Newcomers to this blog are advised to begin with the first two posts, Just the Facts, Ma'am and Case Solved, which explain in very general terms why I believe I've solved this case. Some important questions are answered in the following post, Misunderstandings, Misconceptions, Misdirections. After that feel free to browse whatever topics might interest you (see blog archive).

NB: If anyone has trouble posting a comment, email it to doktorgosh (at) live.com, and I'll post it for you.

Notice to readers of my Kindle book: I recently noticed that, on certain devices (though not all), the Table of Contents begins with Chapter One and omits the Introduction and Preface. Since the Introduction is especially important, I urge everyone to make sure to begin reading at the very beginning of the book, not the first chapter in the Table of Contents. Thank you.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

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.

52 comments:

  1. "... - 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"

    Two things;

    One, not sure why you think the hair being pulled from the head indicates death or unconsciousness. Am I misunderstand something?

    Two, the petechia indicate that she was alive when garrotted. Unconscious? Very possibly. Dead? Then why the petechia?

    We might infer that the garrotte was applied because the blow to the head didn't produce death. The inference could be incorrect, but I believe it's valid.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good questions. And you're right, that does need some revision, because if she'd been killed by the head blow there would have been no need for strangulation. However, if she had been conscious, she would have screamed bloody murder while her hair was being pulled from her head, and she would also have been struggling, which would have made it very difficult if not impossible to tie that knot.

    I agree that the garrote type device most likely was applied because she was still alive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the coroner cut her hair loose at autopsy when he removed the cord--at the neck knot and at the stick--in Kolars book.

      Delete
    2. Yes, tina, thanks for that reminder. Nevertheless, the fact that her hair was entwined in that knot means the attacker must have been pulling on it as he constructed the device -- which would certainly have caused her to both struggle and scream. IF she were conscious, which imo she could not have been.

      Delete
  3. We know from the overall logic of your theory of the case that JR was planning a kidnapping scenario. The "garrotte" doesn't really contribute to that staging as far as I can see. There's no good reason for the "kidnappers" to have garrotted her, and she definitely wasn't posed as a victim of a sex killer.

    We know from the petechia that the "garrotte" was not placed on her after death as staging. So, my inference is that the garrotte was simply a means of finishing her off.

    Obviously he couldn't shoot her w/o waking up the whole house, and stabbing her would be very messy. He might have smothered her though (just a variation on asphyxiation) so I'm still left wondering why the garrotte was chosen.

    If my guess is right, she must have displayed some signs of life, even though very likely unconscious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He could probably tell that she was still breathing. And yes, he could have smothered her with a pillow. And if the "garotte" wasn't intended as staging, then why bother with it at all? The tufts of hair entwined with the cord are also puzzling. He must have constructed that thing while right on top of her. Possibly the "garotte" functioned also as a kind of fetish object, suggesting that this was not the work of a cold killer, but someone in a state of extreme sexual and emotional arousal.

      Delete
  4. i agree. its like the killer was enjoying using the garotte. its so sick.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hi doc. i thought there was a least an hour between the head blow then strangulation, if so, what was happening in this time frame.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, first of all, I'm skeptical about all such estimates, especially since there is so much disagreement among the "experts" on literally every aspect of this case. However, assuming there was an hour or so between the two attacks, it's possible her attacker was indulging himself sexually during that time, finally tightening the cord only after he was done.

      Delete
  6. As with the panties or the pineapple we can speculate until the cows come home and never know with absolute certainty.

    Fortunately, no matter what reason there may have been for the garrotte, it doesn't really change the final conclusion. JR is the most likely culprit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we can never know with absolute certainty regarding just about anything. Which is why it's called "REASONABLE doubt."

      Delete
  7. Doc, You say that the garotte is not a sexual fetish object, but it is. " Breath play" is very common in S&M, foreplay. Many " Doms" (dominant) have this fantasy. Unfortunatly for them many "Subs" (submissives) do not share this fantasy. Who in the world would use a garotte on the spur of the moment cover up? How could he desecrate his daughters body that way(autopsy pictures are more then just gory) for a "coverup" or to avoid touching her body during the killing? I truely believe the murder was an accident because accidents happen often to people who engage in auto asphyxiation "games".. The garotte handles paint chips where found inside JB. Why would you do that for "cover up" reasons? That's too perverse of a length to go just to save your own ass. As for her hair It's not like a huge chunk was ripped out. Remember it was probably dark in that cellar and JR is a sex maniac that likes to see suffering plus he's probably giving himself a short amount ot time to prepare his cronically molested daughter. So he's frantic. alexandra

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I'm not an authority on "sensual asphyxiation" (thank God), but it seems to me that something like a kerchief or a tie would be more "sensual" than the very narrow cord used to strangle JonBenet, which cut deeply into her neck and would have been very painful. But for me the main reason for doubting Wecht's theory is the torn out hairs which would certainly have caused his "partner" to scream and struggle, even if huge chunks weren't torn out. So no, I find it very hard, therefore, to see this murder as an accident.

