Subdural Hematoma (SDH)

[BBB167893]

"Hate to disagree with you rashomon, but I don't think so. I think that even if you are in a deep coma the heart still pumps eficiently and gets plenty of blood to the brain, otherwise you would slowly die."

The pathologist said that would have happened anyway, aussiesheila.

"So you are arguing for a strangulation with the hands first, followed by a bash over the head, then the application of a neck ligature for staging purposes only? And you are saying that the fact that the larynx and hyoid bone weren't damaged mitigates against a ligature having been used for the actual strangulation?"

Not quite. Firstly, I think it might have been a shirt collar. Secondly, it's not so much my saying it as Werner Spitz saying it.

Thirdly, yes, it occurs to me that since the internals were relatively undamaged, the cord was not used for actual strangulation SO MUCH as staging.

Norm Early said something like that, but I can't remember it just now. I'll find it.

 

[aussiesheila]

of blood" - there were three areas of hemorrhage - "an extensive area of scalp hemorrhage...approx 7 x 4 " - "on removal of the skullcap there is a thin film of subdural hemorrhage measuring approx 7-8 cc over the surface of the right cerebral hemisphere." - then, "there is a thin film of subarachnoid hemorrhage overlying the entire right cerebral hemisphere." - then Meyers says there is "an 8" contusion [under the fracture] in length up to 1.75" in width." So there were two areas of hemorrhage plus a contusion, plus a contusion of the right temporal lobe and minor bruising of the left temporal lobe. There were purple striations throughout the entire right hemisphere which means that it had been bleeding, but the blood settled when livor mortis set in. Purple striations are indicative too that the body had been moved, because they happen after death and as the body is shifted the blood moves to the lowest point of gravity. Now, if the skull fracture had come after the aphixiation, then there would not be any hemorrhage because the blood would have stopped pumping blood to the brain.

Also, the petechial hemorrhages in the eyes can be caused by the brain shaking back and forth in the skull cavity. She might have been in agonal death, where the killer thought she was dead, but her heart was still faintly beating. I have no doubt that the second the fracture occurred she went down and was completely out.

I know it seems a lot of blood, but when taken in comparison with the amount of bleeding that is possible in subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhaging, the amounts are really quite small.

If she was strangled first and then came the head blow, then there was blood already trapped in the head prior to the garotte being pulled tight which would have been sufficient to cause the hemorrhaging that was observed.

 

[aussiesheila]

Thirdly, yes, it occurs to me that since the internals were relatively undamaged, the cord was not used for actual strangulation SO MUCH as staging.

The internals would be expected to be damaged in a short, quickly executed strangulation, sure, but what about a slow, slow strangulation, with the garotted being tightened and released, tightened and released... over a period of about an hour, say, as in the case of it being used as a breath control device for the purposes of simulating a female orgasm in the victim for the enjoyment of a pedophile. Even if, as happened to JonBenet, the garotte was eventually pulled so tight that it was fatal, the earlier gradual tightening might have eased the underlying internals into positions where the damage was lessened. In the hands of a skilled operator the hyoid bone would not be broken although there may be damage to the thyroid. This looks to be what has happened to JonBenet, and it looks as though it wasn't the first time she had been garotted in this way. From the autopsy report:

"Thyroid: The thyroid gland is composed of normal-appearing follicles. An occasional isolated area of chronic interstitial inflammatory infiltrate is seen. There is also a small fragment of parathyroid tissue."

 

[BBB167893]

"This looks to be what has happened to JonBenet, and it looks as though it wasn't the first time she had been garotted in this way. From the autopsy report:

'Thyroid: The thyroid gland is composed of normal-appearing follicles. An occasional isolated area of chronic interstitial inflammatory infiltrate is seen. There is also a small fragment of parathyroid tissue.'"

Aussiesheila, you just seized upon something I've wondered about for quite a while.

I'll post this and you can make up your own mind.

Judianne Densen-Gerber, now deceased, was a forensic psychiatrist. She said this about the garrote:

"To me, it looks like a dog leash. You can almost imagine an enraged parent putting it around a child's neck, saying, 'You wet the bed again. Now, I'm going to lead you around like a dog to pee. It's a monstrous thought."

Even I'll admit, that's pretty far out, or would be, anyway, if not for the fact that JB wore a lot of neck-coverings!

