14,967 --> 00:31:17,300 On August 3rd, Germany declares war on France 572 00:31:17,867 --> 00:31:19,367 and World War I begins. 573 00:31:20,433 --> 00:31:22,867 Mata Hari flees to a neutral country, 574 00:31:23,467 --> 00:31:24,166 her native Netherlands. 575 00:31:24,533 --> 00:31:25,266 [knocking] 576 00:31:25,967 --> 00:31:26,400 [Josh] One night, she receives 577 00:31:26,967 --> 00:31:27,800 an unexpected visitor, 578 00:31:28,767 --> 00:31:32,266 Karl Kroemer, the German consul in Amsterdam. 579 00:31:33,333 --> 00:31:37,166 He offers her 20,000 francs, about 60 grand today. 580 00:31:37,967 --> 00:31:39,500 But he doesn't want companionship. 581 00:31:40,333 --> 00:31:42,567 Recognizing Mata Hari's unique skills, 582 00:31:43,367 --> 00:31:44,567 her fluency in several languages, 583 00:31:45,367 --> 00:31:47,000 her ability to charm powerful men, 584 00:31:47,900 --> 00:31:49,800 and her access to high-ranking officers, 585 00:31:50,967 --> 00:31:53,000 he wants Mata Hari to use her connections and sex appeal 586 00:31:53,767 --> 00:31:55,967 to spy on the French for Germany. 587 00:31:57,033 --> 00:31:59,100 And he reportedly provides her with invisible ink 588 00:31:59,767 --> 00:32:01,667 to pass messages undetected. 589 00:32:02,767 --> 00:32:05,500 A secret pact is made, one that will ultimately lead 590 00:32:05,934 --> 00:32:06,800 to her death. 591 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:09,600 But whether Mata Hari truly aided the Germans 592 00:32:10,667 --> 00:32:13,100 or played both sides in a deadly game of espionage 593 00:32:14,166 --> 00:32:17,000 remains one of history's most tantalizing mysteries. 594 00:32:17,367 --> 00:32:18,166 Until now. 595 00:32:24,266 --> 00:32:26,000 [Josh] With World War I raging and her funds running low, 596 00:32:26,967 --> 00:32:29,300 renowned beauty Mata Hari is at a crossroads. 597 00:32:30,333 --> 00:32:32,500 She's offered a tempting deal to spy for Germany 598 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:34,800 in exchange for a fat payday. 599 00:32:35,767 --> 00:32:38,100 She allegedly accepts, but according to her, 600 00:32:38,967 --> 00:32:40,867 never intends to do any actual spying. 601 00:32:41,867 --> 00:32:43,967 [mysterious music playing] 602 00:32:46,567 --> 00:32:49,000 [Josh] Eventually, Mata Hari leaves Amsterdam 603 00:32:49,567 --> 00:32:50,500 and returns to France. 604 00:32:51,767 --> 00:32:54,600 She meets Captain Vladimir De Masloff, 605 00:32:55,700 --> 00:32:57,900 a handsome Russian pilot with whom she falls in love. 606 00:32:59,033 --> 00:33:03,166 Their relationship deepens, and in the summer of 1916, 607 00:33:04,033 --> 00:33:05,667 when Masloff is wounded near the front, 608 00:33:06,633 --> 00:33:08,900 Mata Hari requests permission to visit him. 609 00:33:10,100 --> 00:33:12,266 But she needs special clearance from France to travel there. 610 00:33:13,467 --> 00:33:17,900 Enter Captain Georges Ladoux, head of French intelligence. 611 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:21,000 He makes Mata Hari an unexpected offer... 612 00:33:21,967 --> 00:33:24,100 become a spy for France, and he will grant her 613 00:33:25,166 --> 00:33:27,767 the clearance she needs to visit her Russian lover. 614 00:33:28,700 --> 00:33:30,867 She agrees, but only for a massive payout, 615 00:33:31,934 --> 00:33:34,667 one million francs, or more than $3 million today. 616 00:33:35,700 --> 00:33:38,367 Ladoux accepts and tells her she'll get the money 617 00:33:39,266 --> 00:33:40,800 once she delivers valuable intelligence. 618 00:33:41,967 --> 00:33:44,467 And of course, all the while, she keeps her lips sealed 619 00:33:45,500 --> 00:33:47,400 about her similar agreement to spy for Germany. 620 00:33:48,700 --> 00:33:51,767 So Mata Hari reportedly embarks on a mission to spy 621 00:33:52,467 --> 00:33:54,266 on the Germans for the French, 622 00:33:55,100 --> 00:33:56,300 all the while, according to Mata Hari, 623 00:33:57,166 --> 00:33:59,000 not spying on the French for the Germans. 624 00:33:59,367 --> 00:34:00,166 Confusing. 