      As for the "birefringent material" found in her vagina that was probably transferred from the paintbrush handle via John's finger, suggesting that he penetrated her vagina during or after the assembly of the "garotte." That tells us he must have been erotically aroused at that time, but has no bearing on whether the strangulation was intended to be "erotic."

      By the way, as I understand it, erotic strangulation is supposed to be largely for the "benefit" of the one being "strangled," as it's supposed to enhance sexual arousal. I can't imagine using it on a 6 year old for that purpose, so I think that for John it could simply have been a fetish object. OR a means of strangling his victim without needing to place his hands on her throat.

      Of course, we have no way of knowing exactly what happened or what was going on in the attacker's mind at that time, so I could be wrong.

      Delete
  8. The most remarkable thing about this case, in my view, is that four trained investigators with intimate knowledge of details of the case could reach four different and mutually exclusive solutions: Smits (intruder), Arndt (John), Thomas (Patsy) and Kolar (Burke). Arthur Conan Doyle would be proud if not for the tragic fact that the case is real.

    I like DocG's analysis, although it is a bit curious that the housekeeper sees Patsy as the culprit. I assume she bases this conclusion on personalities, Patsy being high-strung and emotional, and John as cool and collected.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What the theories of Smit, Thomas and Kolar have in common is blind acceptance of the edict that John Ramsey could not have written the note. Since the case makes sense only if John actually did write the note, it's not difficult to see how all three went off on different tacks, each desperately trying to force a different square peg into that same round hole.

    As for Arndt, unfortunately she has never had the opportunity to make her complete analysis of the case public. It's clear she has always suspected John, but her take on Patsy is not clear at all. She too never challenged the decision to rule John out, so I'm assuming she too must feel that Patsy, for some strange reason, was involved.

    I hate to repeat the same thought over and over again, but it really amazes me that no one investigating this case ever seems to have even considered the possibility that the "experts" could have been mistaken.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As for Linda Hoffmann Pugh, the housekeeper, I think she felt betrayed by Patsy, who was someone she felt close to, and initially defended. When she learned that the Ramseys had offered her up as a potential suspect, she must have been furious. And since she'd been much closer to Patsy than John, and also since John had, of course, been "ruled out" it's understandable that her wrath would have been directed at Patsy. She recalled several incidents where Patsy had behaved like a typical mother of young children, i.e., sometimes impatient, angry and at times tyrannical, and that in her mind convinced her that Patsy was capable of murder.

      Delete
    2. I didn't realize that Arndt never challenged decision to rule out John. She seems absolutely certain in her tv interview, as I recall, that she confronted the killer when the body was discovered and I assume she was referring to John.

      Delete
    3. Yes, it's clear she was referring to John. Don't forget, however, that he was "ruled out" as writer of the note, NOT necessarily as the person who attacked and killed JonBenet. While Arndt clearly suspected John of being the killer, I don't think she ever expressed an opinion regarding who wrote the note.

      Delete
  10. Regarding the observations by officers early in the morning of Dec 26, of Patsy and John staying apart, not comforting each other, Patsy eying John through her "splaying fingers," I really think Patsy was afraid of John and had a sense of something not being right with his actions and words to her that morning. In the same sense that Linda Arndt had a gut reaction to his behavior and demeanor, obviously Patsy could have picked up on it, too. In fact, during the short 7 minutes it took for Officer French to reach the house, John could have yelled at Patsy for calling the police, could have said or done something to indicate she needed to follow his lead on this and trust him. Something told her she could not or should not trust him. I think this explains her eyeing him and wanting her friends around. He was indeed a cold man so this could not be the first time she had encountered being fearful of him. In fact, I believe that for the rest of her live, she had a fear of him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, but we must also remember that he was also her chief defender and protector, at a time when many people suspected her of killing her own daughter and writing the ransom note, so she would have depended on him as well.

