Graphic Photos/ Day 6 The Garotte, The Cord, and Paint brush/12 Days of JonBenet

[kanzz]

It appears more complicated than it is, imo. I think that anybody who had ever been taught to hitch a boat to a cleave could easily do this, for example, almost instictively as a figure of eight. That's what it reminds me of.
With a cord on a stationary object, all one would need to do is move their hand back and forth to loop the cord over and over from one side to the other a few times, then tie off the end. If I remember to buy some cord the next time I'm in town, I'll make a video to demonstrate.
Also, knot-tying is something scouts learn early on.

Apologies for replying to my own post here..

But Ive been sitting and staring at this image ever since I posted and something just occured to me. I think this is even more simple than I have always thought it was.
I don't know that it's a knot at all. It could be that the cord was just looped round and round the handle and then tied off.

 

[Tortoise]

Tortoise,
Maybe she was lying in bed?

.

I think it would be very hard for that injury to occur with her lying down.

 

[OliviaG1996]

BBM I think she was most likely stationary and seated when she was hit, because she doesn't have injuries from falling down.

Maybe falling on a rug-like surface could've prevented injuries. Or she stopped mid-run to turn a corner.

 

[TeaTime]

Apologies for replying to my own post here..

But Ive been sitting and staring at this image ever since I posted and something just occured to me. I think this is even more simple than I have always thought it was.
I don't know that it's a knot at all. It could be that the cord was just looped round and round the handle and then tied off.

Just cording with some simple knots and a stick. Anyone could make this, even a 10 year old.

 

[AB1]

Apologies for replying to my own post here..

But Ive been sitting and staring at this image ever since I posted and something just occured to me. I think this is even more simple than I have always thought it was.
I don't know that it's a knot at all. It could be that the cord was just looped round and round the handle and then tied off.

So glad you said that! Thought it was just me being knot blind.

A few months back I was looking at it the picture and my daughter asked about the image. I explained. She said it looked like the "connection" on a kite she had, that had a D-ring handle. We looked in the loft for the kite - long gone.

 

[Miz Adventure]

So glad you said that! Thought it was just me being knot blind.

A few months back I was looking at it the picture and my daughter asked about the image. I explained. She said it looked like the "connection" on a kite she had, that had a D-ring handle. We looked in the loft for the kite - long gone.

It probably landed in the R's back garden.

 

[AB1]

It probably landed in the R's back garden.

:laughing:

 

[kanzz]

Respect your opinion Kanzz, but I don't know: I just can't buy that a nine year old was not only able to fashion these knots, but also able to fashion a successful killing device/whatever-you-want-to-call-it to boot. I will never be convinced of that. If this was a 13 or 14 year old, maybe I'd buy it that he could fashion all of this, in one shot, and use it successfully -- but this is a nine year old. I know, I know, he was a cub-scout, but nonetheless, he was a nine year old cub scout who I'm sure had a plethora of other interests to consume his time than sitting around all day practicing his knot-tying.

Thanks for the respect. Right back at ya.

I have an 11-year-old grandson. Since he was little, if he had a string or a rope, he was going to tie it to something or try to lasso something. He's never been in scouts. Some boys just do that; and some girls, too. It doesn't take a genius, it just requires curiosity.

There is another possibility that's been floating around in my head for a while. The cord might have already had the slip-knot in it before that night. Maybe it had just been laying around for a while. A weapon of opportunity.

 

[kanzz]

So glad you said that! Thought it was just me being knot blind.

A few months back I was looking at it the picture and my daughter asked about the image. I explained. She said it looked like the "connection" on a kite she had, that had a D-ring handle. We looked in the loft for the kite - long gone.

:great: "Knot blind" - that's great!

 

[AB1]

Thanks for the respect. Right back at ya.

I have an 11-year-old grandson. Since he was little, if he had a string or a rope, he was going to tie it to something or try to lasso something. He's never been in scouts. Some boys just do that; and some girls, too. It doesn't take a genius, it just requires curiosity.

There is another possibility that's been floating around in my head for a while. The cord might have already had the slip-knot in it before that night. Maybe it had just been laying around for a while. A weapon of opportunity.

Ditto that.
There were splinters on the carpet outside the wine cellar, but that doesn't date them and we know the basement was a mess elsewhere.
I'll have to check back at ACandyRose, but there is a photo of the outside of the house showing some kind of outside toy.
I can imagine this stick and cord pulling a child's sledge.

 

[AB1]

098garage.gif
in the collection labelled Crime Scene - Discovering JonBenet is Missing - actually taken from Lou Smit's presentation.

A red pull-along with wheels.
It could have a fixed handle on one side, or it could just be something leant against it like a spade. I couldn't quite make it out.

 

[Userid]

If the lace was bound sometime before, how did JBR's hair get entwined in the knot itself?