625 00:34:02,300 --> 00:34:04,400 She heads to Madrid, where she seduces 626 00:34:05,467 --> 00:34:08,166 a high-ranking German official named Arnold Kalle. 627 00:34:09,300 --> 00:34:11,300 Kalle divulges information which Mata Hari immediately 628 00:34:12,166 --> 00:34:14,400 sends back to Captain Ladoux in France. 629 00:34:15,300 --> 00:34:17,500 Mission accomplished, or so she thinks. 630 00:34:18,867 --> 00:34:22,100 She returns to Paris expecting a hero's welcome, 631 00:34:22,834 --> 00:34:24,300 but receives quite the opposite. 632 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:28,567 On February 13th, 1917, she is arrested by the French 633 00:34:29,233 --> 00:34:31,100 and charged as a German spy. 634 00:34:32,333 --> 00:34:34,467 But how did the French find out about her previous agreement? 635 00:34:35,867 --> 00:34:39,200 Well, after his rendezvous with Mata Hari in Madrid, 636 00:34:39,867 --> 00:34:41,100 Major Arnold Kalle fires off 637 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,867 a series of coded telegrams to Germany. 638 00:34:45,900 --> 00:34:47,467 The French intercept and decipher these messages, 639 00:34:48,500 --> 00:34:51,867 in which Kalle names a female agent known as H21, 640 00:34:52,967 --> 00:34:55,066 praising her for delivering French military secrets. 641 00:34:56,200 --> 00:35:00,567 The French believe H21 is the code name for Mata Hari. 642 00:35:01,500 --> 00:35:03,367 Her house of cards has come tumbling down. 643 00:35:04,333 --> 00:35:07,367 On July 24th, five months after her arrest, 644 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:09,400 Mata Hari's trial begins. 645 00:35:10,500 --> 00:35:12,266 Under examination, she admits to taking German money 646 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:15,667 in a deal to spy for them, but swears she never shared 647 00:35:16,166 --> 00:35:17,467 anything of value. 648 00:35:18,467 --> 00:35:19,767 She's also accused of having been given bottles 649 00:35:20,934 --> 00:35:23,300 of invisible ink by the Germans to write secret messages, 650 00:35:24,533 --> 00:35:26,867 but she denies it, claiming the liquid was a beauty product 651 00:35:27,433 --> 00:35:28,667 from her cosmetics kit. 652 00:35:29,633 --> 00:35:31,066 Prosecutors blame her for causing the deaths 653 00:35:32,266 --> 00:35:35,467 of 50,000 French soldiers, but never name a single battle, 654 00:35:36,567 --> 00:35:39,467 secret, or shred of proof to justify the accusation. 655 00:35:40,633 --> 00:35:43,166 The trial lasts only two days, and a verdict is reached. 656 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:47,667 Mata Hari is found guilty of espionage as a German spy 657 00:35:48,233 --> 00:35:49,300 and sentenced to death. 658 00:35:50,266 --> 00:35:53,166 Which brings us to October 15th. 659 00:35:54,233 --> 00:35:56,767 Mata Hari is about to be executed by firing squad. 660 00:35:57,734 --> 00:35:59,600 But was she truly a treacherous double-agent 661 00:36:00,700 --> 00:36:02,800 responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands, 662 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:05,767 or simply a scapegoat caught in the crossfire 663 00:36:06,300 --> 00:36:07,567 of politics and war? 664 00:36:08,367 --> 00:36:09,967 An incredible discovery of long-lost 665 00:36:11,033 --> 00:36:13,667 historical documents may finally answer the question. 666 00:36:14,467 --> 00:36:16,100 -[gunshots blast] -[crows cawing] 667 00:36:22,300 --> 00:36:23,700 As we have seen tonight, many great stories live 668 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:25,967 at the crossroads of fact and folklore. 669 00:36:26,900 --> 00:36:29,166 For centuries, Napoleon Bonaparte has been 670 00:36:30,300 --> 00:36:32,867 mocked as the archetype of the short man with a big ego. 671 00:36:33,700 --> 00:36:35,467 But it turns out history got it wrong. 672 00:36:36,100 --> 00:36:37,900 Napoleon stood about 5'2". 673 00:36:38,734 --> 00:36:40,000 Sounds small, but here's the thing. 