[2][19][41][56], A grand jury was convened beginning September 15, 1998 to consider indicting the Ramseys for charges relating to the case. These suits were brought by two persons named in the book who were said to have been investigated by Boulder police as suspects in the case. Police didn’t believe it was possible to fit through the window, and then Smit showed them it was by going through it himself. John Ramsey and the late Patsy Ramsey — JonBenét’s parents — were initially deemed suspects in the case. Patsy Ramsey said that when they found out they were main suspects in their daughter’s death, she “didn’t believe it.”. By Sarah Guy 08/06/20 AT 9:22 AM. Although he was not directly involved with the case, he said he was told not to voice opposition to the theory because he might lose his job. However, further investigation coupled with DNA results cleared them of the crime. “I mean, we’re suffering from having lost our child … and then, for someone to accuse you, it’s just, you can’t believe that would happen,” she told CNN in January 1997. [35], Early persons of interest included neighbor Bill McReynolds, who played Santa Claus; former family housekeeper Linda Hoffmann-Pugh, and a man named Michael Helgoth, who died in an apparent suicide shortly after JonBenét's death. Among the names on the list were Gary Oliva, a homeless man who frequented a church less than two blocks from the Ramsey home and who had told a friend during a phone call right after JonBenét was killed that he had just killed a little girl, McKinley said. MORE: Forensic psychiatrist who consulted on JonBenet Ramsey case killed outside his office, MORE: Ex-DA Opens Up About Why She Cleared the Ramsey Family of JonBenet's Murder. Police arrived shortly after the 911 call and began investigating the scene for clues about the kidnapper. When the sample was matched with the FBI’s record of 1.5 million samples, no match was found. [10] Boulder police initially concentrated almost exclusively upon the parents, John and Patsy Ramsey. Circumstances of death: Early in the morning on December 26, 1996, JonBenét’s mother Patsy discovered a two-and-a-half-page ransom letter on the stairs claiming her daughter had been kidnapped. “But we’re not gonna stop investigating. Nearly 25 years after JonBenét Ramsey's infamous and still unsolved death, the case of the 6-year-old pageant queen is back in the news … There’s a group of dedicated volunteers that work on this daily.”, “I think it’s really important for people to understand that this case can be solved,” he went on to say. Patsy Ramsey: The Ransom Note. [38] Smit's theory was supported by former FBI agent John E. Douglas, who had been hired by the Ramsey family. “There’s no reason at all for the Ramseys to use a stun gun and the Ramseys don’t have a stun gun,” Smit recorded himself saying at the time. JonBenét Ramsey case. When Haney suggested there might be trace evidence that appears to link Patsy Ramsey to her daughter’s murder, Patsy Ramsey said, “That is totally impossible. [52], Errors that were made in the initial investigation complicated the resolution of the investigation and applicable theory. “If it’s not a stun gun, what is it? With the case now in the public’s view, police sought to question JonBenét’s parents. Smit’s daughter, Cindy Marra, said the interviews “firmed up his belief that the Ramseys had nothing to do” with JonBenét’s murder. “I think the answer to that is ‘maybe.’ … But the other important point is how soon was this picture taken after JonBenét was killed because spiders can replicate webs very fast.”. Over 20 Years Later and Still Going Strong. She had tape over her mouth. [4] The case generated nationwide public and media interest, in part because her mother Patsy Ramsey (herself a former beauty queen) had entered JonBenét into a series of child beauty pageants. Investigators weren’t able to find anything incriminating during the Ramseys’ interrogations. [21] Patsy died of ovarian cancer at age 49 in 2006; she was interred next to her daughter. They did not find the Ramseys cooperative in helping them solve the death of their daughter. Now, out of that top 20, what our team has been doing is focusing on collecting DNA and testing DNA,” Anderson said. [54] Due to the animosity between the police and the DA's office, and the pressure to obtain a conviction, Colorado governor Roy Romer interceded and named Michael Kane as special prosecutor to initiate a grand jury. [3][42] Photographs of the home taken on the day when JonBenét's body was found show a bowl of pineapple on the kitchen table with a spoon in it. But although the grand jury may have believed one of the parents was culpable and the other helped, they couldn't say who did what, and Hunter ultimately announced that they did not have sufficient evidence to file charges against the parents. That’s a long 21 minutes when you’re trying to evade getting caught red-handed. If we leverage the evidence, we follow the facts, we will find this killer.”, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. [51][53] According to Gregg McCrary, a retired profiler with the FBI, "statistically, it is a 12-to-1 probability that it's a family member or a care giver" who is involved in the homicide of a child. The grand jury voted to indict both parents as accessories to a crime and for child abuse resulting in death. Authorities ultimately cleared Oliva as a suspect after they were unable to connect him to the crime scene. They’re grieving. We can ask