Sheriff says possible spontaneous human combustion caused death

[Cameron]

Lockhart said the victim may have burned for 10 hours. “The body is burned, incinerated, like I’ve never seen before and it’s some kind of chemical reaction or something the way I can see it,” Lockhart said.

Vanzandt’s body was sent Monday to the state medical examiner’s office in Tulsa for an autopsy after emergency crews responded to Vanzandt’s home on Bawcon Road on Monday morning.

Fire crews on the scene discovered a badly burned man dead in the kitchen. Lockhart said the signs pointed to spontaneous human combustion as the cause of death, since no nearby items or furniture around the body were burned. There was no other fire damage to the house and no signs of a struggle, Lockhart said.

http://5newsonline.com/2013/02/18/sp...-sheriff-says/

[pepper]

“We wasn’t saying the guy just bursted into flames, you know there’s gotta have an ignition source and that’s what we’re looking at is an ignition source such as lighting a cigarette and catches himself on fire, sucks the flames down his throat, and falls down,” Lockhart said.

If this is an actual quote, (from a law enforcement officer!) I'd say an outside investigation is needed.

[Calamari]

Southern cops.

[Cameron]

I'm not sure there's ever been a confirmed case.

It was suspected in a mystery I read, but turned out to be murder, of course.

[Omaha Beach]

I'm not sure there's ever been a confirmed case.

It was suspected in a mystery I read, but turned out to be murder, of course.

The X files had an episode dealing with spontaneous combustion. I think Chris Matthews was the role model for getting so puffed up he just burst into flames.

[Hexexis]

This is a road of clap! Old Rep. John "Tanning Booth" Boehner spontaneously combusts every day & hasn't died yet.

[skeemer]

“We wasn’t saying the guy just bursted into flames, you know there’s gotta have an ignition source and that’s what we’re looking at is an ignition source such as lighting a cigarette and catches himself on fire, sucks the flames down his throat, and falls down,” Lockhart said.

If this is an actual quote, (from a law enforcement officer!) I'd say an outside investigation is needed.

I would say some remedial English classes are needed as well.

[Jeebus]

Southern cops.

HillaryLand.

[gonzoliberal]

The anti-science crowd gets hoisted on it's own petard.

'Twould be funny if it wasn't real.

[Wizard777]

Pepper, if there is an external heat source providing for the combustion. Then it's not "spontaneous human combustion." For that to apply the heat source must be internal. Current theory on spontaneous human combustion is that the fire begins on the atomic level. The heat source is atoms in the body that have become unstable or are decaying. Thus converting energy to heat. Then you apply the law of micro and macro. That heat works it way up the chain from atoms to molecules to cells until it reaches a level it finds the other two things it needs to achieve combustion. That's fuel and oxygen. Once you have heat, fuel and oxygen on the same level at the same time you have the potential for combustion and fire.

What I find odd is how the Sheriff get's this case and is able to determine spontaneous human combustion. The M.E. determines cause of death and if that involves fire it goes to the Fire Marshall.

[Calamari]

i.e. the sherriff or someone he is covering for moved the body.

[veritas]

i.e. the sherriff or someone he is covering for moved the body.

Maybe it was the same crew who handled Vince Foster.

[Kenect2]

Everybody knows there aren't any Black Swans.

[pepper]

Southern cops.

Northern Cops

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/0...n-trafficking/

That was easy. I wonder if this guy spoke like a moron?

Reality does not support your implication that this type of dufuss cop is a Southern thing.



BTW, Swiss please, and don't toast the bread.

[pepper]

Pepper, if there is an external heat source providing for the combustion. Then it's not "spontaneous human combustion." For that to apply the heat source must be internal. Current theory on spontaneous human combustion is that the fire begins on the atomic level. The heat source is atoms in the body that have become unstable or are decaying. Thus converting energy to heat. Then you apply the law of micro and macro. That heat works it way up the chain from atoms to molecules to cells until it reaches a level it finds the other two things it needs to achieve combustion. That's fuel and oxygen. Once you have heat, fuel and oxygen on the same level at the same time you have the potential for combustion and fire.

What I find odd is how the Sheriff get's this case and is able to determine spontaneous human combustion. The M.E. determines cause of death and if that involves fire it goes to the Fire Marshall.

"What has been described as 'probably the best-documented case' of alleged spontaneous human combustion is actually attributable to the deadly combination of a lit cigarette, flammable nightclothes, and sleeping pills."

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...man-combustion

Before you dismiss my dismissive take of this as occupying the realm of UFO's and Big Foot, read the linked article.

It's a damn interesting theory, but it's far from being an accepted explanation.

[pepper]

Well, the biased and incompetent mods are letting your insult stand but deleting my question for you, so I guess you'll never know.

I'm simply toying with you really, and giving you the respect I think you deserve.

I think you're sharper than a tack, and I've said that many times. But consider...does anyone here engage in civil debate with you? Anyone? NO. Has anyone tried more than me? NO. You burn bridges constantly. And it's not because you shut folks down with your reasoning or because they can't argue your well thought out points.

Your style is caustic and makes debate impossible. And you seem to love that.

Don't complain about the bed you've made, or blame others.

[Calamari]

I know you will just report me again for saying this, but last time you were begging me to put you on ignore. Make up your mind.

You spew insults and misognynist comments at me and then get upset when I fight back.

[Wizard777]

"What has been described as 'probably the best-documented case' of alleged spontaneous human combustion is actually attributable to the deadly combination of a lit cigarette, flammable nightclothes, and sleeping pills."

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...man-combustion

Before you dismiss my dismissive take of this as occupying the realm of UFO's and Big Foot, read the linked article.

It's a damn interesting theory, but it's far from being an accepted explanation.

This is my first problem. I have never seen a human spontaneously combust and I have never seen a UFO. But I have seen a Bigfoot. So that particular part is a little lost on me. In physics there is a lil saying. The only people that are truly crazy are the ones that claim to know what reality is. The most brilliant minds in existence are not even close to understanding what reality is.

But I agree it's an interesting theory. But that is simply a theory on human combustion. Not a theory on spontaneous human combustion like I have presented. So I'm gonna think of this as being like Shrodingers Cat. It's in a superpostion of being both human combustion and spontaneous human combustion until someone figures out how to open the box and observe which of the two it actually is.