With the sad passing of Olivia Newton-John, I can award 77 points to Neil and 177 points to Iwan who had her listed as his Woman. Well done both of you but especially to Iwan as he’s catapulted himself into third place on the league table! And a fun fact from Nickie; as of 8 years ago – when Lauren Bacall died – everyone listed in the spoken section of Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ is now dead.

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Carlo Bonomi, 85, Italian voice actor (Pingu, La Linea) and clown. 
• Roger E. Mosley, 83, American actor (Magnum, P.I., Leadbelly, Terminal Island), injuries sustained in a traffic collision. 
• Lamont Dozier, 81, American songwriter (“You Can’t Hurry Love“, “Reach Out I’ll Be There“), record producer and singer.  
• Darryl Hunt, 72, English musician (The Pogues). 
• Dame Olivia Newton-John, 73, British-Australian singer (“I Honestly Love You“, “Physical“) and actress (Grease), breast cancer.  
• Raymond Briggs, 88, British children’s writer and illustrator (Father Christmas, The Snowman, Fungus the Bogeyman), pneumonia.  
• Sir Ralph Halpern, 83, British fashion industry executive, founder of Topshop.  
• Anne Heche, 53, American actress (Another World, Volcano, Donnie Brasco), injuries sustained in a traffic collision.  
• Denise Dowse, 64, American actress (Beverly Hills, 90210, The Guardian, Coach Carter), complications from meningitis. 
• Robyn Griggs, 49, American actress (One Life to Live, Another World, Zombiegeddon), cervical cancer. 

In Other News

Sir Salman Rushdie’s agent has confirmed that he’s been taken off the ventilator and is talking as the man accused of stabbing him pleaded not guilty on Saturday to charges of attempted murder and assault. Andrew Wylie said that the author, 75, may lose one eye after the attack at an event in New York state. Mr Rushdie went into hiding with police protection in the UK in 1988 after Iran’s top leader called for his murder over his novel, The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims deemed blasphemous. Police detained a suspect named as Hadi Matar, 24, from Fairview, New Jersey. New York State Police said the suspect ran onto the stage and attacked Mr Rushdie and an interviewer at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York state. Mr Rushdie was stabbed at least once in the neck and in the abdomen, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, by helicopter. “Salman will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged,” his agent said. No motive or charges have yet been confirmed by police, who are in the process of obtaining search warrants to examine a backpack and electronic devices found at the centre. Police told a news  conference that staff and audience members had pinned the attacker to the ground where he was arrested. A doctor in the audience gave Mr Rushdie first aid. The interviewer who was with Mr Rushdie, Henry Reese, suffered a minor head injury and was taken to a local hospital. Mr Reese is the co-founder of a non-profit organisation that provides sanctuary to writers exiled under threat of persecution. Linda Abrams, an onlooker from the city of Buffalo, told The Flying Monkeys that the assailant kept trying to attack Mr Rushdie after he was restrained. “It took like five men to pull him away and he was still stabbing,” Ms Abrams said. “He was just furious, furious. Like intensely strong and just fast.” Indian-born novelist Mr Rushdie catapulted to fame with Midnight’s Children in 1981, which went on to sell over one million copies in the UK alone. But his fourth book, published in 1988 – The Satanic Verses – forced him into hiding for nearly 10 years. The surrealist, post-modern novel sparked outrage among some Muslims, who considered its content to be blasphemous and was banned in some countries. Several people were killed in anti-Rushdie riots in India and in Iran the British embassy in the capital, Tehran, was stoned. In 1991 a Japanese translator of the book was stabbed to death, while a few months later, an Italian translator was also stabbed and the book’s Norwegian publisher, William Nygaard, was shot – but both survived. A year after the book’s release, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini called for Mr Rushdie’s execution. He offered a $3m  reward in a fatwa – a legal decree issued by an Islamic religious leader. The bounty over Mr Rushdie’s head remains active, and although Iran’s government has distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, a quasi-official Iranian religious foundation added a further $500,000 to the reward in 2012. There has been no reaction from the Iranian government to Mr Rushdie’s stabbing. Iranian media were describing Mr Rushdie as an apostate – someone who has abandoned or denied his faith – in their coverage. Rushdie, a British-American citizen – who was born to non-practising Muslims and is an atheist himself – has become a vocal advocate for freedom of expression, defending his work on several occasions. Rushdie has faced death threats for more than 30 years since the publication of The Satanic Verses. Mr Rushdie said the main thrust of his novel was to examine the immigrant experience, but some Muslims were offended by portrayals of the Prophet Muhammad and the questioning of the nature of the revelation of the Quran as the word of God. The Satanic Verses was banned first in the author’s country of birth, India, and then several other countries before Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued his infamous fatwa. The fatwa called for the killing of anyone involved in the publication of the book and offered rewards to those who took part in the murders. Surprised by the widespread nature of the protests, Salman Rushdie apologised to Muslims but went into hiding. When Mr Rushdie was knighted in 2007 by the Queen, it sparked protests in Iran and Pakistan, where one cabinet minister said the honour “justifies suicide attacks”. Several literary events attended by Mr Rushdie have been subject to threats and boycotts – but he continues to write. His next novel, Victory City, is due to be published in February 2023. Fellow authors such as JK Rowling and Stephen King have written messages of support. Booker-prize winning author, Ian McEwan, called it an “appalling attack” that “represents an assault on freedom of thought and speech. Salman has been an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists across the world. He is a fiery and generous spirit, a man of immense talent and courage and he will not be deterred,” he added. Writer Taslima Nasreen, who was forced to flee her home in Bangladesh after a court said her novel Lajja offended Muslim’s religious faith, said she now feared for her own safety in the wake of Mr Rushdie’s attack.   

JK Rowling has told fans that police are involved after a tweet about Salman Rushdie prompted a death threat on Twitter. The not so controversial Harry Potter author had expressed sympathy for Rushdie after he was stabbed onstage the other day at a literary event in New York. On Saturday, it was reported that Rushdie was on a ventilator, having been rushed to hospital after the attack. Following the attack, Rowling tweeted: “Horrifying news. Feeling very sick right now. Let him be ok.” Shortly after posting the message, Rowling shared the image of a reply she had received which read: “Don’t worry you are next.” The author initially tagged in Twitter’s support account, writing: “Any chance of some support?” Later, she gave fans an update and thanked them, writing: “To all sending supportive messages: thank you. “Police are involved (were already involved on other threats).” Rowling is one of several authors to have reacted following the shocking attack on Rushdie this week. Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Nigella Lawson are also among the voices to have expressed shock and send messages of support to the Midnight’s Children author. 

