Methods of Murder

In the year 2000, there were 15,517 murders and nonnegligent manslaughters in the United States. In numerous cases, it has been possible to determine the method by which these murders were carried out, but in other cases, the method was either less clear or went unreported. There are countless ways for an individual to kill another individual, but the major categories can be broken down as follows:

• Use of one's body as a weapon
• Cutting and sharp, pointed instruments
• Handguns
• Long guns
• Poisoning
• Striking instruments
• Asphyxiation by airborne chemicals or particles
• Asphyxiation by ligature
• Drowning by force
• Arson
• Injection of a lethal drug
• Bombing

Use of One's Body as a Weapon. Some killers use their hands to crush the victim's trachea and block oxygen to the mouth, nose, and brain, thereby resulting in death by strangulation. In some ...