Murder and Mayhem (22 page)

The combining of CO with hemoglobin produces carboxyhemo-globin, which gives the blood a bright cherry red color. It is true that people dying from CO poisoning can have a bright red color to their skin and the mucous membranes inside the mouth, but not always. Cyanosis causes the skin to have a blue-gray color and it occurs due to lack of oxygen; this duskiness may mask the red hue from the carboxyhemoglobin.

Most fatal cases are found to have carboxyhemoglobin levels in their blood of 50 percent or more, though the old, young, and chronically ill may succumb to levels as low as 25 to 30 percent. This is particularly true of people with chronic heart or lung disease.

At autopsy the M.E. would suspect CO poisoning from the history (the victim being found in a garage with a car engine running), the reddish color of the internal tissues, and the cherry red hue of the blood. This cherry red color of the blood usually requires a concentration of carboxyhemoglobin greater than 30 percent. The skin in dependent areas, where the blood settles after death, are most likely to show the characteristic red color, but this may be masked by the purplish blue color of the dependent lividity. Even in these situations, however, the margins of the lividity may show the red color. The M.E. would then test the blood for carboxyhemoglobin in order to determine if it was the cause of death.

By the time she absorbed enough CO to lose consciousness, she would be very near the point where she would suffer permanent brain damage and death.

As to how long your victim could survive after losing consciousness, there is no exact answer since too many variables are involved. Her age, weight, and general health status; the concentration of the CO; how airtight the room was; and what drugs or alcohol, if any, she consumed prior to exposure are just a few of the things to consider. A ballpark would be half an hour at the outside; fifteen minutes would be better. If you need to make it an hour or so, provide some sort of ventilation into the garage—something the killer didn't notice that would supply just enough fresh air to extend the time of death a little. It might be an open window, or perhaps the family dog comes to investigate after the bad guys leave and pushes open the door that leads from the house to the garage, thus allowing some fresh air to enter.

What Duration of Exposure to Natural Gas Would Be Required to Kill a Person?

Q: I'm setting up an attempted murder. A character goes home, gets roaring drunk, and passes out. Then somebody sneaks into his house, turns on the gas stove, and blows out the pilot light. Any idea on how long it would take the guy to die or, in this case, how long he can be in there without dying? I want him to get sick but survive with no ill effects.

A: This is a difficult if not impossible question to answer, which is a good thing for story crafting. There are lots of options.

The effect of the gas on the person depends on three things in general: the concentration of the gas inhaled, the duration of exposure, and the condition of the victim prior to the event.

The concentration would depend on the flow from the gas jet, the size of the room or house, and the amount and character of ventilation in the room. A small studio apartment would fill with gas more quickly than a 5,000-square-foot house. Also, the victim would likely be closer to the point of origin of the gas. A studio would have the kitchen area and the sleeping area in the same room, as opposed to the bedroom being down the hall or upstairs from the kitchen in a house. Open windows, ceiling fans, or the air-conditioning system would supply some degree of ventilation and prolong the intended victim's survival. Of course, the electrical circuits of the fan or air conditioning could trigger an explosion once the gas concentration reached a certain level, but that doesn't fit your scenario.

The exposure time is self-explanatory. The longer the exposure at any given gas concentration, the more likely death would occur.

The condition of the victim plays a role because people with heart or lung disease, diabetes, liver or kidney problems, and certain other medical conditions would be more susceptible than the average person. Also, alcohol or other sedative drugs would interfere with the cough reflex and impair the victim's ability to recognize the symptoms of exposure (cough, shortness of breath, headache, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, blurred vision, and so forth), thus lessening the likelihood that he would realize what was happening until it was too late.

Why is this confusion good? Because you have great leeway in how you handle the plot. Whether it's an hour or several hours and whether your victim survives or not is up to you. I wouldn't leave him in the room overnight or all day, particularly if his home is a small apartment. Most people would die from even moderate levels of exposure for that amount of time. Otherwise, make it fit what you want.

What Substance Could Be Added to Water to Hasten Death in Someone Stranded in a Desert?

Q: In my story a young man is released deep in the desert with only a bottle of water. Is there a substance that could be added to the water that would hasten dehydration and death?

A: Two very simple ones: alcohol and diuretics.

Alcohol acts like a diuretic, as anyone who has had a couple of beers knows. Remember, you don't buy beer, you merely rent it. Alcohol depresses the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, which makes a hormone called antidiuretic hormone (ADH). This hormone causes the kidneys to hold on to water. The depressing effect

of alcohol decreases the amount of ADH released and thus what reaches the kidneys. The result is that the kidneys "open up," and urine volume increases dramatically. Thus, alcohol is a diuretic.

Diuretics are a class of drugs that, by several different mechanisms, force the kidneys to filter more water from the bloodstream and produce more urine. Common ones are hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), Dyazide, and Lasix (furosemide). HCTZ and Dyazide are mild, while Lasix is powerful. In fact, a single dose of Lasix may bring about the loss of several quarts of water. That is why this particular medication is useful and at times lifesaving for the treatment of individuals with heart failure and pulmonary edema, a condition in which the body is severely fluid overloaded and the lungs are filled with water.

In your situation you could dissolve a 40-milligram Lasix tablet in the water. It has little taste, but to make sure no funny taste is detected, Gatorade or fruit juice could be used. In this case the killer would give the victim a liquid that the victim believes is lifesaving, while in reality the concoction will only make things much worse. Depending on the temperature, the terrain the victim must cross, the dryness of the air, and the size, age, and health of the victim, it may take a couple of days for him to reach a life-threatening level of dehydration. The addition of Lasix to his water supply may cut this to a few hours.

