 Howards hanging is shortened. In the original print, he was decapitated.   The decapitation was cut out, so it looks like his body just falls, stops   short when the end of the wire is reached, sprays blood all over Patty and   Sarah, and then resumes falling. Not only do the cuts imposed render the   scene senseless, but they also make it so theres no payoff to Hollis   earlier comment that Howard would lose his head if it werent attached. 