Funeral,
n. A pageant whereby we attest our respect for the Kill 'em All - Let God Sort it Out A GRUESOME QUOTE IS
BORN - In 1209, in the bloody Crusade against the Albigenses, a French
army took the town of Beziers, near the Mediterranean coast. The town
was put to the sack, but the question arose as to how to tell which of
the town's inhabitants were damned heretics and which were good Christians.
Simon IV de Montfort (or perhaps a legate of Pope Innocent III) said he
had an easy solution, "Kill them all, for the Lord will know his
own." And so several tens of thousands of men, women and children
were put to the sword. The Roman method of crucifixion was slow and brutal. With their arms pulled back and up, victims were forced to slump forward on the cross - a position that made breathing almost impossible. To take a breath, they had to use their nail-pierced feet to push themselves up. If their legs were broken, which they often were by the guards, the crucified had to hoist themselves by pulling with their impaled hands. The act of breathing itself produced searing pain, triggering muscle cramps. Most victims grew exhausted from the effort and died of suffocation. Left exposed to the elements the sufferers normally died within 24 to 36 hours. If you did manage
to survive three days on the cross the Romans would usually consider your
punishment complete and let you down. One of the most morbid
of death relics, and one which is rarely found outside museums today,
is the legendary "Hand of Glory". This was the hand of a hanged
man, dried and used either as a five-branched candle itself or as a candleholder
for a candle made from the fat of the hanged man's body. It was supposed
to have magical powers to make its possessor either invisible or to help
him to carry out robberies by hypnotizing everyone in the house or building
that was being burgled. Sometimes called the
color of death, liver mortis is actually the red blood cells settling
to the lowest part of the body after the heart has stopped. The blood
cells pool to this local area leaving the rest of the body pale. The collective
blood cells are called a lividity stain. Henry VIII ordered
the execution of nearly 72,000 subjects and added to the already cruel
list of execution methods. In 1531 he legalized boiling people to death;
ironically the first person sentenced to be boiled was a cook. Convicted
of preparing a poisonous sauce, Richard Roose was brought to the town
square where he was lowered into a pot and simmered for a few hours until
the temperature was high enough to kill him. William Kemmler was
the first person sent to the electric chair in Auburn prison in New York.
The year was 1890 and the prototype was in need of fine tuning. After
17 seconds of electrical current coursed through his body, Kemmler was
still alive. The executioner made several more attempts until the body
expired in a smoking, searing, thrashing, convulsive blaze of glory. Corpses Revived During Grave Robberies Two 17th century Scottish
women Marjorie Elphinstone and Margaret Halcrow were each buried with
their jewelry. When they were subsequently dug up by jewel thieves, they
were both revived during the robbery. Napoleon Massacres Turkish Prisoners by Mistake Twelve hundred Turkish prisoners were mistakenly killed in 1799 by Napoleon after he ordered them set free. He complained about a coughing fit he was having but his words "Ma sacree toux," (my confounded cough) were misunderstood. Instead his men thought
he uttered, "Massacrez tous" (kill them all) so they open fire,
killing every prisoner. The most
celebrated werewolf trial took place at Cologne in 1589. The accused was
a multiple sadistic murderer named Peter Stube. For 28 years, Stube committed
his attacks. Occasionally he killed livestock, or even men. But most of
the victims were women and girls. His defense was that the devil had given
him a magic belt by which he changed himself into a wolf. His punishment?
Stube was sentenced to have his skin torn off with red
hot pincers, before being beheaded. Pennsylvania Girl's Gruesome Suicide OCTOBER 31, 2000 -
A 17-year-old girl in Ridgmont, Pennsylvania reportedly committed suicide
Halloween night by making large deep cuts throughout her body and bleeding
to death. She apparently taped all the windows in her room with electrical
tape and continued to use a razor blade to imprint large and deep flesh
wounds into her skin. Before bleeding could affect her state of mind,
she scooped up her own blood with her fingers and proceeded to write on
the walls the phrases "I'm Sorry" and "The sky has finally
fallen". When her father found her she was sprawled out on her floor
in crucifixion pose. No signs of foul play have been investigated and
the case has been dismissed as just another teenage suicide.
NIAMEY, Nigeria -
A Niger man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for dismembering his cousin
and eating bread soaked with his blood. Victim Souley Halidou, had killed
two of his relatives and threatened to murder more over a land dispute
in the West African country. On January 13, 1996, his cousin Hassan Salou,
who said he feared for his own mother's safety, decided to take the law
into his own hands and beat Halidou to death with a stick. Salou then
cut him to pieces with a machete and ate a blood-soaked piece of bread
before going to the police with the left arm of his victim. Murderer Tries to Escape With Victim's Head NOVEMBER - This was
not your average relay race. A student in Uganda allegedly chased a murderer
until he dropped the head of the victim he'd just decapitated. The student
was in a Kampala library when the killer reportedly chopped off his victim's
head with a sword. The murderer then put it in a bag and ran off. The
student chased him for more than a mile until he dropped the head. According
to regional police commander Ahmed Wafuba: "It is very rare that
an assailant kills somebody and carries away the parts." Brit Commits Suicide With Citroen and Rope OCTOBER 10,
2001 - A driver in Manchester, England allegedly decapitated himself by
tying a long rope from his neck to a lamppost and then accelerating away.
A passerby discovered the head on the pavement at around 4 a.m. Wednesday
and notified authorities. Police found the rest of his body at the wheel
of his Citroen Saxo which had crashed through a fence a short distance
away. A source said it was believed the man had attached the rope
to the lamppost through the open window of his car. He then drove away
causing the rope to go taut and cut through his neck. Japanese
Man Keeps Father's Body in Frig 13 Years Amputation Fetish Results in Man's Death A doctor whose license
was suspended 22 years ago for performing shoddy sex-change operations
was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of a man who had a
healthy leg amputated to satisfy a sexual fetish. John Ronald Brown, 77,
could face life imprisonment after he amputated the leg of Philip Bondy.
Bondy died of gangrene poisoning in a suburban San Diego hotel two days
later. Bondy contacted Brown as a last resort to fulfill a lifelong desire
to amputate a leg because of a fetish known as apotemnophilia, getting
sexual gratification from the removal of a limb. Prosecutor Stacy Running
said Brown "just chopped off" Bondy's leg below the knee and
then dumped him at a hotel while he buried the leg in the desert. Bondy
called Brown the next day, complaining that he was bleeding and oozing
from the stump, Running said. Brown returned to the hotel, rewrapped the
leg and suggested Bondy take more pain killers. Remains of 5-Year-old Found in Desert CALIFORNIA - The
remains of a 5-year-old Missouri girl who was murdered in 1993 for failing
to recite the alphabet were stumbled upon, literally, in the California
desert by a woman snapping photographs. Angel Hart was killed by her mother's
boyfriend, Gary Christian, who drowned her in the bathtub of a motel in
Kansas City Mo., and encased the girl's body in concrete. Two months after
the slaying, he and Angel's mother, Angela Melton, and the woman's two
other children drove West with the body. Near the California-Arizona line,
Christian dumped the concrete block. According to Chief Deputy Coroner
Rick Macken, a fire in recent years had cleared the area of vegetation
and probably fractured the concrete block, making the discovery possible. Killer's Body Featured In London Art Exhibit LONDON, England -
London art student Marilene Oliver was intrigued by the idea of downloading
images of a deceased man from the Internet. The fact that the man was
put to death in 1993 for killing a pensioner is irrelevant she says. Joseph
Jernigan was executed by lethal injection and donated his body to science.
His corpse was cut into a thousand slices and photographed for the Internet.
