by Dale Dreher
Miami Herald, November 24, 1983
68. Deadly Romance.
After a few drinks, Renee Brown, 37, thought it would be fun to surprise her boyfriend by arriving in the middle of the night wearing only her nightgown. On the way over, Renee slipped and knocked herself unconscious. Misfortune turned to tragedy because Brown lived in Minnesota and was walking barefoot in February. Brown’s frozen body was discovered by her children’s baby sitter. The overnight temperature had dipped to minus 23 degrees.
Saint Paul Pioneer Press, February 3, 1994
69. Rio Frio.
Although it is common for people to gain illegal entry to the United States by swimming across the Rio Grande, swimming is a much less common means of slipping across the country’s northern border. A love struck Enrique Mendoza, 24, drowned trying to swim the 500 metres between Canadian and American islands in the frigid waters of St. Mary’s River between Ontario and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The water temperature was barely above freezing. Detroit police said that this was Mendoza’s second attempt to be reunited with a Minnesota woman he met while she was on vacation in Mexico. Mendoza was turned back previously when the couple tried to cross the bridge between Windsor and Detroit.
Toronto Star, May 26, 1997
70. Recipe for Disaster:
Pour alcohol and two quarrelling lovers into a fast-moving pickup truck. Deborah Bayne, 31, was returning from a night of bar hopping and was seated on the lap of her boyfriend in the passenger seat. When an argument ensued, she decided it was time to leave and jumped out the door. The initial search by her boyfriend, the driver, and some neighbors was unsuccessful. The sheriff’s department found Bayne’s body tangled in weeds in a ditch several hours later.
Akron Beacon Journal, May 19, 1995
Autoerotic Fatalities.
There are over 150 published cases of people who have died accidentally while masturbating or otherwise pleasuring themselves. It is estimated that at least 50, and as many as 1000 such deaths, occur each year in the United States. These “autoerotic fatalities” happen in secluded locations and usually involve adult men using a variety of dangerous means to restrict the flow of oxygen to the brain (e.g., self-hanging, suffocation with a plastic bag, inhaling toxic substances). The resulting hallucinatory state of near-suffocation apparently enhances the sexual experience, but is impossible to control with any degree of safety. Death typically results when the participants’ safety devices fail. The next ten stories present some less common examples of autoerotic fatalities:
71. The Love Bug.
A 40-year-old airline pilot and Korean War veteran had a fatal attachment to his 1968 Volkswagen Beetle. It seems he enjoyed chaining himself by the neck to the rear bumper and running naked behind the vehicle. The automatic transmission was set to low gear and the steering wheel was tied off so the car moved in continuous counterclockwise circles. Somehow the chain accidentally got wrapped around the bug’s rear axle, pulling the pilot against the left rear fender and choking the life out of him. The pilot was married and the father of two children.
Journal of Forensic Sciences (1972) Volume 18
72. Nerd Love.
A 42-year-old successful engineer who lived with his parents accidentally hung himself on a backhoe he called, “Stone.” The engineer had previously sent friends photographs of Stone along with love poetry he had written about his beloved piece of heavy equipment.
Journal of Forensic Sciences (1993) Volume 38-2
73. Vacuum Attachment.
A 77-year-old widower had a fatal heart attack during a ménage à trois with his hair dryer and vacuum cleaner.
Pathology (1994) Volume 26
74. Kinky Acres.
A 62-year-old farmer who suspended himself by the ankles from the shovel of his tractor was crushed when his safety device (a 5-foot length of lumber) broke. The farmer was found dressed in women’s panties and shoes with 8-inch heels.
Journal of Forensic Sciences (1993) Volume 38-2
75. Vegan Deep Throat.
A 29-year-old unemployed man choked to death while simulating fellatio on a zucchini from his wife’s garden. The fellow actually died on his neighbors’ doorstep after frantically gesturing for help. The neighbors could not see, nor were they able to dislodge, the vegetable.
