Podcast Summary

Podcast: Hell in Heaven: A Mysterious Death in Paradise
Feed/Episode: The Butterfly King – 7: The Heart of the Matter
Date: April 25, 2024
Host: Becky Milligan (Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts)
Content Focus: Investigation into the mysterious death of King Boris III of Bulgaria, probing whether he died of natural causes or was murdered, with a focus on the findings from the medical examination of his heart and the persistent doubts of his family and experts.

Episode Overview

This episode digs into the heart—literally and figuratively—of the mystery surrounding King Boris III's death. Journalist Becky Milligan explores newly uncovered medical evidence, the possibility (or impossibility) of poisoning, and the remaining doubts from both royal descendants and forensic experts. The central questions: Did Boris die of a simple heart attack, as recently confirmed by a pathologist who examined his preserved heart? Or do suspicious symptoms and missing evidence still point toward sinister foul play?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Heart’s Strange Journey

[01:40 - 04:18]

• Following King Boris's death in 1943 (officially of cardiac arrest), his heart was removed during embalming and eventually lost.
• The body was disinterred, lost again, and in the 1990s, the heart resurfaced—preserved in a pickle jar.
• Dr. Deutchenov, a now-elderly pathologist, was the last to examine this royal relic.

Notable quote:
“It turned up in a pickle jar...the doctor who examined that royal heart was Dr. Deutchenov.” — Becky Milligan [04:13]

The Last Witness: Dr. Deutchenov

[03:38 - 08:02]

• Dr. Deutchenov, who examined the royal heart, had agreed to speak with Becky, but sadly died before the interview.
• Despite this loss, Dr. Deutchenov’s written conclusion from the 1990s examination was definitive:
  King Boris died of a heart attack.
  No poisons were detected.

Notable quote:
“He has scientific proof, and he can sum up his findings in just two small words: heart attack.” — Becky Milligan [09:12]

Forensic Science: Could Anything Have Been Missed?

[13:10 - 15:11]

• Becky consults modern forensic pathologist Dr. Stuart Hamilton for clarity. He confirms the classic signs and mechanisms of a heart attack (myocardial infarction), discussing whether it can be definitively diagnosed decades later.
• Dr. Hamilton points out that while certain findings are specific, toxins or subtle poisons may elude standard tests, especially older ones.

Notable quote:
“You have crushing chest pain, as if there’s a metal band around your chest crushing it. That pain will often go down your arm...a feeling of impending doom.” — Dr. Stuart Hamilton [15:47]

Genetics, Royal Health, and Inheritance

[17:15 - 19:49]

• The potential for genetic heart defects is addressed, considering the inbreeding common in European royal families.
• Yet, Boris’s children—now advanced in age—show no signs of inherited heart issues.
• Simeon, Boris’s son, prefers facts over conjecture but acknowledges the open questions.

Notable quote:
“If there was a heart problem in Boris’ family, it probably would have been passed down...who are 90 and 86 respectively, and still going strong.” — Becky Milligan [19:36]

Stress, Context, and Circumstances

[22:05 - 24:16]

• Extreme wartime stress is flagged as a recognized heart attack risk.
• But the host and experts underscore that powerful people in perilous moments are often at heightened risk of being murdered, not just unlucky.

Notable quote:
“The evidence in this case, as I see it, is that we have got somebody who would be a candidate for being bumped off with good reason. So there is a mystery there.” — Dr. Stuart Hamilton [24:01]

Family Doubts & The Poisoning Debate

[24:50 - 25:27]

• Boris’s daughter, Maria Louisa, remains unconvinced, insisting it’s possible to induce a heart attack and that the matter isn’t settled.

Notable quote:
“You can induce a heart attack...many ways of bringing somebody to a heart attack, you know.” — Maria Louisa [25:02]

Practical Suspicions: Access, Trust, and Palace Life

[29:40 - 31:47]

• Amid lighthearted palace anecdotes, Becky probes the question of trust among royal staff—could someone close have committed murder?
• Simeon explains that distrust leads to madness but reflects on how even as children, palace life trained them to be careful about what they said within earshot of staff.

Notable quote:
“If you don’t trust somebody you see every day, finally you become insane.” — Simeon [30:01]

Poison Mysteries: What Might Have Been Missed?

[32:54 - 36:10]

• Dr. Hamilton clarifies some compounds (like certain poisons or substances that induce heart attack) are easy to miss if you don’t know to look for them.
• Toxicology, especially decades ago, lacked today’s breadth; substances such as certain plant poisons or rare toxins might go undetected.
• The Soviets and Nazis both reportedly developed poisons that could mimic natural heart failure.