674 00:36:41,033 --> 00:36:44,166 Historically, a French foot is 13, not 12 inches, 675 00:36:45,266 --> 00:36:47,900 translating to roughly 5'6", in English measurements, 676 00:36:48,834 --> 00:36:50,900 average height for men in the early 1800s. 677 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:53,100 When you combine this measurement confusion 678 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:55,767 with British propaganda, particularly that 679 00:36:56,967 --> 00:37:00,066 of cartoonist James Gillray, Napoleon was cut down to size. 680 00:37:00,867 --> 00:37:02,467 Well, less than size, to be exact. 681 00:37:03,367 --> 00:37:05,166 And thus, the Napoleon complex was born, 682 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:07,600 with Bonaparte himself saying of the caricatures 683 00:37:08,433 --> 00:37:10,066 about his height, quote, "They did more 684 00:37:11,100 --> 00:37:13,000 than all the armies of Europe to bring me down." 685 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:16,867 After Mata Hari was executed by the French 686 00:37:17,667 --> 00:37:18,500 for allegedly being a German spy, 687 00:37:19,300 --> 00:37:20,800 some argued the trial was a sham. 688 00:37:21,967 --> 00:37:24,266 And for over a century, many have defended her innocence, 689 00:37:25,300 --> 00:37:26,867 saying she never actually spied for the Germans, 690 00:37:27,633 --> 00:37:28,867 even if she did take their money. 691 00:37:29,934 --> 00:37:32,200 Now, Dr. Julie Wheelwright, journalist and author, 692 00:37:33,367 --> 00:37:36,266 has uncovered a bombshell hidden in formerly top-secret 693 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:38,367 British Army files. 694 00:37:39,467 --> 00:37:40,266 [Julie] There's been new evidence that has come out 695 00:37:41,133 --> 00:37:43,367 of Great Britain, including a telegram 696 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:47,000 with information which was sent in December 1916, 697 00:37:47,867 --> 00:37:49,867 which I don't believe the French had, 698 00:37:50,967 --> 00:37:53,567 because it doesn't show up during Mata Hari's trial. 699 00:37:54,500 --> 00:37:55,900 And they have been sitting in the archives, 700 00:37:56,767 --> 00:37:58,667 but they weren't indexed until recently. 701 00:37:59,667 --> 00:38:02,367 I got a tip from a German historian in Spain, 702 00:38:03,300 --> 00:38:05,100 and he said, "Can you go and look at these?" 703 00:38:06,266 --> 00:38:07,567 [Josh] The British files contained the secret messages 704 00:38:08,133 --> 00:38:09,400 of German Major Kalle. 705 00:38:10,467 --> 00:38:12,000 These were the same messages that apparently outed 706 00:38:12,934 --> 00:38:16,300 Mata Hari to the French as German agent H21. 707 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:18,800 Defenders of Mata Hari have long claimed 708 00:38:19,767 --> 00:38:21,266 that Major Kalle knew that messages would be 709 00:38:22,433 --> 00:38:25,867 intercepted and so he set her up as a false spy as revenge 710 00:38:26,567 --> 00:38:27,800 for her working for the French. 711 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,000 They say he purposefully used a code that he already knew 712 00:38:31,900 --> 00:38:33,266 the Allies had cracked so that Mata Hari 713 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:36,500 would be discovered and made a scapegoat. 714 00:38:37,500 --> 00:38:39,567 But actually it turns out that that's not true 715 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:43,000 because if you look at the deciphered telegrams 716 00:38:43,867 --> 00:38:46,200 at the National Archives here in the UK, 717 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,767 it's quite clear that Kalle continued using that same code 718 00:38:51,734 --> 00:38:54,400 before and after he was sending the telegrams 719 00:38:55,033 --> 00:38:57,066 that relate to Agent H21. 720 00:38:58,033 --> 00:38:59,600 So that theory is kind of out of the window. 