Pathology (1994) Volume 26
76. Electric Shmuck.
A 32-year-old Australian miner living in the men’s dorm of a work camp electrocuted himself when he wrapped one end of a necklace around his penis and connected the other end to a live electrical cord. The miner had apparently learned this technique of self-gratification while working overseas where the electrical current was 110 volts, half the voltage of Australia.
Pathology (1994) Volume 26
77. Nature Lover.
A self-employed married father of three with a post-graduate education died from exposure when he could not free himself from his bondage gear. The man, in his fifties, was found in his underwear hanging upside down from the limb of a tree in an elaborate, but badly designed, system of nylon ropes. It is theorized that exhaustion from trying to extricate himself hastened his death.
Medicine and the Law (1982) Volume 1
78. Copy Cats.
At least two people (a teenage boy and a 38-year-old man) with no prior history of autoerotic activity died after copying the techniques discussed on a television talk show.
Journal of Forensic Science (1988 & 1989) Volumes 33 & 34
79. Alligator Snitches.
One young man enjoyed administering mild shocks to his genitals using the transformer from an electric train set. The last time he did this, the transformer failed, electrocuting him with the full household voltage. Finding their son’s body in such a shocking state, the man’s family hid the transformer and other paraphernalia. The embarrassed parents admitted their deception when gently questioned by the police about the marks on their son’s foreskin that were obviously left by alligator clips.
Dead Men Do Tell Tales, 1994
80. Vicar ious Stupidity.
Reverand Paul De Fortis, 53, of London, England, accidentally hung himself while acting out a solitary sexual fantasy. His shackled and naked body was found suspended over his four poster bed by a chain and black leather collar.
Reuters, March 9, 1992
Snakes, UFO’s & Other Nonsense
81. Rednecks and Rattlesnakes.
In January 1995, a 40 year old Georgia man became the 74th person to die from ritual snake handling. A number of small evangelical churches in the Appalachian states interpret a passage in the Book of Luke (16:17 18) as a commandment to handle serpents. The death of some handlers does not seem to deter others. They rationalize a death as the result of a lack of divine "anointing", a momentary lapse of focus, or a test of faith. Funerals for those lost to snake bite also include snake handling. As one young snake handler who lost his uncle explains, "I believe there always will be snake handling. It's just part of the Bible. He told us to do it.'
Columbus Ledger Enquirer, March 11, 1995
82. E.T. Call Back!
Laverne Landis, 48, had received a message from “some higher power” to drive to a desolate road in rural Minnesota and await further instructions. Landis and a friend waited... for 4 weeks, living on vitamins and lake water. When the vigil seemed to be taking its toll on Landis, her younger male companion went for help. Rescuers were too late; Landis had died from a combination of dehydration, starvation and hypothermia.
Miami Herald, November 19, 1982
83. Loser Dad.
A year after his 12-year-old son successfully sued him for “divorce”, Ralph Kingsley, 35, killed himself in a bizarre accident. To relieve stress, the unemployed Kingsley liked to go outside his Missouri apartment and fire his semi-automatic 9mm hand gun. On this occasion, according to his girlfriend and Kansas City Police, Kingsley’s gun got tangled in the pocket of his sweat shirt and went off, inflicting a fatal stomach wound.
Akr
on Beacon Journal, January 12, 1993
84. Caught Dead.
A priest from Albuquerque was found dead in an adult bookstore in Minneapolis. Father Eugene Schwartzenberger, 53, had just enjoyed a few of the in-store movies when he slipped and hit his head on the way up a flight of stairs. The Catholic cleric died hours later from the swelling of his brain.
Saint Paul Pioneer Press, November 4, 1988
85. Friends.
In late 1979, one young military washout attended the birthday party of an ex-convict friend in Florida. The washout became quite jealous and begged his friend to let him wear the .357 magnum the ex-con received as a gift. Playing with the gun the washout accidentally shot himself in the head. Instead of reporting the shooting, the partygoers decided to put the deceased into a sleeping bag and bury him at the county line. Word of the shooting soon got out and the ex-con was under suspicion for murder because he and his drinking buddies could not relocate the burial site. The body was finally unearthed one year later. An autopsy confirmed that the fatal gunshot wound was self-inflicted.
