Jojo Zieff

January 7, 2014

Discussion 2

Elements of Murder Chapter 7-8

- What are the benefits of arsenic poisoning as a strategy for murder? What
are the disadvantages as evidenced by the case studies? Is it overall an
effective method and use of poison? What methods are most effective in
administering Arsenic?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of these methods?
What ways can go wrong with these methods?
What methods can be more effective?
How does scientific knowledge contribute to these methods?
What are the benefits of arsenic poisonings?
How would these poisonings differ from physical murder?

- Would many of the case studies happen if poison didnt exist? How does
arsenic use contribute to committing different crimes?
- The serial murderers of Jegado, a servant who murdered roughly 30 people
(152) and Cotton, who murdered her mother, three husbands, a lover, eight
of her children, and seven stepchildren (154), and Swango, a doctor believed
to have killed 60 of his patients and colleagues (168) were arguably the most
upsetting of all the case studies? What were there motives and how were
their cases different?
- The case study of Dr. Thomas Smethurst (156) did not actually include
arsenic poisoning, why was it included and what does it reveal about the
growing powers of arsenic?
- Which of these cases is the most upsetting with the least motive, and how
does the use of arsenic trioxide contribute the crimes that were committed?
- Anna Zwanziger was beheaded in 1811 for her crime (149) and Marie
Besnard avoided any punishment in a trial in 1961 (166). How does the
justice system work differently and progress throughout the case studies and
what do the trials say about the complexities of arsenic? In what ways could
arsenic use be manipulated?
- Why is the the detection, or lack thereof of Arsenic important in the case
studies? What was the overall significance of the detection processes?
- What makes the case of Florence Maybrick the most intriguing in regards to
the use of arsenic and the case study itself, why is a whole chapter used?
- Why was Florence seen a martyr in her actions and why did she receive so
much support from the general community?
How was her case different?
Was this support deserved?
- What aspects of arsenic, both in its effects and how it was administered, were
present in the Maybrick case?