Why Use a Hatchet?

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 12:23 am

One thing that has always puzzeled me is the use of a hatchet in these murders. Why a hatchet? A gun of course would be too loud but why not a knife?

A knife would be silent, even more than a hatchet, and would be harder to block than a hatchet if it came straight in. After the crime, "Lizzie" could have cleaned the knife in soap and water and placed it back in with the rest of the knives. There also would not have been the blood splatter that occured with the chopping action of the hatchet.

Now didn't Lizzie say: "Someone stabbed Father." I was wondering if Lizzie was under the impression that the killer, if she hired one, was going to use a knife and never got close enough to the bodies to see that they were not stabbed but chopped. Perhaps Lizzie's word "stabbed" was one of many slip-ups she seemed to have made. I've been wondering about this.

-1bigsteve (o:

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 4:54 am

Girls don't often stab people, usually, I don't think. Too close-up, too easily over-powered from the victim fighting back.
"Why a hatchet?" could be because the long handle gives leverage and some distance from the victim, right?
Actually, one could say that about a lot of people- and knives usually cause the weilder to get cut, is my CSI understanding..

Caesar · Post by **Caesar** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 5:58 am

I think its what they use to kill animals at that time. so I guess thats why

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 2:36 am

You think a hatchet or axe was more widely used than knives at the time among regular folk?

Caesar · Post by **Caesar** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 9:25 am

Yes. things were barbaric back then. just about every family slaughtered animals for food at one time or another. I think it would have taken the killer much longer to kill if they used a knife.

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 10:02 am

If I had been the killer I would have used a knife for five reasons:

#1. It would be easier to conceal until the moment I plunged it into the victim, and I wouldn't have to raise it over my head so there would be less time for the victim to react,

#2. I could do more damage quicker (using a good sized knife), one or two quick plunges,

#3. It would not make as much noise as hacking on a skull,

#4. Very little blood splatter,

#5. After I commited the dasterdly deed I could easily conceal the knife on me until I get to a place whare I could dump it. I could even clean it and mix it in with other knives, hiding it in plain sight.

But, I'm speaking from the standpoint of being a man. If the killer was a woman, and I feel it probably was, she may have felt that the weight of the hatchet gave her an advantage with the momentum of the hatchet, through it's arc, making up for her lack of physical strength. With a knife she would have been forced to use her own body strength to plunge that knife in. The shallow wounds also lead me to believe it was most likely a woman. A man would have done much more damage and most likely used fewer blows. I would have used one blow with maybe a second for good measure. A lot less blood splatter.

Lizzie diden't seem to be interested in leaving the house after she found her dad dead so, even though I hate to admit it, everything seems to point back to Lizzie being in on the killing some how.

-1bigsteve (o:

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 10:13 am

Lizzie diden't seem to be interested in leaving the house after she found her dad dead so, even though I hate to admit it, everything seems to point back to Lizzie being in on the killing some how.

For me...this points all the more towards her innocence of committing the act. I do still believe however, she must have had at least some prior knowledge of that days events.

Tracy...