Wednesday, August 16: Welcome, searchers. There’s been an arrest in this case. Read and discuss the latest.
—————————————————-
Ten years after the death of her slain daughter, Patsy Ramsey is dead of cancer. She leaves behind husband John Bennett Ramsey and son Burke Ramsey (who’s probably in college by now).
When I first heard about the death of six-year-old JonBenet, found dead in her home on December 26, 1996, I suspected the parents knew more than they were letting on.
I theorized that Patsy must have hit the child too hard, killing her accidentally on Christmas night. At this point, two possibilities emerge in my theory: 1) Patsy panicked and tried to make the death look like a murder by taking JonBenet’s body, on her own, to the basement and staging a sexual assault; 2) Patsy panicked, woke her husband, and told him what happened. They both went into action to stage a murder scene.
My theory is based on opinions of detectives who worked the case, handwriting experts, known evidence, and other factors, including, once again, my gut.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence against Patsy is the so-called ransom note. She said that on the morning of December 26, 1996, she found the note on the back stairs leading to the kitchen. The placement of the note was suspicious, and the note itself was obviously phony. Some experts contend, and I agree, that a woman wrote the note, and the most likely woman was Patsy.
(I remember reading somewhere that Patsy sometimes used the phrase “good, Southern common sense,” also found in the note. Steve Thomas, a detective who worked on the case, said whoever wrote the three-page ransom note practiced writing it. The person also used a pen from a pencil cup that was in the kitchen, and returned the pen to the same place after writing the note.)
As a “juror” in the court of public opinion, I think JonBenet Ramsey’s death was accidental and that Patsy Ramsey killed her. JonBenet’s death is still unsolved, and unless John knows something and talks, it will probably remained unsolved. In 2004, John ran for office in Michigan. I blogged about the news and laid out my theory of the case in more detail.
Reams have been written about the case, so I won’t reinvent the microchip. Check out the sources below.
Sources:
- Patsy Ramsey Dies Of Cancer
- JonBenet: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation by Steve Thomas
- Crime Library: Murder of JonBenet Ramsey
- The Smoking Gun: JonBenet Ramsey Case Documents
- Does ‘JonBenet: Inside The Ramsey Murder Investigation’ Reveal the True Killer?
- JonBenet Ramsey Case
- True Crime
- The Ransom Note Probability
{ 28 comments }
I thought she was guilty as sin too… Now, it’s between her and God, and He knows for sure…
La Shawn,
I hate to say it, with news of her passing and all, but based on everything I have read about this case, and what was going on at the time the case was new (as I followed it in the media), the Ramseys, and especially Patsy, were at the top of my personal suspect list. After 21 years of police and detective work I frequently tend to rely on my gut instincts, as they are usually right.
There were just too many things going on that pointed to them (or one of them) as suspects, and the circumstantial case against Patsy in particular was exceedingly strong. I would certainly have pressured them a lot more at the very beginning than I think the Boulder detectives did (or were allowed to do). The fact that they both “lawyered up” and resisted being questioned for months (if it WERE someone else this would have certainly helped eliminate the Ramseys as suspects and moved the case along to outside suspects) was an immediate “red flag”.
As to the note, I have looked it over in detail, and there are enough matches that it seems to me to be similar to cases I have worked where a suspect was trying to change their normal writing style to avoid match up by handwriting analysis. Under stress they will often slip up and habitually do something that is a normal part of their writing style then go back to disguising their writing when they realize it (which is exactly how the note looks when compared to Patsy’s writing).
Unfortunately, in high profile cases like this one, politics often rears its ugly head and interference in the normal workings of the police and/or the DA’s office causes things to run awry. Even if the police are able to remain outside of the sphere of political interference, District Attorneys are elected officials and often allow that to control their actions (gee, just like Nifong).
BTW La Shawn,
What happened to “see you Monday”? Just couldn’t resist with Patsy being back in the news jogged your memory, eh?
Funny, Montie.
I tried. The computers were off, but I checked the headlines on the Treo. (They’ll bury me with that thing.) Couldn’t resist blogging about the Ramsey case.
See you Monday!
What I find especially distressing about this case is that the Ramsey’s tried to point the finger of blame at other specific individuals, suggesting they may have committed the murder.
I think I can imagine better now (after the Duke scandal) what that must have been like.
