

Dumb Poisoners - misleading_name
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/12/lets-give/

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loxs
The fun thing is that only the dumb poisoners are the ones that usually get
media attention. Exactly because they are dumb. The smart ones usually never
get caught.

Consider someone with a medical degree (like myself). I not only know good and
reliable ways to poison someone... I also have quite easy access to the
substances. I can obtain some of them without registration. And I also know
which substances will not be discovered by the lab when doing the routine post
death tests (or ones that are not routinely tested). I am also quite aware
which substances are not at all discoverable in my country. Also which ones
could be made to look like flu, renal failure, pneumonia etc. Even worse....
If someone like me wants to kill some relative, they can wait for the right
time to do it... for example, when the seasonal viruses have done their work
(when they want to hide the poison symptoms somewhere amidst the virus
symptoms). It will not even raise any suspicion at all...

~~~
nodata
If I ever get an incurable disease, you'll be getting a pm from me.

~~~
loxs
Don't get me wrong. I have never wanted to poison someone and I can't see this
changing. And my knowledge is not unique by any measure. I am sure every
physician does have it, or can obtain it easily by revising some of their
college textbooks.

And please, don't PM me for such things :).

------
cynwoody
Strange she should leave out the most interesting poisoning homicide in recent
history, that of Alexander Litvinenko, in which the victim was not only
condemned to "live in interesting times", but to die in an especially
interesting way. The docs didn't figure out what was wrong with him until a
few days before he died. But, once they did, Scotland Yard traced the
radioactive trail all across Europe and back to the capital of the Evil
Empire.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_of_Alexander_Litvinen...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_of_Alexander_Litvinenko)

~~~
btilly
Those poisoners weren't dumb.

Makes you wonder how many poisoners do get away with it.

