Morbid Monday: The Man Who Dissolved His Wife

Breaking Bad might've used hydrofluoric acid to dispose of a human body, but in reality, bases are much more effective.

Take, for example, the story of Adolph Luetgert, a Chicago sausage maker who grew tired of his wife and eventually 'dissolved' her in a vat of potash (a mixture of potassium hydroxide and potassium carbonate).

During a search of Luetgert’s factory on May 15th, a watchman suggested they look in a steam vat in the cellar that was used to dip sausages. The police looked inside, and found that the vat was filled halfway with a putrid-smelling, reddish-brown liquid. When the police pulled a plug near the bottom of the vat, on the outside, the slimy liquid and small pieces of bone fell out. Inside the cauldron, police found a gold ring with L.L. engraved on the inside. Near the vat, investigators discovered a strand of hair, pieces of clothing, and half of a false tooth.

Luetgert is one of many folks who have used acids and bases to dispose of human bodies. In fact, it seems that a process called alkaline hydrolysis is being used in some mortuaries in the US now.