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Garrote

The garrote, also known as garrote vil ("vile garrote" in Spanish), is a mechanical device and method of capital punishment that inflicts death by strangulation through the tightening of an iron collar around the condemned person's neck. Typically, the victim is seated and secured to a post or frame, with executioners using a screw or lever mechanism to gradually compress the collar, causing asphyxiation or, if applied with sufficient force, cervical fracture. This form of execution, designed to be relatively controlled compared to hanging or decapitation, was introduced as the standard civilian method in Spain during the reign of Ferdinand VII around 1812–1813, replacing earlier practices like the noose for commoners and the axe for nobles. Employed extensively in Spain and its colonies, including the and , the garrote remained in use for over a century, reflecting a preference for strangulation as a means of ensuring without excessive . Its application varied: for "honorable" deaths, the mechanism could swiftly break the , while slower tightening was reserved for dishonorable crimes to prolong suffering. The method's last executions occurred in in 1974 and 1975, with the fully abolished in 1978 amid transitioning to . Distinct from the handheld garrote wire used in assassinations—traced to earlier ligature techniques possibly of Roman antiquity—the mechanical version symbolized state-administered justice in Iberian contexts, often in public spectacles to deter crime.

Terminology and Mechanism

Etymology and Definitions

The term garrote (alternatively spelled garrotte or garotte) entered English from Spanish garrote around 1622, initially denoting a cudgel or baton employed to twist a cord or ligature for strangulation during execution. The Spanish word traces to Middle French garrot, signifying a cudgel, baton for winding a strangling cord, or even a crossbow bolt, with possible deeper roots in Old French or earlier Celtic and Frankish terms related to twisting sticks or cords. In its core definition, a garrote constitutes a method of execution by strangulation, originating in , wherein an iron collar encircles the condemned's and is mechanically tightened—via screw, lever, or executioner's manual twist—to induce death through asphyxiation, severance, or . More generally, it encompasses any handheld ligature, such as wire, rope, chain, or cord reinforced by a stick, used to a silently, frequently in , , or improvised killing scenarios. The verb to garrote means to kill or subdue by applying such constrictive force to the .

Construction Variants and Operation

The garrote encompasses handheld and mechanical construction variants, distinguished by their materials and mechanisms for applying lethal strangulation or trauma. Handheld variants, favored for covert , utilize a flexible ligature such as , cord, , , , or , typically 1-2 meters in length with optional rigid toggles, sticks, or handles at the ends to enable . Operation of the handheld garrote requires the assailant to approach from behind, loop the ligature over the target's head, cross the ends behind the , and twist or pull them sharply to constrict the , occluding blood flow via carotid compression and air via tracheal blockage, leading to rapid , within 10-20 seconds, and death by asphyxiation in 2-4 minutes if sustained. The toggle variant enhances leverage by inserting a stick between crossed ends and rotating it like a , increasing tension force exponentially for overcoming resistance from stronger victims. Mechanical variants, developed for judicial executions, feature a fixed frame such as an upright or wooden introduced in in 1812 under , where the seated or bound prisoner is secured with straps, and a hinged iron or collar encircles the . A screw mechanism, lever, or bolt attached to the collar is turned by the , tightening an internal ligature for strangulation or advancing a pointed spike or blade to sever the and fracture vertebrae, aiming for instantaneous death via rather than prolonged . Early post-bound forms relied on manual rope tightening via stick twist, while later refinements incorporated dual collars—one fixed and one movable—or weighted levers for precise force application, reducing variability in execution time to under one minute when effective.