June Spencer, the last original cast member of The Archers, has retired from the BBC Radio 4 drama aged 103. The actress has played matriarch Peggy Woolley (formerly Archer) since 1951. Her last appearance was aired during the omnibus edition on Sunday, when she discussed getting a stained glass window commissioned of her two great-grandchildren. In a statement, Spencer said it was “high time” she retired from the show. Peggy was often viewed as a traditionalist, conservative character in the long-running drama charting the ups and downs of life in fictional Ambridge. Spencer reportedly recorded recent episodes from a custom studio at her Surrey home, to save her commuting to the show’s Birmingham base. “In 1950 I helped to plant an acorn. It took root and in January 1951 it was planted out and called The Archers,” Spencer recalled. “Over the years it has thrived and become a splendid great tree with many branches. But now this old branch, known as Peggy, has become weak and unsafe so I decided it was high time she ‘boughed’ out, so I have duly lopped her.” Among Peggy’s many fans was the Duchess of Cornwall, who last year invited Spencer and her co-stars to Clarence House for a reception marking the show’s 70th anniversary. She called Peggy “a true national treasure who has been part of my life, and millions of others, for as long as I can remember”. Although Peggy has not yet been written out of the show, Spencer has her own ideas on how best to manage her character’s exit. She told the Flying Monkeys: “The simplest thing is if she a fall or something and goes into The Laurels [the fictional care home in Ambridge]. She can languish for years there.” Jeremy Howe, editor of The Archers, said: “I think working with June Spencer has been one of the greatest privileges of my many decades in drama. Her Peggy is one of the great creations of broadcasting – utterly charming, utterly ruthless, sharp as a knife and witty in spades. To think that June has commanded the airwaves over an Archers career of over 70 years beggars belief.” Sonny Ormonde, who plays Lilian Bellamy, Peggy’s daughter in the soap, said: “I am truly devastated I won’t be having any more scenes with her. Not only will I miss her as a work colleague but I will miss her as a good friend in the studio – I will miss her presence.” In the mid-1950s, Spencer took a break from playing Peggy and the role was taken over by Thelma Rogers. Spencer returned to the role in the early 1960s, when Rogers departed. Spencer has been made both an OBE and CBE and in June 2010 she received the Freedom of the City of London.

On This Day

• 1893 – France becomes the first country to introduce motor vehicle registration.
• 1936 – Rainey Bethea is hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky in the last known public execution in the United States.
• 1994 – Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, also known as “Carlos the Jackal“, is captured
• 2021 – A magnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes southwestern Haiti, killing at least 2,248 people and causing a humanitarian crisis.

Deaths

• 1951 – William Randolph Hearst, American publisher and politician, founded the Hearst Corporation (b. 1863)
• 1988 – Enzo Ferrari, Italian race car driver and businessman, founded Ferrari (b. 1898)
• 2006 – Bruno Kirby, American actor (b. 1949)
• 2018 – Jill Janus, American singer (b. 1975)

Last Meals

Rainey Bethea was the last person publicly executed in the United States. Bethea, who confessed to the rape and murder of a 70-year-old woman named Lischia Edwards, was convicted of her rape and publicly hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky. Mistakes in performing the hanging, and the surrounding media circus, contributed to the end of public executions in the United States. 

Little is known about Bethea’s life before he arrived in Owensboro in 1933. Born around 1909 in Roanoke, Virginia, Bethea was an African-American man orphaned after the death of his mother in 1919 and his father in 1926. 

Bethea’s first run-in with the law happened in 1935, when he was charged with breach of the peace and then fined $20. In April of the same year, he was caught stealing two purses from the Vogue Beauty Shop. Since the value of the purses exceeded $25, Bethea was convicted of a felony, grand larceny, and consequently sentenced to one year in the Kentucky State Penitentiary at Eddyville. 

Upon returning to Owensboro upon release, Bethea continued to work as a labourer and earned about seven dollars per week. Less than a month later, he was arrested again for house breaking. On January 6th, 1936, the court amended this charge to being drunk and disorderly in public and imposed a $100 fine (equivalent to $2000 today). Because he could not afford to pay, he was incarcerated in the Daviess County Jail. 

Two months after his release, in the early morning of June 7th, 1936, Bethea entered the home of Lischia Edwards on East Fifth Street by climbing onto the roof of an outbuilding next door. From there, he jumped onto the roof of the servant’s quarters of Emmett Wells’ house, and then walked down a wooden walkway. He climbed over the kitchen roof to Edwards’ bedroom window. 

After removing a screen from her window, he entered the room, waking her. Bethea then choked Edwards and violently raped her. After she was unconscious, he searched for valuables and stole several of her rings. In the process, he removed his own black celluloid prison ring, and failed to later retrieve it. He left the bedroom and hid the stolen jewels in a barn not far from the house. 

The crime was discovered late that morning after the Smith family, who lived downstairs, noticed they had not heard Edwards stirring in her room. They feared she might have been ill and knocked on the door of her room, attempting to rouse her. They found the door locked with a key still inside the lock from the inside, which prevented another key from being placed in the lock from the outside. They contacted a neighbour, Robert Richardson, hoping he could help, and he managed to knock the key free, but another skeleton key would not unlock the door. Smith then got a ladder. He climbed into the room through the transom over the door and discovered that Edwards was dead. 

The Smiths alerted Dr. George Barr while he was attending a service at the local Methodist Church. Dr. Barr realised there was little he could do and summoned the local coroner, Delbert Glenn, who attended the same church. The Smiths also called the Owensboro police. Officers found the room was otherwise tidy, but there were muddy footprints everywhere. Coroner Glenn also found Bethea’s celluloid prison ring. 

By late Sunday afternoon, the police already suspected Rainey Bethea after several residents of Owensboro stated that they had previously seen Bethea wearing the ring. Since Bethea had a criminal record, the police could use the then-new identification technique of fingerprints to establish that Bethea had recently touched items inside the bedroom. Police searched for Bethea over the next four days. 

On the Wednesday following the discovery of the murder, Burt “Red” Figgins was working on the bank of the Ohio River, when he observed Bethea lying under some bushes. Figgins asked Bethea what he was doing, and Bethea responded he was “cooling off.” Figgins then reported this sighting to his supervisor, Will Faith, and asked him to call the police. By the time Faith had returned to the spot on the river bank, Bethea had moved to the nearby Koll’s Grocery. Faith followed him and then found a policeman in the drugstore, but when they searched for Bethea, he again eluded capture.

Later that afternoon, Bethea was again spotted. This time, he was cornered on the river bank after he tried to board a barge. When police officers questioned him, he denied that he was Bethea, claiming his name was James Smith. The police played along with the fabricated name, fearing a mob would develop if residents were to learn that they had captured Bethea. After his arrest, Bethea was identified by a scar on the left side of his head. Judge Forrest A. Roby of the Daviess Circuit  Court ordered the sheriff to transport Bethea to the Jefferson County Jail in Louisville. While being transferred, Bethea made his first confession, admitting that he had raped Edwards and strangled her to death. Bethea also lamented the fact that he had made a mistake by leaving his ring at the crime scene, stating that he had removed the ring in order to try on Edwards’s rings. 

