Actually I'm feeling renewed optimism about the case having gone back over a few aspects.
The rib fractures and lung injuries.
Jason's version tried to explain this by Susan's fall onto the low wall/garden, even though he has Susan only complaining about her toes and sending texts three hours later, and walking to the bathroom:
She also allegedly fell onto her side - a possible explanation‚ according to the defence‚ for the wounds she might have sustained to her chest and lungs.
[...]
Susan Rohde would have been semi-conscious‚ writhing with pain and coughing up blood in the time leading up to her eventual death by manual strangulation.
<modsnipped due to copyright
Dr Perumal agrees with the State:
LVN:
It happened, the swallowing, while she was still alive, correct?
RP:
Yes! It has to be an active process. This is not gonna happen passively in an unconscious or deceased person.
Check out the faces on the defence advocates starting at the 29:48 minute mark