Well certainly it functioned. Ligature strangulation, ligature furrow, petechial hemorrhages, ....
Whether meant to finish her off, or just as staging (or both) it was effective at causing asphyxiation.
It's unfortunate that "garrotte" became the word to use to describe this mess. It was just a piece of small diameter rope tightened around her neck. IMO a sloppy piece of work showing no sign of expertise in knot making.
My opinion aside, and your theory aside, the "garrotte" certainly was functional, if by functional we mean causing asphyxiation.
Chrishope,
What functioned?Well certainly it functioned. Ligature strangulation, ligature furrow, petechial hemorrhages, ....
If you consider the garrote you will find it could not function as advertised, that is it was not really a functional garrote. Others have accepted this but suggest it does not need to be perfect, just good enough to asphyxiate JonBenet?
I agree with the latter, but then you have to ask why garrote JonBenet, why not place a hand over her mouth and wait for her to stop breathing? Or use a plastic bag?
Either of the latter would be better from an, evading detection, perpsective. Also you have, and I assume it was Patsy, going to her paint tote and deliberately selecting a paintbrush, ask yourself why, the ligature is sufficient to asphyxiate JonBenet? Also Patsy places a piece of the painbrush back into the paint tote, why so?
Also the paintbrush is another potential source for the touch-dna!
So the way I see it, you have Patsy bringing JonBenet, who is dressed in the Barbie Nightgown and size-12's, downstairs to the basement to effect a last minute staging.
After restaging JonBenet, Patsy ligature strangles JonBenet then for whatever reason decides to apply a piece of the paintbrush handle to the ligature, thus fabricating a garrote.
The garrote per se is not required. Patsy had to make two separate decisons, one to fetch the ligature and another to fetch the paintbrush handle. Only the first decision is required.
So it appears that the garrote conforms with the general tenor of the wine-cellar e.g. that it is a staged crime-scene.
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