On the night before the trial, Bethea announced to his lawyers that he wanted to plead guilty, doing so the next day at the start of the trial. The prosecutor still presented the state’s case to the jury in spite of the guilty plea, requesting a death penalty for Bethea. 

After a closing statement by the prosecutor, the judge instructed the jury that since Bethea had pleaded guilty, they must “…fix his punishment, at confinement in the penitentiary for not less than ten years nor more than twenty years, or at death.” After only four and a half minutes of deliberation, the jury returned with a sentence of death by hanging. Bethea was then quickly removed from the courthouse and returned to the Jefferson County Jail. In all, Bethea’s trial lasted for three hours. 

While the crime was infamous locally, it came to nationwide attention because the sheriff of Daviess County was a woman. Florence Shoemaker Thompson had become sheriff on April 13, 1936, after her husband, sheriff Everett Thompson, unexpectedly died of pneumonia on April 10th. Florence became sheriff through widow’s succession, and as sheriff of the county, she was tasked with hanging Bethea. 

Arthur L. Hash, a former Louisville police officer, offered his services free of charge to perform the execution. Thompson accepted this offer. He asked that she not make his name public. Hash arrived at the site intoxicated wearing a white suit and a white Panama hat. At this time, no one but he and Thompson knew that he would pull the trigger. 

On August 6th, the Governor of Kentucky, Albert Chandler, signed Bethea’s execution warrant and set the execution for sunrise on August 14th. Thompson requested the governor to issue a revised death warrant because the original warrant specified that the hanging would take place in the courthouse yard where the county had recently planted, at significant cost, new shrubs and flowers. Chandler was out-of-state, so Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky Keen Johnson, as acting governor, signed a second death warrant moving the location of the hanging from the courthouse yard to an empty lot near the county garage. 

Rainey Bethea’s last meal consisted of fried chicken, pork chops, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, cornbread, lemon pie, and ice cream. 

Bethea left the Daviess County Jail and walked with two deputies to the scaffold. Within two minutes, he was at the base of the scaffold. Removing his shoes, he put on a new pair of socks. He ascended the steps and stood on the large X as instructed by the hangman Phil Hanna. After Bethea made his final confession to Father Lammers of the Cathedral of the Assumption, officers placed a black hood over his head and fastened three large straps around his ankles, thighs, arms, and chest. 

Hanna placed the noose around Bethea’s neck, adjusted it, and then signalled to Hash to pull the trigger. Instead, Hash, who was drunk, did nothing. Hanna shouted at Hash, “Do it!” A deputy then leaned onto the trigger, which sprang the trap door. Bethea fell 8 feet, and his neck was instantly broken. Afterward, two doctors confirmed he was dead. 

Bethea wanted his body to be sent to his sister in South Carolina so that she could arrange for him to be interred next to his father, but against these wishes, he was buried in a pauper’s grave at the Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery in Owensboro. 

It was estimated that a crowd of about 20,000 people gathered to watch the execution. Afterwards, Hanna complained that Hash should not have been allowed to perform the execution in his drunken condition. Hanna further said it was the worst display he experienced in the 70 hangings he had supervised. 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Steve Martin (77), Mila Kunis (39), Halle Berry (56), Joseph Marcell (74), Sebastian Stan (40), Cara Delevingne (30), Jim Beaver (72), Bruce Greenwood (66), George Hamilton (83), Chris Hemsworth (39), Anna Gunn (54), Ian McDiarmid (78), Hulk Hogan (69), Antonio Banderas (62), Rosanna Arquette (63), Bill Skarsgård (32), Ashley Johnson (39), Rhona Mitra (46), Sam Elliott (78), Gillian Anderson (54), Anna Kendrick (37), Eric Bana (54), Melanie Griffith (65), Dan Levy (39), Audrey Tautou (46), Dustin Hoffman (85), Katie Leung (35), and Connie Stevens (84).

We’ll begin by dishing out the points! Congratulations to Abi for correctly guessing that the awesome Nichelle Nichols would pass away this year; 61 points!!! So that just leaves five of us yet to score this year, which includes myself. You’d think I’d be good at this… 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Nichelle Nichols, 89, American actress (Star Trek, Truck Turner, Snow Dogs).
• Alastair Little, 72, British chef, cookbook author and restaurateur.  
• Nicky Moore, 75, English singer (Samson), complications from Parkinson’s disease.  
• Sam Gooden, 87, American Hall of Fame soul singer (The Impressions). 
• Judith Durham, 79, Australian singer (The Seekers), lung disease. 

In Other News

Anne Heche is said to be in a “stable” condition after suffering severe burns in a car accident. The actor was involved in a serious accident in Mar Vista, Los Angeles on Friday. Heche was inside a blue Mini Cooper that crashed into a home, causing the residence to catch fire. While officials have not officially named Heche as the driver, reports at the time claimed that the Donnie Brasco star was behind the wheel. They also published a picture of her in the vehicle. In a statement, Heche’s representative said that the actor was “currently in a stable condition” after the incident. They confirmed that Heche had suffered severe burns and was currently intubated. “Her family and friends ask for your thoughts and prayers and to respect her privacy during this difficult time,” they told the Flying Monkeys. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, 59 firefighters attended the scene to contain the fire. Initially, it had been reported that Heche was in a “critical” condition after the accident. The Flying Monkeys reported that witnesses saw Heche’s car crash into the garage of a building in the neighbourhood, before the car smashed into the home on the west side of the city. Law enforcement officials told the Flying Monkeys that the 53-year-old was “deemed to be under the influence and acting erratically”. 

Bill Turnbull has announced he is returning to  his show on Classic FM for health reasons as he continues to live with terminal prostate cancer. The much-loved radio and TV presenter announced the news on Twitter and he was inundated with messages of support. The former BBC Breakfast presenter took to the micro-blogging site and shared his delight at making a return to the radio airwaves. In view of his 113,000 followers, Bill tweeted: “Roll over Beethoven – BIll Turnbull’s back @Classicfm! Yes, I’m returning to host the most exciting classical music show on the airwaves this Saturday from 10 till 1. Don’t miss it!” It comes after Bill told listeners in October he was taking some time away from the show. The broadcaster, who lives with incurable prostate cancer, said at the time it was “with great regret” that he would be taking “a leave of absence… for health reasons”. He explained: “The road has been a bit bumpy recently, and I need to take some time to focus on getting better.” Bill, 63, said he was “sorry to do this, as I absolutely love doing the programme. I am very grateful to friends and colleagues at Global for the love and support they have shown me,” he added. The former BBC Breakfast presenter has lived with the condition for over four years and has always been very open about his diagnosis. In 2019 he revealed that the cancer had spread to his bones, but that he still had a “fair-old time to live”. Since his diagnosis the journalist has undergone numerous rounds of chemotherapy and even had injections of radioactive substance Radium 223. Bill, who previously hosted BBC Breakfast, and Good Morning Britain alongside Susanna Reid, has hosted the Classic FM weekend show for five years.  

