[aruanan]

"I read once that his body was stuffed in a 55 gallon drum and filled with concrete."

At a guess at 250 pounds, there would be 50 gallons of Jimmy, and 5 gallons of cement. This wouldn't reliably sink.

At 250 pounds and at 0.80 water by composition, Jimmy was about 200 pounds of water. A gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds. So the water in Jimmy was equal to about 23.98 gallons or less than half the volume of a 55 gallon drum. If we figured that Jimmy was 50% fat, then this means that his non-fat body mass (a density of 1.1 X that of water) was equal to his fat mass (a density of 0.90 X that of water). The two together would make for a density of 1.0 (125 X 1.1 + 125 X 0.9)/250 = 1), that is, equal to water.

Jimmy's total volume wouldn't be more than a little more than about half the volume of the 55 gallon drum. Say that he took up as much space as 30 gallons of water, that would leave space for 25 gallons of concrete. A gallon of concrete is about 17.97 pounds. 25 gallons of concrete will weigh 449.25 pounds. That, plus 250 pounds of Jimmy's weight, equal 639 pounds. So 55 gallons containing 250 pounds of Jimmy and 449.25 pounds of concrete has a density of 1.52 (12.71 pounds per gallon /8.34 pounds per gallon). Consider that a 55 gallon drum filled with water (at a density of 1.0) will readily sink because the drum weighs about 40 pounds. Jimmy's drum fill with Jimmy and concrete at a density of 1.52 plus the 40 pounds of steel is going to go down pretty fast.

[norwaypinesavage]

Your analysis assumes Jimmy was either freeze dried, or some other means was used to remove the water. That would be quite a feat. I vote for the spot on my floor.

[morphing libertarian]

Your post is one of the reasons I love this web site.