# Decapitation by hanging? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 18, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424 "2007-01-18T04:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/1 "2007-01-18T04:26:49Z")
Obviously this thread is inspired by recent events in Iraq. But I chose GQ because I wanted to know if this is a common occurence. Please don’t get this thread bumped to The Pit, or even worse to GD. No need to remind us of your opinions about GWB or the war. Just wondering if this is a mistake that just happens once in a while, or if not, what would the executioners have had to do to make this happen. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/2 "2007-01-18T04:43:45Z")
Speculation, and that only. Earlier understanding was that the specific number of rings/knots in a noose had some potential to cause such an effect. Understanding #2, an older candidate was more likely to result in just such a horiffic culmination, given the extrordinary forces and weakened musculature. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/3 "2007-01-18T04:49:41Z")
The executioners must have, intentionally or no, screwed up the drop. Wikipedia covers drop lengths pretty thoroughly in its article on [hanging](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging). It even supplies a [drop table](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Table_of_Drops) giving the proper (British) distance for prisoners of various weights. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/4 "2007-01-18T04:55:03Z")
With al the practice that the Iraqis have had with executions, you’d think they could get just ONE right. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/5 "2007-01-18T04:56:04Z")
It happens from time to time, if the drop is too long. > **[James Berry (executioner)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Berry_%28hangman%29)** > > James Berry (8 February 1852 – 21 October 1913) was an English executioner from 1884 until 1891. Berry was born in Heckmondwike in the West Riding of Yorkshire, where his father worked as a wool-stapler. His most important contribution to the science of hanging was his refinement of the long drop method developed by William Marwood, whom Berry knew quite well. His improvements were intended to diminish mental and physical suffering and some of them remained standard practice until the abolitio... ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/6 "2007-01-18T05:55:42Z")
Was somebody decapitated by hanging in Iraq? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/7 "2007-01-18T06:03:28Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Was somebody decapitated by hanging in Iraq? -FrL- [/QUOTE] Yep, Saddam’s Half Brother. [http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/15/hanging.reax.reut/index.html?eref=edition](http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/15/hanging.reax.reut/index.html?eref=edition) Took his head Riiiiiiight off. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/8 "2007-01-18T06:04:05Z")
Saddam’s half brother. Now I guess he’s a quarter brother. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/9 "2007-01-18T06:32:45Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] Saddam’s half brother. Now I guess he’s a quarter brother. [/QUOTE] Okay, but I’m trying to do a physics analysis here. What does it take to sever a head from a body? Just falling down with a noose? It seems kinda weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/10 "2007-01-18T07:40:21Z")
I don’t know why it seems so odd. The neck really isn’t all that strong and can be easily broken. I’m not sure just how big of a fellow Barzan Hassan was but picture this: A 200 pound man (hypothetical) drops 8 feet or so straight down and comes to an abrupt stop by means of a rope around his neck. This has got to generate a tremendous amount of force. Physics majors - a little help here? In fact, decapitation seems a very likely occurance, especially if an overly long drop is used for a person’s weight, or if the incorrect rope or knot were used. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/11 "2007-01-18T08:09:05Z")
Also happened to American outlaw [Black Jack Ketchum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Jack_Ketchum) back in 1901. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/12 "2007-01-18T08:19:46Z")
If you don’t drop them far enough, the victim dies a slow, painful death. Drop them too far, and the head pops off. Do it just right, and the neck breaks and the victim pretty much dies instantly (or at least that’s the theory). There’s a lot more precision involved than most people think. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/13 "2007-01-18T08:24:42Z")
So why weren’t the British tables being used? Political reasons, or out of spite? ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/14 "2007-01-18T08:57:26Z")
I think I’d prefer that the rope length was set for decapitation if it were me. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/15 "2007-01-18T15:28:05Z")
They did mention that the guy in question was suffering from cancer - would that cause weakened muscles, tissues etc…? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/16 "2007-01-18T15:53:37Z")
I cant find it, but we had a thread on hanging. It was generated by some kind of article or interview given by England’s long time chief hangman or some such. Naturally enough, the thread generated a lot of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/17 "2007-01-18T16:54:50Z")
[QUOTE=LouisB] . Naturally enough, the thread generated a lot of humor. [/QUOTE] More of a rope than a thread in fact. ---
**Author:** ![MovingTarget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@MovingTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovingTarget)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/18 "2007-01-18T17:20:20Z")
Black Jack Ketchum’s story is a little more in depth than that though. One of the factors that led to that was the fact that he had only one arm. The other was that they took his weight as he entered jail, not realizing that the few months it took to build the gallows and test them and such would give him lots of time to pack on some more weight. I watched a show about it on the History channel I think. Was actually quite facinating. It went over a lot of different types of executions. It was Wild West Tech I think. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/19 "2007-01-18T17:33:44Z")
What exactly is the mechanism for decapitation during a botched hanging? Does the rope actually cut through the neck, or does the neck simply snap under tension? Enquiring minds want to know! ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424/20 "2007-01-18T17:40:15Z")
Does the choice of hanging as the means of capital punishment in Iraq have anything to do with Islam? I mentioned something about how they seem to be botching it and wonder why they choose hanging rather than firing squad or lethal injection, when it occurred to me that those forms of execution might be forbidden under Islam. I am pretty ignorant of the religion, however. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-by-hanging/388424.md?page=2)