Normally I think this kind of speculation is dangerous, but there is actual data to back you up[1].

Strangulation is a singularly accurate predictor of future homicide. There seems to be a world of difference between just hitting someone and actually trying to crush their throat with your bare hands. It should be taken far, far more seriously than it is -- attempted murder at least.

1. https://apnews.com/article/dc9066892be14b7f8cf234468a83f170

Yes, look at what happened to Gabby Petito. Strangulation can get serious very quickly.

I was aware of that, hence my initial statement (although TBH I expected the subsequent downvoting, which I clearly got because some folks don't want to see patterns of that kind of behavior as likely to escalate over time), I just didn't want to dig back in time to the literature, so thanks for that. To that end: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2573025/