There are a lot of photos of strangulation victims at FFJ in the autopsy section, as well as at CrimeShots. You can see how a ligature rolls up the neck, as well as how the V shaped bruise on the neck happened during that process.
Bruising on the neck clearly proves the cord rolled up the neck, IMO, and rested in the location where it was found at autopsy. It wasn't applied post mortem; the bruises prove that, I believe.
I'm not saying the child was hanged. When I use the term "noose" I simply mean the circle of cord around her neck, tied on her with a slip knot which, when pulled, tightened that noose and strangled her.
Remember she was laying on her stomach at that point. So the force used to pull on the handle on the cord would have pulled the body up, as well. I've speculated that the bruise on her upper back/shoulder blade on the right was from being held down as the cord was being pulled tighter. I may be wrong, of course, but things don't just lay there when you pull on them unless they're bolted down or something.
I've very confused as to why the term "twist" keeps being used in relation to the cord around the neck. If you don't believe the cord was tightened by the pulling of the broken paintbrush tied onto the end, okay. I still don't understand the use of the word "twist," though; there is nothing logical I can see in "twisting" a long, limp piece of cord in relation to this ligature around the neck. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what y'all mean by "twist."
I've also never seen any evidence the hair tied into the paintbrush handle was still attached to the child's scalp. As I remember it, Thomas said the hair tied into the knot at the neck was still attached to the scalp, but I have no recollection of anyone every claiming that was also true of the hair tied into the paintbrush handle. Maybe I'm simply confused, but I've never seen this in many years of reading and discussions...or at least, I don't remember it. Anyone have a source for that info?
I've missed noticing any photo where one can see hair tied into the paintbrush knot and attached to the scalp of the child, but I'd like to see that. Perhaps you can post the link to that? And thanks in advance.