I haven't really kept up on this too much, but for those of you who believe the mom killed Jon Benet, would you mind explaining why? I was wondering what her motives were. Why would she sexually assault her? Was it to make it look like an intruder did it?
And for those who believe the brother did it, why? I admit his behavior during the interview was odd (smiling & laughing), but I have a difficult time believing a 9 year old is capable of murdering his sister. Just curious.
I have two theories. 1 is that the mother did it. Facts. 1. The rope came from the Ramsey house. 2. The letter was written on a pad from the Ramsey house. 3. The letter was written with a pen from the Ramsey house. 4. Patsy was known to have an explosive temper. 5. There were no footprints outside of the house, and no signs of external activity. 6. The rope was tightened with a paintbrush that came from Patsy's paint kit. 7. Nobody would write a ransom note while inside the house... much less a 3 page note. 8. *Coincidence- The ransom was for $180,000.00... the exact amount that John Ramsey received the day before in a Christmas bonus. 9. There were no signs of struggles other than the trauma to JonBenet's body. 10. Patsy had been caught in a series of lies during the investigation. 11. There were several indications that Pasty was the one who wrote the ransom note, as much of her subliminal characteristics of the handwriting were exactly the same. Theory 1 is that JonBenet did something to upset Patsy, who hit her daughter in anger. She then became fearful and decided to kill JonBenet, then stage it to look like a kidnapping/sexual assault outside party. Theory 2. Burke killed his sister, then Patsy covered the crime up to protect Burke.
Here is what I have a problem with. 1. Why was JonBenet sexually assaulted? If this were a kidnapping, then who would stop to rape a child and murder her, all within the house while the residents are inside asleep? 2. Why was there evidence of an intruder (footprints outside, debris, etc.). 3. Why did Patsy and John not wake Burke up and ask him if he knew where his sister was? 4. Why did they not wake up Burke and keep him safely beside them until they knew that the "intruders" were out of the house? 5. Why was the 3-page ransom note written inside the home, again while the residents slept? 6. Why were there no signs of struggle immediately before the act? 7. Why did the ransom equal the bonus money that John received? 8. Why was JonBenet tied and bound by Patsy's items? 9. Why did the Ransey's not search the house to find their daughter? Even John Ramsey himself said that the very first place that he started to look was in the basement- where JonBenet was at. This would have made finding her almost immediate.
Keep in mind that these are just theories, so take them for what they are worth.
I am surfing the Aunt Bee chatroom... I have officially hit rock bottom.
In full agreement... They've never said what the actual evidence of sexual molestation was. I'm wondering if she had irritation because of the wetting the bed frequently ( similar to diaper rash).
They've never said what the actual evidence of sexual molestation was
On the CBS special, they said the "sexual assault" was staged to cover the murder. I'm sure some foreign object was inserted into her private parts after the murder to make it look like sexual assault, but without leaving any DNA.
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Another clue missed by the police pointing to Patsy writing the note, other than the obvious handwriting match and tone. The word "hence". It's rarely used outside the Appalachian community and she's from W. Va.
I think usage of the word "hence" in the ransom note and its usage by Patsy has been noted. For example, it was discovered that Patsy had used the word "hence" in a letter she'd written and she used it the same way it was used in the ransom note: when using the word "hence" it is not necessary to use the word "and" before it, but it is used this way in the ransom note and in the letter Patsy wrote.
Since we're on the subject, I think it's worth pointing out a couple of other traits in the ransom note that indicate that Patsy is the writer:
1) "The delivery will be exhausting so I advise you to be rested."
Not only does the author seem to care about John, but it's as if they're concerned particularly about him getting enough sleep. According to John he slept through that night because he took a supplement called Melatonin to help him sleep. Who but a family member, particularly the one who shares a bedroom with John, would have been aware of this and had it on their mind?
2) "Any deviation of my instructions will result in the immediate execution of your daughter."
Since the family does deviate from their instructions by calling the police, this is probably meant to explain why she was found dead and not alive. Yes, many ransom notes feature death threats if the authorities are contacted, so I'll move on to the very next sentence for now.
3) "You will also be denied her remains for proper burial."