Historical Origins and Evolution

Ancient and Pre-Modern Precedents

In , strangulation via the laqueus—a or —constituted a form of reserved for private execution within prisons, distinct from public methods like or . This technique involved tightening the ligature around the victim's neck to induce asphyxiation, symbolizing a discreet disposal of the condemned without spectacle. Pre-modern precedents in trace to manual ligature methods predating mechanical devices, particularly in the during the . Initially, "garrote" referred to execution by clubbing with a stick, but evolved into strangulation using a loop tightened by twisting a inserted rod, akin to a , to gradually compress the neck and cause death by suffocation. This approach offered a bloodless alternative to beheading or , applied in judicial contexts to minimize mess while ensuring lethality through sustained pressure on the trachea and blood vessels. By the late , such techniques appeared in proceedings, where strangulation preceded burning for reconciled heretics during autos-da-fé, reflecting a blend of religious and punitive efficiency. Analogous practices existed elsewhere, including in the , where bowstring or cord strangulation was employed for elites and royals to preserve ritual purity by avoiding spillage, a custom rooted in Islamic legal traditions favoring non-effusive deaths for . These methods underscored a causal preference for controlled asphyxiation over slashing or , leveraging simple for reliable of airways and arteries, though evidence for widespread mechanical variants remains sparse before Iberian refinements.

Development in Europe and Spain

The practice of garroting as a form of execution in traces back to the , established in 1478, where it was employed as a preliminary step for condemned heretics who recanted their beliefs. In such cases, the individual was strangled using a ligature device before their body was consigned to the flames during an , ostensibly to spare them prolonged suffering from live burning. This method drew from broader medieval European traditions of manual strangulation, which involved cords, wires, or collars to induce asphyxiation or , often as an alternative to or in judicial proceedings. By the early , formalized the garrote into a mechanical apparatus known as the garrote vil, introduced around 1812–1813 during the reign of as the standard method for executing civilians convicted of capital crimes. The device consisted of a sturdy or with an iron collar affixed to the victim's neck, tightened via a screw or lever mechanism operated by the executioner to crush the throat, sever the , or halt , typically causing within minutes. This innovation replaced less reliable manual techniques and , reflecting a shift toward more controlled and ostensibly humane strangulation, though it still inflicted visible trauma such as facial engorgement and vertebral damage. In broader , the garrote remained marginal outside Iberian spheres, with manual variants appearing sporadically in or contexts rather than widespread judicial adoption; for instance, iron collars for strangulation were documented in isolated medieval punishments but lacked the systematic refinement seen in . 's model influenced practices to a limited extent through shared colonial and cultural ties, yet no equivalent mechanical standardization emerged elsewhere on the continent before the . The garrote vil's persistence in until its final uses in 1974 underscored its entrenchment amid debates over efficacy and cruelty, distinguishing it from or prevalent in neighboring nations.

Use as an Assassination Weapon

Techniques and Tactical Applications

The primary technique for employing a garrote in involves a stealthy rear approach to the target, followed by rapidly looping the ligature—typically a thin wire, cord, or —over the head and around the to compress the carotid arteries and trachea, inducing rapid unconsciousness through within 10-20 seconds if executed proficiently. Leverage is enhanced by attaching wooden or metal toggles to the ends, allowing the assailant to cross and pull them apart or twist for a sawing motion that severs soft tissues, including the carotid arteries, to accelerate lethality while minimizing audible struggle. Improvised variants, such as boot laces or , prioritize concealability but demand greater physical strength to overcome victim resistance, which can involve thrashing or if surprise is incomplete. Tactically, the garrote excels in close-quarters, low-signature eliminations during covert operations, where its silence and portability avoid detection by sound or gunfire, making it suitable for removal or isolating high-value targets in denied areas. Its adoption surged in , with Allied and operatives favoring it for infiltrating enemy lines undetected, as the method produces no or spent casings, though post-mortem blood flow from arterial severance necessitates rapid to evade discovery. In modern contexts, it complements suppressed firearms or edged weapons, applied selectively against isolated sentries to maintain operational stealth, with success hinging on the operator's training in —specifically, targeting the neck's vulnerable V3 segment for near-instant incapacitation. Limitations include the requirement for physical proximity, rendering it ineffective against alert or grouped targets, and the risk of incomplete kills if the ligature slips or the victim employs countermeasures like tucking the chin.