      Delete
  11. I ran across this short interview of JR from CNN in 2012. He talks about being so happy (yeah, he got away with murder) and forgiveness, especially for himself.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVbSnqdiYXQ

    What's your take on this, Doc?


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, as the man said: "Everybody carries a burden."

      I often wonder whether John could be in complete denial at this point or whether he is still consciously deceiving those naive enough to believe in his innocent victimhood.

      Delete
  12. Wasnt there a rough draft note found at the scene? Why isnt more made of this? An "intruder" is going to take time to write a note and then leave the body? Also, the ransom note being placed on the stairs neatly always seemed interesting to me. JR clearly placed it in a spot that Patsy would have to see it before reaching the downstairs area and therefore he believed she would see the note before getting near the phone to call the police.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The "practice note" is another myth. They found a single page with the words "Mr. and Mrs." followed by a single vertical line, probably the beginning of the name "Ramsey." That's it, that's all they found. Possibly the beginning of a draft of the note, possibly just something written by Patsy before she changed her mind and never completed it.

      And yes, John knew very well that Patsy always came down those stairs in the morning. And yes it would have been important for her to see that note and read it before noticing that JonBenet was missing.

      Delete
    2. there was some "impressions" or bleed through from the previous page on this Mr and Mrs l page as well. I think that has been what has caused many in the public to think there was another actual practice note.

      Delete
  13. Doc, right on...this is what I mean. After the attention turned to Patsy, she had no choice, regardless of her concerns or even fears, but to depend on John. I just watched the last interview she gave before she died, on a religious program in Hawaii. Knowing she was dying, and watching both her and John's body language, I saw no love/affection/concern for each other. She seemed resigned to letting John do all the talking. My belief is that she died mostly reconciled to knowing she did not kill Jonbenet, she could never know for sure what John was up to that night, and she would rather have Burke go on living without a convict for a father. Or, maybe she didn't know at all. But either way, there was going to be no death-bed confession because she did not kill Jonbenet and did not know who did. But I do have to give her some credit for knowing her husband, and if Linda Arndt saw something in his demeanor and behaviour, so did she.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think it possible that she saw the same wild look Arndt saw, and was frightened enough to want someone there with her as soon as possible. Over time, however, and especially after the experts hired by John ruled him out, she would have had no logical reason to suspect him and no choice anyhow, because even though technically she had her own lawyer, it looks very much like John was the one in charge of their "investigation" and their defense.

      Delete
  14. Unless they worked together and for some unknown, BIZARRE reason, WANTED the body to be discovered early (which is highly unlikely), there is no way Patsy was involved. For one, the fact that she made the call (as you've repeated over and over) and two, when calling the police for a kidnapping, one would only assume that detectives and officers would immediately perform a thorough search of the house, looking for any clues that could help the investigation (although, luckily for John, they didn't do that right away- but Patsy would have had no way of knowing that they would have done such a terrible job investigating the 'kidnapping').

    ReplyDelete
  15. Came across this blog post. Discusses more of John's odd behavior and wording. Do you know if any of this is verified?

    http://blog.eyesforlies.com/2012/03/john-ramsey-speaks-out-about-jonbenet.html?m=1

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, knowing what I know about this case, I'd say that the person who wrote that post is probably right on. John is certainly putting on an act. But I know that ONLY because I've studied the case carefully and the combination of the facts and the logic of the case tell me that John was the one who assaulted and murdered his daughter. He is imo truly a great con man for sure. And maybe this blogger has the power to see through the con, as he (or she) claims.

      However, I can't stress too much the importance of learning and evaluating the facts of the case, and NOT relying on this sort of gut reaction to how someone behaves in an interview. Because it's not just the behavior of the person being interviewed, but also the bias of the person attempting to interpret that behavior that has to be considered. Many people already convinced that Patsy did it have seen all sorts of deception in everything she ever said or did, and imo they are dead wrong.

      I happen to be extremely skeptical of profilers, both amateur and professional, when it comes to making decisions regarding guilt or innocence. And I must say that imo someone like John Douglas is a perfect example of how that process can go wrong. Profiling can be a useful tool during an investigation, but should never be used in an attempt to determine whether or not some individual is guilty or innocent. It's just too easy for anyone to see what they want to see or expect to see and ignore everything else.