I don't know, I don't want to sound rude here but it just seems like we're making this way more complicated than it should be. The brush was broken and the killing device (I won't say garrote for the picky folk around) was created at the same time the murder (particularly the strangulation) was taking place in the basement, where the urine stain was found outside of the door where the body was found. There were not only splinters in the carpet next to the tote, but also splinters inside JBR as well, which would be beyond coincidence if the brush was broken any other time before the actual assault.

 

[AB1]

If the lace was bound sometime before, how did JBR's hair get entwined in the knot itself?

I don't know, I don't want to sound rude here but it just seems like we're making this way more complicated than it should be. The brush was broken and the killing device (I won't say garrote for the picky folk around) was created at the same time the murder (particularly the strangulation) was taking place in the basement, where the urine stain was found outside of the door where the body was found. There were not only splinters in the carpet next to the tote, but also splinters inside JBR as well, which would be beyond coincidence if the brush was broken any other time before the actual assault.

I agree that is the straightforward explanation.
But testing "givens" must be done before reaching a conclusion. Exploring other possibilities seems reasonable. I am happy to re-evaluate what I think I know when someone offers another view or information I have not seen before.
Some of us have only recently started on our voyage of discovery. You may be further ahead on yours, that's all. We may end up in the same place!

One issue, though. I think "splinter" is ST's term.
The autopsy said "birefringent foreign material".

 

[kanzz]

If the lace was bound sometime before, how did JBR's hair get entwined in the knot itself?

I don't know, I don't want to sound rude here but it just seems like we're making this way more complicated than it should be. The brush was broken and the killing device (I won't say garrote for the picky folk around) was created at the same time the murder (particularly the strangulation) was taking place in the basement, where the urine stain was found outside of the door where the body was found. There were not only splinters in the carpet next to the tote, but also splinters inside JBR as well, which would be beyond coincidence if the brush was broken any other time before the actual assault.

Oh yeah, I only meant the slip-knot, or the part that comprised the noose.. not the end that was wrapped around the paintbrush. I have even wondered if the cord was right there beside them - around those paintings next to the paint tray (and this is all just speculation):

 

[AB1]

Oh yeah, I only meant the slip-knot, or the part that comprised the noose.. not the end that was wrapped around the paintbrush. I have even wondered if the cord was right there beside them - around those paintings next to the paint tray (and this is all just speculation):

Perhaps someone purchased it to attach to the paintings in order to hang them?
I don't know the tensile strength of the cord, but the canvases that are there seem fairly small.
I have plenty of frames hanging on cord rather than wire.

 

[kanzz]

Perhaps someone purchased it to attach to the paintings in order to hang them?
I don't know the tensile strength of the cord, but the canvases that are there seem fairly small.
I have plenty of frames hanging on cord rather than wire.

It would probably be too large for hanging them. But might have been used to transport them home from Charlevoix. Just a thought.

 

[Miz Adventure]

I wish I could remember where I read it but during an interview didn't Patsy say something about the cord resembling the cord that was around BR's toy fort?

I don't know why should would have said that though.

I can see I'm going to have to read those transcriptions again.

 

[rebeccap]

The house keeper knew the white blanket was in the dryer, she knew what drawers jonbenet's clothing was in, she knew the layout of the house, had a key and was the last person to handle Patsy's paintbrush set. SBTC could stand for STRANGLED BY THE CLEANER

 

[TeaTime]

The house keeper knew the white blanket was in the dryer, she knew what drawers jonbenet's clothing was in, she knew the layout of the house, had a key and was the last person to handle Patsy's paintbrush set. SBTC could stand for STRANGLED BY THE CLEANER

Except she and her family were extremely cooperative with BPD, giving DNA samples, hair samples, writing samples and made themselves available for all/any interviews that LE wanted. They were cleared.

The housekeeper remembered the blanket being in the dryer on the 23rd. She want't there on the 24th or the 25th, so the blanket could have been removed at anytime after she left on the 23rd and she would have no way of knowing it.

I have never heard her say anything about size 12 panties, so we don't know that she knew where they were.

IIRC she said she put the paint tote on the stairs in the basement.

Backwards it could stand for Cut the Bull S**t.

We will never know what it stands for, it is only known to the author and she is dead.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Good grief. I have read that this cord around her neck was a garrotte, sophisticated, intricate and blah, blah, blah. Smit turned it into an auto-erotic asphyxiation device! It makes me want to scream! It was a string wrapped around a stick! That's all!

I feel the same way! It's pretty disingenuous for Team Ramsey to go on about garottes, intricate killing devices and sophisticated knots etc. It's a simple scout toggle rope, for heaven's sake. Slip knots and the prusik hitch are pretty basic knots any kid could learn.

Here's a diagram to show how easy that knot around the stick is: