The death of JonBenét Ramsey has been widely debated and discussed since it happened. The death of a child would not be taken lightly.
To understand the reasons for the debate surrounding this case, it’s important to answer some significant questions, starting from who was JonBenét Ramsey?
1) Who was JonBenét Ramsey?
Killed at six years of age, JonBenét Patricia Ramsey was born on 1990, the 6th of August, and died in 1996, on the 25th or 26th of December. The death of JonBenét Ramsey is still considered a heartbreaking one.
JonBenét Ramsey studied at an elementary school called High Peaks. Her name combines her father’s and mother’s names respectively.
1.1) Her Family
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, JonBenét Ramsey was the younger of two children, with an elder brother named Burke Ramsey.
1.1.1) Her Father
John worked in a computer software company and a Lockheed Martin subsidiary. His first marriage ended in 1978. He moved in with Patsy Ramsey in Boulder.
1.1.2) Her Mother
Patricia Ramsey was born in 1956; she died in 2006 after a long battle with ovarian cancer. Patsy Ramsey would enter JonBenét in various child beauty pageants that made her win a variety of titles. This made Patsy get the title of ‘pageant mother’.
Patsy died of ovarian cancer when she was 49 years old and is interred beside her daughter.
1.1.3) Her Brother
It isn’t much known about Burke Ramsey other than the fact that he was born in 1987, and that he continues to be a prime suspect in the murder of JonBenét Ramsey.
It is often taken as irrelevant when murder victims’ families are discussed, but as you will see in this murder case, the more you know about the Ramsey family, the better.
2) Death of JonBenét Ramsey
What would someone possibly get from killing JonBenét? How could someone harm America’s Royale Miss, a young and innocent girl who couldn’t harm anyone else? Why was JonBenét suddenly not safe in her own home in Boulder Colorado? Because JonBenét Ramsey had such a short life, there isn’t much you will find out about her achievements or influence, but you will surely find out much in detail about the unsolved murder of JonBenét Ramsey, the daughter of John and Patricia Ramsey.
Being one of the most intense cold case homicide investigations ever, the death of JonBenét Ramsey caused a lot of chaos and raised a lot of fingers about who killed JonBenet, and why would someone want to kill a six-year-old child.
2.1) What Happened?
The timeline of the Ramsey case starts on December 26, 1996. In Boulder, Colorado, a six-year-old was found missing from her bed. Her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey found a handwritten ransom note, demanding a large sum of $118,000 if they wanted to see JonBenet Patricia Ramsey alive again.
The Colorado Bureau and Boulder Police Department were informed about this and a police investigation was conducted into the house. John and Patsy Ramsey, along with the whole Ramsey family, searched the house for whatever evidence they could find of their daughter’s whereabouts. While doing this, even though unintentionally, they were destroying any evidence that could help the case.
2.1.1) Who found JonBenét Ramsey?
Finally, seven hours after the police arrived, John Ramsey was the one who discovered his daughter in the basement of their home in Boulder, Colorado.
2.1.2) What was JonBenet’s Condition?
JonBenét Ramsey was found with duct tape around her mouth, a cord around her wrist, a cord around her neck attached to a stick, and she was covered in a white blanket.
2.2) Evidence Related to JonBenet’s Murder
Even though JonBenet’s death hasn’t been solved yet, this wasn’t because of a lack of evidence.
2.2.1) Ransom Note
Patsy Ramsey stated that the note demanded $118,000. This was almost the same as John Ramsey’s Christmas bonus that year. This meant that someone who knew about Ramsey’s work and bonus was involved.
The ransom note was very long, and this was unusual; this led the police department to believe that it was probably staged. It also didn’t have any other fingerprints and included a weird use of exclamation marks.
Forensic pathologist, Michael Baden, who had worked in the field for 60 years, said that he had never seen a note like that in his whole working career. He also said that the note couldn’t be written by a stranger.
2.2.2) 911 Call
The only people present in the house on the day of JonBenet’s murder were her immediate family. Patsy Ramsey called the cops, and her friends and family, at 5:22 am. Two officers arrived and found a lack of forced entry. This was the first hint suggesting that the criminal was probably someone from the inside.
