understanding death by hanging

[MamaBear]

I felt about a moments relief as I read the first post and after that all I could see was my daughters face when we had cut her down, her skewered mouth and the small trickle of blood from the corner. I describe her look as that of painful determination. I don`t know how to get that image out of my head. I get stuck on that little trickle out of the corner of her mouth. So I don`t know if she went quietly or if she struggled. I do know that you lose consciousness very quickly and she too could of just stood up to save herself. That confirms why so many of them that could`ve just were not able to. Peace to all and sorry if I sounded bitter. Still alot of anger hangs around me.

[Crystl]

MamaBear I am stuck on the picture of my sons drained face with his tongue protruding and can't escape the image..
I pray that our children never suffered and that they are now at peace.
I'm so sorry any of us have to endure this nightmare (hugs)

[Tracy9]

I found my brother on the morning of the 9th day in the middle of the summer. His body was in a state of moderately severe decompostion. He hung himself off an inside bannister in his house with an open floor plan, so his body had to have swung from side to side for some time before settling. When my husband and I found him, his knees were bent and feet touching the floor. The police told me the weight of the body will stretch out the rope over time.

I could not look at him straight on. I looked at his beautiful hair and wish I'd asked for a lock. His eyelids were very swollen and about 3/4 shut. I didn't want to see his neck so I don't remember looking down. I didn't go any closer than about ten feet to him. I focused on his right side. I kept staring at his arm, it looked like nothing I really want to explain. I just was so stuck on how I could not understand why it looked why it did and the EMTs would not explain. HIs face was swollen. His knees were bent, his arms hanging there. I only looked at the one arm.

My husband said he had blood all over his shirt. I don't remember seeing that at all, nor seeing it on his face. It was coming out of his mouth and nose. I can clearly remember seeing the arm of his white tshirt and that he was wearing jeans. I just didn't look below his eyes I guess but how could my peripheral vision miss that?

I also do no rememeber the horrific smell. The EMTS were shocked I could not smell it. When I went back to the house after they removed him, the carpet was soaked with blood. I just stood on that blood spot and sobbed and soaked in the last smells of his body. I knew it was the last I would ever see of him.

[cmarie]

Tracy, what a traumatic sight to have witnessed. I am glad you have been able to share it with us.
Bad Memories seem to lose some of their power when they are exposed.Through this grief journey I have marveled at how our brain's protect us -what it lets us see, smell, remember and think about.
I am so very sorry you have lost your brother Ted.

[john]

My wife and I have anguished over if our boy suffered when he died. The thing that has haunted me the most was if he changed his mind and wanted me to save him...silently cried out to me... but I wasn't there.

I haven't gotten the full details of his death as the Coroner's report won't be released for a couple of months yet. When I had to identify his body at the morgue, he looked peaceful, just asleep. This thread has helped me, so thank you to everyone that has posted to it.

If someone can message me a link to the report mentioned earlier, I think I would like to read it.

[KayW2009]

the night you posted this my father hung himself. march 4th 2011. i got the last message from him at 12:21 am. I just think this is strange you posted this on that night. thank you for your post. As disturbing as this topic is... I found it comforting,