By LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 31 minutes ago
NEW YORK - The circumstances surrounding Harry Houdini's sudden death were as murky as the rivers where he often performed death-defying stunts. Despite a medical explanation, rumors that the escape artist was murdered have persisted for decades. Eighty-one years after Houdini died on Halloween 1926, his great-nephew wants to exhume the magician's body to determine if enemies poisoned him for debunking their bogus claims of contact with the dead.
"His death shocked the entire nation, if not the world. Now, maybe it's time to take a second look," George Hardeen said.
Houdini's family scheduled a news conference for Friday to give details on the plans. Hardeen said a team of top forensic investigators would conduct new tests on Houdini's body.
The generally accepted version of Houdini's death held that the 52-year-old suffered a ruptured appendix from a punch in the stomach, leading to peritonitis. But no autopsy was performed.
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A 2006 biography, "The Secret Life of Houdini," raised the issue again and convinced some that he might have been poisoned, including Hardeen, who lives in Arizona and is the chief spokesman for the president of the Navajo Nation.
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