Effectiveness in Covert Operations

The garrote's primary advantage in covert operations lies in its capacity for silent strangulation, enabling the elimination of targets without the audible report of firearms or the visual cues of bloodshed, thereby minimizing the risk of detection in close-quarters environments. This method compresses the neck's carotid arteries and trachea, inducing rapid unconsciousness—typically within 10-20 seconds under sustained pressure—followed by death from asphyxiation or vascular , often without immediate external visible to casual observers. Historical , including applications, emphasized its utility for sentry removal, where operators could approach undetected and apply the wire or cord from behind to prevent cries for help. British intelligence agencies during World War II equipped agents with concealable garrote wires, often disguised within everyday items like ties or keychains, to facilitate assassinations behind enemy lines without compromising operational secrecy. These tools were auctioned post-war, confirming their deployment in sabotage and reconnaissance missions, where noise discipline was paramount; for instance, a 2017 sale of SOE (Special Operations Executive) artifacts included garrotes valued for their portability and efficacy in neutralizing guards silently. Similarly, U.S. and Allied commandos trained in garrote techniques for partisan warfare, valuing the weapon's lack of ballistic evidence that could trace origins or alert reinforcements. However, effectiveness hinges on surprise and operator proficiency; resistance from an aware target can prolong the struggle, potentially exceeding 1-2 minutes and generating noise or movement that compromises the operation. Empirical accounts from espionage archives indicate success rates improved with reinforced wires (e.g., piano wire variants) that resisted breakage, but failures occurred when victims broke free or raised alarms, underscoring the garrote's limitations against prepared or larger adversaries compared to ranged alternatives. In post-war covert actions, its use declined with advancements in suppressed firearms and toxins, though it retained niche applicability in scenarios demanding zero forensic footprint.

Application in Judicial Executions

The Spanish Garrote Vil

The garrote vil, introduced in in 1812 or 1813 during the early reign of , became the standard method for executing civilians convicted of capital crimes. This mechanical device replaced less reliable techniques such as , aiming for a more precise application of strangulation through a seated and screw-operated collar. Over the , it was employed in at least 736 judicial executions, including those of 16 women, typically for offenses like and . The apparatus consisted of a sturdy chair or stool to which the condemned was strapped, with an iron fitted around the ; behind the victim, a screw mechanism or lever allowed the executioner to tighten the progressively. In some variants, a projecting spike or blade pierced the or severed the upon full rotation, intended to cause rapid death by rather than slow asphyxiation. Executions occurred in prisons or public squares, with the process often shrouded by a cloth screen to conceal the final moments from witnesses; the , sometimes assisted, turned the handle until resistance ceased, confirming death. Throughout the 20th century, usage declined but persisted amid political upheavals, recording 96 executions from 1900 to 1935, 113 following the , and 65 more between 1950 and 1974 for crimes including , , and . Notable cases included Higinia Balaguer, executed publicly in on July 19, 1890, for robbery-, and Mariana Pineda on May 26, 1831, in for . The method's final applications in took place on March 2, 1974, when Salvador Puig Antich, a 25-year-old anarchist convicted of murdering a , was garroted in Barcelona's Modelo Prison despite international appeals for clemency. This marked the cessation of garrote vil as executions shifted to firing squads for the remaining two death sentences carried out in 1975, prior to the death penalty's abolition in the 1978 constitution.

Adoption in Colonies and Other Jurisdictions

The garrote vil, as Spain's standard method of capital punishment from the early 19th century, was extended to its overseas colonies, where colonial administrators implemented it for serious crimes such as treason, murder, and rebellion. In the Philippines, Spanish authorities introduced the device during their rule, employing it systematically after the 1870s for executions deemed merciful compared to prior methods like hanging or firing squad. Notable applications included the 1872 execution of the GOMBURZA priests—Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora—on February 17 in Manila's Bagumbayan field, an event that fueled nationalist sentiments. Garrote executions persisted in the into the colonial era, with documented use at Bilibid Prison as late as 1901, reflecting transitional administrative practices before formal abolition via Act No. 451 in 1902, which replaced it primarily with and later . In , the method was routine during Spanish governance, evidenced by public executions in 1880 and amid the Ten Years' War and Spanish- War contexts, underscoring its role in suppressing independence movements. Puerto Rico similarly adopted the garrote under Spanish rule, continuing its use post-1898 Spanish-American War under U.S. oversight until capital punishment's abolition there in the late 1920s, marking one of the few instances of extrapeninsular persistence. While other Spanish Latin American colonies like and employed variants of strangulation historically, post-independence republics largely shifted to firing squads or guillotines by the mid-19th century, limiting garrote adoption to direct colonial enforcement rather than enduring local tradition. Beyond Spanish territories, the garrote saw negligible formal judicial adoption; isolated influences appeared in Portuguese or French colonial adaptations, but primary reliance remained on Spain's imperial framework, with no widespread emulation in non-Iberian jurisdictions due to preferences for hanging, beheading, or electrocution.