An officer, Officer French, was in the basement when he saw a door with a wooden latch. He walked away without bothering to check behind it… He should have. Other than JonBenet’s room, all the other rooms were sealed to prevent evidence damage.
Detective Linda Arndt arrived at 8 am, and they waited for further instructions from the person who crafted the ransom note, but there were none.
2.2.3) The Discovery
At 1 pm, Detective Arndt asked the Ramsey family members and a friend, Fleet White, to search the house and see if anything is different. This led to John Ramsey opening the door that Officer French had overlooked.
There he found his daughter’s body. He moved the body away from its original place which led to the disturbing of critical forensic evidence.
2.2.4) Testing of the Family
All the members of the Ramsey family were asked to provide writing samples, blood, and hair for DNA testing. Additionally, John and Patsy Ramsey, along with their son, Burke Ramsey, were questioned in a preliminary interview of more than 2 hours.
2.2.4.1) DNA Evidence
In 2003, forensic experts were able to establish a DNA profile from the mixed blood sample found on JonBenet’s underwear. It was found that the DNA belonged to a male person. The FBI’s Combined DNA Index System was unable to match a profile to the sample.
In 2016, a report was released establishing that the DNA contained markers evidence from two other individuals.
2.2.4.2) Professional Opinions about the DNA Evidence
A. James Kolar, a lead investigator on the case, said that there were DNA traces found on the cord and the paintbrush that wasn’t mentioned by the Boulder district attorney, or the Boulder police department. Six DNA samples belonged to unknown people.
FBI profiler Candice Delong stated that the DNA belongs to the killer, and this was supported by former District Attorney, Bob Grant.
Forensic pathologist, Michael Baden, said that traces of DNA can get from one place to the other by various means and that this has nothing to do with the murder.
2.2.5) Autopsy Results
An autopsy of JonBenét Ramsey’s body revealed that she had been killed by strangulation which led to asphyxia, and a skull fracture, that led to craniocerebral trauma.
While there wasn’t any evidence of rape, sexual assault was not ruled out since vaginal injury was present.
2.2.6) Other Evidence
She was strangled by a garrote made of nylon and the handle of a paintbrush. Parts of the paintbrush were found in Patsy Ramsey’s art supplies, but the last part of the brush was never found.
The autopsy also revealed a fruit or vegetable that had been eaten. Photographs taken on that day before JonBenet’s death showed a bowl of pineapple in the kitchen. However, neither of the parents remembers keeping it there.
However, Burke Ramsey’s fingerprints were found on the bowl – as you will see, this made him one of the prime suspects in the case, even though he was just nine years old.
2.3) Prime Suspects in the Murder of JonBenét Ramsey
The murder of JonBenét Ramsey got with it a long list of suspects. From family to friends and neighbors, somehow, almost everyone involved in Ramsey’s close life made it to the list, and so did some strangers.
2.3.1) The Mother, Patsy Ramsey
Patsy Ramsey passed away a few years after her daughter, and with her, so did the secrets she held. She and her husband were exonerated in 2008, but people still suspect that she may have accidentally killed her daughter.
While Patricia Ramsey seemed like a pleasant and normal mother, evidence was found to suggest that she might have had a link with her daughter’s murder. This has been thought so because Patsy raged at JonBenet’s bed wetting.
It has been said that Patsy Ramsey was cleaning up after JonBenet when a switch flipped in her and she hit her girl’s head against a hard surface, the thought of being a bathtub. This led to her fractured skull. Patsy’s paintbrush found at the crime scene is also considered to be evidence.
Third, a very bizarre ransom note found by Patsy; a two-and-a-half page ransom note on the staircase to JonBenet’s body which had weird verbiage and dialogues from classic crime films is said to be composed by Patsy herself in a moment of panic after realizing she had killed JonBenet.
Handwriting analyses, however, were inconclusive. But, it was determined that the ransom note was written in Patsy’s pen.