Not only does the author value a proper burial for Jonbenet, but they seem to have a particular idea as to what constitutes a proper burial and even imply that they and John share the same beliefs about what constitutes a proper burial. Remember, the Ramseys have stated that they are Christians, and if I'm not mistaken their priest or pastor was at the house with them when Jonbenet's body was found. Honestly though, who else would have a "proper burial" on their mind but a parent who already knows their child is dead?
4) "The two gentlemen 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."
I'm making note of this to complete the point I was originally trying to make with my 2nd ransom quote. Since the death threat was already made (see the 2nd quote) all this (the 4th quote) is unnecessary. It seems the point of this is to provide an explanation as to why Jonbenet was found dead and not returned safely. More importantly though, this section provides an explanation as to why the kidnappers made no attempt to contact John. According to the letter the Ramseys were being monitored - the kidnappers would know when John had the money and whether or not he contacted the police. The kidnapper says he would call John between 8 and 10 AM, but when 10 AM came and went with no contact from the kidnapper neither John nor Patsy were worried. Shouldn't they have been particularly worried since they contacted the police and were warned that doing so would result in their daughter's execution?
Patsy called the police before 6 AM, allegedly without even reading the note all the way through. This would mean she called the police before reading that they were being watched and that Jonbenet would be killed at the first sign of police involvement. The ransom note thus explains that, since the police were called and arrived at the scene before 8 AM, Jonbenet would logically be killed leaving nobody to exchange for the $118 000 and therefore no reason for the kidnappers to actually call John.
There are many other things worth mentioning about the ransom note, but I believe these are important factors pointing to why Patsy was the author of the note, perhaps with John's input. There are many clues pointing to the fact that it was the parents, but I believe the note itself is meant to provide a kind of narrative for the police as to why Jonbenet was not returned alive.
Those are very good points! I didn't hear them mention "Hence", I guess I missed that part. Did they talk about how rarely used it is and that it's commonly used in the Appalachian community? Since they're in Colorado, the suspects would almost certainly be from back east and not be locals. I thought that was really telling, since she's from West Va.
The website Statement Analysis breaks apart the ransom note and goes into great detail. There's a lot to read but it discusses the word "hence" and the phrase "and hence." It's very thorough and worth a read:
That is an exhaustive examination of the note, and I think it is spot on. They still failed to mention the connection to West Virginia with the word hence, though. I didn't know about it until I decided to see if I could find out who still uses that word and I did in a website about the Appalachian vernacular.
If you remember the website or can give me a link I'd love to take a look at it.
I used to major in English literature but due to health issues I didn't get to complete my degree. Still, due to the brief education I did have, I greatly enjoy examining things like this, particularly looking for the motives behind people's statements. That said, I'm glad you liked my 4-point interpretation of the ransom note, its purpose and ultimately its author.
-Agreed, except: Why made it look obvious that you're lying, and are the killer, by writing a ransom for the same amount of $$ as the Christmas bonus; your own handwriting , etc.
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I have a problem with #5 , there were not footprints because there was NO SNOW on the ground...you can see the ground in the crime scene photos....It was shown that the cops released THAT lie to shake up the ramseys
it is the 20 year anniversary of this horrendous crime...I hate to see a new generation mistakenly perpetuate these lies...no matter who killed this little girl...keep the facts straight
Why was JonBenet sexually assaulted? - two possible reasons. To cover up past assaults, or to give a reason why she was still in the basement, and not actually kidnapped.
Why was there evidence of an intruder?- the crime scene had so many people all over it, it's hard to trust any of that.
Why did Patsy and John not wake Burke up and ask him if he knew where his sister was? - He probably knew, he didn't even get up when the cops came in his room and everyone was going crazy.
Why was the 3-page ransom note written inside the home, again while the residents slept? - I think this is obvious.
The more I read and watch, the more I believe that Burke did it and the parents covered it up. I think Burke is deeply disturbed, and I think Patsy didn't want to "lose" another child (having him sent away). It was clear to me that Burke was jealous of JonBenet, and had a lot of anger towards her. The whole feces thing was not something a normal well-adjusted child does.
I really hope the killer is caught and that there is justice for that poor little girl.
