Previously: The Burpham Ghost Crash.
Type: SC (Schrodinger’s Corpse)
Period/location of origin: March 25, 1930, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Appearance: Subject appears to be a store mannequin sitting in the window of the bridal shop La Popular: La Casa de Pascualita in Chihuahua, Mexico. Subject may or may not be the embalmed remains of La Popular’s original owner.
Modus operandi: Unknown. Subject simply stands within the shop window. Subject does not appear to be dangerous. Subject’s ultimate goal or purpose remains undiscovered.
Containment: Not required. Subject’s current situation appears adequate.
Additional notes: Rumors persist that subject is not a mannequin at all, but rather the preserved corpse of the daughter of the bridal shop’s original owner. According to these rumors, Pascuala Ezparza crafted a beautiful wedding gown for her daughter in preparation for her wedding. However, shortly before the wedding was to occur, the daughter was either bitten by a black widow spider or stung by a scorpion (accounts vary) and died as a result. Not long after this tragic turn of events, a mannequin — here identified as Subject — appeared in the window of the shop. Many were struck by the resemblance between subject and Ezparza’s deceased daughter, giving rise to the popular opinion that the “mannequin” was not a mannequin at all, but the remains of the daughter. Ezparza maintained that this was not the case.
Reports of a French magician said to have become enamored of subject, going so far as to stop by the shop each night and bring subject to life for a nightcap, have not been confirmed. Nor have reports been confirmed that subject’s eyes tend to follow targets passing by, or that subject periodically changes position of its own accord, or that subject sometimes “sweats.” It has been suggested that subject is not itself a corpse, but rather hides a corpse; this, too, remains unconfirmed. Funeral directors and morticians have noted that it is unlikely an embalmed body would last as long as subject has.
Subject’s attire is only ever changed behind closed curtains, and only by select few who have permission to do so. The reasoning behind this secrecy remains unknown.
The extraordinarily lifelike and realistic nature of subject’s hands has not been satisfactorily explained.
Recommendation: Safe to visit.
Resources:
A funeral director’s opinion on whether subject is an embalmed body.
Ask a Mortician: Mannequin or Corpse Bride?
Spanish language television segment on subject.
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[Photo via Xavi Valero/Flickr]
Archard says
July 11, 2017 at 9:50 amhaha I too covered this one. It’s really more an urban legend I think. Good write up.
Lucia says
July 12, 2017 at 8:39 pmThank you! This one seems to be making the rounds again — it’s popped up on a lot of horror YouTubers’ channels recently, as well.
Lesley Willis says
September 20, 2018 at 1:32 pmYou can’t deny that La Pascualita draws the crowds and must be good for business! Even if this were the embalmed body of the daughter of the one time owner is she likely to be moving, blinking her (glass) eyes and moving around the shop choosing her wedding outfits? I admit, she is very unnerving and I think that perhaps the head and hands could be human remains tho the hair is clearly a wig as evidenced by the hairline. Looking at the proportions of the body they are all wrong with the head being far too small for the torso and the neck incredibly long and unnatural looking. Perhaps the reason for dressing her behind the scenes is that a composite body would be only too obvious to any bystander and perhaps there are evident mechanics to explain the movements I’m very sceptical but nonetheless would not opt to spend a night in the shop alone!!