Execution Procedures and Modifications

In judicial executions using the Spanish garrote vil, the condemned prisoner was typically escorted to the execution site, often a or designated area within a , accompanied by a and guards. The individual was seated on a wooden or positioned with their back against an upright post for stability. Straps were then secured around the wrists, arms, waist, and legs to immobilize the body and prevent movement. An iron , hinged for placement, was fitted around the and connected to a or mounted on the post. The , positioned behind, operated the device by turning the or several times—typically two to three rotations—tightening the or driving a plate against the back of the to compress the vertebrae, sever the , or dislocate the , aiming to induce rapid followed by within moments. Visible effects included bodily convulsions, facial discoloration to purple, protrusion of the , bulging eyes, and unnatural head tilting as circulation ceased and nerves failed. Post-execution, the body was unstrapped, clothing removed and donated to , then wrapped in a bedsheet and placed in a plain pine for , often under until to a . Executions were conducted at dawn to minimize public spectacle, with crowds sometimes present but dispersing quietly after the act. Early 19th-century versions of the garrote, introduced around 1812–1813 to replace , employed a simple ligature looped around the and tightened by twisting a stick, functioning more as manual strangulation. By the mid-19th century, mechanical refinements introduced the iron collar with a screw-driven or that applied focused to break the rather than solely asphyxiate, intended to reduce prolonged though outcomes varied by skill and victim . The standard garrote vil for civilians relied on compression without a piercing element, potentially prolonging death via strangulation if the did not cleanly. In contrast, a variant occasionally incorporated a or activated by the mechanism to penetrate the or for swifter lethality, reserved for certain offenders, though firing squads were more common for soldiers. Regional adaptations in colonies, such as or the , mirrored the mainland procedure but sometimes used portable devices for remote sites. Procedural consistency emphasized minimal public exposure, with executions shifting indoors to prisons by the to further limit visibility.

Abolition and Decline

Factors Leading to Phasing Out

The garrote vil's decline as a method of execution stemmed primarily from widespread perceptions of its inherent cruelty, as the device's often induced slow asphyxiation rather than instantaneous , leading to visible convulsions and audible distress in condemned individuals. Historical accounts from 19th-century observers, including parliamentary discussions, condemned the system for inflicting "unequal and needless " through inconsistent application, where improper seating or mechanical failure prolonged suffering for several minutes. This contrasted with quicker alternatives like the or firing squad, which minimized observable agony and aligned with emerging penal reform ideals emphasizing deterrence without spectacle. Botched executions further eroded support, as the collar's compression could fail to sever the reliably, necessitating manual strangulation by executioners and extending the process amid public or prison witnesses. In , where the garrote persisted as the civilian standard from 1822 until the mid-20th century, such incidents reinforced views of the method as unreliable and barbaric, particularly under Francisco Franco's regime, where it symbolized authoritarian continuity with inquisitorial traditions. The 1974 execution of , the last by garrote, exemplified this, sparking domestic and international outrage over its perceived medieval brutality amid a politically charged . Broader geopolitical shifts accelerated phasing out, as Spain's post-Franco democratization from 1975 onward faced pressure from European human rights norms and standards favoring abolition or moratoriums on . The method's association with colonial enforcement in places like , where it ended in the 1920s amid U.S. oversight favoring , highlighted its incompatibility with modern legal frameworks prioritizing procedural humanity. By 1975, Spain shifted remaining executions to firing squads for perceived swifter dispatch, paving the way for total abolition in the 1978 Constitution. These factors collectively rendered the garrote obsolete, supplanted by methods or outright bans reflecting empirical critiques of its physiological toll—prolonged causing panic and organ failure—over abstract claims of .

