Some Ramsey Case Flowcharts

[For the benefit of early readers of this post, I must confess to having made some important changes a few minutes after posting it -- hope that's not confusing.]

To summarize and also clarify the various possibilities discussed on this blog, I decided to see if I could put together some "flow charts" illustrating the logic behind some of the most common theories of the case. Instead of literally producing flow chart diagrams, I decided it would be simpler to present my "flow chart" logic in outline form. So here goes:

I. Intruder

• Without key -- (no sign of forced entry) -- DEAD END
• With key -- (must have locked door behind him - why?) 
• Someone close to the family -- (all friends of family were investigated)
• Stranger who'd managed to obtain key -- (but ransom note reflects insider knowledge -- of John's bonus and also Patsy's use of the phrase "good southern common sense" - how was such knowledge obtained?)
• Sexual predator -- (sexual predator would have had no reason to write ransom note) -- DEAD END
• Kidnapper planning on removing victim from house -- (no reason for ransom note to be written while in victim's house rather than prepared in advance -- no reason for hand printed note -- victim not removed in any case -- no reason to hide body in basement -- no reason to leave pointless ransom note as there was no kidnapping) -- DEAD END
• Pseudo kidnapper planning on collecting ransom by leaving ransom note implying victim was kidnapped, but hiding her body instead -- (no reason for ransom note to be written while in victim's house rather than prepared in advance -- no reason for hand printed note -- no reason for kidnapper's call to come "tomorrow," thus giving John well over 24 hours to collect the ransom, risking discovery of the body in the meantime -- no reason to redress victim) -- DEAD END
• Someone with a grudge against John Ramsey (no reason for bothering to write a long, hand-written ransom note while in the house -- no attempt to forge John's hand or plant any evidence implicating John -- no reason to write a ransom note instead of a note taunting John -- no reason to hide the body rather than display it -- no reason to redress the body -- difficult to understand why JonBenet and not John himself was attacked -- no evidence of any followup to this one event and no sign of John being fearful of such a person striking again) -- DEAD END
• Irrational intruder with no particular motive (but the note was carefully planned out, with very precise and consistent instructions and warnings, deliberate references to personal information, and larded with personal taunts and threats -- it was also carefully written down, with only a very few spelling or grammatical errors, consistent spacing between letters and words, and close adherence to the left margin -- the note showed signs of having been written out ahead of time on a computer and traced or copied from a computer screen -- the intruder was careful to leave no sign of his presence, no fingerprints or footprints -- he would have to have arranged to get a key in advance -- if he were not wearing gloves, his "touch" DNA would have been found all over the victim and if he were wearing gloves, his DNA would not have been found at all -- he would have had no reason to hide the victim in the basement or redress her) -- DEAD END

I. DEAD END -- no intruder.

II. Patsy Ramsey acting alone

• Angry outburst leading to head injury (head injury could have been reported as accident) -- DEAD END
• Accidental incident in which JonBenet fell or was pushed against a hard object (accidental injury could have been reported as what it was, an accident) -- DEAD END
• Deliberate murder out of jealousy or rage (head injury and bruising could have been reported as fall down stairs) -- DEAD END
•  (No motive for Patsy to have sexually assaulted JonBenet, or strangled her -- no need to coverup an accident with a staged murder -- no reason for Patsy to write a phoney ransom note when death could have been reported as an accident -- no reason for Patsy to write a phoney ransom note when death could have been staged as a sexual assault -- no reason for Patsy to call 911 and give her hand written note to the police if she knew the body was hidden in the house)

II. DEAD END -- Patsy could not have acted alone to kill her daughter and stage a kidnapping.

III. Patsy and John acting as a team

• Situation in which JonBenet got caught in the middle of a fight between Patsy and John (head injury with bruising could have been reported as accidental fall down stairs) -- DEAD END
• Patsy accidentally kills JonBenet and John decides to help her cover it up (accidental injury could have been reported as what it was, an accident) -- DEAD END
• John was molesting JonBenet, Patsy found out and struck her in the head, either accidentally, while attacking John, or in a jealous rage. Since both are seriously implicated, neither is in a position to expose the other. Couldn't be reported as accident due to evidence of prior molestation, so they are forced to cover it up by staging an intruder who is both a sexual predator (to account for the vaginal injuries) and a kidnapper. To make their staging more convincing, they decide to strangle their now unconscious daughter with a "garotte" type device, and write a long ransom note to make it look like a kidnapping. (the thought that these two individuals, with no record of violent behavior, mental instability or drug use, would find themselves in such a bizarre situation, and be willing to cooperate with one another under such circumstances, seems highly unlikely -- no sign that either partner ever behaved in such a manner as to reflect any lingering anger or resentment over such an incident -- no reason to stage a kidnapping to cover for sexual molestation -- no evidence that either Patsy or John ever attempted to remove the body from the house to complete their kidnap staging) -- DEAD END
• (No reason for John and Patsy to agree to call 911 first thing in the morning, knowing the body of their "kidnap" victim is still in the house, especially since their "ransom" note would have given them the perfect excuse not to call the police before dumping the body -- impossible to understand why they would want to give the police evidence that could be used against at least one of them in the form of a hand printed "ransom" note) -- DEAD END