Dead Men Do Tell Tales, 1994
86. DIE it.
Leslie Eaton, 29, of Droitwich, England, died of heart failure while asleep. The investigating pathologist, however, ruled that the 6'1" woman died because she was too good at dieting. Apparently, Eaton had lost 70 pounds over the last 5 months of her life bringing her weight down to 168 pounds. The coroner suggested that Eaton must have nearly starved herself to lose that much weight and said that the loss was too quick for a woman of Eaton's size. Eaton won several local diet contests just prior to her death.
Associated Press, September 12, 1985
87. Surprise Visit.
Inexplicably, 31 year old, Rocky Benedetto, tried to climb into a ground floor window at his father's suburban home near Rochester, New York. Rocky's body was found by his father wedged into a 9 inch opening, his feet hanging 18 inches from the ground. Rocky was suffocated by the tight squeeze. The man’s father was especially puzzled because he had given Rocky his own key to the house.
Associated Press, December 3, 1988
88. Nirvana Reduction Plan.
George Kojoree, 41, a Ghanaian student at England's Southampton University, died from fasting. Kojoree accidentally starved while trying to reach greater spiritual awareness. Kojoree's body was found in his dormitory room about five days after he died from emaciation and chromium poisoning. Chromium is a substance found in meal replacements.
Independent, October 22, 1993
89. Bash and Blast.
Pepper Rock, 33, got into a heated argument at a party and finally pulled out his shotgun. The other combatant got in his car to drive away when Rock used the butt of the shotgun to smash the man's windshield. The gun got stuck and discharged, hitting Pepper in the chest as he tried to pull it loose.
Sacramento Bee, May 21, 1988
90. Unnatural Selection.
An inquest jury in Leeds, England, ruled that Sarbjit Lall's death after an abortion was the result of the woman's own misadventure. The 29 year old married mother of 3 girls sought an abortion halfway through her pregnancy after discovering that she was expecting another daughter. Lall lied to the staff of her family planning clinic because they would not allow an abortion on the basis of the baby's sex. Although Lall died as the result of medical complications, the jury ruled that the "devious and dishonest" woman unnecessarily exposed herself to the risks of the procedure so late in her pregnancy.
Independent, March 5, 1994
91. Fatal Hypochondria.
Julia Rice, 48, of Edenthorpe, England, died from an accidental overdose of medication for a heart condition she did not have. This was not the only revelation during the inquest into her death. It was also discovered that, Rice, a gold medallist in the Paraplegic Olympics, was not actually paralyzed. Rice had been using a wheelchair and collecting disability benefits since an accidental fall seven years earlier for which she received an insurance settlement of more than $200,000.
Times of London, May 13, 1989
92. Terminal Tan.
Sun worshipper Sean Kelly, 39, of Dublin killed himself at the tanning salon. The last day he attended the salon in January 1996, Kelly was wearing a psoriasis lotion, against the advice of salon staff. Half way through Kelly's 10 minute session, the attendant said that the whole salon smelled of "burning tar." When Kelly finally sought medical treatment two days later, 70 percent of his body was covered with 1st degree burns, another 12 percent of his skin had blistered. Kelly died from a heart attack a few days after he was admitted to a local burn treatment center.
The Irish Times, March 15, 1997
93. Dying to Grow Up.
In some parts of rural South Africa, the passage into manhood still includes ritual circumcision and wilderness testing. Four 16-year-old initiates died and 36 were hospitalized during an initiation exercise in Lusikisiki. The circumcision wounds were infected and many suffered from malnutrition and dehydration.
Agence France Presse, July 18, 1996
94. CTRL-ALT-DEL.
New Jersey college student, Robert Keeper, 19, suffered a catastrophic computer failure. Keeper got so frustrated with his malfunctioning computer that he ran at his dormitory window and smashed his fist through it. Keeper lost his balance, and plunged 13 stories to his death. Two other students in the room at the time witnessed Keeper’s self-destruct sequence.