And if–if, because I don’t know for sure–but if they KNEW that they were lying when they made these false suggestions, then they did something which was incomparably reprehensible; and which (to quote another poster elsewhere–credit for the phrase belongs to him) effectively pulled the plug on my sympathy meter for them.
Hi La Shawn,
I love your blog and articles, and yet I’ve never felt compelled to comment until now. Go figure
I really think that the Ramseys are innocent. I just don’t believe that two people could lie convincingly about the death of their own daugher for so long and not give it away.
Anyway, I hope Patsy has some peace now. RIP
Keep up the great work La Shawn. You are an inspiration!
oh thats so mean she says shesinnocent and u say this on the day she dies, thats wrong
Nine of ten times, it’s someone in the family (O.J.) but the problem is that once in a while, there is a gang of murdering hippies (Charles Mason), a drug deal gone bad or a random serial killer or the robbed by a black man.
Almost never is anyone framed, (sarcasm on) but it occurred to me that LaShawn could claim the Black Muslims framed her if she ever needed to.
I agree with your suspicion La Shawn. You can usually tell when the unbelievable grief one would feel when a child is lost in this way, or anyway for that matter….just wasn’t showing from either of the Ramseys.
It was also sad to see how this child was being put on ‘display’ by the mother, instead of letting her be a child.
The images of JonBenet performing in the pageants she did made me sick. No six year old should have been slutting it out as she did; no true parent would allow it. Only one of her parents had history in the pageant business. Now she’s dead and mortal humanity is cheated of its chance to see Patsy pay for her crimes. I hope this is what John Ramsey needs to set the record straight and confirm what most of the country believes.
Of course, you’re entitled to your opinion, and the Ramsey’s may have been guilty of exploitation, but can you really be so sure that Patsy was guilty? There is a reason the charges were dropped: lack of evidence.
Check out http://www.karisable.com/jbr.htm and the follow-up http://www.karisable.com/jbr1.htm for a more skeptical view of the case against the Ramsey’s. DNA tests cleared the Ramsey’s showing that an unknown man’s blood was on JonBenét’s underwear. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/16/48hours/main661569.shtml
Additionally, further investigation revealed suppressed evidence and crucial data that was not considered. From the CBS article: “What they have discovered is startling. Within a two-mile radius of where the Ramseys once lived, 38 of their neighbors are registered sex offenders.” The greatest suspect killed himself soon after the Boulder PD turned up the heat in the press. We may never know who killed JonBenét Ramsey.
This case is reminscent of the case against Ed Smart here in Utah. The police were so certain that Ed was their man that they ignored the eye witness account of Elizabeth’s sister of an intruder in the night. Likewise, Boulder PD was fixated on the Ramsey’s to the detriment to the case. It was a witch hunt, IMO, as most sex crime cases usually are. The recent Duke case comes to mind.
There are so many unanswered questions to the JonBenét Ramsey case. One thing is certain, though. Regardless of who the killer was, this was a terrible thing to happen to any family. To have Patsy die of Cancer at such a young age only adds to their pain.
Yes, the DNA is powerful, as we’ve seen in the Duke case. I remember reading about that DNA discovery in the Ramsey case, but before I accept it, I’ll have to do some research on it. For instance, did the DA’s office rule out the parents because this DNA? There’s one thing that can’t be dismissed: that NOTE. Just can’t get around it. I believe Patsy Ramsey knew more than she would say. – Admin
As a Southern girl, I must speak up about the pageant thing.
I am a conservative Republican Christian. My 7 and 5 year old daughters attend a private school. They take ballet lessons. They’ve been performing on stage since they were 3.
And yes, they wear makeup for the performances. Big deal.
I don’t do the pageant thing, but there’s a reason why Southerners often win the big pageants–their training starts early.
It doesn’t mean that Patsy was “sexualizing” her daughter. The “pageants” were small family events. The video was made public AFTER the gruesome killing.
Perhaps my children would be better off attending a Bible study group, but they love their little forays on the stage and it’s taught them poise.
It was estimated that JonBenet’s skull was smashed in with the force wielded by a 300 lb man with a club. That is not a bathtub mishap.
Lorrie, To outsiders not familiar with ‘Southern Pageants’, it certainly looks like the mature makeup is not what one would expect to see on a child, or ballet dancer for that matter. What is this ‘pageant’? Is it a beauty pageant? Is it a talent pageant? Is it a ballet pageant? Or some of all these?
