still life
STILL LIFE
installation of mise-en-place poison murders
Still Life
Weapon: Other is a growing series of unusual murder weapons. Airco Caravan researched Top 25 lists of bizarre murder weapons, and discovered many more strange, intriguing and gruesome murder cases. In this exhibition the unusual murder weapons literally come to life in Still Life, ‘mise-en-place’ installation. Poison is a special class in murder cases because no physical violence is used, no wounds, no bloodshed. So we find more female than male perpetrators in this category. The installation represent 5 different murder cases.
Don’t try this at home.
Jell-O
Lynn Turner from Cobb County, Georgia, US, poisoned two of her husbands Glenn Turner and Randy Thomson with ethylene glycol, a sweet but odorless chemical in antifreeze. In 1995, her husband, police officer Glenn Turner, died after allegedly being sick with the flu. In 2001, the death of what her next husband, Randy Thompson, under remarkably similar circumstances, aroused the suspicion of law enforcement. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Turner committed suicide in her cell on August 30, 2010.
5 liter antifreeze G12, 3 boxes of Jell-O, 12" x 12" x 12" (30 x 30 x 30 cm), 2017
Spaghetti Sauce
The 47-year-old Marie-Josée Vandenbosch, ‘Poisoner of Tongeren’ (Belgium) was sentenced to 30 years in prison. She was convicted for two attempted murders and murder of her husband Rudi. Marie-Josée was working as a cleaner in the eldery and as a hostess at parties. During the trial she appeared to have had many lovers. The woman first did a failed attempt to poison her husband by putting sleeping pills in his spaghetti sauce.
1 bottle Sugocasa, 4 boxes of sleeping pills, 12" x 12" x 12" (30 x 30 x 30 cm), 2017
Berenburg
In May 2012 husband and wife Marian Heij and Nasr R. from Wageningen enjoy a pleasant evening but after drinking a glass of Berenburg Marian starts feeling sick and everything goes very wrong. She was urgently taken to the Radboud hospital in Nijmegen, but her health declines rapidly and she dies the next day, May 13 at 9.30 AM. It turns out her husband Nasr. R has put poisonous Natriumazid in her drink. In 2013 he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
1 bottle Sonnema Berenburg, crystal glass, 100 g Natriumazid ≥98%, 12" x 12" x 12" (30 x 30 x 30 cm), 2017
Ruavieja
The 55-year-old woman Galina R. form Kattendijke poisoned her 60-year-old husband Ad van den Dool on March 8, 2009. She had put hair growth medication Minoxidil in his Spanish liqueur Ruavieja. Although a doctor at first assumed it was a natural death, the same day new information had come to light, that made the cause of death suspicious. Galina R. was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
1 bottle Ruavieja, crystal glass, 2 bottles Minoxidil, fake leaves, 12" x 12" x 12" (30 x 30 x 30 cm), 2017
Peanut Butter
The 27-year-old Bart S. from Heerlen, was convicted to six years in prison and preventive custody. The chemist confessed he killed his girlfriend by spreading poison on a peanut butter and sprinkles sandwich. The 30-year-old remedial educationalist died on July 22, 2003, after becoming unwell at her job in Sittard. Despite quick medical assistance, she died a few hours later in hospital. After seven weeks the man turned hemself in to the police. He said he had put a mixture of Natruimazid and Theobromine on her sandwich.
1 box De Ruijter sprinkles, 1 jar Calvé peanut butter, 10 g Theobromide ≤99%, 12" x 12" x 12" (30 x 30 x 30 cm), 2017