Cold Case Files – The Prosecutors: "The Isdal Woman Part 1 of 5: Take On Me"

Release Date: January 30, 2026
Podcast Hosts: Brett and Alice
Episode Theme: Deep dive into one of Northern Europe’s most mysterious cold cases – the unidentified “Isdal Woman” found burned in Norway in 1970.

Overview

This inaugural episode of a five-part series, hosted in collaboration with The Prosecutors, immerses listeners in the enigmatic case of the Isdal Woman. Found charred and unrecognizable in a remote valley near Bergen, Norway, her identity and the circumstances of her death have remained elusive for over half a century. The hosts set the stage for an exhaustive exploration—detailing the scene, evidence, and early theories—while frequently reflecting on the profound strangeness and intrigue of this notorious mystery.

Episode Structure & Key Segments

1. Introduction and Context (01:00–04:00)

   • Brett and Alice open by highlighting the enduring fascination with the Isdal Woman case, promising an evidence-based analysis.
   • Reference: "It's one of true crime's greatest mysteries. A woman's charred remains are located in a remote valley just outside of Bergen, Norway. In a twisty investigation, clues about her identity unfold like a series of riddles." – Brett (01:01)

2. Setting the Scene: The Location’s Grim History (04:11–06:25)

   • The body was discovered in Isdal, "Ice Valley," a hiking area infamous for accidents and suicides, historically dubbed "the Valley of Death."
   • Memorable moment: Discussion of ominously named places—"If you tell me the name includes death in there, I'm gonna be like, I' ma stay on comfort couch. Comfort couch is where I will stay." – Alice (05:43)

3. Discovery of the Body (06:29–08:51)

   • On November 29, 1970, two young girls and their father stumble upon the body while exploring off-trail.
   • The horror and isolation of the site underlined: "Can you imagine? I mean, you got a 10 year old and a 12 year old coming upon this. It's just awful." – Brett (08:14)

4. Detailed Crime Scene Report (08:51–15:16)

   • The podcasters read and dissect the detailed police documentation of the scene:
     • Woman's body is nude, severely burned, in the "boxer" position (characteristic of fire deaths).
     • One ponytail survived, suggesting the head was pressed to the ground during the fire.
     • Only fragments of clothing and personal effects remained; some items were found intact around her.
   • "This boxer position thing...when someone is in a fire...there's a contraction of the skin. And when that happens, it naturally pulls the arms up to the chest." – Brett (10:43)

5. Analysis of Forensic Evidence (15:16–23:08)

   • Discussion on burn patterns, decomposition, and what these might reveal about the time or manner of death.
   • Clothing remnants suggest she was dressed when burned; fabric remnants found covering key areas.
   • Odd removal of only one stocking and boot noted.
   • "It's as if she's taken off one stocking or someone has taken off one stocking, but not the other one. Just things to be thinking about as we continue through this." – Brett (16:01)
   • Various items found: a nearly empty Bavarian liquor bottle, two water flasks, an umbrella, flasks, a scarf, etc.

6. The Scene as Arranged (23:08–32:16)

   • Did she picnic, or was this a staged scene? Hosts contemplate the arrangement of items, including a melted plastic spoon, plastic cup, scattered clothing and accessories, and whether they indicate presence of more than one person.
   • The hosts offer possible mundane explanations (hiking habits, resting), then pivot as evidence accumulates.

7. Terrain and Accessibility (29:38–32:16)

   • The area was not especially remote or hazardous; children could reach it easily.
   • The victim wore weather-appropriate but not rugged hiking attire, reinforcing the image of a casual stroll.

8. Personal Effects & Unusual Details (32:16–44:53)

   • A wristwatch, stopped at 12:32pm; jewelry (clip-on earrings, a ring) were removed and placed nearby.
   • "Taking off your earrings and your ring is weird. That is a strange thing to do and not something I think most people would do in this circumstance." – Brett (44:53)
   • Jewelry could have served as an identifier, but the woman was still never identified.

9. Concealment of Identity (49:01–53:32)

   • Analysis of the most bizarre element: every traceable label—on clothing, flasks, even bottles—had been deliberately removed or obliterated.
   • The hosts dismiss the "sensory aversion" idea in favor of deliberate evidence destruction:
     "We're gonna see even more of this as we go. So it probably is an effort to conceal identity, not an effort at comfort..." – Brett (53:50)

10. Theories on the Fire & Death (53:32–58:12)

    • Was the fire set to destroy evidence? The brief, uneven burn pattern is considered strange for someone intending to thoroughly burn a body.
    • Possibility of pre-death or post-death burning weighed; lack of jewelry theft and methodical removal of identifiers suggest sophistication.
    • Reminders: All attempts to destroy or limit identification—yet the fire fails to obliterate the scene.

11. Looking Ahead: “The More You Know, The Weirder This Gets” (58:12–65:41)

    • The hosts tease further strangeness in future episodes:
      "This is one of those cases where the more information you get, the more confused you get. You probably have the clearest idea of this case that you're going to have right now." – Brett (57:39)

12. Listener Q&A: Becoming a Defense Attorney (59:02–64:11)

    • Listeners’ question about working as a defense attorney; Brett and Alice reflect on the work’s ethical and emotional challenges.
    • Notable quote: "Are [defense attorneys] necessary? Absolutely. Are they really important? Yes. Would I want one if I was charged with something? Yes." – Brett (61:00)

Notable Quotes

• "She doesn't seem to have moved much after she caught on fire, for instance. Right. But on the other hand, why is one boot and sock removed and the other not?" – Brett (16:01)
• "Taking off your earrings and your ring is weird. That is a strange thing to do and not something I think most people would do in this circumstance." – Brett (44:53)
• "We're gonna see even more of this as we go. So it probably is an effort to conceal identity, not an effort at comfort..." – Brett (53:50)
• "This is one of those cases where the more information you get, the more confused you get." – Brett (57:39)

Important Timestamps

• 01:01 – Introduction to the Isdal Woman and case context.
• 04:11–06:25 – The grim reputation of Isdal/Ice Valley.
• 08:51 – Reading from the initial police crime scene report.
• 16:01 – Clothing and burn pattern analysis.
• 32:16 – Description of personal effects and jewelry.
• 49:01 – Discovery that all clothing and item labels had been meticulously removed.
• 53:50 – Summary analysis: Deliberate concealment of identity.
• 57:39 – Teaser for future episodes: “the more you know, the weirder this gets”.

Tone & Style

Friendly, detail-oriented, sometimes wryly humorous as the hosts balance the gravity of the case with lively speculation and banter. They keep language accessible—even when discussing grisly or technical details— and frequently inject personality: Brett adopts a methodical analytical stance while Alice weaves in empathetic and practical perspectives.

Summary / Takeaways

• The Isdal Woman was found burned, surrounded by personal effects staged in a peculiar, almost ritualistic manner, but with all possible identifying labels removed or destroyed.
• Despite a detailed crime scene and distinctive jewelry, her identity remains unknown, partly due to these calculated erasures.
• The first episode fosters a sense of eerie intrigue and prepares listeners for further twists based on historic, forensic, and contextual discoveries.
• The case evokes comparisons to other infamous mysteries (Dyatlov Pass) and promises to interlace with mid-20th-century European history, perhaps even espionage.
• The hosts direct listeners to “Death in Ice Valley” for complementary background and emphasize their focus on facts over myth-making for this deep-dive.

Next episode will delve further into the investigation and the many theories, highlighting just how bizarre the rabbit hole will become.

This summary skips all advertisements, meta-podcast chatter, and focuses solely on the investigation and case discussion as presented by Brett and Alice.