# most "humane" way to kill - capital punishment **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 2, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700 "2006-02-02T18:42:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/1 "2006-02-02T18:42:52Z")
Hi there, based upon a recent link [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7061473#post7061473) my question is what would be the most humane way of killing a person (e.g. for capital punishment) … of course taking into consideration ethics, “impact” on witnesses, etc… in other words - whats fast, clean and safe? thx for sharing your thoughts alfred ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/2 "2006-02-02T18:50:21Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > in other words - whats fast, clean and safe? This is essentially already being discussed in the other thread. There’s no need for an entirely new thread. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/3 "2006-02-02T18:51:01Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > Hi there, > > based upon a recent link > > [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7061473#post7061473) > > my question is what would be the most humane way of killing a person (e.g. for capital punishment) … of course taking into consideration ethics, “impact” on witnesses, etc… > > in other words - whats fast, clean and safe? > > thx for sharing your thoughts > alfred It’s not neccessarily fast, but I always wondered why states don’t use CO. Doesn’t it just induce drowsiness and then kill painlessly? Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Stentor\_2.5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@Stentor\_2.5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stentor_2.5)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/4 "2006-02-02T18:58:43Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > in other words - whats fast, clean and safe? Safe? Ummm, you do know the desired result of an execution, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![filmyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@filmyak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmyak)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/5 "2006-02-02T18:59:11Z")
Victim’s parent/sibling/child/spouse: You killed my \_\_\_\_\_\_ by doing WHAT?! First you raped her, then you tortured her, then you… (etc) The most humane response? Victim’s family gets to do the same the perpetrator. Well, most humane for the family, anyway. I don’t really care about the murderer. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/6 "2006-02-02T19:17:26Z")
Without warning! ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/7 "2006-02-03T02:32:46Z")
I never understood why the prisoner wasn’t gassed with N2 or N2O. Either should be painless, especially the latter, and would result in certain death within a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/8 "2006-02-03T03:17:42Z")
Anestisized on the operating table and harvested for organs with the first needs going to the family members of the victim. At surgurys end, just turn off the equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/9 "2006-02-03T05:33:49Z")
As a side note, nitrogen asphyxiation, as mentioned above, has been suggested by some fellow as a humane means of execution that would leave organs still suitable for transplant. Probably some variant of the [captive bolt pistol](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_Bolt_Pistol), as used in modern slaughterhouses, could probably be used, I imagine. (The design of the machine and the spot where it’s aimed would determine if the prisoner left effectively brain dead but still alive, or just killed outright.) An updated form of electrocution might do the job, too—current electric chair executions involve 2000 volt, 8 amp jolts being passed through the entire body. Perhaps an even stronger current (from a bank of capacitors, perhaps?) directed through electrodes at the front and back of the skull (say, one at the forehead, one placed near the brain stem) would cause an even quicker death than conventional electrocutions? Or, y’know, just shooting them. In the head. With a gun. Heh. Funny, that…some of the most gory and horrifying methods of killing someone are actually the quickest and most painless. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/10 "2006-02-03T06:35:07Z")
I believe the guillotine is fast and leaves the body unpoisoned so you should still be able to harvest various organs if you work quickly. As to painless…well, the anticpation is bad (true regardless of the method, IMHO), but with the whole think over in seconds, would you really have time to feel pain? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/11 "2006-02-03T06:51:00Z")
Not an answer to the OP’s question, but you should check out [Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192335/), an Errol Morris documentary about an engineer who built a career on trying to develop “humane” ways of execution, and then blew it by becoming a posterboy for the Holocaust Revisionist movement. (Mind you, he doesn’t seem to be a political advocate of it…he just seems to enjoy the attention.) It’s a great film, and quite hilarious in a very dark, ironic way, especially when he tries to rationalize his work. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/12 "2006-02-03T07:08:06Z")