2.3.2) The Father, John Ramsey
John Ramsey was the one who came upon his daughter’s body. He was specifically told to not touch anything, but he did – he took the body upstairs, removed the tape from his daughter’s mouth, and covered her with a blanket. This made Arndt look at him more suspiciously.
Another detective on the crime scene also heard Ramsey making arrangements of reverting to Atlanta; he later admitted that he just wanted to be at their previous home. Innuendo of sexual abuse and child abuse was also circulated.
2.3.3) The Brother, Burke Ramsey
The Ramsey parents protected Burke Ramsey from the press for good reasons. He was exonerated along with his parents. He went on an interview with Dr. Phil, and he was creepy throughout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWakazDA9NM
After the airing of the documentary, Jim Clemente and Laura Richards, a retired profiler and a behavioral analyst, respectively, leaned their suspicions toward the elder Ramsey.
Famous forensic experts, like Werner Spitz, reviewed the autopsy of JonBenet Patricia Ramsey and stated a defect that he believed was from the blow to the head which was made using a flashlight that was seen in the photos along with the pineapple. He stated that the flashlight fit the gash in perfectly. But of course, no evidence was found.
Another theory was that JonBenet had taken a pineapple from Burke’s snack which made him strike her in anger. Additionally, the wounds on JonBenet’s back were from Burke’s toy trains. But, Burke Ramsey shot back at this and sued the network and Spitz.
2.3.4) A Stranger, The Town Drifter
Gary Oliva was a sex offender who was in Boulder when JonBenet was found. He was a pedophile who was in the area and had a picture of Benet in his bag.
Soon, Michael Vail, a friend of Oliva stood in support of the allegations, and said that his friend had confessed to him saying, ‘I hurt a little girl’. He also said that Oliva had attempted to kill his mother similar to how Benet was found. Also, it was believed that Oliva had a stun gun on him at the time this occurred.
2.3.5) The Electrician
Michael Helgoth worked as an electrician in a nearby salvage yard. He was involved in a dispute with the Ramseys related to land and property, which was a possible motivation. However, when Helgoth learned that he was a suspect, he took his life before the Boulder Police Department could reach out to him.
2.3.6) School Teacher
John Mark Karr (today, Delia Alexis Reich) had confessed to the strangulation of Benet in sexual and graphic detail. She had faced child abuse and child pornography charges in the U.S. and had moved to Thailand.
Reich reached out to Michael Tracy, a professor at the University of Colorado. She showed her interest in making a documentary about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey. But, soon, the emails took a dark turn and revealed Reich’s sexual interest in JonBenet. This led to her being reported and flown to Boulder.
Reich mentioned her act by saying that she strangled JonBenet in a ‘love game’ gone wrong; he wrote in his journal that she referred to herself as Daxis, and that ‘her lover’s eyes were closing slowly’.
In the confession, Reich talked only about basic facts. Additionally, Reich mentioned that JonBenét was drugged, but this claim was rejected since there were no drugs found in her body. Finally, Reich’s DNA wasn’t found on JonBenét’s body.
This grotesque account led to a media fiasco. But, she was dismissed and reported off as a pedophile looking for fame. As of 2010, Karr is living a new life with a new gender.
2.3.7) The Housekeeper
A housekeeper named Linda Hoffman-Pugh worked for the Ramsey family; her husband worked as their handyman. Hoffman didn’t fit the profile of the suspect, but her loud suspicion about Patsy Ramsey backfired on her.
Patsy didn’t hesitate to accuse the house help of having intentions of stealing from the Ramseys.
When the cops showed up at Pugh’s place, they took her fingerprints, and her hair, and asked her to write $180,000 on a piece of paper. They also got a statement where Pugh said that Patsy had multiple personalities, and she had gotten into an argument with JonBenet about her clothes and friends.
Now, this theory suggests that the housekeeper led JonBenét Ramsey to the basement, asked for the ransom, and then assaulted and killed JonBenet.
However, any evidence against her is circumstantial at best.
2.3.8) The Santa
John and Patsy Ramsey had a friend called Bill McReynolds. He would dress up and entertain children by performing as Santa. He is now deceased, theories state that he was a little more interested in JonBenet than the other children.