In her art exhibit "I Know You Inside Out," Oliver used the
printed images and placed them on stacked sheets of plastic to create
a life size figure of the murderer. Her other piece, "I Know Every
Inch of Your Body," will be displayed right by it. The latter will
be a touch screen digital image of the artist's flayed skin. According
to Oliver, the two pieces are just like Adam and Eve. Suicide Victim's Remains Found Scattered On I95 JUNE 4, 2001 - According
to authorities in Norwalk, Conn., a woman's remains were found scattered
on Interstate 95. An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
reportedly determined the cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma
and the manner of death was suicide. Police claimed vehicles had dragged
parts of her body along the roadway several hundred feet. Her body initially
landed under a bridge over the highway in Norwalk. State police Sgt. Dan
Semosky said he was not sure why drivers who struck the body did not stop,
but said because of the condition of the remains motorists may not have
realized it was human. Several motorists called later to say they may
have hit something, he said. "It's a real nasty thing," Semosky
said. The office have identified the body, but authorities are withholding
the woman's name until the next of kin are notified. Skydiver Killed in Freak Accident MAY 27, 2001 - A parachutist
was killed instantly when she struck a plane's propeller while practicing
a skydiving formation with 29 other jumpers. Michele Thibaudeau, 36, and
eight other parachutists were in one airplane and the other 20 jumpers
were on a second aircraft. After jumping, Thibaudeau reportedly hit the
propeller of the other aircraft and was killed on impact. Thibaudeau's
boyfriend, who was last in line to jump from the plane, followed her body
14,000 feet to its impact in Fentress, Texas. The accident is currently
under investigation by The National Transportation Safety Board. Authorities
say Thibaudeau, of Cartersville, Ga., had completed more than 850 jumps.
All the parachutists had completed a minimum of 400 jumps, which is double
the number the U.S. Parachute Association uses to determine expert status. Elizabeth Renee Otte,
who is accused of killing her month-old son by putting him in a microwave
oven and turning it on, entered a plea on Monday of involuntary manslaughter.
According to experts, Otte suffers from epilepsy, and her seizures often
are followed by blackouts of up to 50 minutes. Joseph Lewis Martinez was
found dead in 1999, crammed inside the 18-inch-wide microwave in the home
Otte shared with the baby's father. According to experts, Joseph probably
died after 10 minutes in the oven, when his blood reached 106 degrees.
Otte told authorities at the time that the last thing she remembered was
feeding the baby. She had stopped taking medication when she became pregnant,
and the baby's father, Joseph Anthony Martinez, told authorities that
she had more than 50 seizures before and after the birth, even dropping
the baby one time. Urinating Man Killed by Landing Plane LUANDA, Angola -
A man standing just outside the boundaries of an Angolan airport should
have tried harder to squelch his need to relieve himself. While answering
the "call of nature," the man was killed by a cargo plane which
made an emergency crash landing immediately after take-off. According
to a Civil Aviation Authority representative, all seven people on board
the plane escaped unhurt. The plane reportedly developed engine problems
on take off from near the town of Dundo and crashed as it attempted to
re-land. Dead Drunk Abused By Pub Patrons SHEFFIELD, U.K. -
Pub patron Ian Clifton of Sheffield, England died last October after consuming
11 pints of lager and untold amounts of bathtub punch, according to an
inquest held late last week. The pub regulars, not realizing that their
companion had departed his mortal coil, sheared off his hair and took
pictures of him posed with an inflatable doll. By the time paramedics
were called in Clifton had been dead for up to an hour. The coroner's
inquest reported that Clifton died of acute alcoholic poisoning. PORT MORESBY, New Guinea - A village dispute in Papua New Guinea ended with a man tearing out the eyes, testicles and heart of another and eating them, police said on Tuesday. Villagers watched
in horror as Moropia Silkapi, 35, attacked the body of Yakamup Makatu,
55, police told Reuters on Tuesday. Police said an argument between Silkapi
and Makatu earlier in the day left Makatu's house burnt to the ground.
After a fight, "Silkapi caught Makatu and smashed his head with a
rock, killing him. He then ate him," Simanjon said. Man Escapes Fire... But Freezes To Death SWEDEN - A Swedish
man escaped from a blaze at a hunting cabin in Sweden. But in a strange
twist of fate he froze to death! In his haste he fled, naked, on
a snowmobile. The Swedish newspaper, The Daily Aftonbladet, said the man
failed to save any of his clothes after the fire broke out on Saturday
night in the cabin at Klovsjo. He was found dead on his snowmobile on
Sunday afternoon, about four km (2.5 miles) from the burnt-out cabin,
with no apparent injuries from the fire. Woman Keeps Dead Husband Home for 4 Months MUNICH - In an effort
to postpone reality, an elderly German woman kept her dead husband in
bed for four months. The husband's sister became suspicious when
she repeatedly called the house, and the wife told her that he did not
want to see any visitors. The sister eventually called the police and
they confirmed that the 76-year-old man had died of natural causes. Previous
to this discovery, in 1998 a man from Hamburg was found sitting in front
of his television; he had been dead for five years. Halloween Prank Results in Asphyxiation Death NOVEMBER 2, 2001 -
According to Morristown Police Department detective Rick Harmon, Terry
Pease was apparently disrobed and then spray-painted orange with a "Halloween-type"
washable hair coloring before collapsing dead at his cousin's house. Harmon
claims the paint fumes overwhelmed Pease's respiratory system, causing
his bronchial tubes to swell and cut off the flow of oxygen to his bloodstream.
Pease allegedly left with three people and returned several hours later,
visibly intoxicated and somewhat disoriented. "He was painted on
his hair, his face, beard, stomach, groin and legs," Harmon said.
"It looked like someone had pulled down his pants, spray-painted
him and then gotten him dressed again." Harmon said he believes that
Pease died as the result of a "prank" but stressed that the
investigation is still ongoing. Man Testing Water-Bike Killed by Duck FLORIDA - Police and
Coast Guard suspect fowl play in the death of a water sportsman who was
testing a "water-bike" on a lake near Deerfield Beach. Leon
Resnick, 31, was going about 55 mph when a duck apparently flew into his
face and knocked him into the water. At first the cause of the tragic
but bizarre accident was unknown, but investigators found the damaged
duck carcass on the shore and feathers on the water bike's handlebars.
"Our theory is that the bird was airborne and clocked him right in
the head," said David Bamdas, owner of Riva Yamaha Honda in Pompano
Beach, where Resnick worked. With Resnick traveling at such a high speed,
the duck "might as well have been a cinder block," he said.
Bamdas added that Resnick was a perfectionist who loved his job. Slaughterhouse Worker Kills and Serves Man NOVEMBER 1, 2001 -
Katherine Knight pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for
the February 2000 killing of John Price, 44, at his home near Newcastle,
Australia. The 45-year-old slaughterhouse worker reportedly stabbed Price
at least 37 times, decapitated him, skinned his body and later included
his flesh in meals for his son and daughter, accompanied by vindictive
notes. Knight claimed she could not remember what happened in the house,
however, prosecutor Mark Macadam had a record that Knight had told her
brother five months earlier that she would murder Price and claim insanity. South African Men Busted for Selling Body Parts SOUTH AFRICA - Two
Southern African men have been arrested for their bad taste in merchandising.
The two men were from the Gale Street mortuary in KwaZulu-Natal were arrested
after allegedly selling testicles and a tongue to undercover police. According
to Dr. Zweli Mkhize, KwaZulu-Natal health minister, "The perception
that body parts can be used in multi to cure people's ailments is ridiculous.
It is illegal and society is being greatly misled if they believe body
parts can cure them." The men have reportedly been charged under
the Corruption Act and the Human Tissue Act. Girl Killed by Cross Atop Tomb FRANCE - A young French
girl died from injuries she sustained after a cross from a tombstone fell
on top of her while her family visited her brother's grave who had died
eight years ago. The stone cross apparently fell from an old tomb and
ruptured the girl's stomach. She died later in the hospital from her injuries. The Aztec civilization
that the Spanish discovered in South America was surprisingly advanced,
except for one religious ritual that called for human sacrifice. The Aztecs
usually chose victims among enemy soldiers taken as captives during war.