Television advert icon Michael Redfern, who appeared alongside his on-screen wife Lynda Bellingham in the long-running Oxo commercials between 1983 and 1999, has died. The actor’s family confirmed he has died aged 79, as his son paid tribute to his late dad. “Michael died last Friday at his home in Spain following an illness,” his family announced. His son Ashley said: “Over the years, he was cast in a variety of roles including leading parts in the soap opera United!, The Newcomers as well as roles in classics such as The Two Ronnies, Porridge and Some Mothers Do Av ‘Em. “He of course was best known for his role in the Oxo commercials, which he did for 17 years and became a much loved figure in one of Britain’s favourite television families. He will be greatly missed by his wife Carol and his family,” he told the Flying Monkeys. Michael will be best remembered for his role as the dad in Oxo’s iconic adverts, lighting up the screen with his trademark moustache for 17 years. Lynda, who played his wife the Oxo mum in the ads, died back in 2016 with her husband by her side.  He previously said of working with Lynda: “I was a face but she was a name and a very good actress.” The former Loose Women panellist announced she had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in July 2013 and stopped her chemotherapy in August 2014, confirming she had months to live. Aside from his role in the Oxo adverts, Michael appeared in some classic comedy shows, including Porridge and The Two Ronnies.

On This Day

• 1890 – Anna Månsdotter, found guilty of the 1889 Yngsjö murder, became the last woman to be executed in Sweden.
• 1930 – The last confirmed lynching of black people in the Northern United States occurs in Marion, Indiana; two men, Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, are killed.
• 1974 – Philippe Petit performs a high wire act between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre 1,368 feet (417 m) in the air.

Deaths

• 1957 – Oliver Hardy, American actor, singer, and director (b. 1892)
• 2004 – Red Adair, American firefighter (b. 1915)
• 2011 – Nancy Wake, New Zealand-English captain and spy (b. 1912)

Last Week’s Birthdays

Charlize Theron (47), Michael Shannon (48), Abbie Cornish (40), Harold Perrineau (59), David Duchovny (62), Tobin Bell (80), Michelle Yeoh (60), M. Night Shyamalan (52), James Gunn (56), Mark Strong (59), Billy Bob Thornton (67), Meghan Markle (41), Barack Obama (61), Lee Mack (54), Evangeline Lilly (43), Stephen Graham (49), Martin Sheen (82), John C. McGinley (63), Steven Berkoff (85), Mamie Gummer (39), John Landis (72), Sam Worthington (46), Kevin Smith (52), Edward Furlong (45), Jason Momoa (43), and John Carroll Lynch (59).

A busy week for deaths with quite a few of you scoring 😀 With the passing of James  Lovelock, Millie scores 147 points as she listed him as her Cert. With Bernard Cribbins departing us, 57 points go to Rachel, Paul C, Liz, Paul G, Chris, Nickie, and Iwan. Well done all of you. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• David Warner, 80, English actor (The Omen, Tron, Titanic), complications from lung cancer. 
• Paul Sorvino, 83, American actor (Goodfellas, The Rocketeer, Law & Order).  
• David Trimble, Baron Trimble, 77, Northern Irish politician, first minister and member of the House of Lords. 
• James Lovelock, 103, English environmentalist (Gaia hypothesis), inventor of the electron capture detector, complications from a fall. 
• Mary Alice, 85, American actress (Fences, A Different World, The Matrix Revolutions). 
• Bernard Cribbins, 93, English actor (The Wombles, Doctor Who) and singer (“The Hole in the Ground“). 
• Tony Dow, 77, American actor (Leave It to Beaver, Never Too Young), liver cancer. 
• Sir Christopher Meyer, 78, British diplomat, Downing Street press secretary, ambassador to the United States and Germany, stroke. 
• Charles Ward, British recording studio owner. 

In Other News

A third set of human remains has been found at Lake Mead, as an ongoing drought continues to lower water levels at the huge reservoir. The torso was discovered at a Nevada swimming beach on Monday evening. Shots taken of the body appear to show a person’s trunk with its arms, leg and head missing.  It marks the third grisly discovery made at the lake, which is at its lowest level in 84 years, since May. The National Park Service did not say in a statement how long officials think the corpse was submerged in the Boulder Beach area of the lake before it was found Monday around 4:30 p.m. by people who summoned park rangers. Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse said Tuesday it was partially encased in mud at the water line of the swimming area along the shore. Little is known about the new discovery with the gender, time, cause or manner of death all still a mystery. Rouse said that investigators are scouring through local missing person reports in an attempt to identify the corpse. Human remains, as well as sunken boats, including a World War II landing craft, and other items have been discovered at lake over the summer as the water level declines. The coroner said her office was continuing work to identify a man whose body was found May 1 in a rusted barrel in the Hemenway Harbor area. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said in May: ‘The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years. It’s likely that we will find additional bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead.’ He was correct, six days after that discovery, another set of human bones were found on a newly surfaced sand bar near Callville Bay, more than nine miles from the marina. Daniel fell from a speedboat that flipped when it struck by a wake during a fishing trip with a friend 64 years ago. His father was a Las Vegas mobster and casino magnate named Ruby Kolod, although there is no suggestion that Daniel’s death was a result of foul play. His remains were never recovered despite searches by a helicopter and divers. On July 6, the body of a 22-year-old Boulder City woman was found in the water near where she disappeared while riding a personal watercraft. Rouse said it may take several weeks to determine her cause of death. The case of the body in the barrel was being investigated as a homicide after police said the man had been shot and his clothing dated to the mid-1970s to early 1980s. Around 300 people have drowned in Lake Mead since the 1930s but that does not include those whose bodies were never recovered, including Daniel Kolod. About 40 million people rely on the Colorado River as their water supply, with Lake Mead and Lake Powell serving as the area’s primary reservoirs. Yum!    

