Just to turn conventional thinking on its head for a moment, surely the deliberate beheading at least ackowledges that life is precious. they do it because of the preciousness of life and the impact that taking it away will have on their enemies. the abuse leading to death is just the opposite, it is saying that you mean so little that your death is meaningless. i dont care if you live or die. My pleasure in inflicting pain is more important.

just a different point of view, not necessarily one i totally agree with, but it just occurred to me.