Is There a Drug That Not Only Subdues a Victim but Also Erases Her Memory?

Q: Situation: A woman pulls into her garage, opens her car door, and is attacked by someone who wants her temporarily unconscious. Can he give her a rap in that magical spot under the jaw or thereabouts and momentarily knock her out? Would that blot out her immedi- ately previous memory? Or could he give her a jab in

the arm with some quick-acting drug that would work for a while, so that she comes to in a hour or so and is not permanently damaged?

A: Yes, you can knock someone out with a blow to the head, jaw, temple, and even the neck. It requires the blow to be delivered with enough force to disrupt brain function and thus cause a loss of consciousness. This is a "concussion" in medical terms. Usually the victim wakes up in a minute or two, but she could be out longer. Fifteen minutes or a half hour—either is possible.

In the movies the hero knocks someone out with one punch, but in real life it is not always that easy and may require several blows. The hero then forgets about the unconscious henchman, as if he were suddenly written out of the script, and continues to pursue the main villain. How many times have you seen that? The truth is that the henchman is likely to awaken in a couple of minutes, get himself together, and surprise the hero, who was sure he would never be a problem again. At least that is the way the script reads. Another case of art
not
imitating life.

In your situation, if the villain needs her out for only a few minutes to a half hour, a single blow to the back of the head is realistic. If he needs her unconscious for an hour or more, the blow to the head isn't enough.

The problem with memory loss is that it is unpredictable. Sometimes it occurs, sometimes it doesn't. What you are proposing is "retrograde amnesia," which is a backward loss of memory—that is, the loss of memory for events that occurred prior to the injury. This is even less likely but certainly does happen. Victims of major auto accidents who are knocked out may not remember leaving home in the car or where they were going.

Your victim could be surprised and never really see the attacker. Then memory is not part of the equation. Or you could have her see the attacker and suffer retrograde amnesia. In the latter case the

memory may return later. This is a good plot twist and something for the assailant to worry about.

Drugs are a more difficult problem since few drugs act instantly. Some act in a few seconds, but to do so they must be given intravenously. A drug such as sodium pentothal would fit this situation.

Your victim could be overpowered and an IV injection given, but this would probably require two attackers since it's hard to hold someone down and find a vein with a needle at the same time. Another route that is almost as fast as an IV is an injection under, in, or around the tongue. The tongue is so highly vascular that it's almost like giving the drug intravenously. That's why nitroglycerin is taken under the tongue by patients with angina and why many drug addicts use this area when their veins are scarred beyond use.

Another possible scenario for you might be for the attacker to approach from behind and knock out or stun the victim with a blow to the back of the head. He then can give a drug that makes her compliant and blocks her memory. Maybe he needs her help to find whatever he is after in her house or something like that.

The perfect drug for this would be Versed (midazolam), manufactured by Roche Pharmaceuticals. It can be given intravenously in a dose of 2 to 4 milligrams (mg) or intramuscularly in a dose of 5 to 10 mg. It works within a minute and has a sedative effect. More important, it causes almost complete amnesia for its duration of action, which is two to five hours. The victim would be very pliable, would follow commands, could walk and talk, and may appear normal or slightly sedated but would have absolutely no memory of what happens. Your attacker could knock out your victim with a blow to the head and then inject about 5 mg of Versed in her arm or hip, and when the victim wakes up from the blow a few minutes later she would be under the influence of the drug and remember nothing of what happens over the following several hours. This might work well for you.

Is There a Toxic Pesticide That Can Be Disseminated by Fire or an Explosion?

Q: In my novel a ship loaded with a pesticide banned by the Food and Drug Administration for its toxic effects docks in a harbor. The ship is sabotaged with incendiary devices and catches fire. The pesticide tanks rupture, producing a toxic gas that sickens and kills people in the harbor. Is this possible? If so, what pesticide could be on board?

A: There are several that fit your scenario.

Sarin and parathion are anticholinesterase neurotoxins. They block the cholinesterase enzymes that are necessary for proper functioning of the muscles and nerves. It is complicated physiology that would take literally thousands of words to explain. Fortunately, you don't really need to know the details to write a credible scene.

Parathion is a yellowish brown liquid that is used as an insecticide and to kill ascaria worms. It also comes as a gas that is quickly absorbed through the skin or lungs. The victim dies a horrible death. Symptoms begin in thirty to sixty minutes and include constricted (small) pupils, muscle spasms and weakness, involuntary twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac arrhythmias, a burning sensation in the skin, and pulmonary edema (lungs filled with water). Respiratory failure and death soon follow.

Sarin is even more toxic. A single drop on the skin can be deadly. It doesn't damage the skin but quickly penetrates it and enters the bloodstream. It is particularly dangerous if heated or if mixed with water or steam because it releases extremely toxic fumes.

An explosion and fire on the ship that ruptured or burned the tanks carrying these compounds would be a disaster of the first

order. Injury and death would occur throughout the harbor. Treatment of victims is difficult and not very successful,

Another possibility would be Dieldrin. It is banned in the United States since the 1974 Environmental Protection Agency Act, but it is manufactured in Europe. A white crystalline solid that comes as a spray, powder, or dust, it absorbs through the skin or lungs. When it is heated, it releases an extremely toxic chloride gas. Symptoms, which can begin in twenty minutes, include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, seizures, and death. As with sarin and parathion, treatment is symptomatic and marginally beneficial.

Any of these would fit your needs and would produce widespread and dramatic injuries and death.