BTW, it would be nice if we could get an MD or pathologist on to discuss this as well as the head trauma. In particular, I would like to know how specific to strangulation petechial hemorrhaging in the whites of the eyes really is. I say that b/c petechial hemorrhaging on the skin is also a symptom of head trauma, so the two things are hard to distinguish and it CAN also be a symptom of strangulation. I've only read that petechial hemorrhaging in the whites of the eyes is the only definitive way to say that a person actually DIED of strangulation. But we may be in a gray area b/c the events are so close together that its hard to tell. I just don't know.
Now, I would also point out that even if she had expired BEFORE strangulation, that does NOT by itself implicate the family. The attacker may have simply engaged in 'overkill'.
I'm not sure what report you are reading.
Under the portion of the autopsy report titled "EXTERNAL EVIDENCE OF INJURY":
In
the lateral aspect of the left lower eyelid on the inner conjunctival
surface is a 1mminmaximum dimension petechial hemorrhage. Very fine,
less than 1mm petechial hemorrhages are present on the skin of the
upper eyelids bilaterally as well as on the lateral left cheek. On
everting the left upper eyelid there are much smaller, less than 1mm
petechial hemorrhages located on the conjuctival surface. Possible
petechial hemorrhages located on the conjunctival surfaces of the
right upper and lower eyelids, but livor mortis on this side of the
face makes definite identification difficult.
I was not sure what was meant by the reference to the conjuctive surfaces of the eyes, but I looked back and it does say eyelids. however, I think this is a normal pattern for strangulation. Here's why:
LC:Let me say that the noose, made of cord similar to this, was not tied around her neck after death. He believes that she was dying of the head injury while she was strangled. His evidence,...a tell tale pattern of hemmoraging on the internal surface of her eye lids. Petechial or penpoint hemmorages.
Dr.WS: When strangulation occurs, there is a point where the blood vessels to the neck get obstructed. The blood still flows into the head, but it doesn't flow out.
LC: That's because veins, which have lower blood pressure, are shut off first. Arteries, with higher blood pressure, keep flowing longer.
Dr.WS: ........?..there is increased pressure above the knees, and tiny little blood vessels in the eyes and around the eyes, may break.
LC: Jon Benet eyes did show this pattern of hemmoraging, indicating, Spitz says, that her heart was still beating when the noose was applied. And there's always then another question: was Jon Benet sexually assaulted, and when? Experts disagree, but Spitz's review tells him that Jon Benet had no history of sexual abuse. But a splinter found during the autopsy tells him she was sexually assaulted at the time of her death, perhaps with the artist's paintbrush tied to the cord around her neck.
http://boards.courttv.com/showthread.php?s=b3fa347cc35a289ce6108cc304662bd4&threadid=268706&perpage=40&pagenumber=85
I think it's difficult to determine which killed her. I am thinking that she was still alive when the head trauma occurred.
A lot of the old JonBenet files have been purged in recent years, but most of the leading forensic MDs or pathologists have commented on her case over the years.
Maybe google jonbenet with their names - Spitz, Wecht, Baden are three off the top of my head. If I think of more, I'll add them.