PETN Effectiveness and Electric Initiation Claim
What This Image Shows
A screenshot of the section covering the proposed explosive and its initiation. On the material: The Relative Effectiveness of PETN is 1.66, meaning that one gram of PETN is equivalent of 1.66 grams of TNT and the equivalent of 3X as powerful as black powder, which has a RE of .55. And: PETN is much more reactive to electric shock and when built properly in a directional shape charge, is highly effective in small amounts for an injury like what happened to Charlie.
The distinctive claim in this section is the initiation method. The author proposes that the charge may have been triggered through the body itself acting as the initiator: By making the explosive activation dependent on successful electrocution, any failure in the electrical component would prevent detonation altogether. In such a scenario, alternatives could be pursued seamlessly. He contrasts this with a remote trigger, which he argues risks the target surviving, and with a rifle shot alone, which he compares to the last-second movement in the Pennsylvania attempt on Donald Trump.
This is the most speculative part of the thread and the least supported by anything in the case record. It proposes a mechanism, not evidence of one. This is one of four screenshots of a thread by @cletus_jethro, a user identifying himself as a former U.S. Marine Corps explosive breacher, reshared on June 21, 2026 by @matt82704417. The thread proposes that the concealed charge was not in the lapel microphone at all but inside a crucifix pendant, on the reasoning that a charge must be anchored to be effective and that a heavy silver box chain around the neck would provide that anchor while a clip-on device on a shirt would not.
The claims are presented as the authors analysis and opinion, not as established fact. No explosive device of any kind has been recovered or identified in this case, the official finding is a rifle gunshot, and researchers who dispute the physical premise are documented separately. The full thread with its calculations and the objections to it is on The Exploding Pendant — Shaped-Charge Crucifix Theory. See also Mic vs Pendant, Demo of Shape Charge, and Microphone — The Exploding Mic Theory.
Where This Image Appears
This image is used on the following investigation page:
Related Areas
- Cluster: The Exploding Pendant — Shaped-Charge Crucifix Theory
- All photo evidence: Photos