As a seasoned investigator with years of experience under my belt, I must say that the JonBenet Ramsey case has always been shrouded in mystery and intrigue. From the very beginning, it seemed like an open and shut case, but as time went on and more evidence was uncovered, it became apparent that this was no ordinary crime.
On the morning of Dec. 26, 1996, John Ramsey was shaving when he heard his wife scream.
In their Colorado home in Boulder, Patsy Ramsey momentarily stepped away to make coffee, only to discover scattered bits of paper at the foot of the staircase upon her return.
In this letter, Mr. Ramsey cautioned Mr. Ramsey to pay close attention, as it later became clear that their daughter, JonBenét Ramsey, who was six years old, was not in bed asleep – contrary to what Patsy had thought at 5:45 a.m., the day after Christmas.
At 5:52 in the morning, Patsy phoned emergency services to say that her daughter had been taken against her will, and there was a demand for a ransom.
John, now 80, expressed astonishment by saying, “It was simply hard to believe,” during Netflix’s latest show, Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey. He recounted experiencing “an intense, gut-wrenching distress” that reminded him of the anxiety parents feel when their child is out of sight for a moment at the shopping mall.
Only he never saw his child alive again.
John discovered JonBenét’s body approximately eight hours later, hidden within a space that was once a coal storage area in the basement.
In the show, John remembered tearing away a strip of duct tape from his daughter’s mouth and rushing up the stairs with her. At the top, authorities examined her and sadly told him that she had passed away.
The autopsy report stated that she was choked using a cord similar to a garotte and suffered skull fractures due to blunt force head trauma. Microscopic fibers from a wooden paintbrush handle discovered at the scene suggested a sexual assault with this object. Retired Boulder Police Detective Bob Whitson, who was among the initial investigators on the case that day, recalled these details in the series.
Paula Woodward, an investigative journalist working for KUSA Denver who delved into the JonBenét case, recounted being informed that a team of investigators had convened at the Boulder Police Department on that particular morning. Upon receiving news that JonBenét was discovered deceased, Woodward stated that she overheard one investigator quietly and discreetly mutter to another, “I suspected it all along, they murdered their daughter.
Essentially, this marked how the probe into JonBenét’s demise was conducted, as per John, and numerous journalists and veteran law enforcement officials who contributed to the three-part series. This is just one more piece in the expanding collection of grim works aimed at understanding the truth behind her death.
John and Patsy, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2006 at the age of 49, were never formally accused or prosecuted concerning their daughter’s death. However, they faced long-lasting suspicion about their involvement in her demise. In Patsy’s case, this cloud of doubt lingered until the end of her life.
In the show, John pondered, “Even if we managed to apprehend, convict, and imprison the murderer, there would still be around 5-10% of the public who might suspect us as being at fault.
In the Netflix series directed by Joe Berlinger, John expresses how the police, media, and the court of public opinion clung to the theory that he and his wife were villains and refused to let go of this idea. However, he maintains a glimmer of hope that JonBenét’s murder will be solved one day. He suggests that there are pieces of evidence in police possession that have yet to undergo advanced DNA analysis techniques.
Over time, DNA testing has primarily been used to exonerate several individuals who were previously considered suspects in the investigation.
In simpler terms, if people are correct that DNA isn’t as crucial or meaningful as we believe, then we might have been unfairly excluding potential suspects. John Andrew Ramsey, one of JonBenét’s older half-brothers, made this point in the series. He suggested that everyone should be reconsidered, and we need to delve deeper into the DNA evidence available today to better understand it.
John stated in the series that his goal for interacting with the media was to apply pressure on the police. He emphasized, “We won’t disappear. I will persistently press the issue with you until I pass away, unless you uncover the individual responsible for harming our daughter.
The Boulder Police Department stated via a declaration on the county’s official website that they won’t provide details regarding the Ramsey case, as it remains an open and dynamic investigation.
Police Chief Steve Redfearn described the murder of JonBenét as an unimaginable atrocity that continues to weigh heavily on their conscience.
We’re dedicated to pursuing every potential clue, collaborating with DNA specialists and police forces nationwide, until we crack this heartbreaking case. This ongoing investigation remains our top focus within the Boulder Police Department.
The District Attorney of Boulder County, Michael Dougherty, stated, “The death of JonBenét Ramsey is a profoundly sorrowful incident that has left many unresolved questions and theories in its wake over the years. Our office has been successful in solving not only cold cases but also numerous murder cases. In every case we’ve tackled, it was always the evidence that confirmed the guilt of the defendants. Whether it be DNA or other types of evidence, further proof is required to solve this particular murder.