It is perfectly natural for children to play being grown-up. That’s what they want to be and will be. It is important for parents to see it for what it is, normal play, and not let it get out of hand into some sort of competitive event of winners and losers more important to adults than the child.
This is were things can get out-of-hand, as in the mature female face make-up seen on the Ramsey’s child, hoping it will make her the winner.
I have always wondered: Do they have “Little Mr. Pimp” pageants for the boys?
I was sickened every time I saw the film clip of JonBenet in her cowgirl get up doing the pedophile warm up routine.
I know wee ones get their ears pierced, but what about other body parts? Is there some sort of mystic restraint that keeps “progressive” mommies from getting their little darlings covered with tattoos and being punctured with studs?
Just pondering.
Oh, yes, and Patsy Ramsey, good luck in working it out in the “here after.”
Wasn’t the initial investigation terribly mishandled? I remember reading harsh critiques of how the local police were inexperienced in this kind of crime investigation. Wasn’t crucial evidence contaminated and/or lost? This is why they could never come up with a suspect – whether it be Patsy Ramsey or whomever.
I must echo TexasFred-whoever is guilty may evade our judgement, but will still face God and His Judgement. I have no idea who killed that little girl, but when it happened, I think all of America felt sickened by the horror of the murder.
I read a book by John Douglas Рthe famous FBI profiler Рabout 4 years ago, who did a profile on the murder of little JonBen̩t Ramsey.
I must say that I respect this man’s opinion more than any others. I did a lot or reading about this case (other books, other sources), which made it hard for me to form an opinion. Usually I will get a “gut feeling” about something, but in this case I didn’t.
Following is an excerpt from Wikipedia: The Ramseys have invariably held that the crime was committed by an invader. Some police investigators and private detectives support the Ramsey’s theory. John Douglas, former head of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, was hired by the Ramseys to examine the case. He contended that the Ramseys were not involved in the murder, and that it was unlikely that anyone would resolve the case.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JonBenet_Ramsey
I agree with Douglas (comment #11).
Here is a link regarding Gary Oliva, a convicted sex offender that was reported to the Boulder police by a friend of his regarding JonBenét Ramsey’s murder:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/01/48hours/main523892.shtml
Regarding Elizabeth Smart. My wife and friends sat around the TV talking about Ed Smart being guilty because he did not act, respond or show the emotion that a father would if his daughter was abducted by a stranger. “He must have had something to do with it!” He did! He was stupid enough to hire the guy that eventually abducted his daughter to do work around his house. My advice, stay away from the freaks of the world.
I had a friend sentenced to over a hundred years of prison for a rape that both a policeman and a Judge have told me personally that my friend did not do it. The sentence included or was compounded by the fact that he was under a 10 year probation for leading an agent (Federal) to a location where he could buy cocaine.
The lies that were put out to the public by the DA’s office regarding my friend were sickening.
The rape that he was accused and convicted of committing was the first of many by the same person. My friend was arrested after the first one while the others continued to happen while he was in jail. His mother paid $200,000 for a pardon and he got it.
There is a lot to that story, but no one really cares. Most of all, I am sure that he does not want to discuss it.
In Baton Rouge, where I live, there have been two serial killer arrests in the past three years. One of them I will refer to as the black serial killer and the other the white serial killer. I don’t even want to use their rotten names and the victims families don’t want to see their names anymore either. All of the known victims were women.
One of the suspected victims of the white serial killer was a white female jogger. She was found dead in a ditch. I don’t know if it was publicized that she was strangled or if I was told that she was strangled. Her husband is an attorney, nice house, neighborhood, etc. I was told by an acquaintance that “knows one of the detectives on the case”, that the husband definitely was the one that did it, but the evidence was too circumstantial to take to court. Once again, my wife and friends sat around the TV talking about the husband being guilty because he did not act as a husband should if his wife was murdered in such a way.
Anyway, the white serial killer confessed to the murder, but that does not mean that he did it.
One of the black serial killer’s victim’s husband who is wheelchair bound and adored his wife was accused by her family of her death.