      Delete
    2. Doc! Great post, as usual. I've read the majority of this blog after being referred to it via some on websleuths who is a proponent of your hypothesis. I agree with your hypothesis, I think it is the version of events that makes almost completely perfect sense of the entire crime. I'm left with the question: why wasn't JB investigated more aggressively? I've seen you mention numerous times that it's because some "experts" concluded he couldn't have written the note, but that hardly makes him innocent of being involved. So what could have happened? I've read that the DA at the time was a personal friend of the R's. Have you ever heard that or know anything more? Is there any validity? Of course that would make a difference.

      Above someone mentioned how the garrot device was odd and I agree. It's the one thing I just don't get. Why use it and leave it on the body, planning to dump the body within the next 24 hrs, when it is a clue that leads suspicion back to the R's? Why not remove and dispose of it? With the JBDI theory as you lay it out, which I totally support, there's no reason to have left the garrot on JB. I also recently read that a portion of the paintbrush handle was never found. Odd.
      It occurred to me today that perhaps the majority of the grand jury hearing, etc stayed sealed because it includes info they hope to someday use in a prosecution and want to keep their cards close?
      Thank you so much for putting so much work into this blog, it's a very impressive and articulate resource.

      Delete
    3. You're absolutely right, you have to rely on the facts. I thought it was interesting that this blogger mentioned that no one should actually be ruled out since the crime can't be solved. Makes sense to me.

      Do you know if the convo with the police officer regarding JonBenet perhaps running away did happen, or just another rumor?

      His 'relief and horror' at finding his daughter's dead body is pretty telling, to me anyway. Honestly, before reading this blog (I'm very new, less-than-2-weeks new), I thought her parents being cleared by the prosecutor was proof that they are innocent.

      Delete
    4. "Above someone mentioned how the garrot device was odd and I agree. It's the one thing I just don't get."

      Yes, it seems logical that John would have wanted to remove the garotte as it could be linked back to Patsy and to their house. My suspicion is that John would have had a lot of things to do that night and may simply have run out of time to complete every detail of his staging. No matter, because the plan was to get the body and all the evidence out of the house under pretext of delivering the ransom on the following night. So he'd have had plenty of time the following day to detach Patsy's paintbrush handle from the ligature and eventually get rid of it.

      "Thank you so much for putting so much work into this blog"

      When I think of all the work I've done on this case over the years, very frankly, it kind of scares me. I do have a life, I have a girl friend, I go out, and during all this time I've been heavily involved in other projects that mean a lot to me, having nothing at all to do with solving crimes or anything like that. But I got seriously hooked on this case shortly after it went public and I've been hooked ever since. It's truly fascinating and I don't regret spending time on it, but it's also a bit embarrassing when I stop and think about all the effort I've put in.

      Delete
    5. "Do you know if the convo with the police officer regarding JonBenet perhaps running away did happen, or just another rumor?"

      To my knowledge that's a story told only by John. It makes some sense that a policeman would ask about that because he might not have even been told about the ransom note. It's harder to explain why John didn't respond by informing him about the note, but I don't think there's much point in trying to make anything out of that. Six year olds certainly are capable of running away, though.

      Delete
  16. Doc, I admire your honesty about getting "hooked" on this case and how you've managed to keep this passion of yours alive all these years, despite your obvious busy lifestyle. I think it would be incredible if, somehow, someday, this case was reopened and someone of authority read through this blog and realized the mistakes previously made and started looking at the case in a new perspective . . . one that would rule JR back in. How satisfying would that be for all your hard work?!!

    Reading through your outline of scenarios above, a question came up for me which I've often thought of before. Assuming JDI, how did he dispose of the rope, duct tape and any clothing or rags used to wipe down the body or flashlight? If he threw them in the trash, wouldn't the police think to check that or did John luck out with a trash pickup that morning? I seem to recall Kolar addressing this point in his book, although I don't remember what he said about it. I'm actually more curious what your theory is.

    Thanks for this blog, Doc. I have and continue to thoroughly enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My reply to this comment seems to have been swallowed up in cyberspace, so I'll give it another try. First, thanks so much for your encouraging words. Second, as to your question, John went off the radar late that morning, and could have disposed of evidence during that time. Cut it up into tiny pieces and flushed it or dumped it into a sewer inlet on the street.

