Buzz
The death penalty has existed since the dawn of justice itself, perhaps even before punishments like imprisonment or financial penalties were introduced. Debates on the merits and drawbacks of executing individuals have raged for years, and it's likely a topic that will never have a universally agreed-upon conclusion. Regardless of one's stance, capital punishment remains a highly controversial subject, blending human cruelty, economics, and a dark history.
10. Too Overweight for the Gallows
Though hanging may appear straightforward, it is far from simple. A short drop or improper suspension, often seen in suicides, can lead to a slow, painful death by strangulation. Conversely, too long of a fall may result in decapitation. For the procedure to be humane, the person’s weight must be balanced with the length of the drop to ensure a broken neck, paralysis, and a swift demise.
However, this formula is complicated by extremely obese individuals who are too heavy to be hanged without risking a horrific decapitation. This was the case with Mitchell Rupe, a bank robber responsible for the deaths of two tellers in Washington State. Rupe was sentenced to death, but at the time, hanging was the only method of capital punishment in Washington. Weighing over 180 kilograms (400 lbs), Rupe claimed that he was too overweight to be executed by hanging, and argued that such an execution would violate the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Rupe underwent several court trials and was sentenced to death twice. In 1994, a federal judge determined that his weight made hanging unfeasible. A third trial resulted in a hung jury, and Rupe was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment. He passed away in 2006 from liver disease.
9. The Lennie Small Principle
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a well-known novella, often studied in high school. The story, set during the Great Depression, follows two migrant workers: clever George and the developmentally disabled Lennie. Lennie, though kind-hearted, was unaware of his own strength, and his innocent but powerful touch often led to death. At the story's conclusion, Lennie unintentionally kills a woman, and George takes it upon himself to end Lennie’s life humanely, preventing him from facing an unforgiving justice system that Lennie would never comprehend.
When the state of Texas established its criteria for those eligible for capital punishment, they naturally drew inspiration from this character, much to the dismay of Steinbeck’s son. In 2002, the US Supreme Court ruled that people deemed “mentally retarded” cannot be executed, but left the exact definition of “retarded” ambiguous, allowing each state to set its own standards. Most sources agree that an IQ below 70 qualifies as retardation.
Unfortunately, using a fictional, unscientific character to determine mental capacity opens the door for manipulation within the system. On August 7, 2012, Texas executed Marvin Lee Wilson, a murderer with an IQ of just 61, despite widespread public outrage. This issue has been a point of contention across the country. On January 24, 1992, Ricky Ray Rector was executed for killing a police officer. After shooting Officer Robert Martin, Rector attempted suicide, firing a bullet into his brain that essentially lobotomized him. His mental faculties deteriorated so severely that during his final meal, he told prison guards that he would save his dessert “for later.” In Georgia, there is ongoing debate about the fate of Warren Lee Hill, a man with an IQ of 70 who remains on death row. The US Supreme Court has declined to review his case.
8. The Guillotine Was Used in Recent Times
We often associate the guillotine with a long-gone era, severing heads adorned with powdered wigs. However, this deadly device did not fade away with the French Revolution. The Nazi regime made extensive use of the guillotine during World War II. France continued to employ it for executions nearly 200 years after Marie Antoinette’s execution. In 1977, a man named Hamida Djandoubi became the last person executed by guillotine in France. Djandoubi was condemned to death for torturing and killing his ex-girlfriend. The death penalty was abolished in 1981 by newly elected President Francois Mitterrand.
7. Does the Head Stay Alive After Decapitation?
The guillotine was designed to be both efficient and humane, but the idea of decapitation is undeniably gruesome and unsettling. Perhaps the most terrifying aspect is the thought that death might not be instantaneous, and that the head could remain conscious for a time afterward. Numerous historical anecdotes tell of severed heads responding when their names were called. In 1793, when assassin Charlotte Corday was guillotined, some witnesses claimed that after her face was slapped, they saw a look of “undeniable indignation” cross her face, as if reacting to the slap.
Proving whether this phenomenon is real or not is challenging, and scientists have been unable to provide a definitive answer. However, modern knowledge of the circulatory system suggests that a severed head would likely remain conscious for only a few seconds after being detached, due to the sudden loss of blood pressure. Any expressions that may appear to be conscious are believed to be simply involuntary muscle twitches as the brain shuts down.