In another instance regarding the black serial killer, I told two Baton Rouge police officers, weeks after the fact, that on the day of one of the murders, I saw a black male run up the side of the Mississippi River levee (I used to ride my bicycle on the levee at lunch) and past me in clothing that I described to them as “looking like he was covered in wet transmission fluid.” Their response, “The guy we are looking for definitely is not black!” The black serial killer was convicted on the DNA evidence gathered from the murder that took place on that day just down the street/road that T’d at the River Road levee. I will probably never know if it was the serial killer that I saw that day.
I could go on and on.
“Is there some sort of mystic restraint that keeps “progressive†mommies from getting their little darlings covered with tattoos and being punctured with studs?”
What makes you think there is anything “progressive” beauty pageants for minors?
Or any beauty pageant, for that matter
Apologies, I meant to type is ‘anything progressive about beauty pageants for minors’.
I find it hard to believe that her parents had anything to do with this. There is a very compelling article about this case, here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/16/48hours/main661569.shtml
Why isn’t nobody considering that it is John Ramsey who did it. It is classic case of domestic abuse where the woman is terrified of this abuser who also happens to be very powerful. He is active politically at a local level and has loads of money. That combination bestows lots of “local” privilages with all the elected gentry and with the police.
Of course Patsy wrote the note, but thats because John told her that he will kill her if she even dares consider any other course of action. The sexualizing of Jonbenet is the work of the father forcing his wife to go along. Any woman who has been domestically (severely) abused will confirm these actions. There is a reason why wives do not / cannot go to authorities. Most men cannot understand that and a women who has never lived through that ordeal cannot understand that.
It is simply amazing and speaks to John’s influence that this angle is never pursued. Shame on the men who cannot even see this possibility and more so on women for not speaking up.
John destroyed the evidence by carrying Jonbenet himself from the crime scene, had time to plant the note and the DNA and forced his wife to call the police. Are there any women out there who can understand this angle?
#20 JohnD: “What makes you think there is anything progressive about beauty pageants for minors”.
I believe that pushing the limits of normal behavior is done of a progressive spirit, even if it is for the most reactionary reasons. Those who “act out” against the norms of society are trying to effect change over status quo.
Beauty pageants are fluff and societally benign and have long been a part of the status quo.
The type of “beauty pageant” skit Jonbenet engaged in was a trolloped up child doing twitchy-butt moves in a younger than Lolita fashion. That, I posit, was a progressive move (by her parents) to get her noticed……..for what purpose, I can not say. I doubt they were motivated by trend setting or trying to break down barriers of stereotype.
Perhaps I should not have used the word “progressive” in its classical meaning as so many liberals have adopted it to escape using the “L” word.
Thanks for adding in all of the links to info. I’ve never been real sure about this case; too many allegations & rumors. So, because I had some extra time this morning, I went through the links. One of the things that struck me was the DNA that was left at the scene, along with fingerprints. None of this matched any member of the family, or their friends – what about that? Now, I’ll admit to being a CSI fan, but…
Everyone seems to be talking about this writing sample, which is subjective. DNA and fingerprints are not.
“Perhaps I should not have used the word “progressive†in its classical meaning as so many liberals have adopted it to escape using the “L†word.”
As such, there’s nothing progressive about putting teaching a little girl that life is all about altered appearances and being (artificially) sexually desirable in order to win prizes/parents acclaim/money etc.
That is as big a step backwards as is possible without literally banging her on the head with a club and telling her to skin the rabbit, shut up, and cover her face.
You confused me by putting “progressive” in those talk quotes, and linking it to people with tattoos and piercings. That sounded so much like Coulterspeak I couldn’t imagine you meant progressive in a ‘classical’ sense as it sounded like you meant cartoon liberals.
Y’see I thought that ‘progressive’ in the ‘classical sense’ meant:
1. Moving forward; advancing
2. Proceeding in steps; continuing steadily by increments: progressive change.
I’ve been wrong before, and will be again!
Regards,
John
There is no strong evidence that either Ramsey parent killed their daughter. The beauty pageants may seem strange to some, but I have witnessed far worse parental judgment.
Let’s all feel some sympathy for Burke, who has now lost his sister and his mother along with his privacy for life.
i think that the brother did it. please write more on the 911 tape. was he crying and talking crazy in the background.
also, i would like to hear more about the sex offender who killed himself.who people suspect.
Jan, apparently the DNA did not match anyone in the family. Please don’t accuse that poor boy of such a horrendous crime. He deserves some peace.
Comments on this entry are closed.