garrotter

A garrotter is someone who strangles victims, typically from behind, often as a method of robbery or assassination.

The term derives from the garrotte—a wire, cord, or metal collar used for strangulation.

In Victorian England, garrotting referred specifically to a street crime where thieves choked victims into submission before robbing them: The newspapers warned of garrotters lurking in dark alleys.

Also spelled garroter.