New York Times, September 12, 1995
Dares, Games & Jokes
95. P.E. Tragedy.
Singapore youth, Aik Tai Wee, 16, killed himself playing with a hula hoop during gym class. The student lost his balance and impaled himself on the dull end of a javelin that was planted in the ground nearby.
Reuters, February 13, 1991
96. Bragging Kills.
Four Philadelphia teenagers drowned in the Schuylkill River after one boasted that he could jump his mountain bike over the urban river's muddy waters. Local fishermen who heard the boast thought they had disabused the boys of the idea until they saw the boys' pictures in the newspaper a few days later.
Philadelphia Daily News, October 14, 1994
97. Tragic Joke.
A 22 year old college student was killed after joking with his friends that he would jump out of their moving car. Gavino Cruz opened the passenger door just as the car made a left hand turn. Cruz fell out and sustained massive head injuries after making contact with the curb. He died a short time later. Cruz was the youngest of 12 children and the first to attend college. Fellow students donated money to the Cruz family who could not afford to pay for the unexpected funeral expenses.
Long Beach Press Telegram, November 16, 1990
98. Reality Hurts.
High school student, Michael Shingledecker, 18, was apparently dared to re-enact a scene from a movie, The Program, where members of a college football team lie down in the middle of a busy highway to prove their courage. Shingledecker was killed, and a friend seriously injured, on Pennsylvania State Route 62 outside of Pittsburgh. At least one other teen has been killed and several others injured re-enacting the same scene.
Long Beach Press-Telegram, October 19, 1993;Post-Tribune, October 24, 1993
99. B-Careful.
Victor Guzman, a 16 year old 8th grade student, died playing a word game. In the game called "B", players punch their opponent after saying a word that starts with that letter. Guzman taunted his opponent, "Is that as hard as you can hit?" then turned red and collapsed. Guzman died in hospital that same afternoon.
Miami Herald, February 25, 1993
100. Deadly Foreplay.
A Los Angeles couple enjoyed playing with guns. In addition to target practice at the Beverly Hills Gun Club, the unidentified twenty-something couple also enjoyed "dry firing", or pointing unloaded weapons at each other and pulling the trigger. While playing in bed to celebrate the wife's return from a trip, the husband dry fired at his wife. The husband was killed, however, when the woman reciprocated with a load
ed weapon. It seems that while the woman was away her husband loaded her gun for some reason and forgot to empty it. The police officer in charge of the investigation described dry firing as, "very poor judgement."
Associated Press, August 18, 1987
101. Plum Creek Mobile Storm.
Desert Storm veteran, Daryl Smallwood, 22, died during a New Year’s party at a friend’s mobile home. Police say that Smallwood died after a friend restrained him in a headlock for several minutes during a quarrel with his wife. The Smallwood family denied that the couple were having an argument and described the incident as simple “rowdiness.”
Charlotte Observer, January 2, 1992
102. Lush Death.
Michael Lush, 25, died practicing a stunt he was to perform live on a British television program, The Late, Late Breakfast Show. The unemployed construction worker was to escape from a suspended crate before the crate exploded. During the fatal rehearsal, the crate did not explode but fell 100 feet to the ground, killing its occupant. At the time, the television network received 1000 applications weekly from people wishing to perform similar stunts on the popular BBC comedy program.
Associated Press, November 13, 1986
103. Amazing Failure.
On the 64th anniversary of the Great Houdini's death, "Amazing Joe" Burrus, 32, attempted an escape from a Plexiglas coffin buried under 3 feet of dirt and 3 tons of wet cement. Despite pleas from friends and family and a dismal trial run, Amazing Joe went ahead with his stunt before a crowd of 150 which included his wife and two children. The coffin collapsed while the cement was still being poured. Burrus was crushed inside. An acquaintance commented, "Houdini practiced everything again and again and again. Joe didn't ... do obvious things like test the strength of the casket..."
Fresno Bee, November 2, 1990
104. Black Magic.
Aspiring escape artist, Aidan Burrows, 11, of London, England, accidentally strangled himself trying to emulate his hero, Houdini. Aidan's mother found his unconscious body on the floor of his bedroom bound in chains and locks. Emergency technicians were unable to revive him.
