Things Seanan Isn't Allowed To Discuss With the Reporter.

Why go immediately to cannibalism?

Isn't it obvious? People are a very poor converter of calories. The sooner you get rid of the other calorie consumers, the longer your extant food supplies will last. And, well, there's no sense in letting good calories go to waste.

However, there are some reasons and circumstances in which one should delay. First, if there's a perishable food supply which cannot be consumed by one person prior to it spoiling, then wait until that has been consumed first - in other words, eat in order of food perishability. Second, if the other individual is a net calorie contributor - i.e., by virtue of being a very good fisherman or hunter. Third, it's best to wait until the other person(s) have contributed to the best of their ability to your own survival - building signal fires, teaching you necessary skills, building shelter, setting up a water distillation apparatus, that sort of thing. Plus they'll be tired then and easier to kill. Lastly, The more humane-minded sort might wish to wait a few days in case of a speedy rescue.

There's also legal issues. If you are *ever* rescued and it's discovered that you killed and ate other people who were stranded on the island with you, you will be tried for murder. There's case law that the necessity defense does not apply to killing people for food in a survival situation. There's even a case of people being hanged for murder even though the group had agreed to draw lots to see who would be killed.

Cannibalism is only a good survival strategy if:

1. You're more likely to die without resorting to cannibalism than you are to be rescued,
2. You're confident of your ability to conceal or destroy the evidence,
3. Or, you are not the cause of death of your emergency protein sources.

You have a point. On the plus side, they wouldn't be able to testify against you.
And, well, I'd rather be tried for murder than die of starvation.

Oh come on... HAve you never seen CSI or NCIS or Quincy??? Dead men DO tell tales... and the teeth marks on the bones would be very substantial evidence.

Well... XKCD says it well.

Also, bite marks don't say when the bite marks were made. And cremation gets rid of any soft-tissue evidence. Still - murder trial vs. death by starvation. I know which one I'd pick.

True and True.

I suppose the tricky bit would be proving what the cause of death of your emergency protein sources WERE.

In theory, I find the concept of emergency cannibalism where you are NOT the cause of death to be unpleasant (and medically dangerous) but acceptable. However, I don't know how trustworthy people would be about not edging others into an earlier death in such situations.

Ah. That makes sense.