Kate Garraway is reportedly in ‘survival mode’ after her husband Derek Draper took a ‘serious turn for the worse’ this month.The former political advisor, 54, was readmitted to hospital two months ago, more than two years since he contracted Covid, with the virus causing major health complications and long-lasting damage to his organs.Kate recently had to pull out of her presenting duties on Good Morning Britain to support her family. And now, a source close to the family claimed that she’s trying to stay positive despite the sudden change in his health.”Kate’s been incredibly strong throughout Derek’s illness and has remained a pillar of strength for the family despite their entire lives being turned around, but right now she’s in pure survival mode and is having to now face the possibility of her worst nightmare coming true if Derek doesn’t make it out of this,” they revealed. “She’s hell-bent on staying positive, not only for Derek but for herself and the children too.” They added: “Derek is back in hospital in a very serious condition but the family knows he is in the best hands. Kate is doing everything she can for her husband. He comes first and so work will have to take a back seat this week.” 

Scots comedian Janey Godley has reflected on her cancer journey and revealed that she is finally starting to feel like herself again. Janey was  diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year and has been battling the disease and updating her fans throughout as she went through operations and courses of treatment. Following gruelling chemotherapy sessions, last month the funny woman announced that her latest scan came back clear. At the time, a tearful Janey said: “I have just had a phone call from the cancer specialist and the scan has came back clear. There is no evidence of the disease, so after the hysterectomy and six rounds of chemo and a blood transfusion it seems like the NHS has definitely saved my life. “I want to thank everyone at the Beatson Cancer Care and every one at the NHS who looked after me. I also want to thank my wee pal Shirley who looked after me when I came out after the hysterectomy.” Janey faces having to take pills for the rest of her life to stop the cancer returning but couldn’t contain her joy. And now she has taken to Twitter to look back on her journey, with a series of selfies taken throughout. Janey went on to say that she is finally starting to feel herself again after getting the all clear.

On This Day

• 1970 – Black Tot Day: The last day of the officially sanctioned rum ration in the Royal Navy.
• 1971 – Apollo program: the Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover.
• 2007 – Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and the longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end.

Deaths

• 1875 – Andrew Johnson, American general and politician, 17th President of the United States (b. 1808)
• 1886 – Franz Liszt, Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1811)
• 1917 – Hedd Wyn, Welsh language poet (b. 1887)
• 2009 – Bobby Robson, English footballer and manager (b. 1933)
• 2012 – Gore Vidal, American novelist, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1925)
• 2013 – Michael Ansara, Syrian-American actor (b. 1922)
• 2015 – Roddy Piper, Canadian wrestler and actor (b. 1954)
• 2018 – Tony Bullimore, British sailor & businessman (b. 1939)
• 2020 – Alan Parker, English filmmaker (b. 1944)

Last Meals

Back in June 2021 we read about the Somerton Man, one of Australia’s most baffling and enduring mysteries – the unsolved case of an unclaimed body dubbed ‘Somerton Man’ who was found with a coded note in his pocket on a beach 74 years ago – which may have finally been unraveled after a professor claimed he used DNA analysis to uncover his true identity.

The fully-clothed body was discovered slumped against a sea wall by two trainee jockeys near the shore of Somerton Park Beach, Adelaide, on December 1, 1948. He had an unlit cigarette resting on his chest.

A post-mortem examination ruled he was poisoned, but was never identified because no family members came forward to claim him.

He was in a perfectly-pressed double-breasted suit and tie; a coded note and a book of Persian poems among his belongings lent themselves to wild theories that he was a Cold War spy or had been murdered by a scorned ex-lover.

Now, more than 70 years later, Adelaide University researcher Derek Abbott says the man was Carl ‘Charles’ Webb, a 43-year-old electrical engineer and instrument maker from Footscray in Melbourne.

Professor Abbott, who has been working alongside renowned American genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick, used hair from a plaster mask police made in the 1940s to construct a DNA profile.

After building a family tree of around 4,000 people, Abbott and Fitzpatrick had a breakthrough on Saturday – successfully matching the DNA from the hair to samples from Webb’s distant relatives.

‘By filling out this tree, we managed to find a first cousin three times removed on his mother’s side,’ Abbott told the flying monkeys. ‘It just felt like I climbed and I was at the top of Mount Everest.’   

Webb was born the youngest of six children in 1905 in Melbourne. No death records or photos exist on file.

Professor Abbott said they also found a link between Webb and the name ‘T.Keane’ – which was printed on the Somerton Man’s tie.

‘It turns out that Carl Webb has a brother-in-law called Thomas Keane, who lived just 20 minutes drive away from him in Victoria,’ Professor Abbott told the flying monkeys.

‘So it’s not out of the question that these items of clothing he had with T. Keane on them were just hand me downs from his brother-in-law.’ 

Professor Abbott said they had also found a potential reason why the Melbournian  was in Adelaide.

‘We have evidence that he had separated from his wife, and that she had moved to South Australia, so possibly, he had come to track her down,’ he said.

In May last year, South Australia police exhumed the Somerton Man’s body from its resting place at West Terrace Cemetery.

However, experts from Forensic Science SA encountered difficulties analysing the DNA due to the small amount of ‘comparison samples’.

South Australia Police, who are conducting a parallel investigation, are yet to verify Abbott’s findings.

South Australia Police have been contacted for comment.  Professor Abbott hopes their work will be confirmed by authorities to enable further research into Webb’s life.

Webb was born on November 16, 1905, in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Footscray.

Abbott said there are few records to shed light on his early life and they have not been able to find any photos of him in public databases or relatives’ photo albums.

However, Webb later married Dorothy ‘Doff’ Robertson, and the last known record on file is a court notice in April 1947 when she went to court to file for divorce because he had disappeared.

After Robertson filed for divorce in Melbourne, documents from 1951 show she had moved to Bute in South Australia, 144km northeast of Adelaide.

Abbott said Webb liked betting on horses and the mysterious code found in the man’s book could relate to horse names.

The researcher said Abbot was also fond of poetry, which could explain the Tamam Shud note.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Michael Biehn (66), Wesley Snipes (60), Emilia Fox (48), Rico Rodriguez (24), Dean Cain (56), J.K. Rowling (57), Christopher Nolan (52), Arnold Schwarzenegger (75), Hilary Swank (48), Lisa Kudrow (59), Laurence Fishburne (61), Jean Reno (74), Terry Crews (54), Frances de la Tour (78), Carel Struycken (74), William Atherton (75), Kate Bush (64), Wil Wheaton (50), Hannah Waddingham (48), Elizabeth Berkley (50), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (53), Taylor Schilling (39), Donnie Yen (60), Sandra Bullock (58), Kate Beckinsale (49), Jason Statham (55), Kevin Spacey (63), Helen Mirren (77), Nana Visitor (65), Eve Myles (44), Mick Jagger (79), Matt LeBlanc (55), D.B. Woodside (53), and Iman (67).

