Garrote

Huh?

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

 

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!

 

Re: Huh?

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.

 

that was my point-

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.

 

also

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?

 

Zapata

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

 

Re: that was my point-

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

 

Marks on Neck

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/forensicfiles/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.

 

Thanks, Misty4

With her skull split the way it was, I have serious doubts that that poor baby ever regained consciousness. I've never heard any reports of any flesh under her fingernails (hers or an intruders) -- I should say "official" or "credible" reports to substantiate the claim.

It just makes me so sad to contemplate.

Ayeka

 

I just wanted to clarify

That my reference above was to a certain someone touting INTRUDER FLESH UNDER NAILS! a few years back, and never providing the source. (I seem to recall those present rollllling our collective eyes and saying, "If it was so fresh, why's the 'intruder' DNA sample so degraded?")

Anyway. Carryon.

Ayeka

 

Re: Thanks, Misty4

Me Too! I know we all have opinions about this and that, but one thing we all agree on, we want justice for this baby and we want it now!