But the ritual killing was a sacred rite, not considered punishment or
humiliation. The Aztecs believed their victims traveled to the gods. That
was little comfort to the victims, however, as they were pinned down against
a sacrificial stone by their hands, feet, and heads. A priest then sliced
open the victim's chest, pulled out his heart, and raised it up in an
offering to the gods. The rest of the tasty tidbits where then served
at banquets. Indian police are
clamping down on kite fliers after a 19-year-old motorcycle rider was
killed by a kite string in the southern city of Chennai. The teenager
was returning home from college when he hit the string which slit his
throat. It was the second incident in a week involving a kite string injury.
Earlier, a girl suffered serious cuts on her neck when she came into contact
with a kite string. Serious kite fliers in India strengthen and sharpen
the strings with a mix of glass powder and chemicals. Man's Pet Lizards All-Consuming DOVER, Delaware -
Police discovered the body of a man being eating by 7 flesh-eating lizards
in his apartment. The family of Ronald Huff, 42, called police when he
did not show up for work. They went to his apartment only to find his
seven pet Nile Monitor Lizards feasting on his corpse. The smallest measured
about 2 feet long, and weighed 2 lbs, and the largest was 6 feet and 25
lbs. John Caldwell, SPCA director of DE said the lizards were very aggressive...
"Actually going toward you, mouth open." The cause of Mr. Huff's
death was undetermined. The SPCA will try to place the lizards with zoos
or educational groups, Caldwell said. Barring that, they will be euthanized.
Heavy Book Bag Pulls Boy to His Death JANUARY 4, 2002 -
Too much homework can kill you. A nine-year-old Hong Kong schoolboy learned
this the hard way after plunging 20 stories to his death when his heavy
bag filled with books pulled him over the railing outside his high-rise
flat. Witnesses say the young lad was leaning on the railing when his
school bag slipped and dragged him over. Newspapers report that the boy's
bag weighed about 20 pounds. Policeman Killed by His 3-Year-Old Son JANUARY 5, 2002 -
A 22-year-old policeman was reportedly killed by his 3-year-old son when
the toddler picked up his father's gun off the kitchen table and accidentally
fired. Joshua Haffner, who had recently joined the Smyrna, Tennessee Police
Department, had returned home from his night shift duty, put down his
gun, and was struck in the back by a bullet fired by his unidentified
son. Haffner was taken by helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical
Center where he died a short time later. He had graduated recently from
the Metro Police Academy. 72-DDs
Turned Lethal Weapons FEBRUARY
14, 2002 - Police arrested 24-year-old Forest Simon for aggravated harassment
after he gave his ex-girlfriend "the finger," literally. Simon,
who apparently still pined for the 27-year-old hair stylist he dated before
their breakup over a year ago, sent a black jewelry box containing his
severed middle finger to her at the boutique where she worked. The young
woman was quite startled when she opened the box and found the bloodied
digit, that she called the police. Cops arrested Simon, his left hand
wrapped in a fresh bandage, and took him to Bellevue Hospital for a psychiatric
evaluation. 14-Year-Old Killed by Hockey Puck MARCH 18, 2002 - Brittanie
Cecil, who would have turned 14-years-old on Wednesday, died from a rare
injury to an artery that was damaged when her head snapped back after
being struck by a hockey puck. Brittanie was struck in the forehead by
the puck at a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames.
She died two days later. According to Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis,
who performed the autopsy, the damage to the artery, which runs from the
spine to the back of the brain, led to a "vicious cycle" of
clotting in the artery and swelling of the brain. League vice president
Frank Brown said the NHL will "look at everything" in an effort
to ensure fan safety. This is believed to be the first time in the 84-year
history of the National Hockey League that a fan was killed by a puck.
The Blue Jackets plan to wear the girl's initials on their helmets for
the rest of the season. Wife Killed in Tree-Chopping Accident BERLIN,
Germany - In a horribly tragic and bizarre accident, a woman was crushed
to death by a falling tree, chopped down by her husband. The 66-year-old
husband decided to cut down a tree in their garden because it had become
unstable in a recent storm, and he was concerned that it posed a threat
to passers-by As he was chopping the tree, his wife stood in the street
to warn cars. In a tragic occurrence, the tree fell and crashed down on
her head. She died at the hospital. Acquaintance
Murdered in Fake Suicide
Chicago Man Beaten to Death Over Food Portions MARCH 28,
2002 - Apparently meal proportions were nothing to squawk about in this
Chicago residence. Prosecutors allege David Norington, 38, bludgeoned
51-year-old roommate Ollie Hale with an ashtray, pliers, a hammer, a fire
extinguisher, a dumbbell and, finally, a knife, for taking more than his
share of a chicken dinner. After the attack, Norington called 911 to report
the incident. Prosecutors say Norington implicated himself in the call
and has given a handwritten statement. He is now facing charges of first-degree
murder. A spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Corrections said
Norington was imprisoned in 1990 after pleading guilty to a charge of
second-degree murder in Kankakee County. He was sentenced to 15 years
and released in 1997, she said. Bicycle
Safety Expert Run Down by Bus MARCH 19,
2002 - One of the country's top experts on bicycle and pedestrian safety
was reportedly killed when she was struck by a tour bus while crossing
a downtown intersection. Susie Stephens, 36, of Winthrop, Wash., was said
to have been struck shortly after 8:30 a.m. as she tried to cross eastbound
at Fourth and Chestnut streets. The driver of the Vandalia Bus Lines vehicle
told police he did not see Stephens as he made a left turn from eastbound
Chestnut Street onto northbound Fourth Street. Officials say Stephens
was in St. Louis to help stage a conference on innovative approaches to
transportation sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest
Service. Stephens also had been executive director of the Bicycle Alliance
of Washington and head of the Northwest Bicycle Federation. Coroners Office Embarrassed by Rat Infestation APRIL 8,
2002 - A garage being used by a coroner's office for long-term storage
of corpses has been infested by rats. Coroner's spokesman David Campbell
reportedly confirmed the rat infestation after KMEX-TV of Los Angeles
reported over the weekend that rats had eaten parts of several bodies.
The garage is used for long-term storage of bodies that have not been
identified, or whose relatives have been unable to afford burial or cremation.
Coroner's employees discovered the rodent problem in late February. Damage
included disfiguration to the head, face, neck, toes, hands and groin
areas of the bodies Coroner's officials have notified relatives
about the damaged corpses. Famous
Last Words Ludwig Van
Beethoven, 1827: "I shall hear in heaven." By the time of his
death, Beethoven was completely deaf. Convict James French, seated in the electric chair: "How about this for a headline in tomorrow's paper, French Fries!'" Voltaire, asked on his deathbed to renounce Satan: "This is no time to make new enemies." Karl Marx, grouchy to the last: "Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!" William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, the two greatest writers in their respective languages, died on the same day in the same year, April 23, 1616. These two men are said to have not known one another. On the other hand, two men who knew each other quite well, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died on the same day in the same year, the Fourth of July in 1826. Adam's last words were "Jefferson still lives." Little did he know, Jefferson had died a few hours before. "I'd
like to thank my family for loving me and taking care of me. And the rest
of the world can kiss my ass." "Hurry
it up you Hoosier bastard! I could hang a dozen men while you're screwing
around."
APRIL
29, 2002 - A landscaper reportedly committed suicide by cutting halfway
through his neck from behind with a Stihl chainsaw. A maintenance employee
beginning work at the Esperante Building garage in West Palm Beach, Florida
apparently found Vidal Meneses, 33, dead in the bed of his pickup truck
shortly before 6 a.m. According to police, the chain saw was still in
his hands, the switch locked in the ON setting. Police say they do not
suspect anyone else was involved in Meneses' death. Meneses, of Lake Worth,
had a history of arrests that began when he was 17, on charges that included
kidnapping, sex offense against a child and battery.
Abusive Job Foreman Murdered With Pickax APRIL 23,
2002 - A dictator of a foreman of a construction site in Ridgefield, New
Jersey was found dead with a pickax buried in his skull. The 45-year-old
man was supervising the renovation of a building at 102 Fulton St. in
lower Manhattan. His body was reportedly discovered just after 7 a.m.,
buried beneath sandbags and metal as if someone was trying to hide him.
