7 Chilling Facts About Linda Hazzard, The 'Starvation Doctor' Whose Legacy Is Being Re-Examined In 2024

The story of Linda Hazzard is a dark chapter in the history of alternative medicine and a terrifying case of medical malpractice that continues to grip true-crime audiences today. As of December 2025, her chilling tale is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, featuring prominently in new documentaries and podcasts that re-examine the horrific events at her infamous "Starvation Heights" sanitarium in Olalla, Washington. The fascination stems from the sheer audacity of her deadly practice: convincing wealthy, vulnerable patients that the only path to health was through near-total starvation, a regimen that ultimately led to over a dozen documented deaths and a sensational manslaughter trial.

Linda Laura Hazzard, often dubbed the "Starvation Doctor," was not a physician in the modern sense but a quack who operated on the fringes of early 20th-century medicine. Her methods preyed on the era's obsession with detoxification and natural cures, promising a panacea for all illnesses through prolonged fasting. The truth, however, was a calculated scheme of medical murder and financial exploitation, leaving a legacy of tragedy and a haunted history in the Pacific Northwest.

The Starvation Doctor: Linda Hazzard’s Complete Biography & Profile

• Full Name: Linda Laura Hazzard (née Burfield, later Perry Hazzard).
• Born: December 18, 1867, in Carver County, Minnesota, USA.
• Died: June 24, 1938, in Olalla, Washington, USA (ironically, while attempting a fasting cure herself after a fall).
• Spouse: Samuel Chrisman Hazzard (married 1906).
• Profession Claimed: Licensed osteopath, "Fasting Specialist," and proprietor of the "Starvation Heights" sanitarium.
• Medical Credentials: She attended a school of osteopathy for a brief period but lacked a medical degree and was not a licensed M.D. She received a license to practice in Washington State based on a loophole allowing non-medical practitioners to be licensed.
• Key Crime: Manslaughter (convicted in 1912 for the death of Claire Williamson).
• Sanitarium Location: "Wilderness Heights" in Olalla, Kitsap County, Washington.
• Estimated Victims: At least 15 people died under her care, though the exact number is unknown.

1. The "Fasting Cure" Was a Regimen of Calculated Starvation and Abuse

Linda Hazzard’s entire practice was built upon her book, Fasting for the Cure of Disease, which was published in 1908. She championed "scientific fasting" as the ultimate panacea, claiming it could rid the body of toxins that caused all diseases, from cancer to mental illness. In reality, her treatment was a brutal starvation regimen. Patients at Wilderness Heights were often given nothing more than small amounts of broth, a few spoonfuls of strained tomato juice, or occasionally, a single orange. These meager rations were often administered over periods lasting weeks or even months.

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To mask the effects of starvation and to keep patients weak and compliant, Hazzard also subjected them to grueling "treatments." These included intense, scalding hot water enemas and massages that were essentially violent pummelings. This combination of near-total calorie deprivation and physical abuse resulted in severe emaciation, organ failure, and, inevitably, death. The facility was essentially a death camp disguised as a wellness retreat, preying on the era's gullibility toward alternative health fads.

2. Her Sanitarium Was Nicknamed "Starvation Heights" for a Deadly Reason

The facility Hazzard operated was originally called "Wilderness Heights," located in the remote, forested area of Olalla, Washington. However, due to the high mortality rate of her patients, the local community and press quickly began referring to it by the chilling moniker, "Starvation Heights." The sanitarium was designed to be secluded, which allowed Hazzard to operate without immediate scrutiny from medical authorities or concerned family members. This isolation was key to her scheme, as it ensured that her victims were too weak and far from help to resist or escape.

Reports from the time indicate that patients were often left in a skeletal state, their bodies reduced to mere skin and bones before they finally succumbed. The property, which is now a private residence, remains a site of macabre historical interest, often cited in discussions of the most haunted or cursed places in Washington State.

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3. The British Heiresses: The Case That Brought Her Down

Linda Hazzard's undoing came with the arrival of two wealthy British sisters, Claire Williamson and Dora Williamson, in 1911. The sisters, who were heiresses, traveled to Olalla seeking Hazzard's famous fasting cure. Upon their arrival, Hazzard immediately began her starvation regimen. Claire Williamson died on May 19, 1911, weighing less than 50 pounds. Before her death, Hazzard had managed to gain control of Claire’s estate and jewelry.

Dora Williamson, though severely emaciated, was rescued just in time by a childhood nurse who traveled from Australia. The nurse found Dora in a horrific state and helped expose Hazzard's crimes. Dora's testimony, detailing the abuse, starvation, and financial manipulation, was instrumental in the subsequent legal proceedings. The international attention on the Williamson sisters' case—a wealthy British subject dying in a remote American sanitarium—forced authorities to act.

4. She Was Convicted of Manslaughter But Served Little Time

In 1912, Linda Hazzard was tried and convicted of manslaughter for the death of Claire Williamson. The prosecution successfully argued that her "cure" was a calculated act of murder motivated by financial gain. Hazzard was sentenced to 2 to 20 years in the Washington State Penitentiary. However, in a shocking turn of events that highlights the political and medical complexities of the era, she was granted a full pardon by Governor Ernest Lister in 1916 after serving less than two years of her sentence. This leniency allowed her to resume practicing medicine, albeit briefly and controversially, in other states before eventually returning to Olalla.

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5. The Financial Motivation: A Calculated Scheme of Exploitation

Hazzard’s practice was not just about pseudoscience; it was a deeply cynical financial scheme. She was known to systematically drain the finances of her patients before their deaths. Many of her victims were wealthy individuals who, in their weakened state, were coerced or manipulated into signing over their assets, wills, and valuables to Hazzard or her husband, Samuel Chrisman Hazzard. The Williamson sisters were a prime example, but other victims—whose names are now being highlighted in modern true-crime coverage—also had their estates pilfered, cementing Hazzard’s reputation as a greedy swindler as much as a quack doctor.

6. Linda Hazzard Died While Attempting Her Own Fasting Cure

Perhaps the most ironic and fitting end to the "Starvation Doctor" is the manner of her own death. Linda Hazzard died in 1938 after falling ill. In a final, fateful commitment to her own flawed methodology, she attempted to cure herself by undergoing a prolonged fasting regimen. She succumbed to her illness, dying from complications that were likely exacerbated by the very treatment she had inflicted upon so many others. Her death serves as a grim and poetic coda to a life spent peddling a deadly cure.

7. The Starvation Doctor’s Legacy is Experiencing a True-Crime Resurgence in 2024

While the events at Starvation Heights occurred over a century ago, Linda Hazzard’s story is far from forgotten. In 2024, there has been a notable surge in media dedicated to her case, indicating a renewed public and historical interest. This resurgence includes:

• 2024 Documentary: A new production titled The Hazzard Files: Part One was released, bringing a modern cinematic lens to the historical tragedy.
• True Crime Podcasts: Major true-crime platforms, including Weird Darkness, Killer Psyche, and MedCrimes, have released new or updated episodes in 2024, delving into the specifics of her victims and the psychological profile of Hazzard herself.
• Pseudoscience Analysis: Modern analysis frequently uses the Hazzard case to discuss the dangers of medical quackery, the failure of medical oversight in the early 20th century, and the vulnerability of patients seeking alternative treatments.

This ongoing re-examination ensures that the story of Linda Hazzard—the woman who convinced people to starve themselves to death—remains a powerful cautionary tale about the intersection of greed, pseudoscience, and unchecked medical authority.