There is zero evidence that Burke did it. There's only conjecture. Burke is not deeply disturbed. He was able to go on, attend college, etc. The parents would have called 911. They would have hoped for a chance. They wouldn't have posed their child that way. It wasn't clear at all that Burke was jealous of his sister. There's no evidence of that. Children fight and go back and forth about which side they think the parents are on. There's no evidence that he had any anger towards her. The CBS show mentioned that a former nanny said, she wasn't on the show, something about him smearing feces in a bathroom once. Maybe that happened and maybe it didn't. Small children do strange things. He may have seen it on South Park or didn't like the nanny. If it happened then it can be a sign of a deeper issue or just a tantrum. It would have to be fully addressed in context. Feces in her room was most likely transfer. Children don't wash their hands very well. They've tested ladies' handbags and found feces on them due to taking them into bathrooms with them and that feces can also then be transferred.
I hope so too but it won't happen because the Boulder police was too focused on the family.
There is zero evidence that Burke did it. There's only conjecture.
Because the parents disposed of any evidence, covered it. Let's say Burke killed JonBenet at around or midnight, that gave the parents 6 hours to cover up the murder (write ransom note, stage sexual assault, possible break-in, etc.)
The parents would have called 911. They would have hoped for a chance. They wouldn't have posed their child that way.
Most normal parents would call 911. The Ramseys were a F'd up family. They tried to appear as the all American perfect family, but they were far from it. I do believe there was abuse going on in the home (physical and maybe sexual, as well). I believe that the abuse is what the Ramseys were most concerned about covering up.
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You don't know that. It's what the tabloids say. They wouldn't have staged their daughter that way.
You don't know what they were or weren't. Most families aren't the Brady Bunch but usually aren't the Manson family either. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. Most families have problems and pleasures. There's been no evidence she was sexually abused prior to that night.
If there was evidence then fine. Shows and such reporting the case though should be impartial and present all the evidence. They shouldn't manipulate based on any personal theories.
You don't know that. It's what the tabloids say. They wouldn't have staged their daughter that way.
YOU don't know that. Like I said, most parents wouldn't, but some parents (maybe the Ramseys would) if it meant protecting themselves or their other child.
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I do believe that from what I know about them. Some, including yourself, have made assumptions on their lives prior just because of something they've read or heard that wasn't even validated.
If a child was hurt then first reaction would be to call 911. They wouldn't yet be thinking about the consequences. It's why cover-ups usually happen afterwards. They could have said it was an accident or even that one of them did it if they felt the need to cover for another child.
The pictures show happy children. It's easy to see a fake smile, especially from a child and one that has been going through pain. Her pictures and videos show a happy kid. Her pediatrician never reported anything suspicious. The pictures and videos do not show many bruises and such. There isn't any evidence of prior abuse.
Parents who loved a child would rarely pose them with a garrote and the body to believe sexual abuse.
I disagree on that. He seemed nervous. Many people smile when nervous. He's been sheltered. It's difficult to flourish socially when the media has the case.
Parents who loved a child would rarely pose them with a garrote and the body to believe sexual abuse.
We are never going to know what happened in that house but my thinking is that her brother, for what ever reason, hit her in the head with a Maglite (very heavy)
What I don't understand is how the parents came to find her - and how they were able to stage her body. I don't care how much I worried about my son's future .... I could never have tightened a garrote around my child's neck. Her hair was caught in the rope.
One of the things not addressed for me is if she was still alive when she was strangled. Granted, I am no expert but, to me there was bruising around her neck were the garrote was ......I thought bruising would indicate a person was alive.
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They are sick people. Being from the pageant world, Patsy was all about image. She did what she had to do to protect their image and cover up her murdering, fecal obsessed son.
There are quite a few pageant people, dance moms, etc. out there. They aren't all sick people. I dislike such things but they are popular for some of the population. Those involved in such things aren't criminals. You didn't know them and weren't there. You just enjoy spreading gossip.
What I don't understand is how the parents came to find her - and how they were able to stage her body. I don't care how much I worried about my son's future .... I could never have tightened a garrote around my child's neck. Her hair was caught in the rope.
According to the neighbors, they heard what they believed was JonBenet screaming, so if Burke hit her with the flashlight, she probably screamed before losing consciousness and the parents ran to see what happened.
One of the things not addressed for me is if she was still alive when she was strangled. Granted, I am no expert but, to me there was bruising around her neck were the garrote was ......I thought bruising would indicate a person was alive.