I won’t waffle on, this one has turned out to be a long read! Lots of dead people too! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Mickey Rooney Jr., 77, American actor (Hot Rods to Hell, Honeysuckle Rose). 
• Ricky Bibey, 40, English rugby league player (Wigan Warriors, Leigh Centurions, Wakefield Trinity).
• Rebecca Balding, 73, American actress (Soap, Charmed, Makin’ It), ovarian cancer.  
• Alan Grant, 73, Scottish comic book writer (Judge Dredd, Lobo, Batman). 
• Taurean Blacque, 82, American actor (Hill Street Blues, Oliver & Company, Savannah). 
• Paddy Hopkirk, 89, British rally driver. 
• Uwe Seeler, 85, German footballer (Hamburger SV, West Germany national team). 
• David Moores, 76, British football executive, chairman of Liverpool (1991–2007). 
• Maria Petri, 82, English football supporter.  
• Stefan Soltész, 73, Austrian conductor. 

In Other News

Limp Bizkit have cancelled their UK and European tour dates following concerns over frontman Fred Durst’s health. Durst has been advised by his Doctor to take an “immediate break” from touring following some “unexpected” test results. The band announced the news on Instagram saying: “For personal health concerns and based on medical advice given by my personal physician to take an immediate break from touring, Limp Bizkit will sadly have to postpone their 2022 UK and European tour. “We truly apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to our loyal fans, promoters and support staff. Stand by for further news. Sincerely, Fred & Limp Bizkit.” The post also directed fans to the band’s website to watch a video statement from Durst in which he explains that he’d gone for some physical health tests to prepare for the band’s upcoming tour. Durst goes on to say that he learned that he needed to stay put for further testing and was told to abandon the tour. “This was very unexpected news and I’m so sorry,” Durst said in the heartfelt video, adding: “I look forward to making it up to you as soon as possible”. “I truly am grateful to everyone who was going to take the time out of their busy lives and come and see Limp Bizkit perform this summer,” he continued. Thanking fans for their ongoing support, Durst said: “We do love and cherish our connection with you more than anything on this planet.” The band were due to perform two dates at London’s Brixton Academy in September as part of the tour. The frontman was keen to stress to fans that he would be back soon, saying: “I know everything’s going to be okay. “I’m already working on something to make it up to everyone in the UK and all over Europe”.  

A wildlife trophy hunter who killed elephants and lions and uploaded photos of himself next to their carcasses has been shot dead in South Africa. Riaan Naude, 55, was gunned down “at close range” when a car pulled up next to his truck in Marken Road, Limpopo – an area which includes part of the Kruger National Park wildlife reserve. Lieutenant Colonel Mamphaswa Seabi, a spokesperson for South Africa’s national police force, said: “The man was lying with his face up and there was blood on his head and face.” A pair of hunting rifles, clothes, water, whiskey and pyjamas were found by officers. The Heritage Protection Group, a not-for-profit group against rhino poaching, claim there are two suspects involved in the hunter’s murder. The group wrote in a Facebook post: “According to eyewitnesses, a white bakkie (truck) stopped next to him and shot him in cold blood at a short distance, after which the two suspects got out and only stole his pistol. “They then jumped into the vehicle and raced in the direction of Marken. Traces were trampled on the scene. All the personal belongings were still in the vehicle, weapons, ammunition, hunting equipment and clothes were left as is.”  Mr Naude ran the Pro Hunt Africa firm, a “hunting and Eco Safari outfit” in northern South Africa. He will not be missed by anyone.  

President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19, the White House said on Thursday. In a statement, White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said Mr Biden, who is screened for Covid-19 on a regular basis, tested positive on Thursday morning. She added that the president, who is fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with two booster shots, has “very mild symptoms” that are being treated with the anti-viral medication Paxlovid. Ms Jean-Pierre said Mr Biden would follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines by isolating at the White House while carrying out “all of his duties fully during that time”. “He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence,” she said. “Consistent with White House protocol for positive Covid cases, which goes above and beyond CDC guidance, he will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative”. Ms Jean-Pierre said the White House would provide daily updates on Mr Biden’s condition “out of an abundance of transparency”, though she stressed that the is continuing to “carry out the full duties of the office” despite being in isolation. During a briefing at the White House, Ms Jean-Pierre said she wasn’t sure where Mr Biden contracted Covid, adding “I don’t think that matters”. Speaking to reporters in Detroit, Michigan, first lady Jill Biden said she spoke to her husband shortly after his positive test became publicly known. “He’s doing fine,” she said. “He’s feeling good.” Since Mr Biden took office in January 2021, the possibility that he would contract Covid-19 has been of great concern to his advisers, who until recently have taken great pains to limit his contact with large crowds. At 79, Mr Biden is the oldest person to be sworn in for a first term as president and is at high risk for severe complications from the virus. But White House officials have said Mr Biden is well-protected by the vaccine and booster doses he has received since shortly before he took office. Mr Biden’s positive test comes amid a resurgence in Covid-19 cases due to new variants and sub-variants of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus, which doctors say are far more contagious than previous iterations and more easily evade the immunity conferred on him by his vaccines and boosters. The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, reacted to Mr Biden’s positive test by telling reporters: “I’m hoping he gets well soon and doesn’t have any difficulty getting past it.” House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, told reporters at her weekly press conference that she understands Mr Biden’s symptoms to be “light”. “I hope they continue to be so. That was my experience,” she said.  

The oldest-ever male giant panda in captivity has died aged 35. An An lived most of his life at a theme park in Hong Kong after he and a female panda were gifted by China in 1999. The female panda, Jia Jia, died in 2016 at the age of 38, making her the oldest-ever female panda in captivity. Ocean Park theme park mourned An An as a family member who built bonds with locals and tourists. “An An has brought us fond memories with numerous heart-warming moments. His cleverness and playfulness will be dearly missed,” Paulo Pong, chairman of Ocean Park Corporation, said. An An had high blood pressure, a common condition among geriatric pandas. Over the past three weeks, An An had been kept out of sight from visitors at the park as his health worsened. He stopped eating solid food and was significantly less active in recent days. Last week, hundreds left comments on a social media post about An An’s condition, wishing him a speedy recovery. He was euthanised to prevent further suffering on Thursday morning after veterinarians from Ocean Park and government authorities consulted the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda. “An An lived a full life that ended at the respectable age of 35 – the equivalent of 105 years in human age,” Ocean Park said. Hong Kong was given another panda pair – Ying Ying, a female, and a male, Le Le – in 2007 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the city’s return to China. China commonly engages in “panda diplomacy” where the mammals exclusively found in China are leased to other countries as a sign of goodwill. 

