Takes anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes to fully choke someone to death, its not like the movies where it all happens in 30 seconds. If he had been found alive at the reserve and arrested, he would have had to explain why he choked her so long.
I still don't think a lot of people understand this.. a person can usually lose consciousness in 30 seconds, but take up to 5 minutes of strangulation before they die.
that means while strangling her, she would have lost consciousness pretty quick, and be just kept on strangling her for over 3 minutes before she died.
Also, she wasn't choked, she was strangled. choking is internal and strangling is external force.