questions all day, but for now, let's dive right in and explore this truly interesting and bewildering unsolved murder case of JonBenét Ramsey. [9] Former FBI profiler Candice Delong believes that the DNA, having shown up identically in several different places on multiple surfaces, belongs to the killer. Nearly 25 years after JonBenét Ramsey's infamous and still unsolved death, the case of the 6-year-old pageant queen is back in the news again. They were in the kitchen, they were in the living room. [80] He claimed that he had drugged, sexually assaulted, and accidentally killed her. French later explained that he was looking for an exit route used by the kidnapper, which the closed inside peg ruled out. The DNA found on JonBenét long johns and underwear belonged to a single unidentified man, who is believed to be the killer of pageant queen JonBenét Ramsey. After reflecting on the facts of this case, I have outlined how I believe Patsy, John and Burke Ramsey all contributed to JonBenét’s tragic death. Police had also found a shoe print from a Hi-Tec brand boot near JonBenét’s body -- no one in the family-owned shoes from this brand -- as well as two marks on her face and back, which he deduced had been made by a stun gun. The eyes of the entire world turned to … "[9], There are two types of theories about the death of JonBenét. This has been criticized because there was an intact cobweb in the basement window. [60] There was no new information gleaned from those interviews. The Ransom Note . I tried to untie the cord that was around her arms and I couldn’t get the knot untied.”. On Sept. 19, "The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey" aired on CBS, revealing a surprising suspect in the murder -- her brother, Burke Ramsey. Jonathan Webb, one of the grand jurors, told “20/20” that Smit’s intruder theory didn’t make sense. La muerte de JonBenét llegó a los titulares ... El Departamento de Policía de Boulder está al tanto y ha investigado la posible participación del Sr. Olivas en este caso. But like police, the jury didn’t believe someone could’ve entered the window with the cobwebs remaining intact. [54][63], Burke, who was nine years old at the time of JonBenét's death, was interviewed by investigators at least three times. After JonBenét’s parents’ first formal interrogation in the spring of 1997, four months after her death, it would take nearly two years for them to sit down with the police for another interrogation. profiler. [43] The Ramseys have always said that Burke slept through the entire night until he was awakened several hours after the police arrived. Marra believes her daughters, Smit’s granddaughters, will push forward his dying wish even if they’re unable to. “We had a higher priority at that point and that was to bury our daughter.”. Al bajar las escaleras que llevaban a la planta de abajo se encontró una nota que reposaba en uno de los escalones. [63] JonBenét's brother later said, "We didn't get spanked, nothing of the sort, nothing close, nothing near laying a finger on us, let alone killing your child. (Part One of Two) Buy HD $2.99. Despite their denials, police continued to suspect the parents in JonBenét’s murder. [21][66] The public thought that the grand jury investigation had been inconclusive. John Ramsey and the late Patsy Ramsey — JonBenét’s parents — were initially deemed suspects in the case. Subtitles. [22], 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-page handwritten ransom note on the kitchen staircase at the Ramsey family's Boulder residence. [23] John pointed out to police first on the scene that the amount was nearly identical to his Christmas bonus of the prior year, which suggested that someone who would have access to that information would be involved in the crime. [67], The grand jury's vote to indict was not revealed publicly until October 25, 2013, when previously sealed court documents were released. JonBenét Ramsey's murder has remained a mystery since 1996, but over the years, new theories and potential leads have continued to emerge as both … [35][b], Each of the Ramseys provided handwriting, blood, and hair samples to the police. 1. JonBenét was discovered dead in her home in Boulder, Colorado on December 26, 1996, just a … JonBenét Ramsey‘s family hopes not — at least not until the truth is discovered. We were shocked,” added John Ramsey. But as Smit began to investigate the case, he started to believe that police should actually be looking at a possible intruder. Although no semen was found, there was evidence that there had been a vaginal injury. "[10] Steven E. Pitt, a forensic psychiatrist hired by Boulder authorities, said, "Lacy's public exoneration of the Ramseys was a big slap in the face to Chief Beckner and the core group of detectives who had been working on the case for years. Aired: September 18th, 2016A two-part examination of the still-unsolved JonBenét Ramsey murder begins. Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter, however, wasn't convinced of their guilt and wanted to explore other theories. “We are just trying to eliminate people from that list and we just figure, if we keep at it, hopefully, we’ll finally whittle it down to one person remaining on that list,” said Marra. "The Thomas resignation letter - "We were trying to deliver a murder case with hands tied behind our backs. Unlikely that Patsy wrote the ransom note was left letters or emails October 2002 episode 48. 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