A man has died after drinking a whole bottle of Jagermeister in just two minutes as part of a binge-drinking competition. The South African man downed a the whole bottle of the 35 per  cent spirit as part of a £10 bet at a South African liquor store. Shortly after gulping down the spirit the local resident, who has not been named collapsed. The man, who is reportedly aged between 25 and 30, was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. A viral video has been circulated online which shows the man guzzling down the liquid while people clap and cheer him on. A police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed the incident took place at a local liquor store at Mashamba village in Elim, South Africa. Mr Mojapelo told local media: “‘Police in Waterval outside Louis Trichardt have opened a case of inquest following an incident of apparent misuse of alcohol that took place at one of the local liquor outlets at Mashumba Village where the patrons allegedly participated in what they called a ‘drinking competition. “The winner who could consume the entire bottle of Jägermeister within a specified time, would get R200 cash. One of them immediately collapsed thereafter and was taken to the local clinic where he was certified dead.” An inquest has been opened into his death.

On This Day

• 1487 – Citizens of Leeuwarden, Netherlands, strike against a ban on foreign beer.
• 1911 – Hiram Bingham III re-discovers Machu Picchu, “The Lost City of the Incas”.
• 1966 – Michael Pelkey makes the first BASE jump from El Capitan along with Brian Schubert. Both came out with broken bones. BASE jumping has now been banned from El Cap.

Deaths

• 1980 – Peter Sellers, English actor and comedian (b. 1925)
• 2010 – Alex Higgins, Northern Irish snooker player (b. 1949)
• 2020 – Regis Philbin, American actor and television host (b. 1931)

Mending Wounds on the Dead

A mortuary student has shared a fascinating inside look into how morticians fix stab wounds on dead bodies and reconstruct a broken skull.

Madison Acor, 21, has become the latest social media sensation, sharing with her TikTok followers her day-to-day duties as a student at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. In one of her videos, which has amassed over one million views, Acor shows her followers the daunting task of having to fully reconstruct a broken skull.

In the video, which she titles Skullzo Restoration Day, Acor and her partner are given a skull made out of plaster, then are asked to break it and reconstruct it.

However, what makes the assignment more challenging than it already is, is that the instructor takes away a piece of the fake skull, and the students are left to reassemble it.

Acor explains that for the process, students are provided with cranial bone screws, zip ties, mesh wire netting and a screwdriver, among other tools. 

“At first, we were using zip ties to try to get the skull back together to make sure it didn’t shake or shimmy whenever we shook it. And that worked OK,” she revealed in the video.

“Then we used a lot of the cranial screws to reinforce it.”

To fill in for the missing piece, Acor used mesh and wire, which she “intertwined” between the pieces of the skull through holes she drilled with a screwdriver.

“It’s not so glamorous, but the goal is to make sure that when we shake the skull, nothing moved,” she concluded. 

Several people applauded her work in the comment section but confessed they wouldn’t dare try the real deal.

“The class seems fun but doing the real thing NOPE SCARED,” wrote one person.

A second person chimed in and asked: “You’re telling me I could have my head zip tied back together 😳.”

“This is so beyond cool…” commented another TikToker.  

In a separate video, Acor filmed the head she was working on, “knifezo,” and explained that the figure was a stabbing victim.

“So next is knifezo, she was the victim of a stabbing unfortunately. And you guys can see the large slice in the face and on the ear, little bit of lip reconstruction, wounds along the neck.

“There’s a big gash I kind of zoomed in right there for you. And there’s another big gash on her ear. There’s lots of little cuts along her as well, kind of scattered all over.”

To start, the 21-year-old explains how she filled in the deep wounds with clay, then applied soft wax to the covered-up wounds.

Acor explained that the soft wax part took her the longest because she had to apply it “carefully and feather it” to make the wounds look smooth for the cosmetic application stage.

Finally, the student displays her finished figure, revealing that she applied blush on “knifezo’s” ears, cheeks, forehead, nose, and collarbone to give it some colour.

Fellow TikTokers praised the mortuary student’s work but were stunned when they learned what it was for.

Acor said she started posting the videos so her family could see them easier online, saying that when the video began going viral “she was shocked.”

“I would like people to know that this profession is not scary and many people in this field want nothing but the best for the decedent and their families,” Acor told The Flying Monkeys.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Rose Byrne (43), Jennifer Lopez (53), Elisabeth Moss (40), Anna Paquin (40), Summer Glau (41), Lynda Carter (71), Danny Dyer (45), Woody Harrelson (61), Daniel Radcliffe (33), Kathryn Hahn (49), Charisma Carpenter (52), Ronny Cox (84), Slash (57), Selena Gomez (30), Willem Dafoe (67), Rhys Ifans (55), Terence Stamp (84), Danny Glover (76), Louise Fletcher (88), Josh Hartnett (44), Anya Chalotra (26), Paloma Faith (41), John Francis Daley (37), Sandra Oh (51), Benedict Cumberbatch (46), Jared Padalecki (40), Kelly Reilly (45), Kristen Bell (42), and Vin Diesel (55).

Hope you’re all enjoying the heatwave! Maybe we’ll have a deluge of deaths next week because of it 🙂 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Michael Barratt, 94, English television presenter (Nationwide).  
• Monty Norman, 94, English composer (“James Bond Theme“). 
• Chris Stuart, 73, British journalist (Western Mail), producer (Only Connect), and songwriter.  
• Ivana Trump, 73, Czech-American businesswoman, author and model, fall. 
• Paul Ryder, 58, English bassist (Happy Mondays). 
• Bobby East, 37, American racing driver (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series), stabbed. 

 In Other News

Comedian Rhod Gilbert is receiving treatment at a cancer hospital, he has said. The 53-year-old from Carmarthen said he is a patient at Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff – a hospital he is a patron of and has fundraised for. “I know better than anyone that I am in the best possible hands,” he said in a Facebook post, announcing the news. After previously cancelling shows due to issues with his throat, he paused his Book of John tour last week. “As a proud patron of Velindre Cancer Centre, I’ve trekked the world, hosted chaotic quizzes and star-studded comedy nights,” he said. “I’ve met and made friends with so many inspirational staff, patients and their families. It has been a huge part of my life for the last ten years. So while I never imagined that I would be a patient here, I know better than anyone that I am in the best possible hands. The NHS care I’m receiving is incredible. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone… but who knows, maybe I’ll come out the other end with a new stand-up show and a 40 minute rant about orange squash,” he added. “Thank you everyone for your support over the last few weeks and months (and years). I’ll be disappearing for a while and won’t be commenting further, at least not for now, whilst I focus on my recovery.” The comedian had announced last week that dates after 9th July in Swansea, Hereford, Yeovil, and Truro would be postponed. At the time time, he said: “As many of you will know, I’ve been struggling with pain in my neck and throat over the past few months. I’ve been receiving treatment, and have continued to tour where possible. I had sincerely hoped to go ahead with all dates as scheduled, but I’m afraid that is not going to be possible. I am due to have surgery next week and will be hanging up my boots for a while whilst I recuperate.” In postponing, he said he was working to reschedule shows for early 2023. Gilbert had done about 200 Book of John shows, and added: “I am genuinely gutted that we didn’t get to do the last seven shows as planned, but, rest assured, we will do everything we can to finish what we started.”   