721 00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:01,467 According to this version of events, 722 00:39:02,266 --> 00:39:03,767 the telegrams weren't a frame job. 723 00:39:04,834 --> 00:39:06,667 They were genuine attempts to funnel French secrets 724 00:39:07,700 --> 00:39:10,000 straight to Germany, meaning despite her denials, 725 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:13,867 Mata Hari actually was a German spy after all. 726 00:39:14,700 --> 00:39:16,100 If so, what secrets did she actually 727 00:39:16,667 --> 00:39:18,100 share with the Germans? 728 00:39:19,333 --> 00:39:23,367 [Julie] On the 14th of December, 1916, Kalle sends a telegram 729 00:39:24,166 --> 00:39:25,867 to Berlin, which is to the German 730 00:39:26,700 --> 00:39:28,000 intelligence services headquarters. 731 00:39:28,834 --> 00:39:30,767 And in it, he conveys the information 732 00:39:31,967 --> 00:39:35,100 that Mata Hari had given him about these two double agents. 733 00:39:36,066 --> 00:39:37,100 When I first started looking into this story, 734 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:39,367 I believed that Mata Hari was innocent. 735 00:39:40,333 --> 00:39:43,367 But what you finally have is really concrete, 736 00:39:44,433 --> 00:39:47,066 definitive proof that Mata Hari was not only working 737 00:39:48,300 --> 00:39:51,266 for the Germans, but it suggests that there's a real intention 738 00:39:52,266 --> 00:39:55,166 for her to pass on hard evidence to the Germans. 739 00:39:56,166 --> 00:39:57,200 And that really kind of blows out of the water 740 00:39:57,867 --> 00:40:00,767 this idea of her innocence. 741 00:40:01,734 --> 00:40:03,467 After years of debate, Dr. Wheelwright is now 742 00:40:04,734 --> 00:40:07,867 convinced Mata Hari really was guilty of being a double agent. 743 00:40:08,367 --> 00:40:09,266 But consider this. 744 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:11,467 The French never had this crucial evidence 745 00:40:12,367 --> 00:40:13,867 we have today, meaning they condemned her 746 00:40:14,567 --> 00:40:15,700 without knowing the full truth. 747 00:40:16,266 --> 00:40:17,567 So, why did they do it? 748 00:40:18,633 --> 00:40:21,266 She's the antithesis of what French women should be 749 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,467 at that time. She's divorced. 750 00:40:24,533 --> 00:40:26,867 She also, you know, performed naked on the stage. 751 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,467 There's no way that a French court is going 752 00:40:30,033 --> 00:40:31,667 to show her any mercy. 753 00:40:32,834 --> 00:40:34,667 And this trial also takes place at a time when things are 754 00:40:35,767 --> 00:40:39,000 going very badly for the French on the Western Front. 755 00:40:40,100 --> 00:40:43,667 So to be able to point the finger at this German spy, 756 00:40:44,834 --> 00:40:47,567 caught red-handed, I mean, it was that kind of mentality 757 00:40:48,500 --> 00:40:49,767 with which they were able to convict her. 758 00:40:50,767 --> 00:40:52,367 Even though they didn't have the proof, she was 759 00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:56,567 an absolute ideal scapegoat, and no one was gonna 760 00:40:57,667 --> 00:41:00,200 step forward to defend her, and indeed they didn't. 761 00:41:01,033 --> 00:41:02,767 To a war-weary France, Mata Hari was 762 00:41:03,900 --> 00:41:07,100 the perfect villain, exotic, seductive, and mysterious. 763 00:41:08,100 --> 00:41:09,367 In the end, it wasn't just her mixed loyalties 764 00:41:10,367 --> 00:41:12,100 that doomed her as much as what she symbolized, 765 00:41:13,066 --> 00:41:15,166 a scandalous woman playing by her own rules. 766 00:41:16,233 --> 00:41:17,467 And while the verdict that she was a double agent 767 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,900 now appears more certain, it only adds to her mystique 768 00:41:21,834 --> 00:41:23,900 and her hypnotic hold on our imagination, 769 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:25,700 just as she would have wanted. 770 00:41:26,133 --> 00:41:26,767 I'm Josh Gates. 771 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:28,800 I'll see you on the next expedition.