Murder weapon: acid powder in clothes??

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Sinuka

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Hello everyone. I currently have a detail issue with a murder scene in my story.

In that scene a few models are trying on some new clothes they are suppossed to wear on stage later, however collapse screaming and eventually die. The clothes were prept with an acid powder which chemically burned their skin extremely resulting in their deaths either from blood loss or shock.
At this point, it is vital that the clothes kill the models.
(The world setting is realistic, like nowadays world with nowadays people.)

I tried doing some research but couldn't really find an existing 'acid powder' like that, only the liquid or gassy kind.

The issue here is:
Should I make up such an acid powder, however without the explanation of its possible creation (I am no chemist ._.') or look for another murder weapon which actually exists?
Or am I overthinking it way too much and nobody would even notice that slight, unrealistic slip or care about it? (I tend to overthink a LOT)

Thanks in advance and in regard of my local time: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ♥ ♥ ♥
 
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Sinuka

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@Helix That is actually perfect! Thanks a lot, I can work with that! ^w^
 

BlackKnight1974

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Just to add, Novichok, VX and similar nerve agents are only really accessible through government/military channels - creating them from scratch will take a lab and a serious knowledge of chemistry. As has been found in both the recent attacks with Novichok, success is far from guaranteed. Alternatively, any radioactive element should kill, but again, they are difficult to handle and extremely hard to get hold of.

For an alternative, have you considered the poisons found in tropical tree frogs? The poisons are incredibly toxic (hence being used in darts etc) and will cause respiratory failure/paralysis fairly rapidly. It could also potentially give your killer a tropical/exotic background.
 
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MaeZe

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Acid won't do it. It wouldn't be lethal and exsanguinating from acid burns isn't realistic. But there are poisons that could work. I like the tree frog poison or ricin because the Novichok would be hard to get unless you had access to military weapons.
 
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frimble3

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Is it important that they die dramatically, right there and then? Because, aside from that, I'm thinking ricin - in addition to being in powdered form, it's been delivered by needle or pellet, and I'm thinking that at a fashion show, or even prepping for a fashion show, there's a certain amount of last minute adjusting involving pins and such - if someone, a fitter perhaps, were to poke a model with something sharp, the model might not notice, or might only say "Be more careful!" At least until the symptoms hit. Trouble is, it seems to be slow-acting - the victim is doomed, but there's time to hustle them off to hospital, etc.
 

frimble3

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That's what made me think of it - he didn't pay much attention to it at the time, until the pain and redness didn't go away. I was thinking that in the hustle and bustle of backstage at a fashion show (which I have only seen on 'Project Runway', I'll admit) with people handling people, a poke could be ignored.
Admittedly, the death wouldn't be instantaneous.

Or, anthrax powder? Apparently you have to breathe it in, but on a make-up table?
 

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Hello everyone. I currently have a detail issue with a murder scene in my story.

In that scene a few models are trying on some new clothes they are supposed to wear on stage later, however collapse screaming and eventually die. The clothes were prept with an acid powder which chemically burned their skin extremely resulting in their deaths either from blood loss or shock.
At this point, it is vital that the clothes kill the models.
(The world setting is realistic, like nowadays world with nowadays people.)

I tried doing some research but couldn't really find an existing 'acid powder' like that, only the liquid or gassy kind.

The issue here is:
Should I make up such an acid powder, however without the explanation of its possible creation (I am no chemist ._.') or look for another murder weapon which actually exists?
Or am I overthinking it way too much and nobody would even notice that slight, unrealistic slip or care about it? (I tend to overthink a LOT)

Thanks in advance and in regard of my local time: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ♥ ♥ ♥
I was walking around the Colosseum in Rome, and found a staggering and awful notice, that some of those who were forced to 'perform' in the centre of the arena, their clothes were covered with flammable material, set alight and then they were expected to 'dance' to the music!
 

Grace5810

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What if you modified the setting? I am not really familiar with the world of modeling however I believe that there are times where they have extreme shoots and events where the models are working with elements like props. What if you wrote in a rainy or wet shoot for them. That way acid can be introduced as a liquid form and have a much larger damage radius as it would also hurt anyone within the drop radius (this includes staff and front seat attendees). And it would be a little more grotesque as it would melt their faces off first. Also by doing that it gives the possibility to make the scene even more gruesome as someone might get the idea to dilute the acid with water and they would turn on the water system and make the situation worse as waster should never be added to acid (its the other way around).
That is the best advice I can give as I don't know why the culprit is wanting to hurt the models. But if you have a bad guy that you want to come off as calculating I think that adding chain events would be a good way to express that.
 

TulipMama

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Another fun, powder option is white phosphorus. It's not poison, it's an oxidizing metal that burns regardless of being dowsed in water, and spontaneously combusts in air at ~30C.

Models get into the duds in their nice, AC'd change rooms, then get hit by stage lights. Fwoosh, go up like candles.

Look up military trip flares, they use white phosphorus.
 
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Tetrodotoxin and nicotine can be absorbed through the skin, and they're deadly toxic. Highly concentrated preparations are available through specialised channels to very limited purchasers (research scientists, who sign their lives away to get it and then store it in a double-locked drugs cabinet next to the pentabarbitol) but a determined and well-connected 'bad guy' could pull it off.
 
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cmhbob

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Sarin might also be a possibility. Rapid death if you get hit with it, and depending on how you distribute it, you could get a whole bunch of people.
 

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It's a bit disconcerting how quickly the ideas are piling up in this thread! :D
 

Humphrey Archer

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Acid wouldn't be terribly effective and most would need water to be active.
There are many pyrophoric substances that would burst into flames on their own.

May I suggest you try asking some toxicologists on Twitter about deadly stuff that might be in clothing.
I get a lot of technical help on poisons that way.

Alternatively, browse the OSHA accident database (I do)
The Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries are here: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/accidentsearch.html
 

dickson

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Hello everyone. I currently have a detail issue with a murder scene in my story.

In that scene a few models are trying on some new clothes they are suppossed to wear on stage later, however collapse screaming and eventually die. The clothes were prept with an acid powder which chemically burned their skin extremely resulting in their deaths either from blood loss or shock.
At this point, it is vital that the clothes kill the models.
(The world setting is realistic, like nowadays world with nowadays people.)

I tried doing some research but couldn't really find an existing 'acid powder' like that, only the liquid or gassy kind.

The issue here is:
Should I make up such an acid powder, however without the explanation of its possible creation (I am no chemist ._.') or look for another murder weapon which actually exists?
Or am I overthinking it way too much and nobody would even notice that slight, unrealistic slip or care about it? (I tend to overthink a LOT)

Thanks in advance and in regard of my local time: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ♥ ♥ ♥
I don’t know about acid drenched clothing but your idea is close to a famous episode in Greek tragedy. I believe it happens in ‘Hippolytus.’ An evildoer smuggles a poisoned headdress into wedding gifts for Theseus’ bride. Once she dons it a curse prevents her from removing it and she perishes in agony.

A modern version appears in Mary Renault’s ‘The Bull from the Sea.’

Your idea has legs, even at this early stage.
 

Calla Lily

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Please check the dates of the OP and last response before replying to a thread. In this case, the OP replied once and didn't return. I'm closing this thread to further replies but leaving it here because of the useful brainstorming. Thanks.
 
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