Final Executions and Legal Shifts

The final executions by garrote vil in took place on March 2, 1974, marking the last recorded uses of the method globally. , aged 25 and affiliated with the , had been convicted by a military tribunal of murdering Francisco Anguas Barragán during a in on September 25, 1973; he was strangled to death by executioner Antonio López Sierra in the Modelo Prison. On the same day, Heinz Chez, a convicted murderer responsible for killing Civil Guard lieutenant José Mª García Isasmendi, was executed by garrote vil in by José Monero Renomo, in a scheduling intended to mitigate political backlash over Puig Antich's case. These proceedings occurred under the , with Puig Antich's execution drawing protests from and European figures who questioned the trial's fairness and the method's brutality. In the , a former Spanish colony where the garrote vil had been adopted, its use ended earlier; Act No. 451, enacted on February 7, 1902, abolished the device as a means of execution, substituting for most death sentences while allowing exceptions for women and those under 18 if previously prescribed by law. The last documented garrote executions there occurred in the early , such as in 1927, before full phase-out amid U.S. colonial influences favoring less visibly torturous methods. Spain's after Francisco Franco's death on November 20, 1975, accelerated the decline of . The final executions overall—five militants from and FRAP on September 27, 1975, by firing squad—highlighted a shift away from strangulation methods like the garrote. The 1978 Constitution, approved by referendum on December 6, abolished the death penalty in Article 15 for peacetime offenses, permitting it solely under military law during wartime; this provision was fully eliminated in 1995, rendering the garrote vil legally defunct and reflecting broader European norms against .

Notable Incidents and Victims

Prominent Judicial Executions

One notable early execution by garrote vil occurred on January 4, 1879, when Juan Oliva Moncusi was publicly strangled at Madrid's Campo de Guardias for attempting to assassinate King Alfonso XII with a dagger during a religious procession on Christmas Eve 1878. Moncusi, a 22-year-old baker from Tortosa, confessed to the act but expressed no remorse, citing anarchist motivations influenced by international revolutionary ideas. The execution drew public attention due to its visibility and the political context of regicide attempts in Restoration Spain. In the mid-20th century, Pilar Prades Expósito, a domestic servant convicted of murdering her employers and others via arsenic poisoning between 1954 and 1956, became the last woman executed by garrote vil on May 19, 1959, at Barcelona's Model Prison. Prades, aged 31, poisoned at least five victims for financial gain, leading to her death sentence under Franco's regime despite claims of coercion by her lover. The most internationally protested garrote execution took place on March 2, 1974, when Salvador Puig Antich, a 25-year-old Catalan anarchist, was strangled at Barcelona's Model Prison for his role in a 1973 shootout that killed a police inspector. Convicted by a military tribunal under Francoist law, Puig's death sentence ignored clemency pleas from figures including French President Georges Pompidou and Pope Paul VI, sparking widespread demonstrations against the method's brutality and the regime's authoritarianism. This case marked the final use of the garrote vil in Spain, highlighting its persistence amid growing opposition to capital punishment.

Assassinations and Non-Judicial Homicides

The garrote has been utilized in non-judicial contexts for its capacity to deliver silent, close-range strangulation, particularly in and criminal homicides. During , Allied operators employed handheld garrote wires to assassinate enemy sentries in stealth missions behind lines, leveraging the tool's low profile and minimal noise to avoid detection. Such applications extended into training manuals for intelligence operatives into the late , though documented public instances remain limited due to the classified nature of operations. In criminal contexts, the garrote featured prominently in serial murders committed by Roger Reece Kibbe, known as the "I-5 Strangler," who targeted at least seven women—primarily prostitutes—along California's corridor between 1977 and 1986. Kibbe used wire or cloth ligatures fashioned as garrotes to strangle his victims after sexual assaults, often binding and partially disrobing them post-mortem; he pleaded guilty to six such killings in 2009, receiving life sentences. Earlier historical precedents include assassinations in 17th- and 18th-century , where perpetrators wielded knotted silk scarves as improvised garrotes to throttle targets discreetly. These non-judicial uses underscore the garrote's adaptability beyond formal executions, favoring it in scenarios requiring rapid incapacitation without firearms, though its depended on the attacker's proximity and victim's awareness.

