JonBenét Ramsey

Life -

JonBenet was born in 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia, the younger of two children of Patsy and John Ramsey. She had an older brother named Burke, who was born in 1987. Her first name is a feminized combination of her father’s first and middle names. JonBenet was enrolled in kindergarten at High Peaks Elementary School in Boulder, Colorado.

Parents -

John Ramsey was a buissenessman who was the president of Access Graphics, a computer system company that later became a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin. His first marriage ended in divorce in 1978, and his two surviving adult children, a son and a daughter, lived elsewhere. His other daughter from this marriage, Elizabeth, died in 1992 in a car crash. In 1991, John moved his second family to Boulder, where Access Graphics headquarters was located.

Patricia “Patsy” Ramsey entered her daughter in various child beauty pageants that were held in Boulder. JonBenet had won the titles of America’s Royale Miss, Little Miss Charlevoix, Little Miss Colorado, Colorado State All-Star Kids Cover girl and National Tiny Miss Beauty. JonBenet’s active role in child beauty pageants and Patsy’s “Pageant mom” behavior were broadcast by the media after the murder.

Evidence -

According to statements that Patsy gave to authorities on December 26, 1996, she realized that her daughter was missing after she found a two and a half paged, handwritten ransom note on the kitchen staircase. The note demanded $118,000 for JonBenet’s safe return, almost the exact amount John received as a bonus earlier that year.

The Ransom note was unusual long, and the FBI told police it was very unusual for such a note to be written at the crime scene. The police believed the note was staged because it didn’t have any fingerprints and included an unusual amount of exclamation marks and acronyms. The note and a draft were written on paper from the home. According to the CBI (Colorado Bureau of Investigations), there were indications that Patsy Ramsey wrote it. However, they couldn’t prove it.

911 Call and Search -

The only people known to have been in the house on the night of JonBenet’s death were Burke, Patsy and John. The ransom note contained specific instructions that the police and family friends were not to be contacted but, Patsy called police at 5:25 am, she also called family and friends. Two police officers responded to the call and arrived at the home within three minutes, they found no sign of forced entry. Officer Rick French went to the basement and came to a door that was locked with a latch from the outside. He paused, then walked away without opening it. Unknown to him, JonBenet’s body was on the other side of that door.

John made arrangements to pay the ransom. A forensic team was dispatched to the house. The team initially believed JonBenet had been kidnapped, and JonBenet’s bedroom was the only room in the house that was cordoned off to prevent contamination of evidence. Meanwhile, friends, victim advocates and the family’s minister arrived at the house. Visitors picked up and clean around the house, destroying possible evidence. Boulder detective Linda Arndt arrived at 8am, with the goal of awaiting the kidnappers instructions, but there was never an attempt to claim the money.

Discovery of the Body -

At 1pm, Detective Arndt asked John and Fleet White, a family friend, to search the house another time. John finally opened the latched door in the basement and found his daughter’s body. Her mouth was covered with tape, a nylon cord was around her wrists and neck, and her torso was covered by a white blanket. John immediately picked up the body and took it upstairs to his wife. When the body was moved, the crime scene was contaminated and evidence was disturbed.

Autopsy -

The autopsy revealed that JonBenet had been killed by strangulation and a skull fracture. The official cause of death was “asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma”. There was no evidence of conventional rape, although sexual assault couldn’t be ruled out. Although no semen was found, there was evidence there had been a vaginal injury and it appeared her vaginal area had been wiped with a cloth. Her death was ruled a homicide.

A garrote that was made from a nylon cord and a broken handle of a paintbrush was tied around her neck and had apparently been used to strangle her. The autopsy also revealed a “vegetable or fruit material which may represent pineapple” which JonBenet had eaten a few hours before her death. Photos of the house from the day JonBenet’s body was found shows a bowl of pineapple on the kitchen table with a spoon in it. However, neither John or Patsy remembered putting the bowl there or feeding JonBenet pineapple. Police reported that Burke’s fingerprints were found on the bowl. The Ramsey’s have always maintained that Burke slept through the entire night until he was woken up after police arrived.

Mixed Blood Sample -

In December 2003, forensic investigations extracted enough material from a mixed blood sample found on JonBenet’s underwear to establish a DNA profile. The DNA belonged to a unknown male and was submitted to the FBI’s combined DNA index system, a database containing more than 1.6 million DNA samples from other crimes, but the sample didn’t match any of them.

Investigation -

Boulder police initially focused almost exclusively on John and Patsy, but by October 1997, had over 1,600 people listed as persons of interest.