      Delete
    2. One theory is that JR hid the rope, duct tape, ..., etc., in one of his golf bags. Det. Steve Thomas wrote that JR was overheard telling a friend to locate his golf bags. If this raised a red flag to the detectives, then one would hope they searched the golf bags. I didn't read the book but this point has been discussed online.

      Delete
    3. Yes, I've heard about the golf bag theory. And I very much doubt it. John may have wanted his golf bags, but unless the police were totally incompetent they would not have returned anything at all to the Ramseys without checking it out first. If he'd hidden anything of importance in his golf bag he'd have been making a huge mistake, and we would most likely have heard about it by now. Most likely he simply stepped outside when no one was looking and dumped a bunch of stuff into a handy curbside sewer inlet.

      Delete
  17. The only reason no Ramsey has been charged yet with this crime is because the prosecution/Boulder Police department clearly must believe there was an intruder. But, if my order of events above is accurate, then isnt there a 0% chance of an intruder? The reason I say this is because, once JBR is dead, why write a RN? A million theories can be put forward as to the motivations of an intruder breaking in, but based on evidence, we have a RN that explains clearly that this is a revenge/financial play by a foreign faction solely against JR. There is only 1 possible explanation that can explain the fact that there is both a dead body AND a RN that details a kidnapping with the purpose of getting money. That explanation is that the intruder(s) heard a Ramsey wake up which made them flee, but the problem with that is that PR, JR and BR have never claimed to hear anything or wake up in the middle of the night which would explain the intruder(s) fleeing. Also, the placement of the body is key, because why not leave her body in her room, in the kitchen, in the hallway, etc? Why is JBR in the most remote point in the house where exiting body would be extremely difficult? Plus according the RN, we aren’t working with some pervert, this is a foreign faction with an axe to grind against JR.
    So, now what has truly baffled me is all of the discussion about some sicko pervert intruder. The RN CLEARLY states that this is a foreign faction, that wants $118,000 and it is signed S.B.T.C! JR is interviews has talked about seeing a weird man at one of JBR’s shows, but I have never heard him say how desperate he is to find out what S.B.T.C stands for at any point. Lastly, I need to know the answer to this: When the time came and went regarding when the “foreign faction” would call to discuss the next step, why weren’t police concerned? JR never even mentions waiting for a call. To my knowledge, no other crimes of this nature took place in Boulder or Colorado and no foreign faction by the name S.B.T.C has ever surfaced, so just like the Prosecutor ruled OUT the Ramseys, how have they not ruled OUT an Intruder?

    -J

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It cut off the top part of the above, sorry. Doc, my question was, can we assume that this was the order of events: 1. JBR is molested 2. JBR is hit over the head 3. The Garrote device is placed around JBR's neck which kills her 4. RN is written

      -J

      Delete
    2. Some people have speculated that "the intruder" entered the house while the Ramseys were still at the Xmas party, and wrote the note prior to their return. Since there has never been a viable intruder suspect, then of course one can weave any sort of scenario one likes, without worrying about whether it fits or not. Seems pretty obvious to me that no kidnapper is going to enter the home of his victim without a note prepared in advance, so when he wrote it while inside the house is beside the point.

      As far as the "foreign faction" is concerned, we can't take that too literally because we have no reason to assume that even a real kidnapper is going to be perfectly honest about who he is and what he "represents" if anything.

      In their book, as I recall, John did discuss the timing of the expected phone call and described waiting for it and being disappointed when it never came (though also being puzzled because the note said it would come "tomorrow"), so I don't think we can fault him on that score. What's suspicious is what happened after that, when he disappeared for a substantial length of time.

      I don't think the BPD ever accepted the intruder theory, but according to the DA there was never enough evidence to successfully prosecute the Ramseys and he was probably right -- so long as John was "ruled out" no prosecution was possible. To this day I feel sure that most people in law enforcement seriously doubt the intruder theory.

      Delete
  18. Thanks for the response. Did PR or JR ever discuss always looking over their shoulder or looking at friends/co workers much more closely after the crime? I would assume that PR would have, but obviously JR committed the crime, so there would be no need to ever be scared of anybody other then when he looked in the mirror.

    -J

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, JR has been remarkably cool and collected in the face of what most people would see as an ongoing threat. After all the person who so brutally murdered his daughter is still out there, according to him. And, according to him, this was a person with a huge grudge against HIM, so why wouldn't he strike again?