I believe Russia’s method used to be (and probably still is) getting shot in the head with a .45. I imagine if done properly, death would be nearly instantaneous and painless. However, (as with the guillotine) the thought of awaiting such a gory demise might create some unpleasant feelings. Hanging is not as gory and again, if done properly, death is very quick and painless. However, if your neck doesn’t break, your experience would be something other than painless. I’d agree with others who have already stated that carbon monoxide is probably the most humane method. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/13 "2006-02-03T09:02:09Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > I believe the guillotine is fast and leaves the body unpoisoned so you should still be able to harvest various organs if you work quickly. > > As to painless…well, the anticpation is bad (true regardless of the method, IMHO), but with the whole think over in seconds, would you really have time to feel pain? Oh, now you’ve done it. We’ve got to have the whole debate about whether severed heads retain consciousness now; just you wait and see. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/14 "2006-02-03T09:31:36Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Heh. Funny, that…some of the most gory and horrifying methods of killing someone are actually the quickest and most painless. I started a thread like this a long time ago. It was inspired by reading in papers how some innocent slob was “killed instantly” in an accident, but prisoners had to be executed in what seemed to be a long drawn out proceedure. In the end I figured the bit about punishments not being cruel and unusual was for the benefit of the audience. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/15 "2006-02-03T11:36:33Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Oh, now you’ve done it. We’ve got to have the whole debate about whether severed heads retain consciousness now; just you wait and see. How 'bout we glue a baton to the front of the blade, so the prisoner gets a big clonk on the noggin just as they’re being decapitated? Y’know, so even if the head is still _alive_, it’s knocked out while it’s lopped off? 😃 That’s assuming that getting hit on the back of the neck with a 90 lb piece of iron traveling at 15mph wouldn’t be enough to knock you out, anyway, even if it wasn’t chopping your flesh. ---
**Author:** ![PlughPlover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@PlughPlover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlughPlover)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/16 "2006-02-03T23:42:23Z")
Decapitation by guillotine is the hands-down winner for fast; it’s even better than shooting in the head. But it’s not remotely clean, and people find it icky. Also, any person who is killed by sudden violent death loses control of his bladder and bowels, making it even less clean. Gas chamber is reasonably clean, but not fast. Lethal injection isn’t that fast either. If you want to commit suicide in such a way that you create the least nuisance to those who have to clean up after you, go into the garage, start your car, and lie on the floor. No blood, no mess, no having to haul your body down the stairs. Whether the people who commit horrible crimes deserve to die is one thing; personally, I don’t care to see that much power put into the hands of fallible human beings. There’s no way to fix it if you get it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/17 "2006-02-03T23:52:55Z")
> [@PlughPlover](#): > > Decapitation by guillotine is the hands-down winner for fast; it’s even better than shooting in the head. Not necessarily. Guillotining leaves the brain intact. Arguably, the sudden drop in blood pressure should cause almost instant unconciousness preceding brain death, but there are enough anecdotal reports severed heads seeming to behave as if concious for a brief time to lend some credence to the notion that it’s not necessarily entirely painless. On the other hand, a bullet to the brain in the right place basically shreds the grey matter. With the brain physically destroyed, there should not be the capability for sensation. Of course, only those who have been there know for sure…and they’re not talking. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/18 "2006-02-04T03:56:26Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > my question is what would be the most humane way of killing a person (e.g. for capital punishment) … > alfred An overdose of general anaesthetic would be fatal and no more painful than falling asleep. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/19 "2006-02-04T05:22:23Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > An overdose of general anaesthetic would be fatal and no more painful than falling asleep. What’s wrong with lethal injection then, is what I want to know. You give them the sleepy shot, and then the ones that make the lungs and heart stop working (so the spectators aren’t held there all day). Now I know some people argue that there’s a certain amount of consciousness. If there’s even any doubt, then just use more drugs, or effective ones. I really don’t see how this is an issue. Lethal injection, hands down. Either that, or strap about 50 pounds of C4 all over their body and blow them to smithereens. Instant, painless, all gone. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700/20 "2006-02-04T07:45:28Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > What’s wrong with lethal injection then, is what I want to know. You give them the sleepy shot, and then the ones that make the lungs and heart stop working (so the spectators aren’t held there all day). Maybe it’s the part with poking around with a needle to find a vein. (Which I wouldn’t think would be a problem, if you have a skilled enough IV-tech/executioner) Or you could go with _inhaled_ anesthetic…unless someone thinks strapping a mask on would be too painful, or that the prisoner having to use his own lungs to breathe the poison in is too cruel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-humane-way-to-kill-capital-punishment/342700.md?page=2)