A grand jury was convened beginning September 15, 1998 to consider indicting the parents for charges related to the case. In 1999, the jury returned a bill to charge the Ramsey’s with placing the child at risk in a way that led to her death and with obstructing a murder investigation but, Boulder County D.A. Alex Hunter didn’t prosecute them because he didn’t believe that he could prove they were guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

It was reported in September 2016 that the investigation of JonBenet’s death continues to be an active homicide case.

Intruder Theories -

Although police had the Ramsey’s under an umbrella of suspicion, they followed leads for intruders partly due to the unidentified boot mark left in the room where JonBenet’s body was found.

The theory was that someone entered the home through a broken basement window. The intruder subdued Jonbenet using a stun gun and took her down to the basement. She was then killed and the ransom note was left.

Suspects for this theory included neighbor Bill McReynolds who played Santa at Christmas parties, the Ramsey’s former housekeeper Linda Hoffman-Pugh, and a man named Michael Helgoth who took his own life shortly after JonBenet’s death.

Family member theories -

The second group of theories is that a family member was involved. From the police’s perspective, there was no evidence of forced entry, the ransom note seemed staged and the family wasn’t cooperative with police.

One theory if that Patsy struck JonBenet of a fit of rage after a bed-wetting episode, and the strangled her. Another is that Burke murdered her out of jealousy for the attention she received around her pageants and John and Patsy covered it up to protect their son.

Aftermath -

JonBenet Ramsey was laid to rest at St.James Episcopal Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia. She was buried next to her older sister Elizabeth, who died in a car crash four years prior, at the age of 22.

Patsy Ramsey died of ovarian cancer in 2006, at the age of 49. She was buried next to JonBenet and Elizabeth.

Remaining Questions -

- What was the conclusion with the pineapple? Were JonBenet’s prints on the bowl? Is it possible Burke and JonBenet woke up in the middle of the night and Burke gave her the pineapple?

- John and Patsy have said there was absolutely no chance Burke woke up in the night, thats weird.

- Was the paintbrush tested for fingerprints? Were John, Pasty and Burke checked for splinters, scratches, etc that they might have gotten if they used to garrote?

- Did anyone attempt to figure out the size of the boot mark?

- Regarding the intruder theory, what would be the point in leaving a ransom note if the body was still in the house? You’re risking the family finding the body. Plus, wouldn’t it make more sense to hold her remains for ransom, which whoever wrote the ransom note had mentioned doing.

- Was the DNA found on JonBenet’s underwear cross-examined with DNA samples taken from John,Patsy and Burke?

- Regarding the family member theory, was there any evidence that JonBenet had wet the bed that night? Such as wet sheets or even sheets or blankets in the washer or dryer? If there was evidence of a bed wetting episode that might explain why her vaginal area had appeared to have been wiped with a cloth.

Ransom Note -

Due to the ransom note being handwritten, I copied it word for word. It is important that I make it known, nothing has been changed from the original ransom note, every punctuation mark is the some, as well as grammar and spelling. The ransom note read;

Mr.Ramsey,

Listen carefully! We are a group of individuals that represent a small foreign faction. We respect your bussiness but not the country that it serves. At this time we have your daughter in our possession. She is safe and unharmed and if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter.

You will withdraw $118,000 from your account. $100,000 will be in $100 bill and the remaining $18,000 in $20 bills. Make sure that you bring an adequate size attache to the bank. When you get home you will put the money in a brown paper bag. I will call you between 8 and 10am tomorrow to instruct you on delivery. The delivery will be exhausting so I advise you to be rested. If we monitor you getting the money early, we might call you early to arrange an earlier delivery of the money and hence an earlier pickup of your daughter. Any deviation of my instructions will result in the immediate execution of your daughter. You will also be denied her remains for proper burial. The two gentleman watching over your daughter do not particularly like you so I advise you not to provoke them. Speaking to anyone about your situation, such as police, F.B.I, etc., will result in your daughter being beheaded. If we catch you talking to a stray dog, she dies. If you alert bank authorities, she dies. If the money is in any way marked or tampered with, she dies. You will be scanned for electronic devices and if any are found, she dies. You can try to deceive us but be warned we are familiar with law enforcement countermeasures and tactics. You stand a 99% chance of killing your daughter if you try to outsmart us. Follow our instructions and you stand a 100% chance of getting her back. You and your family are under constant scrutiny as well as authorities. Don't try to grow a brain John. You are not the only fat cat around so don’t think that killing will be difficult. Don’t underestimate us John. Use that good southern common sense of yours. It is up to you now John!

Victory!

S.B.T.C

Official Autopsy Report -

Photos -

Ransom Note -