In this post, we'll discuss some details about long-drop hanging. The information may be wrong or incomplete, and is not meant to be put into practice.
Usually it is suggested to use a submental (below chin) or left subaural (below left ear) knot position.
Traditionally, a hangman's knot has been used. However, friction may damage the rope. A rope thimble can remedy this.
A leather or rubber washer or a similar object which slides stiffly on the rope may keep the knot or thimble in place once the noose has been tightened around the neck prior to the drop (Aberdare).
Rope:
All ropes absorp energy from elastic and plastic deformation. UHMWPE and Kevlar are examples of ropes that absorp very little energy. Nylon ropes, which have been used in many cited cases, are comparatively elastic. Ropes of different materials may differ greatly in their properties.
The axial tensile strength of the neck is about 13.5 kN, cf. (Pankratz, Schuller). When the neck is loaded with a force of this magnitude, decapitation should take place. Since a long-drop hanging will produce at least a moderately-impulsive load, a rope with a strength of a mulitple of the neck strength will probably be used.
In some cases, the rope has been attached to the anchor point with the help of a carabiner.
In traditional hangings, the long middle part of the rope has been weakly secured in a loop--done with pack thread--to prevent accidentally falling into or getting caught in it during the drop when the slack of the rope hangs down (Aberdare). Storing the rope in a figure-eight loop allows for rapid deployment without twist.
Running over a sharp edge may damage the rope.
Drop:
Ideally, the fall will be straight down from the anchor point.
Historical tables exist for judicial hangings (Wikipedia), see also
lostallhope.com
Upper cervical spine injuries particularly result from a drop with the submental knot (Vermooten),(Wood-Jones) as cited by (Rothschild, Schneider).
Decapitation:
Requirements
- heavy body weight, drop of several meters, thin, inelastic and strong ligature, slip knot
- axial traction force of up to about 12 kN may be necessary to produce complete decapitation, regardless of rope diameter (Rabl, Haid)
(Rabl, Haid) published a plot that shows the drop height h [m] required for a force of F = 12 kN, given the body weight m [kg] and the distance of negative acceleration s [m], which is the neck circumference and the increase in rope length due to strech and tightening of knots.
We assume a constant acceleration of a = F / m and an initial velocity of sqrt(2*g*h) acting in the opposite direction. At distance s, the velocity will be zero. Thus we obtain h = F * s / (m * g) with g = 9.81 m/s^2, which roughly yields the data in the plot.
Mechanism
- combination of (a) tearing effect of axial traction and (b) shearing and crushing effect of radial pressure (2 pi times the former) of tightening noose, their relationship depending on rope diameter and friction (Pankratz, Schuller), (Rabl, Haid)
- suddenly and rapidly tightened single twist rope acts similar to Gigli saw (Raja, Sivaloganathan)
- After the drop, kinetic energy is transformed into elastic potential energy stored in the rope, which upon return to the original rope shape causes decapitation. (Töro, Kristof)
Case examples (mostly decapitation and near-decapitation):
- 59m; fall of approximately two floors, from hand rail of fire escape; single twist 10 mm nylon rope, slip knot; complete decapitation (Raja, Sivaloganathan)
- 45m; from high branch of tree in woodland; single twist nylon rope, slip knot below right ear; 43 cm circumference compressed to 18 cm; incomplete decapitation (Raja, Sivaloganathan)
- 87.5 kg, 1.85 m, 22m, Caucasian of medium to stout build; drop height 3.70-5.30 m before rope tightened depending on the subject's position on jumping, from parapet of bridge in uninhabited area; (poorly stretchable) 13 mm nylon rope, dual reef knot to upper bar of metallic handrail, slip knot; complete decapitation (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 72.5 kg; 4.40 m drop; Ireland 1870 judicial hanging; complete decapitation (De Zouche Marshall 1888), as cited by (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 73 kg, 46m; fall height estimated at 4.50 m, from bridge over river; tow rope; near-complete decapitation (Weigel, Wilk) as cited by (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 70-75 kg; jumped from 6.50 m height; wire rope of very low elasticity; complete decapitation (Urban 1995) as cited by (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 76 kg; drop of 3.50 m; complete decapitation; loading of neck estimated as about 13.5 kN (Pankratz, Schuller) as cited by (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 144 kg, extremely obese man, 1.75 m, 47m; drop height from about 1.8 m for climbing over bannister and first holding onto outide of bannister, 2.1? m for sliding over bannister, or 2.8 m for fall from sitting or squatting position on bannister rail, from staircase bannister of apartment house, empty overturned bottle case as climbing aid; 20 mm thick and 2.15 m long (from point of fixation on bannister to running knot of noose) twisted hemp rope snap-hooked to bannister, free end terminated in single noose; complete decapitation (Rothschild, Schneider)