The parents probably thought JonBenet was dead. She probably didn't have a pulse and wasn't breathing. One expert said that she would have died from the head wound if she wasn't strangled first. So they may not known that she was still alive and thought staging a bungled kidnapping/murder would help cover it up.
Another expert, however, says that JB most likely wouldn't have recovered from the head wound and would have been "brain dead." So even if they called the paramedics, JB would likely be on life support for life.
I do think Burke killed her, the parents thought she was dead with no recovery, panicked and stayed up all night trying to stage a kidnapping/murder and think of a story.
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They would have most likely have called 911 if she was injured. They wouldn't have thought about plotting a cover up until after if Burke had done something to her. They then would have tried to say it was just an accident or something. The injured child though would be the first priority. Her body wasn't only staged but in such a terrible manner. There is nothing in their past to indicate they could have treated her like that.
They would have most likely have called 911 if she was injured. They wouldn't have thought about plotting a cover up until after if Burke had done something to her.
Do you know them personally? NO. Then you don't know what they're capable of?
If they thought JB's injuries were fatal with no signs of recovery, they wouldn't call 911 if they thought she was already dead and couldn't be brought back.
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I know as much what they would do as the others guessing. Their background shows no proof of any problems more than the usual familial ones.
Parents don't usually leave all hope within seconds. They call for help to at least try. It would incredibly unusual for them, with what we know before and after, to then pose their daughter in such a manner.
They call for help to at least try. It would incredibly unusual for them, with what we know before and after, to then pose their daughter in such a manner.
Unusual? Yes. Impossible? No. I think you're tripped up on the fact that most normal parents wouldn't do this. But there are several cases in the news reported all the time of children dying and parents covering it up by claiming a kidnapping or some other accidental death when something else occurred.
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The ones that do that though usually make it look like an accident or remove the body from the home. There are some that still haven't been found. Pictures and videos have shown them to be a relatively happy family.
I can see it happening in a movie but there's a reason why things are only based on true stories and it's because real life isn't often dramatic enough and/or fits the regular media formula. This isn't a group of teens playing with a gun that went off and then decide to cover it up. These are loving parents whose first instinct would be to call for help and then go into protective mode if need be.
Pictures and videos have shown them to be a relatively happy family.
Pictures can be deceiving. What's more in more important is what happened when the cameras weren't rolling. It's easy to smile for a few seconds for a picture or pose for the camera when you're being filmed, but was it that happy when the camera was off? We don't know and you can't assume just from pics or video
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I do not for one second believe that Patsy, John or Burke had anything to do with JonBenet's murder. I have always believed that the Santa that had been at the party was responsible. I believe that whoever did it was hiding in the home while they were gone which would have give him time to write the ransom note and make the garrote. The family would not have had to use a stun gun to take her out of her room and down to the basement...a stranger would. There are always going to be conspiracy theories because the case was never solved and most likely never will be. The Boulder PD screwed up the case from the word go. I pray that someday JonBenet will get justice but it is highly unlikely unless the killer commits another crime and his DNA is put into the database. And speaking of DNA, the family's DNA does not match the DNA that was taken from JonBenet's body and clothing.
Eat some makeup because you are really ugly on the inside - Olivia Blois Sharpe
There have been criminals who have spent long periods of time in the home. The East Area rapist, I believe that was what he was called, for one and the man who murdered Kitty Genovese when he raped, killed another woman and set fire to the home while her family slept upstairs.
One can place suspicion on almost anyone. I remember a woman having to publicly declare that she wasn't Amelia Earhart because someone investigating the disappearance made it seem like she was. She wasn't. Another is the Brown-Simpson and Goldman murders. Some investigating the case believes the killer to be OJ's son Jason. They are only offering evidence which supports their claim. Some have been swayed. Nicole's family says no way that he did and that Nicole wouldn't want him accused. They knew both personally and saw their interactions and said that Jason and Nicole loved each other very much like family.
The supposed cobwebs in the corner of the window may not have been any issue. The sunlight hit my open driver's side car door one day and a cobweb was there. I hadn't previously noticed it. The sun shone on it just right that day I guess. It was large enough that it probably wasn't brand new and I drove the car regularly.
There isn't yet enough evidence, real evidence, to condemn anyone. Judgement should be reserved until/unless there is.