When the body was finally removed mid-afternoon, the ax was still stuck
in the skull. People who had business on the bustling street told reporters
they often heard the man's booming voice, swearing at his men at the top
of his lungs. "You could hear him from Gold Street [a block away],"
noted a salesman, who said he walked the block every day to catch the
subway. "He yelled and screamed and used all sorts of profane language.
He had a big mouth. I guess he won't be screaming anymore."
Austrian Woman Dies, Is Eaten by German Shepherd MAY 16, 2002
- A 78-year-old woman collapsed and died leaving her German Shepherd dog
trapped in her flat. She was a recluse, so neighbors were unconcerned
when they didn't see her. Eventually, though, once neighbor called the
police, and they forced their way into the elderly woman's Austrian home.
They are still unsure about the cause of death, but estimate that she
might have been dead for more than three weeks. The German Shepherd's
only source of nourishment was its owner's dead body. The dog ate most
of her corpse by the time police reached the scene.
Movers Discover Husband's Corpse in Refrigerator JUNE 6, 2002
- When a property company was hired to help a Japanese woman move to a
new house, they had no idea they were also helping her transport her husband's
dead body. When workers found human remains in the refrigerator, they
immediately called the police. It turns out that the woman allegedly killed
her husband in November of 1997 and stored his decomposing body in the
refrigerator. Her in-laws reported her husband missing the same year.
The 40-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and investigators
are still unsure how she killed her spouse.
Even though
India was not participating in the World Cup soccer events, enthusiasts
in the country avidly watched the games. Mukunda Dey was no exception.
As he tried to change channels and watch the World Cup highlights, his
faulty television fatally electrocuted him. Overcome with grief, his mother
tried to commit suicide. When she heard of her son's death, she poured
kerosene on her clothes and set herself on fire. She was immediately rushed
to the hospital and is reportedly in critical condition.
Cannibalism Tried as Cure for Priapism A Nigerian
man experienced the problem of being constantly aroused. So much so, that
he needed to find a cure for his abnormally persistent erection. When
someone jokingly said he should consider cannibalism, 50-year-old Folorunso
Olukotun took the advice seriously. He hunted down a woman on a path near
her home and killed her with a machete. He then took her intestines home
and according to a spokesman for the Osun state police, Olukotun "cooked
them like a sort of stew and ate them with pounded yam." The killer
led police to the victim's disemboweled body in a bush near his home and
cooperated with them. The spokesperson said, "When the police arrived
he was very open, we have his whole confession on tape and he has been
remanded in custody."
Girlfriend's Corpse Kept in Car for 5 Months JUNE 21,
2002 - A 57-year-old man had been driving around the Izu Peninsula since
January, living out of his car with the corpse of his girlfriend in the
back seat. Police believe the man killed his girlfriend five months ago.
He called the authorities claiming he was going to commit suicide, but
he chose to give himself up instead. Police found the mummified corpse
of a middle-aged woman in the car. The man has since been arrested on
suspicion of murder.
Our
Fastest and Most Dangerous Surgeon A well known
cardiologist died, and an elaborate funeral was planned. A huge heart
covered in flowers stood behind the casket during the service. Following
the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket rolled inside. The heart
then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever. When confronted,
he said, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral... I'm
a gynecologist." 14-year-old Boy Wakes from the Dead SANTIAGO,
Chile - Doctors at Padre Hurtado Hospital in Santiago declared 14-year-old
Luis Alfredo dead after he accidentally strangled himself while playing.
Hospital director Dr. Ernesto Behnke said the boy was clinically dead
and that "his heart had stopped and he didn't respond to cardiac
massage, medication or resuscitation techniques." Alfredo's family
prayed and prayed, hoping for a miracle. Late that night in the morgue,
mortuary workers heard strange noises. Apparently the boy was still breathing.
His family rejoiced, claiming it was a miracle from the Virgin of Lourdes.
They believed she saved him because Luis was an altar boy and wanted to
become a priest. HELSINGOR,
DENMARK - When neighbors didn't see the 86-year-old man who lived nearby
for quite some time, they minded their own business. After all, they knew
the man usually desired peace and quiet, so they were just honoring his
wishes. Then they began to smell him. Or rather, they smelled something
awful coming from the man's home, so they contacted police. When he didn't
answer the door, the authorities forced their way in and found the owner
on the toilet. He had been dead for a year. Officers found a dated bottle
of medicine next to the body confirming the time lapse. Paddy's Second Funeral of the Day Paddy was found dead in his back yard, and as the weather was a bit on the warm side, the wake was held down to only two days, so his mortal remains wouldn't take a bad turn. At last his friends laid him in the box, nailed it shut and started down the hill into the churchyard. As it was a long, sloping path and the mourners were appropriately tipsy, one fellow lurched into the gatepost as they entered the graveyard. Suddenly a loud knocking came from in the box. Paddy was alive! They opened
the box up and he sat up, wide eyed, and they all said, Sure, it's a miracle
of God! All rejoiced and went back and had a few more drinks. But later
that day, the poor lad died. Really died. Stone cold dead. They bundled
him back into his box, and as they huffed and puffed down the hill the
next morning, the priest said, "Careful now, boys, mind ye don't
bump the gatepost again!" An elderly Scottish man took his little grandson for a walk around the local cemetery. Pausing before one gravestone he said, "There lies a very honest man. He died owing me 50 pounds, but he struggled to the end to pay off his debts, and if anyone has gone to heaven, he has." They walked on a bit further and then came to another grave. The old man pointed to the gravestone and said, "Now there's a different type of man altogether. He owed me 60 pounds and he died without ever trying to pay me back. If anyone has gone to hell, he has." The little boy thought for a while and then said, "You know, Grandpa, you are very lucky." "Why?" asked the old man in surprise. "Well,
whichever place you go to, you'll have some money to draw on." Vampire Obsession Turns Murderous A 17-year-old
British girl took her obsession for all things vampire way too far when
she attacked a deaf pensioner in the woman's home. The 90-year-old victim
was watching television when the teenager approached her from behind and
stabbed the woman 22 times. Then she cut the woman's heart out, wrapped
it in newspaper, and drank her blood. After creating gashes in the woman's
legs, the young girl propped her victim up in an armchair, and as some
sort of statement, put fire pokers at the woman's feet in the shape of
a cross. Son Keeps Father's Corpse on Couch BERLIN, Germany
- Father and son lived together in Germany, and their apartment was rented
under the father's name. When the latter died, his 42-year-old unemployed
son feared eviction if the landlord found out...so he just didn't tell
him. For over a year. After smelling something burning, neighbors contacted
the fire department. The decomposing body was waiting for the firemen
when they arrived at the scene; it greeted them sitting on the couch.
Petra Volk, spokeswoman for Wiesbaden police said "The flat was a
mess, with rubbish and empty bottles everywhere...It's incredible to think
of them together like that." Fortunately, police believe the father
died of natural causes. A candy factory
worker died after being submerged in a 1,200-gallon vat of liquefied chocolate.
Yoni Cordon, 19, of Philadelphia, was discovered in the vat by co-workers
at the Kargher Corp. in Hatfield, PA on Tuesday. Police said they believe
Cordon had been working on a platform near the opening of the vat, which
is used for mixing and melting chocolate. Nobody saw Cordon fall and it
was unknown how long he was submerged before he was found. Foul play was
not suspected and the death was being investigated as an accident. France's
highest court has refused to allow two teachers to keep their mother's
body in a glass freezer at home. The Conseil d'Etat ruled cryonics - stopping
physical decay after death in the hope of future revival - is illegal.