- 54 kg, 59m; jumped 3.7 m off bridge; single twisted nylon rope, slip knot, rope tied to guard rail of bridge, from river bridge (Zhu)
- 74 kg, 1.7 m, 65m, Caucasian of medium stout build; 3.6 m drop, from road bridge 7.2 m above park; 10 mm nylon rope and 3.6 m long tied to base of street lamp on bridge, slip knot; complete decapitation (Dedouit, Tournel)
- 95 kg, 1.78 m, 52m; 15 mm thick and 3.1 m long (from point of fixation to running knot of noose) nylon rope snap-hooked to rafter, in storage building, neck narrowed by rope to 10 cm diameter; incomplete decapitation, final speed 7.8 m/s, kinetic energy 2945 J, force 9500 N (Töro, Kirstof)
References
Aberdare report
Procedure for Military Executions, Dec 1947
Procedure for Military Executions, April 1959
Official Table of Drops
en.m.wikipedia.org
Decapitation -- a Rare Complication in Hanging (U Raja, S Sivaloganathan)
Suicidal hanging resulting in complete decapitation: a case report (A Tracqui, K Fonmartin, A Géraut, D Pennera, S Doray, B Ludes)
De Zouche Marshall JJ (1888) Judicial executions. BMJ (Oct.): 779-782
Rabl W, Haid C, Katzgraber F, Walser B (1995) Erhängen mit Dekapitation. Kasuistik - Biomechanik. Arch Kriminol 195: 31-37
Pankratz H, Schuller E, Josephi E (1986) Dekapitation beim Erhängen. Arch Kriminol 178:157-161
Decapitation as a result of suicidal hanging (MA Rothschild, V Schneider)
W. Vermooten, A study of the fracture of the epistropheus due to hanging, Anat. Rec. 20 (1920) 305-311.
F. Wood-Jones, The ideal lesion produced by judicial hanging, Br. Med. J. 1 (1913) 53.
Suicidal Hanging Resulting in Complete Decapitation--Forensic, Radiological, and Anthropological Studies: A Case Report; F Dedouit, G Tournel, A Bécart, V Hédouin, D Gosset, J Forensic Sci, Sep 2007 vol 52 no 5
Incomplete decapitation in suicidal hanging -- Report of a case and review of the literature (K Töro, I Kristof, E Keller), J For Leg Med 15 (2008) 180-184
Usually it is suggested to use a submental (below chin) or left subaural (below left ear) knot position.
Traditionally, a hangman's knot has been used. However, friction may damage the rope. A rope thimble can remedy this.
A leather or rubber washer or a similar object which slides stiffly on the rope may keep the knot or thimble in place once the noose has been tightened around the neck prior to the drop (Aberdare).
Rope:
All ropes absorp energy from elastic and plastic deformation. UHMWPE and Kevlar are examples of ropes that absorp very little energy. Nylon ropes, which have been used in many cited cases, are comparatively elastic. Ropes of different materials may differ greatly in their properties.
The axial tensile strength of the neck is about 13.5 kN, cf. (Pankratz, Schuller). When the neck is loaded with a force of this magnitude, decapitation should take place. Since a long-drop hanging will produce at least a moderately-impulsive load, a rope with a strength of a mulitple of the neck strength will probably be used.
In some cases, the rope has been attached to the anchor point with the help of a carabiner.
In traditional hangings, the long middle part of the rope has been weakly secured in a loop--done with pack thread--to prevent accidentally falling into or getting caught in it during the drop when the slack of the rope hangs down (Aberdare). Storing the rope in a figure-eight loop allows for rapid deployment without twist.
Running over a sharp edge may damage the rope.
Drop:
Ideally, the fall will be straight down from the anchor point.
Historical tables exist for judicial hangings (Wikipedia), see also
Suicide by drop hanging | Lost All Hope: The web's leading suicide resource
Want to commit suicide? Read this site first! Lost All Hope has a vast array of information on everything from drugs and drop hanging to suicide statistics.
Upper cervical spine injuries particularly result from a drop with the submental knot (Vermooten),(Wood-Jones) as cited by (Rothschild, Schneider).
Decapitation:
Requirements
- heavy body weight, drop of several meters, thin, inelastic and strong ligature, slip knot
- axial traction force of up to about 12 kN may be necessary to produce complete decapitation, regardless of rope diameter (Rabl, Haid)
(Rabl, Haid) published a plot that shows the drop height h [m] required for a force of F = 12 kN, given the body weight m [kg] and the distance of negative acceleration s [m], which is the neck circumference and the increase in rope length due to strech and tightening of knots.
We assume a constant acceleration of a = F / m and an initial velocity of sqrt(2*g*h) acting in the opposite direction. At distance s, the velocity will be zero. Thus we obtain h = F * s / (m * g) with g = 9.81 m/s^2, which roughly yields the data in the plot.
