As macabre — and useless — as it may seem, there have apparently been cases of post-mortem erection, according to Wikipedia. In its entry entitled “Death Erection,” the online encyclopedia points out that most erections after death “have been observed in the corpses of men who have been executed, particularly by hanging.”
Also known as “angel lust” or “terminal erection,” this post-mortem phenomenon is attributed to pressure on the cerebellum that is exerted by the noose. Interestingly, spontaneous erections have been observed among living people who have suffered injuries to the cerebellum or spinal cord.
Death by hanging, whether as a suicide or in an execution, appears to have a traumatic effect on the genitals of both men and women, according to Wikipedia. In women, hanging often causes the labia and clitoris to become engorged with blood.