 Details of Carol 's death were revealed in the post mortem . There were severe injuries to the skull , and it was said that her face had been smashed by multiple blows . It was later found in court that the murder weapon had been an ice axe . The body was found to be in a <unk> position , which suggested that the body had been dealt with within a few hours of death , before rigor mortis could settle in . It has since been said that the investigators failed to acknowledge that rigor mortis passes in a 24 ‑ to 48 ‑ hour time period , and that the body could <unk> have been <unk> once rigor mortis had passed . Many unusual knots were used to tie the body , and the same knots were said to be used in Gordon Park 's house and boat . This was one of the key pieces of evidence used against Gordon in the trial . 