But in the meantime this nearly 28-year-old case grows ever colder.
As outlined in “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey,” this is a summary of how the initial investigation veered from its original path:
At exactly 5:52 a.m. on December 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey phoned 911 to declare that her daughter, JonBenét Ramsey, was missing and presumed kidnapped. In response, she and her husband, John Ramsey, contacted several of their close friends, who promptly arrived to offer comfort and assistance during this difficult time.
Every minute of that fateful day, I found myself drawn to the Ramseys’ expansive abode, surrounded by a curious crowd. And then, just past one o’clock in the afternoon, there it was – the grim discovery of JonBenét’s lifeless body in the basement.
In the Netflix documentary “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey,” retired Boulder Police Detective Bob Whitson admitted that he regretted not clearing everyone from the crime scene. At the moment, it seemed plausible to consider it a genuine kidnapping, so he believed that the people present were part of the Ramseys’ support system and allowed them to stay.
Discovering her lifeless, John initially attempted to loosen the binding on her wrists in the sequence of events he recounted. However, the knots were too intricate for him to untie, he explained. Yet, he managed to peel off a strip of duct tape from her mouth and discarded it onto a blanket near her body.
Subsequently, he took her up to the upper floor, a move that, as per the investigators’ findings, led to potential contamination of the evidence gathered from her body, her clothing, and the tape, among other items.
In the series, Whitson mentioned, “It’s possible that there could have been some traces on the duct tape, if it hadn’t been taken off.
The police who arrived at Patsy’s emergency call initially searched all three floors of the Ramseys’ residence, as well as the basement, but it wasn’t until another officer proposed that John perform a second search of the house around eight hours later that her body was discovered in an area of the basement that had previously been used as a coal room.
In the Netflix series, Carol McKinley from Fox News, who was involved in the case, stated that one of the officers failed to open the door where JonBenét was found. This, she believes, was a significant error and something he likely regrets deeply to this very day.
In the show, it was pointed out by former Boulder Police Department Commander John San Agustin that it’s unusual for someone not involved in law enforcement to perform a search.
However, when John looked in the coal room, he said, “Her body was right there in front of me.”
Before the era of “Toddlers and Tiaras,” media outlets found it astonishing to see JonBenét participating in beauty pageants for children. The majority of the commentary was more about questioning the kind of mother who would allow her child to prance around like that, rather than focusing on the talent or potential of the child.
Since the age of 4, JonBenét had participated in numerous local events, resulting in an abundance of photos showcasing her with a fully made-up face and videos that served as subjective material for critics scrutinizing the Ramseys, seeking potential indications of sexual abuse or other emotional distress beneath the child’s mature demeanor.
People who asserted they had diagnosed the situation openly stated it on television, with the Netflix series featuring a segment from Geraldo, where a woman labeled as an “expert in child abuse” deemed one of JonBenét’s performances as suggestive. (Host Geraldo Rivera was conducting a mock trial on his show, where a six-member jury concluded Patsy was responsible for her daughter’s death. “I spent around two days in bed,” she said in the 1998 documentary The Ramseys vs. The Media, “because I was just overwhelmed with embarrassment.”)
Speaking with the Chicago Tribune in 2006, Rivera recollected, “Every person I met seemed captivated by the Ramsey case, be it my nanny, neighbors, or even the man who maintains my koi pond. My own mother was intrigued as well, so you can tell when a topic has attracted attention that’s nearly universal.
According to Paula Woodward, an investigative journalist from KUSA Denver who followed the case since its start, the commentary during the pageant portrayed the Ramseys as negligent parents.
The reporter disclosed that they spoke with JonBenét’s doctor from back then, who asserted, “Absolutely not, she had never experienced any form of sexual abuse during her lifetime. Making such a false claim would have jeopardized my medical license.
During an interview in 1997, the doctor stated unequivocally that there were no signs at all of sexual, emotional, or physical abuse against the child. The child appeared to be deeply cherished and loved.
However, as suggested by the sensational headlines displayed in the series, there was a great deal of conjecture that the child might have been mistreated, despite a lack of concrete proof to substantiate such claims.
