Galgenhumor is a pretty bizarre matter. It shows how cynical or calm one might be in case of facing death. In addition, it can make the inevitable bearable and reduce tension.
The case of the double-murderer Patrick Bryan Knight is a drier issue. After he was convicted of killing Mary and Walter Werner he had brought a website into being. “Dead Man Laughing” had thousands of visits and gave everyone the opportunity to give one’s opinion and make suggestions according to his very last words.
Patrick Bryan was considered as a very humorous guy, yet he was the only one who could laugh about his last joke. Shortly before he got executed he looked deep into the executioner’s eyes and said: “Not all of us are innocent, but those are. I said I was going to tell a joke. Death has set me free. That’s the biggest joke. I deserve this.” Then he added: “And the other joke is that I am not Patrick Bryan Knight and y’all can’t stop this execution now. Go ahead, I’m finished.”
We’ll never know whether this was a cruel joke or a clear statement against death penalty. Nevertheless it was a striking punchline due to the fact that 350 guiltless human beings were executed between 1900 and 1985.
Image Source: http://www.cicero.de/salon/sterbehilfe-20/49392