Michel Leroy and his sister Joelle from the French Indian Ocean island
of Reunion want to keep their mother's body in a basement freezer. The
Times says their mother Lise Leroy has been in refrigeration since July
1999. Mr Leroy says he'll challenge the decision at the European Court
of Human Rights. Snowmobile Stunt Kills Canadian VANCOUVER,
British Columbia - A Canadian man who tried to drive his snowmobile through
a ball of flames during a drunken summer party has died of his injuries,
police said. Josh Chapman was severely burned in the incident in Squamish,
British Columbia. Witnesses told police the 23-year-old from Whistler,
British Columbia, near Vancouver, rode the snowmobile in a "wheelie"
down a paved public street and attempt to drive it through a gasoline
fire at the end of the run. Local media reported Chapman's stunt was also
being recorded for use in a video of extreme sports events. Chapman had
been hospitalized in critical condition and died two days later. No criminal
charges have been filed. A Swedish man died Tuesday when he was buried alive under a 13-ton pile of peas in a storage silo, local media reported. The man, who was around 30 years old, was working on an electrical installation on a farm near the town of Mjolby in southeastern Sweden when the peas were dumped on him. Rescue workers
pulled the man from the silo but were unable to revive him, a radio station
reported. TRAVERSE
CITY, Mich. - Having traced his heritage back to the vikings, local businessman
Arne Shield decided he wanted to pay homage to his roots when he died.
His family then fulfilled his dream by placing his cremated remains on
a papier-mâché boat, lighting it on fire and setting the
boat adrift on its journey down the West Grand Traverse Bay. LONDON -
An exhibition of flayed human corpses currently on display in London has
influenced more than 20 people to donate their body parts to the cause.
The process calls for skinning of the corpse, splaying the insides and
then putting it on display. Donors feel their bodies are no more than
shells that they have no use for after death. Turn Your Loved-Ones Into Gems ELK GROVE
VILLAGE, Ill. - An Illinois company called Life Gem has come up with a
new way to memorialize deceased loved ones -- make them into a diamond.
Apparently, cremated remains can be shipped to Germany where the carbon
that is created when the body is cremated is turned into graphite and
then into gems by simulating the intense pressure and temperature needed
to produce diamonds. Four funeral homes in Chicago have decided to offer
the service. A spokesman said that some will probably consider it a wacky
idea. Fetus Removed From Six-Month-Old Boy CALCUTTA,
India - Doctors removed a 2.2 lb fetus from a six-month-old baby boy.
They were amazed at the discovery and could not believe they actually
had to remove a dead fetus from a child. Apparently "fetus in fetu"
is a phenomenon in which an imperfect fetus is contained in the body of
its sibling. This is a rare case. 49-Year-Old Fossilized Fetus Found DECEMBER
31, 2000 - Taiwan doctors operating on a 76-year-old woman discovered
a "fossilized" fetus in her abdomen conceived 49 years ago -
a phenomenon recorded only three times in history, hospital sources said
on Wednesday. The Veterans General Hospital said doctors on December 31
found a 20 gramme (0.7 ounce) lithopaedion, the rocklike remains of a
fetus hardened by calcium buildup, in the abdominal cavity of a woman
named Wu. The baby appeared to have died in the 20th week of Wu's pregnancy
when the fetus moved from her womb to her abdomen. Misunderstanding Results in Death of Prisoners In 1977 Napoleon
ordered his officers to set twelve hundred Turkish prisoners free. However,
he was suffering from a coughing fit and his words, "Ma sacree toux,"
(meaning my confounded cough) were misunderstood. The officers heard,
"Massacrez tous," (meaning kill them all) and opened fire, killing
all of the prisoners. Strange Re-Burial Ritual in Madagascar In Madagascar
the dead are reburied during the cool season. During the reburial ritual
the corpse is dug up, marched by family members through the hills, down
unusual paths, and then finally laid to rest in the family's ancestral
home burial ground. The idea behind this ritual is to confuse the spirit
so it doesn't follow the family members back to the village, and instead
remains in the ancestral home where it belongs. PHNOM PENH
- Dem Mam, head of a fringe Buddhist cult, was released from custody without
charge after being accused of encouraging three Cambodian monks to burn
themselves to death in tubs of petrol. Prosecutors could find no laws
to charge the man. Two nuns and a monk died and three others were found
trying to stab themselves to death. The cult members left notes explaining
their suicide was the only way into heaven. Dem Mam denied any wrongdoing.
He also told officers he had not followed through with the ritual suicide
himself since he was already holy enough. Catherine the Great - Empress of Russia 1796 --- a stroke, while going to the bathroom. Isadora Duncan
- actress John Glasscock
- musician (Jethro Tull) Frank Hayes
- jockey Tommy Tucker
- musician Tennessee
Williams - writer Attila the Hun, one of the most notorious villains in history, died from a nosebleed on his wedding night. He gorged himself on food and drink at the banquet for his wedding celebration to a young girl named Ildico. He suffered a nosebleed sometime during the night, but was too drunk to notice. He drowned in his own blood and was found dead the following morning. French national hero Napoleon Bonaparte, successful for conquering most of Europe, was killed by his own wallpaper. Napoleon was imprisoned by the British on the island of St. Helena. Scheele's Green was a coloring pigment used in fabrics and wallpaper at the time. If wallpaper that contained Scheele's Green became damp and moldy, the pigment would undergo a chemical change, and would give off Arsenic gas. The wallpaper in Napoleon's bedroom contained Scheele's Green and he was poisoned. Alexander I of the Hellenes, the King of Greece from 1917, died after being bitten by his pet monkey. While he was walking his dog in the garden, his pooch and his monkey started to fight. In an attempt to separate them, Alexander was bitten on the ankle by the monkey. Five days later, the wound turned septic and he came down with a fever. He later died from the resulting Cellulitis. French King and Crusader Henry I died from accidental defenestration. When Henry was awaiting word from the Pisan army that their ships and soldiers were ready to join him in relieving Jaffa from Al-Adil's Saracen army, he eagerly turned to greet the delegation when they arrived. When he did, he stepped backwards and lost his balance. As he fell over, his little dwarf, Scarlet, pulled at his robes. However, instead of saving the king, the dwarf fell, too, and both men died instantly. Francis Bacon,
one of the most influential minds of the late 16th century as a statesman,
philosopher, writer and scientist, died by stuffing snow into a chicken.
He was struck by the notion that possibly snow could be used to preserve
meat in the same way that salt was used. He bought a chicken from a local
village, killed it, and then tried to stuff the chicken full to snow to
freeze it. The chicken didn't freeze...but Bacon did. Man Dies After Daughter Shows Up to Service Him ISRAEL -
An Israeli man suffered a heart attack after he had a visit from a call
girl in his hotel room. Contrary to any preconceived notions, the 48-year-old
businessman sustained the attack not because of ruckus activity, but due
to the fact that the call girl was his own daughter. The mere sight of
his child as she entered the room sent the man into such shock that his
heart failed on him. After returning home, the man's wife decided to divorce
him and vowed to put her daughter back on the "right path."
CHILE - Efforts
have been put forth by designer Joaquin Ortuzar to keep couples together
forever... and ever. The luxury coffin designer has manufactured a deluxe
casket that allows couples to be laid to rest together. For roughly $1,860,
the satin and cotton lined catafalque allows those who have perished together
to be immortalized together. Although its size prohibits transportation
in a normal hearse, Ortuzar claims that eight people should be able to
carry it comfortably. This creative idea allows couples who grow together
to decompose together.
Robert Lincoln
was on his way home from Harvard to visit his parent's at 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue, when he fell between two railroad cars at the station in Jersey
City, New Jersey. He was rescued by an actor on his way to visit his sister
in Philadelphia. The actor's name was Edwin Booth, the brother of the
man who a few week's later would murder Lincoln's father. Husband Dies Clearing Place for Gravestone Dwayne Carroll,
48, from Kentucky, had a fatal heart attack while clearing a place for
the double gravestone intended to commemorate himself and his wife in
the Floyd County cemetery. When he was late arriving home, his wife Carolyn,
49, sent her sister, Shelby Shrewsbury, to look for him. Mrs. Carroll
had a fatal heart attack herself when her sister told her the news. The
headstone had the names and birth dates of both husband and wife on it,
but only one date of death will be required. Rasputin Was One Tough Old Monk When Rasputin,
the "mad monk," was assassinated in Petrograd (Leningrad), in
1916, his assassins first fed him cakes and wine laced with enough cyanide
to kill several men. He ate and drank and showed no ill effects. He was
then shot through the chest, clubbed on the head with a lead-filled walking
stick and thrown in the Neva River. When his body was recovered, the autopsy
showed he had died from drowning. Health Workers Mis-Read Lack of Response LONDON, England
- Don't you just hate it when people completely ignore what you're saying?