6. The Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi is an ancient set of 282 Babylonian laws written circa 1772 B.C. It’s a comprehensive litany of rules dealing with situations as diverse as slavery, minimum wage, and incest. The code lists the punishments for dozens of transgressions and is noted for its use of the “eye for an eye” reciprocity theory of justice. The Code could certainly be considered draconian by today’s standards; it introduces the death penalty, which is enforced for 25 different crimes, including adultery and allowing slaves to escape. Other crimes that warranted capital punishment included false accusation, kidnapping children, and breaking and entering. Strangely enough, murder is not one of the crimes that warrants the death penalty. Killing another person’s slave would result in a fine, and deadly medical malpractice resulted in the doctor having his hands cut off.
5. Legality
Most countries in the world maintain a largely abolitionist attitude toward the death penalty, including the entire European Union, which considers capital punishment a violation of fundamental human rights. Even Russia, a land with a rich history of executions, has put a moratorium on the death penalty, not having used it since 1996. In Israel, the death penalty is only legal during wartime. It has only been exercised once—the hanging of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in 1962.
Despite the global shift away from capital punishment, the four most populous nations—China, India, the US, and Indonesia—continue to uphold the death penalty. While more and more countries around the world are abandoning this practice, the Colosseum in Rome, which has witnessed more bloodshed and human rights abuses than most entire nations in its history, is usually illuminated with white lights, but shines golden for two days in celebration.
4. China’s Mobile Execution Vans
China executes more individuals than all other countries combined. The precise figures remain unknown, as China treats executions as a state secret. Estimates generally range around 3,000 executions, though given the country’s massive population, the actual number could be two or even three times higher.
Historically, these executions were carried out by firing squad, but in recent years, lethal injection has been introduced as an alternative—likely to allow the government to profit from selling the condemned person’s organs. In a bizarre twist, China has even started using mobile execution vans, small buses designed to travel to rural areas without the necessary facilities to perform the procedure. It’s incredibly easy for someone to find themselves on death row: a wide range of offenses can lead to capital punishment, including tax evasion, drug trafficking, and counterfeiting. Up until 1997, even killing a panda could result in the death penalty.
3. The High Cost of Capital Punishment
At first glance, one might think that executing a prisoner is relatively cheap, certainly far less costly than keeping someone imprisoned for a lifetime. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice states that the drugs used for lethal injections only cost a mere $83, but the execution itself is far from the largest expense. The full cost of carrying out the death penalty is staggering—reaching millions of dollars per condemned individual.
The bulk of these costs come from court fees; cases seeking the death penalty are often protracted, and the appeals process following sentencing can feel endless. In New Jersey, where no one has been executed in over 50 years, more than $250,000 has been spent on its capital punishment system. In California, where over 700 people await execution (and a current moratorium is in place), it’s been estimated that each execution costs over $300 million. The system is so dysfunctional that some inmates have requested death, just to secure a solitary cell to themselves.
2. Men Are Boiled In Uzbekistan
Although calling any form of the death penalty 'humane' may be an exaggeration, modern methods—such as hanging, firing squads, guillotines, the gas chamber, electric chairs, and particularly lethal injection—are intended to be swift and cause minimal suffering. Historical executions, on the other hand, were often torturous and gruesome. Crucifixion seems mild compared to methods like the breaking wheel or being crushed by elephants.
If you've ever felt sympathy for a lobster placed in boiling water, you might want to stop reading here. Although boiling hasn’t been the most common method of execution, it has existed in both Europe and Asia. Shockingly, this gruesome practice hasn't been relegated to history alone. In Uzbekistan, a nation that emerged from the former Soviet Union, human rights are often in question. Craig Murray, the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, shared chilling accounts from his time there. Citizens approached him to report horrors beyond rape and beatings. Murray further alleged that the Uzbek government executed people by boiling them alive—a claim that was later confirmed by forensic reports.
1. The Real Braveheart
Historians have eagerly dissected the many inaccuracies in the film Braveheart, a dramatic retelling of the life of Scottish hero William Wallace. From the pivotal battle of Stirling Bridge, which the movie misleadingly places on a field, to the portrayal of Robert the Bruce as a coward, the film is a textbook example of artistic liberties.
In a surprising twist, the filmmakers actually toned down one aspect. At the film’s climax (spoiler alert), Wallace is captured and executed in a public display. The movie leaves the details vague, using sound effects and Mel Gibson's anguished expressions to convey the pain. In reality, Wallace endured unspeakable torture: he was disemboweled, his intestines burned in front of him, his genitals severed without ceremony. His arms and legs were then hacked off before the final blow came with the axe to his head.