 

[Bev]

first of all, there was one furrow made by the string and it was exactly horizontal, there were no indications that it had been pulled up or down or moved in any way. She would have to have been comatose otherwise any movement would have changed the position of the string and caused furrow marks in other places.

 

[BBB167893]

first of all, there was one furrow made by the string and it was exactly horizontal, there were no indications that it had been pulled up or down or moved in any way. She would have to have been comatose otherwise any movement would have changed the position of the string and caused furrow marks in other places.

If anyone's brave enough, take a cord and abrade it up and down your neck, then tell us what it looks like. If no one's game, I'll do it.

 

[tumble]

there were no indications that it had been pulled up or down or moved in any way

Actually I think it looks like the cord was first placed lower down the neck in the front and then slided up to the position it was found in.
I don't think this indicates a struggle though. Just that the cord was placed lower initially and when force was applied the cord slided up in small steps, I think I can spot at least two white lines where the cord stopped for a moment.
http://www.acandyrose.com/jonbenetfaceright.jpg
It looks like the it was pulled from behind and the force was applied at the level the cord finally rested in.

Has there been speculation regarding what kind of cord this was.
Shoestring? Boating cord? Clothing cord?

 

[Bev]

I thought that those other furrows were made by her shirt being twisted, but how many furrows are we talking about? Now I'm lost - help!

 

[tumble]

Bev:
Yes thats my interpretation of the photo. Could be caused by a shirt. I think the thickness of the white mark indicates that these were cause by the same cord.
If a furrow is a 'deep' mark then I only see one ie the obvious one with the cord in it.
I see two white lines, followed by redness which indicates that the line rested at those places and then glided causing the redness.
The white lines converge at the same spot behind the neck indicating this was the place of where the force was applied.

If you tie a cord around a stick but put the noose at an angle around the stick and pull. The cord will slide into position at a right angle against the stick.

 

[BBB167893]

Your idea makes sense, tumble.

"Has there been speculation regarding what kind of cord this was.
Shoestring? Boating cord? Clothing cord?"

It might have been used for clothing! JB in one picture is wearing a navy blue blouse with white trim on the lapels. The trim looks exactly like the cord! I believe that the blouse was hand-made by one of Patsy's friends.

 

[aussiesheila]

"This looks to be what has happened to JonBenet, and it looks as though it wasn't the first time she had been garotted in this way. From the autopsy report:

'Thyroid: The thyroid gland is composed of normal-appearing follicles. An occasional isolated area of chronic interstitial inflammatory infiltrate is seen. There is also a small fragment of parathyroid tissue.'"

Aussiesheila, you just seized upon something I've wondered about for quite a while.

I'll post this and you can make up your own mind.

Judianne Densen-Gerber, now deceased, was a forensic psychiatrist. She said this about the garrote:

"To me, it looks like a dog leash. You can almost imagine an enraged parent putting it around a child's neck, saying, 'You wet the bed again. Now, I'm going to lead you around like a dog to pee. It's a monstrous thought."

Even I'll admit, that's pretty far out, or would be, anyway, if not for the fact that JB wore a lot of neck-coverings!

You mean that you think Patsy might have often tied JonBenet this way as a punishment? Yes, it's possible I suppose.

 

[aussiesheila]

there were no indications that it had been pulled up or down or moved in any way

Actually I think it looks like the cord was first placed lower down the neck in the front and then slided up to the position it was found in.
I don't think this indicates a struggle though. Just that the cord was placed lower initially and when force was applied the cord slided up in small steps, I think I can spot at least two white lines where the cord stopped for a moment.
http://www.acandyrose.com/jonbenetfaceright.jpg
It looks like the it was pulled from behind and the force was applied at the level the cord finally rested in.

Has there been speculation regarding what kind of cord this was.
Shoestring? Boating cord? Clothing cord?

Yes, it does look like it could have been tightened in that position lower down before it was loosened and slipped up to the position it was finally found in. This fits in with BlueCrab's and also my theory, that the garotte had been used as a breath control device I would say continuously for about an hour before her death.

 

[tumble]

IMO, the tightening was not really gradual and done during a long time.

