The immediate cause of death was strangulation. The mark of a cord is still on her throat.
7 seconds sound clip from the House of Wax (1953) movie soundboard.
You can hear this line at 00:32:17 in the Blu-ray version of the movie.
Quote context
[...]
- I don't know. We heard her scream. When we went looking for her, she was gone.
- Lieutenant Brennan will want a statement from each one of you.
- See that nobody leaves the house.
- When I arrived at the rooming house, this girl had been dead for several hours.
- The immediate cause of death was strangulation. The mark of a cord is still on her throat.
- My examination indicated she'd probably been given a drug.
- Something to make her sleep. Veronal, perhaps. I'll know as soon as we hear from the laboratory.
- How long would it take for such a drug to work?
- That would depend upon how much it was diluted.
- Yes, it was probably given to her in a drink. That's how it's usually done.
[...]