Question: If someone strikes someone with a blunt object causing major craniocerebral trauma, and *then* strangles them to death a few minutes later, is the underlying cause of death blunt force trauma, asphyxia or is it a combination of both?
The short answer is asphyxia given this description because we do not the extent of "major" head trauma. The person may have lived but in an unresponsive coma.