In a press conference on May 1, 1997, I made it clear: I did not take the life of my dear daughter JonBenét. Rumors have been circulating suggesting she was victimized sexually, and I must say, these insinuations have caused immense pain to our family. Let me be categorical – they are baseless. JonBenét and I shared a bond that was profoundly intimate. The void left by her absence will forever grieve me deeply.
Patsy stated emphatically, “I’m utterly shocked that anyone would suspect John or me in such a horrific, monstrous crime. However, I want you to know unequivocally that I didn’t kill JonBenét and had no part in it. I adored that child completely with all my love and devotion.
JonBenét was buried in Atlanta near her half-sister Beth Ramsey, who was one of John’s children from his previous marriage and passed away in a car accident in 1992, on December 31, 1996.
By then, the family had a spokesperson releasing statements to the media and had hired a lawyer.
At that moment, Fox News’ McKinley commented that it had an odd smell. And we found ourselves wondering, “What on earth is happening?
In the series, John mentioned that his legal team had cautioned them against being too open with their words or actions. However, he clarified, “But we provided the police with everything they requested.” This included blood and DNA samples, as well as all records – credit card transactions among them – whatever they asked for, they received it from us.
Meanwhile, he added, “I would’ve been happy to die, quite frankly, to relieve the pain.”
However, since the media was speculating about their involvement due to their silence, friends in Boulder urged them to give an immediate interview. Consequently, on January 1, 1997, John and Patsy agreed to speak with CNN.
Patsy stated back then, “There’s a dangerous individual on the move,” implying that the person is yet unknown – neither male nor female. However, if you live in Boulder, I would advise you to be extra cautious with your children, as there seems to be a threat lurking around.
After watching the Ramseys’ interview, I recall then-Boulder Mayor Leslie Durgin expressing on television that no evident sign of forced entry was spotted at the Ramsey residence. Moreover, the police were suggesting, given where JonBenét’s body was discovered, that “someone who knew the house must have been involved.” This implies that there wasn’t a deranged killer roaming the streets of Boulder aimlessly.
According to Durgin, investigative reporter Julie Hayden from KMGH Denver remembered thinking, “It seemed like she had some police info that made her confident in saying what she did,” during the Netflix series. This suggests that the authorities’ actions in those initial days also fueled the increasing doubt about John and Patsy because it appeared as if someone within their family might have been involved.
McKinley, a journalist, felt during the documentary that the Ramseys seemed to have carefully planned their appearance at their daughter’s memorial on January 5, 1997 in Boulder. To her, it didn’t come across as genuine and instead felt more like a staged performance. She specifically pointed out Patsy’s large black sunglasses and all-black outfit as elements that stood out to her as being particularly theatrical.
In the show, John barely recalled that specific day because they were in a state of shock, as he put it. However, any suggestion that parts of it were fabricated or staged is categorically untrue.
In the series, various journalists pointed out that local media frequently obtained information from law enforcement, sometimes relying on a single source when necessary. However, not all this data proved to be accurate.
In simpler terms, Charlie Brennan from the Rocky Mountain News acknowledged making an error when he wrote for the newspaper that John, a licensed pilot, transported JonBenét’s casket to Atlanta using his personal aircraft.
In the Netflix series, he stated, “What you saw was incorrect.” He had relied on a source he considered trustworthy for this and other reliable details. However, it turned out to be erroneous. His trusted source erred in this instance, leading to an unfortunate error.
Back in January of 1997, a report from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation revealed that an unidentified male’s DNA discovered on JonBenét Ramsey’s underwear and beneath her fingernails did not match her father or her brother, Burke Ramsey, who was then ten years old. However, the authorities withheld this information, even from prosecutors, for a while.
In the series, John mentioned that the police had learned something confidential back in January. They chose not to disclose this information to both the media and the District Attorney for several months.
Moreover, it was peculiar, as noted by investigative journalist Woodward throughout the series, that this information did not find its way into the public domain via the media.
In murder investigations, DNA findings are frequently leaked, but when a crucial piece of evidence that could exonerate someone, or at least clear their DNA, is discovered, it’s kept confidential.
However, Woodward mentioned that during the early stages of investigation, there were allegations of “extensive police leaks suggesting Patsy Ramsey had penned the ransom note.” (This theory was subsequently disseminated; numerous handwriting experts concluded her writing and the note did not correspond, as recalled by retired Det. Whitson in the series.)
John mentioned that they had hidden the DNA results because those findings disagreed with their initial assumption that they were the ones responsible for the killing.