Mechanism
- combination of (a) tearing effect of axial traction and (b) shearing and crushing effect of radial pressure (2 pi times the former) of tightening noose, their relationship depending on rope diameter and friction (Pankratz, Schuller), (Rabl, Haid)
- suddenly and rapidly tightened single twist rope acts similar to Gigli saw (Raja, Sivaloganathan)
- After the drop, kinetic energy is transformed into elastic potential energy stored in the rope, which upon return to the original rope shape causes decapitation. (Töro, Kristof)
Case examples (mostly decapitation and near-decapitation):
- 59m; fall of approximately two floors, from hand rail of fire escape; single twist 10 mm nylon rope, slip knot; complete decapitation (Raja, Sivaloganathan)
- 45m; from high branch of tree in woodland; single twist nylon rope, slip knot below right ear; 43 cm circumference compressed to 18 cm; incomplete decapitation (Raja, Sivaloganathan)
- 87.5 kg, 1.85 m, 22m, Caucasian of medium to stout build; drop height 3.70-5.30 m before rope tightened depending on the subject's position on jumping, from parapet of bridge in uninhabited area; (poorly stretchable) 13 mm nylon rope, dual reef knot to upper bar of metallic handrail, slip knot; complete decapitation (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 72.5 kg; 4.40 m drop; Ireland 1870 judicial hanging; complete decapitation (De Zouche Marshall 1888), as cited by (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 73 kg, 46m; fall height estimated at 4.50 m, from bridge over river; tow rope; near-complete decapitation (Weigel, Wilk) as cited by (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 70-75 kg; jumped from 6.50 m height; wire rope of very low elasticity; complete decapitation (Urban 1995) as cited by (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 76 kg; drop of 3.50 m; complete decapitation; loading of neck estimated as about 13.5 kN (Pankratz, Schuller) as cited by (Tracqui, Fonmartin)
- 144 kg, extremely obese man, 1.75 m, 47m; drop height from about 1.8 m for climbing over bannister and first holding onto outide of bannister, 2.1? m for sliding over bannister, or 2.8 m for fall from sitting or squatting position on bannister rail, from staircase bannister of apartment house, empty overturned bottle case as climbing aid; 20 mm thick and 2.15 m long (from point of fixation on bannister to running knot of noose) twisted hemp rope snap-hooked to bannister, free end terminated in single noose; complete decapitation (Rothschild, Schneider)
- 54 kg, 59m; jumped 3.7 m off bridge; single twisted nylon rope, slip knot, rope tied to guard rail of bridge, from river bridge (Zhu)
- 74 kg, 1.7 m, 65m, Caucasian of medium stout build; 3.6 m drop, from road bridge 7.2 m above park; 10 mm nylon rope and 3.6 m long tied to base of street lamp on bridge, slip knot; complete decapitation (Dedouit, Tournel)
- 95 kg, 1.78 m, 52m; 15 mm thick and 3.1 m long (from point of fixation to running knot of noose) nylon rope snap-hooked to rafter, in storage building, neck narrowed by rope to 10 cm diameter; incomplete decapitation, final speed 7.8 m/s, kinetic energy 2945 J, force 9500 N (Töro, Kirstof)
References
Aberdare report
Procedure for Military Executions, Dec 1947
Search results from Military Legal Resources, Available Online
Search results 1 - 25 of 2219.
www.loc.gov
Procedure for Military Executions, April 1959
Search results from Military Legal Resources, Available Online
Search results 1 - 25 of 2219.
www.loc.gov
Official Table of Drops
Official Table of Drops - Wikipedia
Decapitation -- a Rare Complication in Hanging (U Raja, S Sivaloganathan)
Suicidal hanging resulting in complete decapitation: a case report (A Tracqui, K Fonmartin, A Géraut, D Pennera, S Doray, B Ludes)
De Zouche Marshall JJ (1888) Judicial executions. BMJ (Oct.): 779-782
Rabl W, Haid C, Katzgraber F, Walser B (1995) Erhängen mit Dekapitation. Kasuistik - Biomechanik. Arch Kriminol 195: 31-37
Pankratz H, Schuller E, Josephi E (1986) Dekapitation beim Erhängen. Arch Kriminol 178:157-161
Decapitation as a result of suicidal hanging (MA Rothschild, V Schneider)
W. Vermooten, A study of the fracture of the epistropheus due to hanging, Anat. Rec. 20 (1920) 305-311.
F. Wood-Jones, The ideal lesion produced by judicial hanging, Br. Med. J. 1 (1913) 53.
Suicidal Hanging Resulting in Complete Decapitation--Forensic, Radiological, and Anthropological Studies: A Case Report; F Dedouit, G Tournel, A Bécart, V Hédouin, D Gosset, J Forensic Sci, Sep 2007 vol 52 no 5
Incomplete decapitation in suicidal hanging -- Report of a case and review of the literature (K Töro, I Kristof, E Keller), J For Leg Med 15 (2008) 180-184