Such was the case when two British mental health workers visited a woman
with paranoid schizophrenia in her London home. The workers approached
Patricia Harris as she sat in her kitchen with the curtains drawn and
her back to them. The workers tried to talk to the 43-year-old mental
patient, but she wouldn't answer them. The workers then left, claiming,
"She didn't seem to want us there." The next day, two other
health workers on a follow-up visit discovered that Harris was dead. Booby Traps Backfire, Kill Vengeful Adulterer CHARLEROIS,
Belgium - One disturbed, grumpy old man felt such hatred towards his estranged
family that he set up 19 death traps in his home with the intention of
killing them. Louis Dethy, 79, ended up killing himself when one of his
own booby traps backfired on him. Police found him with a gunshot wound
to the neck after he forgot about the shotgun he had hidden in a wooden
chest. The cause for the hatred of his wife and 14 children came after
his selfish act of adultery that left him alone with a reclusive existence.
Having never forgiven his wife and kids for leaving him, he decided to
take out his vengeance by murder. BONN, Germany
- So much for man's best friend. A report from Germany has disclosed that
a hungry dog ate part of his owner after the man died in his apartment.
Since the body had been there for several days, the dog was left with
no choice but to eat parts of the man to avoid starvation. One police
spokesman claimed that the event was not uncommon. "These things
happen when people live and die alone." The St. Bernard was later
brought to a dog pound. Insatiable Indian Blood-Sucker INDIA - Practitioners
of Christian religions drink the blood of Christ during communion. However,
the blood is a representation given in the form of wine. Sisir Das, a
practitioner of Hindu occult rituals, takes his blood drinking literally
as he has sucked the blood of 207 goats sacrificed at a Hindu temple.
A news source in India says that blood sucking runs in the sorcerer's
family and that his thirst for blood "remains insatiable." Mr.
Das says he is directed by the goddess Kali to drink the blood. "I
don't know what happens to me all these four days. I feel the goddess
taking possession of my body," explains Das. The Death of Tennessee Williams The famous
American playwright, Tennessee Williams died in 1983 from choking on the
cap of a prescription bottle of eye drops. He was, in his last years especially,
a habitual pill taker. He also drank a lot of alcohol. Presumably in an
impaired state, he put the cap in his mouth, apparently mistaking it for
another pill, and choked to death in his Manhattan hotel suite. The LoGagaa
tribe in Ghana believe that when you die you have to pay a fee to a ferryman
who will transport you to the afterlife. The ferryman acts as a guardian
of the afterlife. In this religion crossing the spiritual river brings
you to everlasting life. But before you die, you better be sure to pay
all your debts because those who haven't can not cross the river until
their creditor dies at which time they can pay him and cross to the other
side. Being struck by lightning and killed is statistically most likely to occur while in the state of Florida. Before discovering malaria is passed to humans through mosquitos people believed it came from bad air. For centuries the fear of being buried alive was so prevalent that in Europe there was a group called The Society for the Prevention of Premature Burial. In ancient Rome a person could be executed for singing rude songs. The Chinese Heredity Jar is a traditional earthen container carried in funeral processions. One of its uses is to be used in a children's competition in which each child tries to stuff the most food for the deceased into the jar. Chicago mobster Al "Scarface" Capone died of complications from syphilis. "Mad" Jan of Leidon was the leader of an Anabaptist cult in the Netherlands. He set up a theocracy, and took 21 wives. One day, one of his wives answered him back, so he instructed the other 20 of them to hold her down, while he single-handedly trampled her to death. The last public execution in America was the hanging of a 22-year-old black man named Rainey Bethea. He was executed at Owensboro, KY, in 1936 after being convicted of killing a 70-year-old white women. Twenty thousand people showed up to witness the execution. The last person hanged in the U.S. for being a pirate was Capt. Nathaniel Gordon, in New York City on March 8, 1862. Gordon had been smuggling slaves into the US. The last person to be burned at the stake was Phoebe Harrius. Harrius was convicted of coining false money and was burned at the stake in front of Newgate Prison in England in 1786. The last public execution by guillotine was on June 17, 1939. Eugen Weidman was executed before a large crowd in Versailles, France. The last nonpublic use of the guillotine in France, at Baumetes Prison, in Marsailles, was the execution of convicted murderer Hamida Djandoubi, a Tunisian immigrant, on September 10, 1977. During WWII Private Eddie Slovik was tried by court-martial and sentenced to death for desertion. He was shot by his own unit, the 28th Infantry Division, in a small town in northeast France. Michael Anderson Goodwin was sitting on a metal toilet in his jail cell, attempting to fix his small TV set, when he bit into a wire and was electrocuted. Ironically, Goodwin had spent many years awaiting South Carolina's electric chair on a murder conviction before his sentenced was reduced to life in prison. A man died after being killed by his own gas. His diet had consisted mostly of beans and cabbage and he was sleeping in a room with no ventilation. It appeared that the man died in his sleep from breathing the poisonous cloud that was lurking over his bed. An autopsy showed large amounts of methane gas in his system. A man using a shotgun like a club to break a former girlfriend's windshield accidentally shot himself to death when the gun discharged, blowing a hole in his gut. Ken Charles
Barger accidentally shot himself to death when he was awakened by the
sound of a ringing telephone beside his bed. When he reached for the phone,
he grabbed instead a Smith & Wesson .38 Special, which went off when
he held it to his ear. 13 An Unlucky Number for This Golfer Do you believe
the number 13 is unlucky? Michael Scaglione was playing golf in New Orleans
when he got so mad at himself for making a bad shot that he threw his
golf club in a fit of rage. The club hit his golf cart, at which time
the head snapped off and bounced back towards him, hitting him in the
throat. The club severed his jugular vein and killed him. He was on the
13th hole when this happened. Hans Christian
Andersen, author of "The Little Mermaid," "The Ugly Duckling"
and "The Princess and The Pea" (among others) died at the age
of 70. At the time of his death he was a virgin. He was also extremely
phobic. He was terrified of fire and of being buried alive. He made his
friends promise to slit one of his arteries before burying him to make
sure he was really dead. He died of liver cancer. Limbo was
part of the Roman Catholic tradition prior to Vatican II. After death,
it was believed that un-baptized babies remained in Limbo until they are
admitted to heaven through the prayers of the faithful still on earth.
In some parishes, schoolchildren would raise money for the Limbo Babies
in order to help them pass to heaven. A recent email suggests the schoolchildren
were raising money for Pagan babies. HONG KONG
- The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong's top university, apologized
to police for sending them on a wild goose chase after they accidentally
dumped human body parts in a landfill. Workers in the landfill found three
lower torsos, three right legs, two thighs and a left foot last week.
Police discovered that the body parts had been injected with formaldehyde
and traced them to the university. Lam Shiu-kam, a professor and dean
of medicine, said the body parts were used by the faculty for research.
The parts were then left behind when the department moved to a new building.
When the building was being demolished the parts were mistaken for construction
waste. On October
17, 1814 in a small London parish called St. Giles Nine people drowned
and two homes were destroyed when a wall of beer swept through the neighborhood.
St. Giles was a slum where entire families were packed into single rooms,
attics and cellars. On this night, a vat of 3,500 barrels of beer exploded
sweeping victims away, slamming them into walls and burying them under
debris. Rescuers had to wade in beer up to their waists. A Timer for your Guillotine Sir? LONDON --
Police in Britain are investigating what they describe as a "very
unusual" suicide case. A 36-year-old man killed himself with what
appears to be a homemade guillotine. Police say the man attached a timer
to the device and apparently set it to kill him early Monday morning.