Physiological Effects and Debates

Mechanics of Strangulation and

The garrote executes by mechanical compression of the , primarily inducing through strangulation via of vascular structures and the airway. Tightening the device's restricts flow in the carotid arteries, depriving the of oxygenated , while jugular vein compression elevates , accelerating cerebral ischemia. This vascular obstruction leads to rapid onset of , with loss of consciousness typically occurring within 5-10 seconds in adults due to interrupted cerebral . Airway compromise compounds the effect, as tracheal and laryngeal compression prevents effective respiration, resulting in systemic oxygen deprivation and . Neurological sequelae include anoxic seizures around 11-17 seconds post-onset, followed by loss of autonomic functions such as and bowel control. Prolonged compression causes irreversible neuronal death from sustained and ischemia, culminating in cardiac dysrhythmias or arrest; full respiratory cessation and death follow within 1-3 minutes, varying by compression force and individual . In the garrote vil, the mechanism employed an iron secured to a wooden post, with a rear screw-driven plate applying posterior against a fixed anterior band, intensifying anterior to mimic ligature strangulation effects. While designed for , some variants incorporated a pointed transfixing to potentially sever the or major vessels, aiming to expedite by direct , though empirical outcomes often relied on sustained for hypoxic failure rather than instant severance. Forensic analyses of ligature-based strangulation, analogous to garrote application, confirm primarily from combined vascular occlusion and , with secondary risks of vertebral injury or vagal stimulation inducing .

Evaluations of Efficacy and Perceived Cruelty

The garrote's as an execution relied on rapid mechanical compression of the neck to induce death via , transection, or vascular , with the iron collar tightened by a screw mechanism potentially achieving unconsciousness in 10-15 seconds through blockage and cerebral . In variants employing a pointed post or , such as the garrote vil, the device aimed to pierce the or disrupt neural pathways for near-instantaneous fatality, theoretically minimizing prolonged suffering compared to hanging's variable drop dynamics. Historical records indicate that skilled executioners could complete the process in under a minute, as the fixed seating allowed controlled application without the physical exertion required in manual strangulation. However, empirical outcomes often fell short of this ideal due to operator variability and anatomical factors; incomplete compression frequently led to delayed death by asphyxiation over 3-5 minutes, marked by , venous congestion, and involuntary spasms as the victim struggled against restraint. Eyewitness accounts from 19th-century executions, including the 1879 public strangling of Oliva Moncasi, described failures where victims remained conscious and emitted audible gasps, underscoring the method's unreliability absent precise calibration. Medical analyses of strangulation pathologies confirm that without vertebral disruption, survival instincts trigger prolonged hypoxic agony, with petechial hemorrhages and neck contusions evidencing sustained pressure insufficient for swift lethality. Perceptions of cruelty centered on this inconsistency, with 19th-century parliamentary critiques labeling the garrote as inflicting "unequal and needless " through visible convulsions and potential for botched prolongations, contrasting it unfavorably with methods like the . In , the 1974 execution of exemplified these concerns, as the three-minute ordeal—requiring multiple turns of the screw amid reported resistance—drew condemnation for evoking medieval brutality despite post-Enlightenment reforms intending mechanized efficiency. Abolition advocates, including post-Franco reformers, cited such incidents as evidence of inherent , arguing that the device's reliance on human precision amplified risks of "revolting scenes" over any purported humane advantages. The method's persistence until 1974, amid broader European shifts toward abolition, reflected institutional inertia rather than validated efficacy, with critics prioritizing of suffering over theoretical rapidity.