Notable quote:
“If you don’t look, you won’t find. If you look, you may or may not, and you don’t know till you’ve done it.” — Dr. Stuart Hamilton [38:08]

The Pickled Heart: To Exhume or Not?

[38:02 - 39:59]

• There’s a debate about whether to exhume the heart again for modern testing, but it’s unclear if more could be learned.
• Emotional and ethical concerns weigh heavily—disturbing a royal tomb over unresolved suspicion.

Notable quotes:
“It does seem almost sacrilegious to disturb the remains of the King again.” — Becky Milligan [39:02]
“Even if it came back and said no substances present…the counterargument would be …you’ll never prove one way or the other.” — Dr. Stuart Hamilton [39:34]

Unanswered Clues: The Brown Spots

[39:59 - 41:42]

• Some symptoms present at Boris’s death—strange brown spots on his skin and unusual blood cell changes—remain inconsistent with heart attacks. These led both German doctors and podcast experts to suspect possible poisoning, perhaps from mushrooms or an as-yet-undetectable agent.
• Plant and animal toxin experts suggest the spots could indicate a reaction to poison—perhaps even something as insidious as toadstool mushrooms.

Notable quotes:
“A rash or spots and breakdown of red blood cells does not sound like a typical consequence of a cardiac event.” — Dr. Stuart Hamilton [40:52]
“The blotches do sound like a hypersensitive reaction to me to something…maybe a poison.” — Mark O’Shea [41:17]

Looking Forward

[41:42 - End]

• The next episode promises to follow up with a Russian mycologist (fungus expert) as the team investigates the possibility of mushroom poisoning.
• Maria Louisa and Simeon’s emotional homecoming after decades of exile hints at the deeply personal costs of this royal mystery.

Notable quote:
“For almost 50 years, you know, the idea of Bulgaria was like, you know, for the Jews, Jerusalem...” — Maria Louisa [42:21]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On trust:
  “If you don’t trust somebody you see every day, finally you become insane.” — Simeon [30:01]
• On evidence:
  “One should look at the evidence. And the evidence in this case, as I see it, is that we have got somebody who would be a candidate for being bumped off with good reason. So there is a mystery there.” — Dr. Stuart Hamilton [24:01]
• On family doubts:
  “You can induce a heart attack. Many ways of bringing somebody to a heart attack.” — Maria Louisa [25:02]
• Mystery remains:
  “A rash or spots and breakdown of red blood cells does not sound like a typical consequence of a cardiac event.” — Dr. Stuart Hamilton [40:52]

Timeline of Important Segments

• 01:40: The mystery of King Boris’s missing and preserved heart
• 03:38: The last witness, Dr. Deutchenov, and his death before being interviewed
• 09:12: The 1990s autopsy: heart attack declared, no poison found
• 13:10: Dr. Stuart Hamilton explains pathologist’s approach and the science of heart attack
• 15:47: Symptoms of heart attack and historical context for Boris’s health
• 19:11: Royal family reflections on genetic health and inheritance
• 22:05: The risk of stress-induced heart attack during WWII
• 24:01: Forensic skepticism: possibility of murder cannot be ruled out
• 25:02: Maria Louisa expresses ongoing doubts about the official story
• 29:40: Reflections on trust, palace staff, and the potential for foul play
• 32:54: Plant poisons and their undetectable nature in past forensic science
• 36:10: How advancements in detection could (in theory) yield new clues
• 38:02: Debates: Exhuming the heart again, and concerns for desecration and closure
• 39:59: Unexplained symptoms at Boris's death—brown skin spots and blood cell breakdown
• 41:42: Mushroom poisoning theory to be explored in the next episode
• 42:21: Personal story: Maria Louisa’s homecoming from exile

Tone & Style

Becky Milligan's narrative blends careful skepticism, warmth, and dry humor. The tone is inquisitive and respectful, balancing historical gravitas with human interest—especially when interacting with members of the former royal family.

Conclusion

This episode confronts the hardest evidence surrounding King Boris III’s death—his actual heart—while demonstrating just how elusive historical “truth” can be. While forensic science points to a straightforward heart attack, both circumstantial hints and scientific uncertainties ensure that doubts about murder persist, especially in the minds of those closest to the king.

The case, at its literal heart, remains unsolved.

Next episode tease: The investigation pivots to the possibility of mushroom poisoning as the cause of King Boris III’s mysterious and tragic demise.