They said the guillotine was found in a bedroom -- and media reports indicate
a bed was placed underneath it. Woman Keeps Dead Aunt in Bed 18 Months BERLIN -
When a loved one passes away, it can be difficult to move on. Families
and friends often find comfort in keeping the memories of the deceased
with them. Others, on the other hand, need more than a memory, and keep
the bodies of the deceased with them. A report from southwestern Germany
says that a 54-year-old woman was living with her dead aunt tucked in
bed for 18 months. After police discovered the skeleton, the woman told
them her aunt, aged 89, had died in June of 2001. An autopsy revealed
the aunt had died of natural causes. The niece is now resting comfortably
in a psychiatric clinic. Cindi was a fine girl, but not too bright. One day she got asked out on a date by one guy she really liked, so on the day of the date she wanted to look pretty. The day came but she never showed up and as days went by, her boyfriend decided to pay her a visit in order to know what happened. Telephone calls didn't work so he went to her home, and after waiting for an answer he decided to take a look inside from the back part of the house which had a window to the kitchen only to find out his date laying on the kitchen's floor. When police
arrived they could reconstruct the girls last moments. As time for the
meeting came closer, Cindi noticed her hair was still too wet to be combed
so an idea struck her mind. She would go to the kitchen, get a knife,
head for the microwave oven, open its door, falsely lock the door in order
to keep it open and dry her hair by placing her head inside the oven.
Did I mention she was a blonde? Doctors diagnosed
death by boiled brain. Dismembered Victim Discovered in Well One of the
most heinous murders of the nineteenth century was committed by Harvard
professor Dr. John Webster. Dr. Webster, of the medical school, owed Dr.
George Parkman a large amount of money. Instead of paying his debt, he
killed Parkman, dismembered him and hid the parts in a well. A suspicious
janitor opened the well and found the parts. Webster was tried and executed. Dramatic Suicide Attempt Fails John Helms
attempted suicide by jumping off the Empire State Building. To his dismay,
he landed on a ledge on the 85th floor and survived. Husband Found Mummified KASHIBA,
Japan - It's one thing to mourn the death of a loved one and hope that
some miracle will bring them back to life, but it's another thing to keep
that person rotting in your house. After a fire broke out at a home in
Kashiba, Japan, firefighters found the badly decomposed body of a female
tenant's husband ceremoniously laid out in a tatami-mat room near the
entrance to the home. The 72-year-old wife, who lives with her 36-year-old
daughter, made no efforts to conceal the body, for she believed his mummified
corpse would return to life. Authorities noted that the man had been dead
for at least one month. CLAYTON,
Mo. - A New York man figured that if he couldn't bring his pet with him
on his journey, no one else could have it. Stefan Albrecht has been charged
in St. Louis with misdemeanor animal abuse after he beat his pet ferret
to death. Authorities say the man smuggled the small weasel-like creature
on to a flight by using a carry-on cooler. After the animal was discovered
on his person, the airline told Albrecht that it would have to be taken
to the Humane Society rather than continue with him on his way to Phoenix.
Not satisfied with his options, Albrecht decided to take the ferret to
an airport restroom, break its neck and flush it down the toilet. He then
told airline workers what he had done. A funeral service is being held for a woman who has just passed away. At the end of the service, the pall bearers are carrying the casket out when they accidentally bump into a wall, jarring the casket. They hear a faint moan! They open the casket and find that the woman is actually alive! She lives
for ten more years, and then dies. Once again, a ceremony is held, and
at the end of it, the pall bearers are again carrying out the casket.
As they carry the casket towards the door, the husband cries out: "Watch
that fucking wall!" Three Die Retrieving Cell Phone NAIROBI -
Three Kenyans lost their lives trying to retrieve a mobile phone that
slipped down an open-pit latrine while the owner was answering her own
call from nature. For some reason, the owner still wanted her phone back,
so she offered 1,000 shillings ($13.09) to anyone who would recover it
for her. Seeing as how well over half the Kenyan population of 30 million
people lives on less than $1 a day, three men were more than happy to
accept the offer. Unfortunately, it took three men's lives before police
held others back from attempting the rescue. Man Beaten to Death With Pogo Stick ST. LOUIS,
Mo. - It's not every day that you read about a man being beaten to death
with a pogo stick. Richard Bilauski, 30, was sentenced to 30 years in
prison for attacking two men with an aluminum bat and a pogo stick, killing
one and severely injuring another. The attack happened after the accused
asked the two men about the whereabouts of his girlfriend. The three argued
and Bilauski ended up beating the two men with the bat and pogo stick.
One man died and the other suffered a head wound and a loss of hearing.
If one had to make a guess, it would be that the victim who died was beaten
with the bat, while the other was beaten with the pogo stick... considering
he was able to bounce back from his injuries. Too Much 'Juice' During Masturbation MALAGA, Spain
- There's a fine line between getting freaky in the bedroom and getting
downright dangerous. A German man ended up killing himself after experiments
with a homemade sex toy went horribly wrong. The body of the 65-year-old
man was found in a rented apartment after he was reported missing by a
female acquaintance. Pushing the limits of masturbation, the man applied
the electrodes of an adapted voltmeter to his genitals. The autopsy revealed
that the man died from a heart attack triggered by the electric shock.
Foul play was ruled out after police found the man lying on his bed with
the television on and a porno in the VCR. LARDAL, Norway
- Many people reported seeing a fireball explode in the night sky and
then fall slowly down to earth. Unsure of what they were watching, several
witnesses panicked and called police, believing it to be a fallen alien
spaceship. As it turns out, what was thought to be an unidentified flying
object was actually an electrocuted cat. Investigators solved the otherworldly
mystery when they found the charred body of a cat at the base of an electrical
mast. They believe the unlucky feline used up all nine lives after it
climbed up the pole and touched a livewire. As police spokesperson Lars
Helge Sogn told a Norwegian newspaper, what the people were watching was
the cat exploding and falling off the mast. Inmate Drowns Himself in Toilet BANGKOK,
Thailand - A report from a police station in one of Bangkok's northern
suburbs claims that the body of Hong Khaphapu was found in his detention
cell after he took his own life. For the first time, an inmate has killed
himself by drowning. Thai police claim that the Chinese drug suspect committed
suicide by submerging his head in a toilet water tank in his cell. Hong
had previously been detained after police found close to 4,000 methamphetamine
pills on him, as well as another 10,000 at his apartment. Some human rights
groups are suspicious of the incident, knowing that many inmate deaths
have come by the hands of police officers. Dead Grandfather Attends Wedding WELLINGTON,
New Zealand - Johannes Fransen died two days before his granddaughter's
wedding, but his family brought him along anyway. Fransen's body was parked,
in an open coffin, in the church during his granddaughter Rachel James'
wedding. "We just went ahead with the wedding and put Opa's (the
Dutch word for grandfather) coffin at the side of the church," said
Nancy James, Rachel's mother. During the reception, the open casket was
placed at the end of the hall. Three dead bodies turn up at the mortuary, all with very big smiles on their faces. The coroner calls the police to tell them what has happened. "First body: Frenchman, 60, died of heart failure while making love to his mistress. Hence the enormous smile, Inspector," says the Coroner. "Second body: Scotsman, 25, won a thousand pounds on the lottery, spent it all on whiskey. Died of alcohol poisoning, hence the smile." The Inspector asked, "What of the third body?" "Ah," says the coroner, "this is the most unusual one. Billy-Bob the redneck from Oklahoma, 30, struck by lightning." "Why is he smiling then?" inquires the Inspector. "Thought
he was having his picture taken." Celebrating Gay Neighbor's Demise BERLIN -
A 63-year-old retired man was convicted of maligning the memory of the
dead and defamation after he was seen celebrating the death of a gay neighbor.
