In the early 1900s, Dr. Linda Hazzard, who is thought to be Washington State’s first female serial killer, presented herself as a "gifted healer." She persuaded many people to follow her extreme fasting practices, claiming it was the secret to better health. Tragically, her methods led to the starvation deaths of several patients.
Reportedly, at least twelve individuals died while under Hazzard’s care. She earned a medical license through a loophole that allowed alternative medicine practitioners to practice without conventional training. Despite her controversial methods, she attracted many followers, including some who later supported her during her trial for murder. The case began to unravel due to the distressing experiences of two British sisters.
The story of Dr. Hazzard has resurfaced on social media, prompting a closer look at her life and the treatments she offered, which were often harmful.
Dr. Hazzard was influenced by Dr. Edward Hooker Dewey, a notable figure in the fasting movement of that time. After moving to Seattle in 1908, she published a book titled Fasting for the Cure of Disease, where she explained her medical philosophy and maintained her innocence.
Hazzard operated an establishment in Olalla, Washington, known locally as the Institute of Natural Therapeutics. The serene setting misled many patients into believing her methods were valid. Two sisters from England, Claire and Dora Williamson, were under her care after they sought her out for her fasting regimen.
Concerned about the sisters’ drastic weight loss—especially when Claire fell to just 50 pounds and hardly consumed any food—a childhood nurse named Margaret Conway went to check on them. Tragically, when she arrived, Claire had already died, and Dora was in a severe state. Hazzard had even gained control of Dora’s guardianship, a tactic she allegedly used on other patients to increase her wealth.
Dora was rescued after British Vice Consul C.E. Lucien Agassiz learned about her dire situation. The sisters’ case drew public attention, leading to Hazzard being put on trial for murder.
On August 15, 1911, Hazzard was arrested in Kitsap County for first-degree murder related to Claire’s death. She was ultimately convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to hard labor. After serving two years, she was released and later pardoned. She moved briefly to New Zealand before returning to Washington, where she resumed her fasting practices. However, her institute burned down in 1935, and three years later, she fell fatally ill while fasting in an attempt to treat herself, ultimately succumbing to her methods.
