I would like to start a thread about what the cord tied to JonBenet's wrists was all about.First question: When was this cord tied to her wrists?
Second: If it was on her wrists during the assult and murder, where could she reach to, such as how far behind herself, while it was on her. Obviously, whether or not the wrist-cord was on during the strangulation, she was able to reach the front of her neck to leave scratch marks on her neck while desperately trying to get at the cord around her neck, and she was also able to get the killer's DNA under her fingernails. But we don't know exactly what part of his body she was able to scratch. If he was behind her during the strangulation, could she reach his face? It seems to me that perhaps she could, unless the way the garotte was fashioned left him enough distance to be back from her, from behind, that she could not reach parts of him, except perhaps for HIS wrist not completely covered by a glove.....? I think the wrist cord is important because the killer's DNA was found under JonBenet's fingernails - her HANDS.
Third: It seems that the duct tape may have been just for show, i.e., that it was not functional such as to stop her from maneuvering it off her mouth to scream even without being able to use her hands, and that it may well have been applied after she was dead. Was the wrist cord put on just for show, or did have some functional purpose? If it had a functional purpose, how was it used for that. My thinking is that it was used only to limit how far she could reach, especially behind herself where the perp was while he was strangling her. And if she could reach the front of her neck while she was being strangled, surely she could reach her mouth to remove duct tape.
General background #1: JonBenet's killer bound her wrists tightly, with a single cord with a fair length of cord between her wrists. The autopsy report does not have any mention of even mild abrasions or redness on her wrists that would have been expected, for example, if the killer had used the wrist cord to hang JonBenet up, using this cord, by her arms. But she was found with her arms over her head. Why? Also, the cord tied to JonBenet's wrists was not attached to the garotte cord, at least the way she was found.
General backgroud #2: One-eyed Jack responded to DonB on the garotte thread: I am copying it over here because we also need to ask, why was the wrist cord needed? The answer to this question about about the wrist cord may help clarify things about the garotte with one exception. The wrist cord did not kill JonBenet. The use of the garotte DID kill JonBenet.
"I think the primary questions shoule be:
Was the garotte needed? If not, what advantages did it in fact provide or could it have reasonably been expected to provide?
In other words, WHY a garotte.
Why take the time to fashion it, why employ it?"
There are a couple of options:
1: It was part of a fantasy involving:
A. Sexual motive with a bondage component
B. Thrill and curiosity about killing another human being in that
particular way. Perhaps he saw that imagery somewhere.
2: It was not fantasy material and was done for utilitarian purposes:
A: It hurt his hands
B: He is unable to sustain the pressure for several minutes because
of grip strength.
C: It was meant to give the appearance, along with the wrist cords,
of a sexually motivated crime so investigators would not dig
deeper for any other motive. Add in a ransom note, and you've got
a very confusing crime scene.
I also believe the garotte was first tied in the front while JonBenet was lying on her back and then she was turned over. (This may have been the time when she was able to get the offender's skin cells under her fingernails.) Then the cord was tightened. Some of her hair was entangled in the knot and broke off when the offender changed the position from front to back. If you look at the autopsy photos, there is what appears to be a blood blister or pinch mark at the top of the abrasion on the front of her throat. What does it mean? It could just be a large petechia, but it's got me wondering. It's obvious pressure was applied both lower down on the throat and in the final furrow. There is the lower linear mark and petechia both above and below the furrow. Petechia are only found above the strangulation point."