Tom Jones is clarifying the real reason why his concert in Budapest was postponed. According to the flying monkeys, the 82-year-old “It’s Not Unusual” singer passed out an hour prior to his performance on Tuesday. Jones, however, refuted that on Instagram, claiming he had received a prescription not to perform due to “viral laryngitis.” “Hello to all concerned. I traveled last night from the UK to Budapest and woke this morning with an uncomfortable throat,” he wrote. “A specialist came to visit and diagnosed ‘viral laryngitis.’ He strongly advised postponing this evening’s show and prescribed medication and vocal rest,” he continued. About his alleged collapse he said, ” I did not ‘collapse’ anywhere at any time, that is pure rumour. Hopefully, the inflammation will calm soon as I am looking forward to continuing my wonderful summer tour.” Even though his most recent performance was postponed, it has been rescheduled for Tuesday, August 16th, and his European tour will go on as scheduled. Sir Tom became the oldest person to top the UK album chart when he released Surrounded By Time, his 41st studio album, last year.   

A heavy metal fanatic has used his late uncle’s bones to create his very own electric guitar – yes, you read the correctly. Either that’s the most rock ‘n’ roll thing we’ve ever heard or the start of a Stephen King novel. The musician is from Florida (of course) and his alias is Prince Midnight. His uncle, Filip, requested his remains be donated to science before passing away in Greece in the ‘90s. He told Guitar World: “After 20 years, he ended up in a cemetery my family had to pay rent on. Like, literally in a wooden box. It’s a big problem in Greece because orthodoxy religion doesn’t want people cremated. So I got the box of bones from Greece and didn’t know what to do at first – bury them? Cremate them? Put them in the attic? All seemed like poor ways to memorialise someone who got me into heavy metal.” After brainstorming how he would honour the late relative, the musician came up with the particularly bold idea, which he admitted, ‘proved to be challenging’. However, Prince Midnight did some thorough research and consulted specialists before constructing what he calls the ‘Filip Skelecaster’. So now his uncle can ‘shred in death’. Many on social media were stunned by the creation, as one user wrote: “Just imagine being that guy who donates his dead body to research purposes and finds out it is being used by your weird cousin who made a freakin guitar out of you..” Another commented: “Florida, always Florida.” A third person said: “Someone has been watching too much From Dusk till Dawn.” While another wrote: “Should have made a xylophone with those ribs.”

A tourist fell into the crater of Mount Vesuvius after reportedly taking a selfie on a forbidden route. According to Italian media, the 23-year-old and his family, who were visiting from the USA, ignored signage after bypassing a visitor turnstile and walked along an out-of-bounds path on Saturday. The man then attempted to take a selfie at the summit of the volcano – which overlooks the city of Naples – and dropped his phone, before falling as he attempted to retrieve it. He dropped several metres and a rescue helicopter, police and Vesuvius guides had to be called out, with the latter abseiling down to lift him out. He subsequently had to be treated for cuts and bruises to his arms and back. The tourist – as well as the three family members accompanying him – now face criminal charges. While selfies have become a part of daily life for many of us, there is a time and a place for them. A global study found that 259 people died taking selfies between 2011 and 2017. The deaths stemmed from 137 separate incidents and the average age of those who died was around 23 – a stat reaffirmed by the latest incident at Mountain Vesuvius. Almost three quarters of the deaths were men, with transport, drowning and falls among the most common causes of death. The study, which was conducted by the US National Library of Medicine, also showed the number of selfie-related deaths is increasing, with only three reported in 2011, as opposed to 98 in 2016.

On This Day

• 1918 – Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his immediate family and retainers are executed by Bolshevik Chekists at the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
• 1981 – A structural failure leads to the collapse of a walkway at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200.
• 2014 – Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a Boeing 777, crashes near the border of Ukraine and Russia after being shot down. All 298 people on board are killed.

Deaths

• 1912 – Henri Poincaré, French mathematician, physicist, and engineer (b. 1854)
• 1918 – Nicholas II of Russia (b. 1868)
• 1959 – Billie Holiday, American singer (b. 1915)
• 2005 – Edward Heath, English colonel and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1916)
• 2009 – Walter Cronkite, American journalist and actor (b. 1916)

The Worst Way to Die? 

A mortician has revealed which is the worst possible way to die – and it’s not what you think. Caitlin Doughty comfortably discusses macabre topics in her web series called “Ask a Mortician”. She explains that while each culture has a different way to describe a so-called “good death”, they all seem to agree on what it means to have a “bad death”.

She said: “Cross-culturally, the bad death tends to be somewhat the same- it’s tragic and unexpected, a suicide, a homicide, a terrible accident. 

“For the survivors, the worst thing could be when the body is never found and funeral and mourning rituals can’t be performed.” 

But the mortician explains that the worst possible way to die is by scaphism – an ancient Persian method of fatal torture. 

Caitlin explained how the bizarre way of torturing, which is also referred to as “the boats”, works.

She said: “First your body is stripped naked and you’re put between two hollowed-out logs with your head and limbs sticking out.

“Then they pour honey all over you and force you to ingest honey which attracts insects.

“Then they leave you in a stagnant pond to be slowly eaten – but they come back every day to forcibly feed you more milk and honey so you don’t die right away, eventually succumbing to exposure, dehydration, shock and delirium.” 

Ancient Persians would also pour the thick mixture of honey and milk all over the victim’s face and expose them to the sun, causing painful blisters.

The victim would eventually be eaten alive by various insects attracted by the honey and milk but his suffering would last for days.

It is believed the cruel execution method was reserved for the worst criminals such as traitors and murderers.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Brett Goldstein (42), Donald Sutherland (87), Eric Winter (46), David Hasselhoff (70), Alex Winter (57), Will Ferrell (55), Phoebe Cates (59), Corey Feldman (51), Travis Fimmel (43), Diane Kruger (46), Brigitte Nielsen (59), Forest Whitaker (60), Terry O’Quinn (70), Celia Imrie (70), Jesse Ventura (71), Adam Savage (55), Linda Ronstadt (76), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (37), Jackie Earle Haley (61), Matthew Fox (56), David Mitchell (48), Kyle Gass (62), Conor McGregor (34), Harrison Ford (80), Patrick Stewart (82), Cheech Marin (76), Michelle Rodriguez (44), Anna Friel (47), Cheryl Ladd (71), Melissa O’Neil (34), Tamsin Greig (56), Bill Cosby (85), Stephen Lang (70), Michelle Fairley (59), Caroline Quentin (62), and Craig Charles (58).