Stanley Meyer was fifty-seven years old when he died unexpectedly at a restaurant in Franklin County, OH. Meyer claimed to have invented a water-powered car, which would have revolutionized auto mechanics and done a great deal in preventing the carbon footprint humans leave behind. However, his theory was never proven nor patented, as he died before he had the chance. 

On March 21st, 1998, Stanley Meyer allegedly ordered cranberry juice as a dessert beverage while out to lunch, as he and those accompanying him wrapped up the meal. Yet, before they could finish, Meyer began to choke after the first sip, running out of the restaurant. He collapsed in the parking lot, and Meyer’s unsettling last words were, “They poisoned me.” Later, as more research was carried out on the scene and Meyer’s autopsy was completed, detectives came to the conclusion that Meyer suffered from a brain aneurysm, as he had experienced previous episodes of hypertension. The cranberry juice did not show to contain any sort of poisons during the toxicology analysis. The case was closed, and Stanley Meyer’s death was simply brushed aside as that of a man in his late 50s who passed of natural causes. 

Maybe more people would buy this explanation if it weren’t for three things: his last words, his car, and his claims. First, it is certainly quite mysterious that his last words were, “They poisoned me.” He had been sitting at the table with a smaller group, and some say the group was his friends and brothers, while others say that they were Belgian businessmen looking to do business involved with Meyer’s invention. The part of this that really unsettles me is the question of who “They” is referring to. If he really did believe that he was poisoned, did he believe it was one of the men sitting at the table with him, or somehow an employee of the restaurant was so opposed to his inventions they wanted him dead? Or did he maybe believe that someone had tracked him all the way down to this restaurant for the purpose of murder? If the cause of death was truly poison, and the explanations provided by studies and detectives are false, this plan would have taken a lot of thought. They would have had to purchase the poison, and be sure of the whereabouts of Stanley Meyer. Say he was poisoned, by someone who was furious or threatened by his inventions, it likely would have been one of the following people: a staff worker of the restaurant, one or more of his tablemates, which I personally find both to be unlikely. That leaves only outside sources that could be responsible for the murder of Meyer.

Poisoned or not poisoned, there is a vital piece of this story that we have yet to

explore. Meyer claimed to have invented a car that runs solely on water. He allegedly was able to use the particles that water is made up of to use water as a substitute for fuel. Science is not my strong suit, however, to the right is an excerpt from one of the many news articles that covered Meyer’s death, and it shows how the science behind a water-powered car might be able to work.

The tricky part of this invention is that Meyer was never able to patent his invention. He was never even able to really prove that his theory worked. This water-powered car would have changed the world. Do you know how many carbon emissions are released into the atmosphere each year just via one driver? Roughly 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Transportation is such a significant factor that plays into climate change and global warming, as emissions release pollutants into the air. 

With a water-powered car, these problems would likely rapidly decrease. Are you also thinking to yourself, “Less pollution and a healthier environment, how could people possibly be against this?” Well, people love money, and it is often a deciding factor in people’s everyday lives, even though it may cause them to not make the best, or environmentally friendly, decisions. Coal, oil, and natural gas are amongst the cheapest natural resources, and they are often used for fuel. Coal and oil are non-renewable resources, however, we continue to use massive amounts of them. Not only do they continue to pollute and harm the environment, but eventually, we will run out. Now, that is all clearly very, very bad. Why would we not try and find a solution, similar to Stanley Meyer? Why not use more solar panels and windmills, since those are better alternatives? Well, remember what we talked about: money. People want cheap inputs with quick, extravagant outputs, even if it isn’t better in the long run. They make more money, through cheap and lazy methods. It is perfect for them and very unideal for our planet and its inhabitants. That is why Stanley Meyer’s invention was so intriguing. 

However, remember there was one more thing I mentioned before. The last factor that plays into why this case is so suspicious. That would be Meyer’s claims. He claims to have received several threats from oil companies, as well as bribes of millions of dollars if he would destroy all of his evidence. It is clear that some people were extremely unhappy with Meyer’s alleged discoveries, however, would someone go as far as to take his life? I really don’t want to believe that, but while money can lead to amazing discoveries, money can also create monsters. I don’t believe that Stanley Meyer was poisoned during his lunch on March 21, 1998, as the toxicology reports show no traces of poison. However, I do believe that there is more to Meyer’s story, and some of it we will likely never uncover or even understand. As more parts of this case have been and may continue to be revealed through witnesses, claims, judges, and Meyer’s history, maybe the missing pieces will one day converge, and a new explanation for the devastating death of Stanley Meyer will be unveiled.