      Delete
  19. Doc, have you thought of making your theory into a screenplay? You can fill in the gaps with a scenario. It sounds like the Boulder DA needs something in living color to help him follow the logic. Make him look like a hero in the play and that might get his attention.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Doc, it's obvious that many people following your blog feel you should do more with your work product, e.g. write a screenplay, write a book, etc. After reading your flowcharts above, I was amazed and impressed at how well thought out it was --- no stone unturned. Like the commenter suggests above, I, too, wish you would do more. Now I know you're not an attorney, but I think you have a mind like one, and what I would love to see is some kind of an outline of a prosecutor's case against JR, setting out the strongest points that you think a prosecutor would make in a case against him, if he was ever indicted. Perhaps my interest in this is because I highly doubt if JR will ever be indicted and it would satisfying to see how it might play out in court anyway. Of course, I realize that if he were ever indicted, he would have his "Ramsey team" putting on a defense of a lifetime, much like O.J.'s "dream team", and we all know how that turned out.

    Just a thought . . . in case you find yourself bored between your projects!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, writing a book is always a great cure for boredom. And as a matter of fact I have been thinking seriously along those lines lately. If anyone knows of a good literary agent or publisher who might be interested, let me know.

      And by the way, I have in fact outlined a case against John. See, for example, http://solvingjonbenet.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-case-against-john-ramsey.html

      Delete
  21. I think the chances of a successful prosecution at this point are minimal in the absence of a confession. If John were tried, the defense would put into evidence each of the investigators who concluded someone other than John was the guilty party and the bases for those conclusions. In addition, you would expect the defense to put on the handwriting 'experts' who concluded that John did not write the ransom note, as well as DA Lacy's letter of exoneration. While I strongly suspect that DocG is barking up the right tree, I can't see a jury convicting under these circumstances.

    I take issue with one point made by Doc, maybe in another thread, that John should not have been allowed to conduct his own investigation. He should have, as should anyone suspected of a crime. Otherwise all criminal defendants would need to rely on the skills and good faith of law enforcement authorities to determine their fate. Of course, law enforcement should and does conduct its own official investigations without regard to any such private efforts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I too felt discouraged about making an effective case, Mark. But I did some fresh thinking today and came up with a strategy that looks like it could work. I just posted it this afternoon. Take a look and tell me what you think.

      Also, I can't disagree that a suspect has the right to conduct his own investigation. I admit I went too far on that score. You sound like a lawyer, and you do make sense, so I certainly won't try to argue. However, in the Ramsey case, the suspects were given evidence they had no legal right to possess, and that's the point I should have stressed. They certainly had no right to a copy of the ransom note, and also no right to copies of their earlier statements. I'm sure you'll agree that this is the sort of thing you're entitled to only after you've been officially accused, not before.

      Delete
  22. Doc, I had a chance to watch the Linda Arndt interview and I had a few questions. She said in the interview that she had no doubt whatsoever of who committed the crime, but wouldnt say who she thought it was. Clearly she meant JR correct? Then she makes a comment about how she and JR shared a non verbal look and when he left the room she counted 18 bullets in her head that she had on her due to the fear of being killed along with everyone in the house. Did she feel so strongly that JR did it that he could now kill everyone in the house?
    Very fascinating that after taking everything in for only a few hours she became so convinced of his guilt. Also, I had read that she met with PR for a private conversation and supposedly changed her mind of who she thought committed the crime. Anything to this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arndt's interview is fascinating and considering my own take on this case I'd have to agree that she definitely saw through the talented Mr. Ramsey. However, such an opinion in itself means little, because there are all sorts of reasons someone might see things a certain way under such circumstances. At bottom all it amounts to is a personal opinion. Whether she ever changed her mind, I don't know. Nor does it matter, imo, because her opinion wasn't based on evidence or facts, just intuition.

      Delete
  23. If I'm not mistaken, Linda bonding with Patsy further sealed for her that Patsy did not do it. But since she has not spoken on it since, we do not know if she changed her mind about John.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I don't know how to explain this, but I am of the belief that things tend to repeat themselves over the course of a day, generally every three hours. On pg. 8 of DOI John writes that he and Fleet are sitting on the floor "trying to wind little strips of colored paper into beads to be strung into a necklace". Note: He's winding something around something cylindrical, which is what would have been done with the cord and the paint brush. A few sentences later he states that they (he, Patsy, Burke, and JonBenet) decided to head home around 8:30 or so. This would lead me to believe that the garotte was constructed sometime prior to 11:30.

    ReplyDelete