The man celebrated by setting off fireworks and singing with extreme joy
and enthusiasm as the corpse was being carried from his home in a coffin.
He was fined 2,700 euro ($3,102) for his crime. The man had a history
of fighting with his gay neighbors. Lucky Man Routinely Escapes Death ZAGREB -
An elderly Croatian man is sure to receive a flood of mail from people
asking him to pick winning lottery ticket numbers. The fortunate soul
is lucky to be alive, for several reasons. Frane Selak, a music teacher,
is perhaps the world's most accomplished serial crash survivor. Not only
has he escaped death during a series of serious car accidents, he also
managed to escape a bus unharmed after it plunged into a Bosnian river,
killing everyone on board but him and the driver. It doesn't end there.
Selak was on a train that also happened to plunge into another river,
killing dozens of passengers. A year later, he was aboard a small plane
that crashed, claiming the lives of 17 passengers and three crew members.
He survived after being sucked out of the plane and landing in a haystack. When her elderly husband finally died, a woman put the usual death notice in the paper, but added that he died of gonorrhea. No sooner were the papers delivered when a good friend of the family phoned and complained bitterly, "You know very well that he died of diarrhea, not gonorrhea. Replied the
widow, "I nursed him night and day, so of course I know he died of
diarrhea. But I thought it would be better for posterity to remember him
as a great lover rather than the big shit he always was." Workers at
a Kansas City motel discovered an unregistered occupant in one of the
rooms. A dead man was found under a mattress where a guest had stayed
three nights, complaining repeatedly about a nasty odor. The guest complained
the first day he checked in, but was told by management that nothing could
be done about the smell. He checked out three days later because he could
not stand the stench any longer. Police were called after cleaning staff
lifted the mattress and discovered the body that was hidden by wooden
panels. Detectives believe the body had been resting under the bed for
many days since it was in an advanced stage of decomposition. Hard to Find a Job When You're Dead Finding a
job is tough these days, especially if your records say you are dead.
Unemployed driver Marcio Freitas da Silva of Brazil discovered this when
he tried to find a job. The problem came in when another man of the same
name and age died three years ago, coroners wrote the names of the living
da Silva's parents on the death certificate. "It's a humiliating
situation when others make mistakes and I have to prove that I'm alive,"
da Silva said. He had been told that a dead man "cannont drive vehicles
on federal highways." Although the civil registry office has revitalized
da Silva, most government offices have not yet received the new documents. Actress Clara Blandick (Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz) took sleeping pills and tied a plastic bag over her head. Family Feud host Ray Combs hung himself with bed sheets in his hospital room while on a 72-hour "suicide watch." Poet Hart Crane drowned when he bid his fellow passengers on a steamship farewell and jumped overboard. Actress Lillian Millicent Entwistle jumped from the 'H' of the 'Hollywood' sign. Chris Hubbock, a newscaster, shot herself in the head during a prime-time news broadcast in Florida. Michael Hutchence,
the musician of the band Inxs, hung himself with a belt in his room at
the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. A Norwegian
man was sent to prison for two years after breaking into a church mortuary
and chopping off the head of a corpse to display it during a party. Under
the influence of alcohol and drugs, the man and three of his friends broke
into a chapel while they were having a party near the town of Skien. Their
initial purpose for breaking into the church was to steal valuables, however,
they noticed several coffins awaiting burial and broke open four of them.
The man who received the two year sentence hacked off the head of one
of the corpses with a knife. He then placed the head in a plastic bag
and took it to display at the "heavy metal" rock music party
he was attending. British Man Bites Off Kitten's Head CARDIFF -
A Welsh farm worker is under police investigation after allegedly biting
off a kitten's head in front of 20 children, the London Sun said Friday.
Dewi Richards, 32, is free on bail on cruelty charges as Royal Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and police interrogate witnesses.
The mother of Kaya Kemp, 12, said the girl was showing off the 2-week-old
cat to friends when the kitten escaped from her box. A man picked the
cat up and "put her head in his mouth. He bit down and blood spurted
everywhere," the woman told the Sun, saying she then began hitting
the man. "He said if I didn't stop he'd bite my head off, too,"
she said. The man then ran off with the body of the kitten. Richards was
arrested after complaints to police and the RSPCA in Llanelli, South Wales. LONDON -
A Scottish man was jailed for life because he killed his best friend,
drank his blood and ate part of his skull. Apparently, he was a tad obsessed
with vampires. Allan Menzies told the High Court in Edinburgh, Scotland,
that he had made a pact with the female vampire, Akasha, from the 2002
horror film "Queen of the Damned" and stabbed his friend Thomas
McKendrick to death in the hopes of becoming immortal. He said that the
character Akasha, played by the late singer Aaliyah, had visited his home
and told him to go through with the killing. A judge sentenced Menzies
to at least 18 years without parole, calling him an "evil, violent
and highly dangerous man who is not fit to be at liberty." 14-Year-Old Dies While Subway Surfing New York
- According to transit officials, a teenage passenger trying to subway
surf on a C train was killed suddenly when he hit his head on a girder,
plunged to the tracks in a tunnel and was run over by another train. Eric
Alvarez, 14, a freshman at Chelsea Vocational High School was riding between
cars and trying to climb on top of the northbound train between the West
Fourth Street and West 14th Street stations at 4 p.m., officials said.
An E train following behind apparently struck him, said Paul Fleuranges,
a spokesman for New York City Transit. "We were just playing around,
when his head hit," said Sean Thompson, 14, a friend who was on the
train. "He got hit in the head, and his body went up." A police
spokesman said Eric's body was found 600 feet north of where he struck
his head, nearly two hours after the accident. His death was the first
this year involving subway surfing. Last year, at least three people were
killed or critically injured while trying to subway surf. Eric's family
received the news with disbelief. Eric, they said, was not known for being
reckless. Pigeon Owner Hangs Cat from Flagpole NORWAY -
Police in Rolvsoey had a busy day on Thursday. First they were called
by horrified passersby who had noticed a cat swinging from a flagpole.
After they retrieved the dead feline, they received a phone call from
the owner of the flagpole who inquired if they had taken care of the animal.
The owner told police that the animal always broke into his pigeon home
and had killed three of his carrier pigeons earlier that week. He put
out a trap for the tabby to protect his birds and later found the cat
dead. "I then chose to hang the cat from the flagpole so it would
be easier for the owner to find him," he told police. Police only
had the pigeon owner's word that the cat was dead before it was put up
on the flagpole. "We've only kept the cat so it won't be hanging
around," police chief Geir Kristiansen said. Drinking Contest Results in Alcohol Poisoning MOSCOW -
A Russian man died after winning a drinking contest. He consumed several
pints of vodka and all five contestants had to receive hospital treatment
for alcohol poisoning. "The competition lasted 30, perhaps 40 minutes
and the winner downed three half-liter bottles. He was taken home by taxi
but died within 20 minutes," said Roman Popov, a prosecutor pursuing
the case in the town of Volgodonsk. The prize for winning the drinking
contest was 10 bottles of vodka, reported the London Telegraph. However,
the Itar-Tass news agency says Volgodonsk police are charging competition
officials with involuntary manslaughter. Russians frequently down about
a quart of vodka at one sitting, but last year 40,000 Russians died of
alcohol related illnesses. Cannibal on Trial in Germany KASSEL, Germany
- A German man awaiting trial for murdering and eating an acquaintance
has conceded cannibalism "will only lead to problems," the London
Mirror said Monday. Prosecutors allege Armin Meiwes, 41, killed then ate
computer analyst Bernd-Juergen Brandes, 42, after the pair set up the
death-wish meeting over the Internet. Police found Brandes' mutilated
and partially eaten remains. Most had been grilled on a barbecue. Meiwes,
who goes on trial next week, denies the murder charge. But prosecutors
say the case cannot be considered assisted suicide even though Brandes
agreed to be killed. Meiwes said he is writing his memoirs from prison,
adding: "I don't recommend that people follow my example. It's not
a good lifestyle."
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