I think it was done with a first forcefull pull which would have been really painful for JB if she had been consious by looking at the rash on the neck.
Then the cord was tightened one more time without any loosening inbetween.
The first white line idicating the initial placement of the cord.
The second white line indicating the temporary resting point between the pulls.

 

[Jayelles]

I may be off-base here - but isn't strangulation a method of asphyxia? And isn't suffocation a method of asphyxia? Don't they both produce the little petechiae (sp?) Isn't it occasionally difficult to whether a victim was suffocated or strangled? (i.e. if there is decomposition and no ligature)

What if she was suffocated? Lost consciousness and was presumed dead? What if the garotte was then used as staging by someone who knew that a coroner would presume the victim was strangled as opposed to suffocated because of the presence of a ligature?

Where would the head-blow fit into this scenario? I honestly believe that her killer HATED JonBenet.

 

[BBB167893]

"You mean that you think Patsy might have often tied JonBenet this way as a punishment? Yes, it's possible I suppose."

It was a thought. I really don't know what to think of that scenario.

"I may be off-base here - but isn't strangulation a method of asphyxia? And isn't suffocation a method of asphyxia? Don't they both produce the little petechiae (sp?) Isn't it occasionally difficult to whether a victim was suffocated or strangled? (i.e. if there is decomposition and no ligature)

What if she was suffocated? Lost consciousness and was presumed dead? What if the garotte was then used as staging by someone who knew that a coroner would presume the victim was strangled as opposed to suffocated because of the presence of a ligature?"

There probably would be the petechial bleeding. Norm Early said that the ligature had to be staged because there was no outward indication of what killed her.

"Where would the head-blow fit into this scenario? I honestly believe that her killer HATED JonBenet."

Sometimes I go back to Snow White.

 

[Bev]

1. that cord used to make at least one furrow looks to be at least a 1/4" thick - that would leave a mark bigger than the white mark.
2. the two other furrows are uneven - the bottom furrow has what looks to be knuckle marks where it was held, and the middle furrow is narrower and would be in a position that would look like the top of a turtleneck - the bottom seam on a turtleneck collar is thicker than the top of the collar.
3. the furrow caused by the cord is even, the knot is in the back and there is no upward mark where the victim would have been moving her head. That means the person who used it, was behind the victim and the victim's head was perfectly level and the face down.

 

[tumble]

It seems that the hair cought in the ligature has been entwined in a rightwise direction around her neck.
This picture
http://www.acandyrose.com/jonbenetneckback.jpg
shows a more significant bruiseing at the left back of the neck.
Both these factors lead me to believe that the cord was tightened by a force directed to the right ie anticlockwise looking from above JB.
This picture
http://www.acandyrose.com/jonbenetfaceright.jpg
shows the knot at the right side of the neck.
The position of the knot and the bruising seems to show that JB was lying on her left side during the tightening of the knot.

BTW, was anyone of the R's left handed?

 

[BBB167893]

Patsy could write left-handed, tumble. That's about it.

"3. the furrow caused by the cord is even, the knot is in the back and there is no upward mark where the victim would have been moving her head. That means the person who used it, was behind the victim and the victim's head was perfectly level and the face down."

I suppose it does.

 

[tumble]

there were no indications that it had been pulled up or down or moved in any way

Actually I think it looks like the cord was first placed lower down the neck in the front and then slided up to the position it was found in.
I don't think this indicates a struggle though. Just that the cord was placed lower initially and when force was applied the cord slided up in small steps, I think I can spot at least two white lines where the cord stopped for a moment.
http://www.acandyrose.com/jonbenetfaceright.jpg
It looks like the it was pulled from behind and the force was applied at the level the cord finally rested in.

Has there been speculation regarding what kind of cord this was.
Shoestring? Boating cord? Clothing cord?

It seems the cord was something like 'Stansport white nylon utility cord'
http://www.gr8gear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2960

 

[tumble]

When I first read the '98 JR interview i found his use of the word 'twister' for the garrote interesting.
This was after I had seen pictures of the garrote and I thought
'yes, thats why the garrote has only one handle'.

But the came my next thought, how in the world could that garrote function as a twister, turning on the long thin cord could never function as a twister.

Now I think the otherway around, can the 'one handled garrote' be connected to JR's view about how a twister looks like ie could this be a clue to JR being the constructor of the garrote, or should I say 'twister'...