III. DEAD END -- Patsy and John could not have collaborated on the crime or the coverup.

 IV. Burke with his parents covering for him

• Burke becomes angry with JonBenet and strikes her over the head with a hard object, either knocking her out or killing her. His parents attempt to cover for him by staging an elaborate intruder scenario, complete with sexual attack, "garotte" strangulation and "ransom" note. (Burke was too frail to manage such a devastating blow, which in the words of noted coroner Cyril Wecht, was powerful enough to fell a 300 pound man -- it's impossible to imagine parents sexually violating the body of their own daughter and then strangling her, thus placing themselves at risk of being suspected of first degree murder, simply to cover for the actions of a 9 year old who could not in any case be prosecuted for the crime -- no need in any case to coverup a head blow that could have been reported as an accident) -- DEAD END
• In a variant of the above, suggested by James Kolar, Burke has been sexually molesting his sister, and then, possibly fearing she is going to "tell" on him, hits her over the head and then strangles her with a ligature device he learned to construct in Cub Scouts. His parents, fearful of losing their only surviving child, decide to cover for him by staging an intruder breakin and writing a phoney "ransom" note. (Once again, it's highly unlikely that a frail 9 year old could have delivered such a devastating blow -- it's extremely unlikely that a 9 year old boy would be sexually active or even interested in girls -- it's already been established that John and Patsy could not have conspired together in the coverup or staging, so we would have to assume that one of them would have been completely in the dark about the fatal incident, which is extremely hard to believe -- the most likely person in the house by far to have sexually assaulted the victim would have been the only mature male in the house, not a 9 year old child.) -- DEAD END

IV DEAD END -- JonBenet was neither sexually assaulted nor killed by Burke.


V. John Ramsey acting alone

• John Ramsey takes his daughter to the basement after luring her with a pineapple snack. He then constructs a "garotte"-like device to use in what Cyril Wecht has described as a "perverted sex game" involving partial strangulation and release. According to Wecht, he then goes too far and accidentally strangles JonBenet, then strikes her over the head in a desperate effort to stage a violent attack by a crazed intruder. He then calls on Patsy to help him stage a phoney kidnapping, somehow convincing her to write a long "ransom" note on his behalf. For some unexplained reason, she agrees. (First of all, strangulation with a ligature is not at all sensual and is unlikely to have been part of a "sex game" -- secondly, most investigators tend to agree that the head blow came first, prior to the ligature strangulation -- finally, the cords of the "garotte" were intertwined with tufts of the victim's hair, which was literally torn from her head as it was being constructed, strongly suggesting that she was either dead or unconscious at the time.) -- DEAD END
• John Ramsey has been sexually molesting his daughter and she has threatened to expose him. Since the Ramseys are planning to visit with family the following day, John has reason to fear JonBenet might confide in her older half sister. Since exposure as an incestuous child molester would certainly ruin him, he decides to silence his daughter by killing her and making it look like she's been kidnapped and murdered by intruders. He strikes her over the head with a powerful blow from a Maglite flashlight with a heavy rubber tip, knowing that such an object is not likely to draw blood. Not knowing what or who hit her, and, mercifully, feeling no pain, JonBenet collapses to the floor, falling on some hard objects that leave bruises, giving the impression she's been beaten (and suggesting use of a stun gun to Lou Smit). Noticing that she is still breathing, he decides to complete his task by strangling her. Reluctant to do this by hand, he constructs a garotte-like ligature device and strangles her with that. He then hides the body in a small windowless basement room, where it is unlikely to be discovered by Patsy. He then writes a phoney ransom note, filled with dire warnings against calling the police, informing "John" that the "kidnappers" will be phoning him the following morning, giving him over 24 hours to complete his staging and dump the body, under the pretext of delivering the ransom. He then breaks the basement window to stage an intruder breakin, but lacks sufficient time to complete his staging -- no matter, as he'll be able to do that the next night. (The remainder of his plan is outlined in the following blog post:  http://solvingjonbenet.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-purpose-of-note.html) When an innocent Patsy finds the ransom note in the morning, she panics and calls 911, thus ruining John's plan and forcing him to improvise an alternative plan. Part of this plan B involves a fabricated story about breaking the basement window at an earlier date, clearly an alibi to point away from his breaking it the night of the crime to stage an intruder breakin. NB: It was John, not Patsy, who spent time in the basement early in the morning after the crime, and was out of sight for a significant period later that morning, giving him ample opportunity to alter or contaminate the crime scene -- it was John who took over the Ramsey's own investigation into the case, who refused to cooperate with the authorities, who hired and managed the legal and public relations team during a time when Patsy was, by all reports, a heavily sedated "basket case" -- while John has given the impression of being a loving father, and a "good Christian" -- in the words of James Kolar -- we actually know very little about him, as he spent a good deal of his time away from home "on business."
• (John was "ruled out" as writer of the ransom note by a team of six forensic documentation "experts" -- there is no direct evidence connecting John unequivocally with any part of this crime.)  DEAD END????

 V. (DEAD END????) -- there is no absolute proof that John committed any crime and in the light of his being "ruled out" as writer of the note, it is especially difficult to prove he wrote it. On the other hand, we have no good reason to accept the verdict of the "experts" who ruled him out, especially when there do not appear to be any scientific standards that have ever been established for reaching such a conclusion and, as is well known, many judges refuse to allow forensic documentation professionals to offer an opinion as expert witnesses, but only draw attention to evidence. If we rule John back in, as only seems reasonable, and follow the logic of the case, in which each of the other possibilities has clearly led to a dead end, then it is only logical to suspect John and only John, of being the guilty party.