As a forensic pathologist, you have just completed an autopsy of a poisoning victim. after a thorough examination, you conclude that the victim

died of cyanide poisoning. you know that cyanide binds to the cytochrome oxidase complex, and therefore list the official cause of death as

suffocation due to cyanide exposure. however, if you wanted to provide a more technical explanation as to the cause of death, which process

was specifically inhibited directly by cyanide?

I am a little rusty on this but a few years ago I wrote an assignment on cyanide poisoning and I think the ultimate cause of death would be the inability for oxygen to function as an electron receptor in chemiosmosis. So the death would and wouldn't be considered asphyxia the reason I say this is plenty of oxygen could be present in your hemoglobin and your throat could be clear with fully functional lungs but without the ability to complete chemiosmosis the final and most significant phase of aerobic respiration you would be at an ATP deficit resulting in mass cellular death. And as soon as involuntary function goes as a result of brain damage you’re screwed to put quite simply.  

The ETC would have been effected which would in turn inhibit cellular respiration specifically chemiosmosis the final stage of aerobic respiration.