It is believed that he even kept some glitter gifted to him by her when he was in surgery. His ‘care and love’ for her was so extreme that he even asked his wife to scatter the glitter with his ashes.
But, there’s no evidence other than controversies about him.
2.3.9) Chris Wolf
Jacqueline Dilson turned in her boyfriend, Chris World, to the Boulder police department. She said that her partner hadn’t been home the whole night on 25th December and when he returned, his clothes were dirty. The Boulder police also said that Wolf was furious to hear about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey.
He also had similar writing to the one found in the note demanding the ransom.
2.3.10) Todd Fuss
Bernice Johnson, Todd Fuss’ imprisoned wife, turned her husband in to the Boulder police department because their child was also part of child beauty queen competitions.
3) The Intruder Theory
Another theory that was making the rounds was the intruder theory. This was arisen due to the unidentified bookmark found near JonBenet’s body.
3.1) What is the Evidence?
Lou Smit, a detective, concluded that two windows were open for the electrical cords to enter, an unlocked door, and a broken basement window.
3.2) What is the Theory?
The theory proposed was that someone broke into the basement and killed Ramsey. However, an intact cobweb provided questioning of this theory.
Smit also believed that the intruder had subdued Ramsey with a stun gun; this was supported by a former FBI agent.
3.3) What Happened to Lou Smit?
Lou Smit resigned from the investigation because he believed the Ramsey family was innocent. However, he continued working on this case till his death. Unfortunately for him, the case he spent a major chunk of his life working on remains an unsolved murder.
4) Frequently Asked Questions About the Death of JonBenét Ramsey
Here are some quick FAQs to recap everything that has been discussed so far.
4.1) When was JonBenét Ramsey Born?
August 6th, 1990.
4.2) Where was JonBenét Ramsey Born?
Atlanta, Georgia
4.3) What were the Names of Ramsey’s Parents?
John and Patricia “Patsy” Ramsey
4.4) What were the Names of JonBenét Ramsey’s Siblings?
Burke Ramsey was her blood brother; John Andrew Ramsey, Melinda Ramsey Long, and Elizabeth Ramsey were her step-siblings.
4.5) When did JonBenét Ramsey Die?
December 26, 1996.
4.6) Who found the Ransom Note?
Patricia Ramsey.
4.7) Who found JonBenet’s Body?
John Ramsey
4.8) Who Was the Prime Suspect After JonBenet’s Death?
Her close family, including her brother and parents.
4.9) How Old Was JonBenét Ramsey When She Died?
6 years.
4.10) Where is JonBenet Buried?
St. James Episcopal Church, Cemetery.
4.11) Where Did JonBenet Study?
High Peaks Elementary School
4.12) What Title Was Given to Ramsey’s Mother?
Pageant mom
4.13) How Did Ramsey’s Mother Die?
Ovarian Cancer
4.14) Where Was Her Body Found?
In the family’s Boulder home.
4.15) What Harm Was Inflicted on JonBenet’s Body?
Strangulation, fractured skull, and possible sexual assault.
4.16) Who Made a Fake Confession to the Crime?
Alexis Val Reich (then known as John Mark Karr).
4.17) Who Proposed the Intruder Theory?
Lou Smit
4.18) Has the Case Been Solved?
No, it is still an unsolved murder case
4.19) How Long Has the Case Been Cold?
It has been 25 years since the case became one of the many cold case homicide investigations left unsolved.
4.20)What Is the Most Recent Update on the Case?
The Boulder Country District Attorney’s Office and Boulder Police Department announced they will consult the Colorado Cold Case Review Team and resume the investigation.
Conclusion
Thinking about the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, a 6-year-old is a painful thought. Thinking about who killed her is an angry one. JonBenét Ramsey didn’t deserve to die; after her death, she didn’t deserve to be left with an incomplete story, but unfortunately, that is the case today.
The death of JonBenét Ramsey shattered a lot of supportive and caring hearts and hurt everyone deeply. While many of the questions of the case have been answered, one still prevails: who killed JonBenét Ramsey?
Last Updated on by NamitaSoren
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