Detective Steve Thomas assumed command of the probe into JonBenét’s death at the start of 1997, focusing his investigation on her parents. In his book, “JonBenét: Unveiling the Ramsey Murder Investigation,” published in 2000, he outlined his hypothesis that Patsy, driven by anger due to JonBenét wetting the bed, fatally struck her daughter and then fabricated the scene in the basement and composed the ransom note.
He made this statement directly to Patsy and John during a CNN’s Larry King Live episode. They strongly objected, with Patsy eventually responding, “Only God knows the truth, and it will ultimately prevail.” (The Ramseys sued Thomas and his publisher for defamation in 2001; the lawsuit was settled out of court.)
In the Netflix series, John said that Steve’s theory “didn’t pass the sanity test.”
John mentioned that Patsy had recently overcome stage 4 ovarian cancer, to which he added, “She’s overjoyed to still be around. Is it significant that her child has started wetting the bed again? Not at all. She’s simply ecstatic to be alive and to spend more time with her kids.
In August 1998, Steve Thomas stepped down from the investigation, expressing his disapproval due to what he perceived as improper handling of the Ramsey case by the district attorney’s office.
In a 2004 interview, Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter discussed a divide between his office and the Boulder Police Department, stating, “Some members of the Boulder Police believed they knew who was responsible. Meanwhile, some in my team were convinced it was an outsider who committed the act.
Back in 1997, the District Attorney’s office recruited retired detective Lou Smit to offer his insights on the case. Although Smit passed away in 2010, his beliefs regarding the innocence of the Ramsey family were shared through video and audio diaries, which were featured in the Netflix series.
There was “no motive, no evidence of bad character,” he said in a 1998 recording, per the series. “There is evidence of an intruder. I say this over and over and over again. Nobody wants to listen.”
In September 1998, as prosecutors chose to present their case against the Ramseys to a grand jury, Smit decided to step down from the case instead.
In the Netflix series, Colorado Springs Police Department Investigations Commander Kurt Pillar, who viewed Smit as a mentor, stated that he wouldn’t be involved in any attempt to condemn an innocent couple because of the intense conviction he held for this particular case. This demonstrates just how strongly he felt about it.
In the show, John mentioned that they had anticipated being charged and were ready for it. They said, “Indicting someone is as easy as presenting your case to a grand jury, which often results in a biased outcome.
Approximately one year and a few days past the incident, District Attorney Hunter declared on October 13, 1999, that his team lacked sufficient evidence to bring charges against the Ramseys or any other individuals at that moment in time.
As an ardent admirer, let me put it this way: In 2004, he chose to keep quiet about the advice given by the grand jury, a decision that I find both reassuring and worthy of applause. In his own words, he expressed a sense of tranquility and a hint of pride, stating, “I stood strong amidst the tempest and did what was just,” alluding to the evidence at hand.
In 2008, Mary Lacy, who succeeded him, publicly cleared John, Patsy, and Burke by announcing the findings of advanced DNA analysis done on touch samples. In a letter to John, as reported by NBC News, she expressed regret if they had inadvertently contributed to the belief that he might have been involved in this crime.
The unsealing of the indictment occurred in 2013, which showed that the grand jury had decided to accuse John and Patsy of two charges each related to child abuse resulting in death. According to the Denver Post, this document did not allege they killed their daughter, but rather they allowed her to be in a hazardous situation that led to her demise and aided someone suspected of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.
A grand jury member stated to the Boulder Daily Camera in January 2013, “We were unsure about who specifically carried out certain actions. However, we believed that the adults in the house might have done something they should have prevented, or they could have intervened, but they didn’t.
Following the unveiling of the 1999 indictment, Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner asserted in a statement that it indeed validated the fact that the investigation conducted by the Boulder Police Department was grounded on the information and evidence accessible at the time.
The investigation has hit a dead end; we don’t have any fresh clues. Although it seems improbable that there will be a trial, the Boulder Police Department remains hopeful that they might eventually gather sufficient evidence to build a strong case for a court hearing.
In 2013, as reported by the Post, the attorney for the Ramseys, Lin Wood, stated that the grand jury’s decision from 1999 was made using insufficient evidence.
He stated, “It appears they might have faced criminal accusations, the Ramseys. However, a thorough review of the evidence leaves no doubt that the Ramseys are innocent. This situation represents a grave injustice that has occurred.
Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey is streaming on Netflix.
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2024-11-25 16:27