# Creative Suicide **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 10, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117 "2004-12-10T13:44:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/1 "2004-12-10T13:44:01Z")
I’m nost sure this has ever been done before: [Phoenix’s top finance manager killed in bizarre incident](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6687831/) Looks like he set his cruise control, climbed onto the roof and had a “King of the world!” moment before he fell off and was killed. Two blocks down the road, someone was rear-ended by an empty car. Spooky. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/2 "2004-12-10T14:56:45Z")
• The most famous, of course, was actress Peg Entwistle, who’d been quite successful on Broadway in the '20s but failed to find more than one film role when she moved to Hollywood. She climbed to the top of the HOLLYWOODLAND sign and jumped off the “H” (we once had a discussion here as to which is the best giant letter to climb and jump from). You gotta give the girl credit for a brilliantly symbolic suicide. • Then there was a guy about 20 years ago who rented a stateroom on one of the great ocean liners, and one morning, mid-ocean, the steward unlocked his room to find a huge tip to the staff, his lifejacket torn in half, and the window to the room’s balcony open. That guy had _class_. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/3 "2004-12-10T16:12:14Z")
Well yeah, Eve, those are good but what about Lupe Velez? Who, as _everyone_ knows, died with her head in a toilet… _ducks and runs_ ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/4 "2004-12-10T18:15:29Z")
I have a vague recollection of a news anchor killing herself (maybe himself, it’s that vague) at the end of a news broadcast. I did a quick google to see if I could find something. No luck, but I found this: [Creative ways to kill yourself](http://www.ewav.com/oldwebsitefiles/suicide.html). Personally, I like the falling through operating chainsaws one. ---
**Author:** ![mojave66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mojave66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojave66)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/5 "2004-12-10T18:30:33Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > I’m nost sure this has ever been done before: > > [Phoenix’s top finance manager killed in bizarre incident](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6687831/) > > Looks like he set his cruise control, climbed onto the roof and had a “King of the world!” moment before he fell off and was killed. > > Two blocks down the road, someone was rear-ended by an empty car. Spooky. I always thought that inserting small amounts of plastic explosives subcutaneously in a spiral pattern around your body and then detonating them with computer-timed wires would be an interesting way to off oneself. If you started from the limbs and moved inward, you could basically watch yourself being flayed. Yes, I stayed up one night thinking about this. Fortunately, the drugs help. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/6 "2004-12-10T18:40:24Z")
> [@milquetoast](#): > > I have a vague recollection of a news anchor killing herself (maybe himself, it’s that vague) at the end of a news broadcast. I did a quick google to see if I could find something. Ringing bells for me too, but I couldn’t find it either. Only this news article about the famous on-air L.A. [freeway suicide](http://www.globalethics.org/newsline/members/issue2.tmpl?articleid=01100015423540). (I’m thinking that maybe it wasn’t a news anchor, but a male politician or official who killed himself at a press conference. Not having much luck googling right now though.) ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/7 "2004-12-10T18:47:04Z")
You are thinking of Mr. Bud Dwyer, who was the State Treasurer of Pennsylvania convicted of accepting bribes. He pulled out a gun at a news conference, put it in his mouth and shot himself. Feb. 1998. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/8 "2004-12-10T18:47:29Z")
**neuroman** , you’re thinking of R. Bud Dwyer. [Hey man, nice shot](http://www.moderntv.com/modtvweb/qtclips/budd2b.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/9 "2004-12-10T18:48:31Z")
Well poopie on you, **BMalion**. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/10 "2004-12-10T18:53:55Z")
Nope, it was news anchor Chris Chubbock, who shot herself on-air in Florida in 1974. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/11 "2004-12-10T18:55:59Z")
Not so fast **Hal Briston** , I was wrong on the date, it was Jan 22 1987. poopie on me indeed! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/12 "2004-12-10T19:01:05Z")
[Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/onstage.htm) has a list of “on-air”/in-performance deaths, listing both Dwyer and Chubbuck. (It hasn’t yet been updated to include “Dimebag Darrell” from Pantera/Damageplan.) ---
**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/13 "2004-12-10T19:36:44Z")
One rather creative method of suicide: Attatch a net of razor wire to the mains electricity then throw yourself onto it, as the razor wire is electrified your body spasms and you throw yourself around on the razor wire, if they electricity doesn’t kill you the blood loss will. ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/14 "2004-12-10T19:53:37Z")
I like this one: 1. Find a tall building. As an example, say 100 feet tall. 2. Tie a loop of very thin piano wire around your neck. Tie the other end to an anchor point on the roof of the building. Distance between anchor and neck loop should be 83 feet. 3. Don a harness, and tie yourself in to the same anchor point with 85 feet of rope. 4. Cover your hand with Krazy Glue, and affix it firmly to your head. Wait for this to cure. 5. Jump. You will end up hanging from a rope just out of reach, with your severed head in your hand. ---
**Author:** ![Blackclaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e68b1a/32.png) [@Blackclaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackclaw)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/15 "2004-12-10T20:02:21Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > I’m nost sure this has ever been done before: > > [Phoenix’s top finance manager killed in bizarre incident](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6687831/) > > Looks like he set his cruise control, climbed onto the roof and had a “King of the world!” moment before he fell off and was killed. > > Two blocks down the road, someone was rear-ended by an empty car. Spooky. Which is a fine way to kill someone else who had nothing to do with your problem. Major loss of “coolness” points there. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/16 "2004-12-10T20:19:31Z")
Jumper [Ron Opus](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/opus.htm) was my favorite, and why shouldn’t he be, until Snopes debunked the account. ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/17 "2004-12-10T22:01:38Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Nope, it was news anchor Chris Chubbock, who shot herself on-air in Florida in 1974. Thank you, **Eve**! ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/18 "2004-12-11T04:36:31Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > **neuroman** , you’re thinking of R. Bud Dwyer. [Hey man, nice shot](http://www.moderntv.com/modtvweb/qtclips/budd2b.htm). Here’s a link to a page that has the actual video on it. The guy is using the video in support of the theory that Vince Foster didn’t commit suicide. [Link](http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/FOSTER_COVERUP/SUICIDE/suicide.html) ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/19 "2004-12-11T04:42:28Z")
> [@Fuji Kitakyusho](#): > > I like this one: > > 1. Find a tall building. As an example, say 100 feet tall. > 2. Tie a loop of very thin piano wire around your neck. Tie the other end to an anchor point on the roof of the building. Distance between anchor and neck loop should be 83 feet. > 3. Don a harness, and tie yourself in to the same anchor point with 85 feet of rope. > 4. Cover your hand with Krazy Glue, and affix it firmly to your head. Wait for this to cure. > 5. Jump. > > You will end up hanging from a rope just out of reach, with your severed head in your hand. Are you allowed out the hospital alone yet? :dubious: Great one, though. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117/20 "2004-12-11T05:08:04Z")
I want to know what “tropical disease” he had. The way it’s phrased is really intriguing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-suicide/279117.md?page=2)