Death by Nitrogen



For anyone interested, BBC Sounds has a podcast called Killing Death Row. Six episodes of thirty minutes, delves into the whole subject of 'legal homicide.'
 
JonMc said:
Inhaling inert gasses is a pretty popular form of suicide. Apparently you are knocked out pretty quickly and any body spasms aren't really felt by the recipient. I'm surprised this method of state suicide hasn't been considered sooner tbh.
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Wouldn't carbon dioxide be quicker than nitrogen?
PinzaC55 said:
This is Chad Doerman who planned the murder of his three sons aged 3 , 5 and 7 in order to "get back" at his wife for something. One of the kids escaped briefly and he dragged him back and shot him. The prosecutor has said he wants Doerman executed. Do you think he is guilty and what would be an appropriate punishment ?

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Life imprisonment with zero possibility of parole.
 
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NodsNeph said:
That was puzzling me as well.
We use nitrogen purges on our gas mains on the steelworks and, as you say, it's drilled into you that it takes just one breath in a N2 enriched atmosphere and that's it.
Someone has bodged this
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Yup

The suicide kits that doctor death gadgee in Canada was selling are based on inert gas inhalation. Supposedly quick, painless and you don’t disfigure yourself in the way say a shotgun would.
 
Wrenthorpe Mackem said:
Wouldn't carbon dioxide be quicker than nitrogen?
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I think the effects only work with inert gasses. Inhaling any inert gas is supposed to knock a person out very quickly and after that it's just however long it takes to die from the absence of oxygen. I think breathing helium works the same way. The body will still try to breathe and use it as oxygen only there isn't any oxygen. Essentially the same effect as smothering someone with a pillow but using a gas instead and no panic. The body will convulse due to the lack of oxygen which may look really cruel but the person is supposed to be unaware of ant discomfort.

That's what the suicide manuals tell us apparently.
 
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JonMc said:
I think the effects only work with inert gasses. Inhaling any inert gas is supposed to knock a person out very quickly and after that it's just however long it takes to die from the absence of oxygen. I think breathing helium works the same way. The body will still try to breathe and use it as oxygen only there isn't any oxygen. Essentially the same effect as smothering someone with a pillow but using a gas instead and no panic. The body will convulse due to the lack of oxygen which may look really cruel but the person is supposed to be unaware of ant discomfort.

That's what the suicide manuals tell us apparently.
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You just read about deaths by carbon dioxide poisoning through faulty heaters, boilers etc. Tasteless, colourless, odourless. People quickly unconscious and supposedly painless.

Dunno.....might be missing or misunderstanding something.
 
Lonz said:
This is my main issue with the death penalty. I recall a stat of 4% of executions are of innocent people. That’s far too high.

It also seems unfit for purpose with prisoners sitting on death row for decades and/or having their sentence changed to life imprisonment.

Far too high.
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There was a stat that was canny bad. 1 out of 10 death verdicts are found to be innocent in the USA.
 
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Wrenthorpe Mackem said:
Ahhhh. Yes. 😳
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Carbon Monoxide is deadly poisonous as it forms a strong bond with the haemoglobin molecule (and others) where the oxygen should go, and the oxygen doesn't have the minerals to kick it out of the chair. This stops our blood from being able to transport oxygen to parts of the body including the heart and brain. Quick death ensues.

Carbon dioxide is somewhat toxic in that it can increase poisonous ketones in the blood stream but it mainly kills by suffocation as there won't be enough oxygen (around 21% in the atmosphere usually) in the surroundings to breathe.
 
Kent_Mackem said:
Carbon Monoxide is deadly poisonous as it forms a strong bond with the haemoglobin molecule (and others) where the oxygen should go, and the oxygen doesn't have the minerals to kick it out of the chair. This stops our blood from being able to transport oxygen to parts of the body including the heart and brain. Quick death ensues.

Carbon dioxide is somewhat toxic in that it can increase poisonous ketones in the blood stream but it mainly kills by suffocation as there won't be enough oxygen (around 21% in the atmosphere usually) in the surroundings to breathe.
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Bit of a ghoulish subject but....if the US really can't give up its addiction to executions, would death by carbon monoxide be better than nitrogen?
 

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