Garrote

[Elle_1]

Texan,

It is hard to tell from the photo, but JonBenét's trim is much narrower than Patsy's and it isn't a well done job at all. If you are someone who does intricate work like this, you'll spot the flaws quicker than the rest of us.

Being a Senior now, I gave up the sewing many years ago, but I do know there are many different ways of attaching trim.

However, the main point here is not about "sewing" it's the actual cord we're interested in. It has been suggested that this same flat cord could be used for an artist's sling to carry a canvas. Patsy Ramsey did paint. The cord used for the garrotte
could have been cord already in Patsy Ramsey's Art material, or her craft material.

All the "main" evidence found at this crime was material which was already in the house: The ransom note written on Patsy's notepad; the felt pen and the broken shaft of Patsy's paintbrush.

[Spade]

In November 1999 Ms Spade and I spent several hours with Lou and Barb Smit. Smit said that using the term garrote is misleading and that "control device" is a more accurate term to use when describing the ligature around JonBenet's neck.

[Elle_1]

Originally posted by Spade
In November 1999 Ms Spade and I spent several hours with Lou and Barb Smit. Smit said that using the term garrote is misleading and that "control device" is a more accurate term to use when describing the ligature around JonBenet's neck.

It's not every poster who can include Lou Smit in his post, Spade.
As for his comments about the garrotte being a "control device"
I think my friend Delmar England could tell him all he wants to know about this device. One look at this contraption, and Delmar knew it was a fake. If you genuinely know Lou Smit, why don't you ask him to read Delmar England's "Garrotte Analysis" which he just posted on this thread a few pages back. Better still, why don't you ask him to contact him. :-)

http://www.acandyrose.com/delmarengland.htm

Delmar England has been willing to demonstrate his knowledge of the garrotte, but not one person in the investigative field for the JonBenét case has contacted him.

His letter to D.A. Mary Keenan is now on record. At least that's some achievement, although she has also chosen to ignore him.

[ravens_tears]

IMHO:
I don't mean to be a PIA but from what I've been researching on "garrotes" they have two uses, to kill or to control. It apparently depends on how one is fashioned and utilized... So the term really isn't misleading. It's people's misunderstanding of the term that is missleading. As well, "control device" simply doesn't sound as dangerous, deadly or menacing as "garrotte"

As I noted before, the device does fit the description of a garrotte. That it was badly fashioned does not negate what it was.

[Ayeka]

I can't remember who said "You can see the scratch marks on her neck where it looks like she was clawing to get that garrot off of her neck" -- and someone else said something about her own flesh under her fingernails.

Huh?? Where did that information come from?

The autopsy, which I admit to copying from the J****** autopsy photo page, states: "The skin of the anterior neck above and below the ligature furrow contains areas of petechial hemorrhage and abrasion encompassing an area measuring approximately 3 X 2 inches." (Bold mine)

Ok, I suppose the term 'abrasion' could be referring to scratches, but I really don't see anything I would consider scratches she might have made on herself.

I've always thought the head wound rendered her unconscious, and the ligature, tied in place after she appeared to be dead, caused her asphyxiation while unconscious. The evenness of the ligature mark and the relatively little upward deviation sure suggests to me that she was not alive and/or struggling.

Am I missing something?

Ayeka

[Elle_1]

When I was a very young girl, I watched the grocer cut the cheese with a wire garrotte. A straight piece of strong wire with a wooden handle at each end, and he would flick it over the large cheese shaped like a barrel,and he would cut right through it bringing the handles towards him.

I believe this invention was also used to strangle from behind.

However, who would need any kind of creation like this to finish off a little six year old girl? Ridiculous!

[ravens_tears]

Originally posted by Ayeka
I can't remember who said "You can see the scratch marks on her neck where it looks like she was clawing to get that garrot off of her neck" -- and someone else said something about her own flesh under her fingernails.

Huh?? Where did that information come from?

The autopsy, which I admit to copying from the J****** autopsy photo page, states: "The skin of the anterior neck above and below the ligature furrow contains areas of petechial hemorrhage and abrasion encompassing an area measuring approximately 3 X 2 inches." (Bold mine)

Ok, I suppose the term 'abrasion' could be referring to scratches, but I really don't see anything I would consider scratches she might have made on herself.

I've always thought the head wound rendered her unconscious, and the ligature, tied in place after she appeared to be dead, caused her asphyxiation while unconscious. The evenness of the ligature mark and the relatively little upward deviation sure suggests to me that she was not alive and/or struggling.

Am I missing something?

Ayeka

It was me who refered to those. That information is in the autopsy report. In the photos there was one in particular that was taken of the throat from the front and it clearly shows the marks made from her fingers.

[Texan]

not about the sewing of the trim but that the cord doesn't appear to be something you would use as a sewing notion. The whole explanation I went into was to describe what sewing trim looks like - that cord just doesn't appear to be sewing trim to me.

[Texan]

the marks on her neck could be scratches but they aren't described that way in the autopsy. I just wonder if she were fighting for her life to get the garrote off if the marks wouldn't look more like a clawing rather than petechiae. I hate to ask this but imagine yourself trying to pull a garrote from your neck, would the scratches be longer, rather than just short marks?

[FedoraX]

Hadden Clark was the killer. Laura Houghteling, the victim. You can read about it in "Born Evil" by Adrian Havill.

[Elle_1]

Originally posted by Texan
not about the sewing of the trim but that the cord doesn't appear to be something you would use as a sewing notion. The whole explanation I went into was to describe what sewing trim looks like - that cord just doesn't appear to be sewing trim to me.

I have seen the garrotte cord closeup as everyone else has, and it seems we agree to disagree which we're both entitled to.

[Misty4]

There has been wide speculation that JonBenet fought her attacker. However, this is just that -- pure speculation. As unfortunate as it is, JonBenet was probably unconscious when she was strangled. The marks above and below the ligature are petechial hemorrhages. Petechial hemorrhages are "Small, pin-like hemorrhages that occur beneath the skin. Usually observed on the lining of the inner surface of the eyelids. This is a common result of death by asphyxiation or strangulation." http://www.courttv.com/onair/shows/f...glossary5.html

The area to the right and below the ligature is where the cord was first placed. At time of death, JonBenet was laying on her stomach. This is evidenced by the urine stains on the anterior of her underpants and long johns. (At time of death, bladder muscles relax causing urine to seep out) The murderer, first placed the cord lower on her neck. It is not uncommon for there to be several marks from a ligature.

"It is not unusual in homicidal ligature strangulation to find that there is more than one ligature mark, each of varying intensity and crossing each other, in parallel or at an angle to each other. Together with such an appearance, one quite commonly sees abrasions caused by movement of a ligature across the neck, or associated fingernail marks, either from the victim attempting to remove the ligature or (together with finger- tip bruising) from the assailant attempting to secure the ligature and/or restrain the neck from moving or even attempting manual strangulation."
Brent Turvey, " A Guide to the Physical Analysis of Ligature Patterns in Homicide Investigations," Knowledge Solutions Library, Electronic Publication, URL: http://www.corpus-delicti.com/ligature.html, Winter, 1996

The triangular mark on JonBenet's neck is tissue reaction caused from the ligature.

In addition, there is no internal damage to JonBenet's neck area or tongue. Had JonBenet been awake and struggling, you would have seen damage in those areas.