4 Intriguing Facts about the Jonbenet Ramsey Case
People have been asking that question since 1996. Consistent speculation has been cast at both the parents and Jonbenet’s brother, Burke since the child beauty queen was murdered on Christmas Day nearly 29 years ago.
The perspective I’d like to offer is that of John Douglas, former FBI agent and criminal profiler, as well as author of “The Cases That Haunt Us”, which discusses his work on this case. Here is a list of critical points Agent Douglas makes:
1. John Ramsey discovered the body
John Douglas relates that killers of a family member will manipulate the location of the body to be discovered by someone else as it is much easier to “react” to the discovery while maintaining some distance from the crime. Considering John was searching the basement with his friend Fleet White, it would’ve been easy for him to have Fleet discover the body if he already knew of her location.
Once he found her body, John removed the tape from her mouth and loosened the hand restraints. If he had staged the murder to guide the police toward a particular theory – why would he un-stage it? Especially before anyone else had seen it?
2. Jonbenet was tied up and had extensive head injuries
Although a blanket was placed over her (solely on her torso as her arms and legs stuck out), she was also found with tape over her mouth, hands tied and a rope ligature around her throat. This would give the impression that the blanket was perhaps more for the convenience of covering her body than a sign of any remorse or empathy.
The severe blunt force trauma to her head produced a very large temporoparietal hemorrhage, skull fracture and contusion of the brain. The idea that she may have been accidentally struck or hurt her head from a fall would not coincide with this. The minimal amount of blood found and petechial hemorrhages under the eyelids imply she was garrotted first and her blood was either not pumping or only faintly before the strike. This would disprove the theory that one of the parents got “out of hand” with discipline and panicked afterwards.
Two sets of small red welts were found on her skin. This could be indicative of a stun gun being used. Since other materials used in the murder, such as the cord and duct tape, were never found in the home, a stun gun could’ve been another tool the intruder brought and took with him as well. Finally, unknown DNA was found on her underwear and under her nails – none of the family members were a match!
3. The ransom note was unusual and specific
This is one of the most discussed pieces of evidence. The ransom asked for $118,000 which was very close to the total of Mr Ramsey’s work bonus of $118,117.50. It seems likely it would be an individual with some connection to John Ramsey who may have seen the bonus amount on a paystub or paperwork on John’s desk, counter, etc. If the Ramseys had written the note, why not ask for a more generic amount, one that wouldn’t be viewed as a personal detail? They could’ve also demanded a much larger sum, which is more common, since they knew they wouldn’t be paying it. In relation to the Ramsey’s overall wealth, this would’ve been a small amount to demand from them and hints that this was likely not an experienced criminal. Someone young however may have thought this to be a lot of money. This is further emphasized by starting the letter with “Listen carefully!”, like the offender is unsure of himself and needs to demand attention.
The note was unconventionally long (3 pages) – to have the control and presence of mind to write that long of a note, it would seem the UNSUB wrote it before the murder and deliberately (not in a rush as part of staging after the fact). It was also written on paper and with a felt pen that came from within the home, implying a lack of planning on the killer’s part. If the original plan was to kidnap and hold Jonbenet ransom, why not write the letter ahead of time instead of relying on the chance to do it at the home? John Douglas points out some of the writing is very juvenile, such as including movie quotes or phrases like “will result in your daughter being beheaded”. That is not a common threat these days and coupled with the movie references hints at someone heavily entertained by movies and RPG or video games. Handwriting analysts did eliminate John as a suspect for writing the note.
4. There were 20 or so key copies to their home
Some believe the perpetrator entered through the window well in the basement. While possible, the Ramseys reported having at least 20 copies of their keys not in their possession. Someone who knew or worked for the family could’ve easily used a key for access (this also fits the theory surrounding the ransom amount being from someone with intimate details of the family). They were in a low crime neighbourhood and known to leave doors unlocked at times, the morning of the search (Dec 26th) the door on the south side of the house was found unlocked. So entering through an unlocked door, or a locked one using a key copy, are all possibilities and it is hard to determine which method absolutely.
So Who Killed Jonbenet?
I think there is plenty of evidence that eliminates the parents or siblings from suspicion. John Douglas theorizes it was a relatively young, white male with a personal grudge against John Ramsey and not any kind of criminal organization. The intention was to incapacitate Jonbenet then kidnap and molest her. Douglas believes they entered the home while the family was out using either a key or the basement window well and brought a stun gun, duct tape and spool of cord. This would’ve given him time alone in the home to write the note. The home did have a complex layout and getting to Jonbenet’s room would not have been overly challenging for someone who had been to the home before. The injuries imply the UNSUB used the neck ligature first and either killed or came close to killing her and panicked, deciding to strike her in the head to “finish the job” then fled the home. All of this seems to imply an inexperienced killer who, I would say, likely hasn’t killed since but perhaps has been arrested for minor crimes or crimes involving children (my opinion, not John Douglas’).
How have they gone undetected for this long? From crime scene contamination to the police’s single minded focus that the family was responsible – it seems this suspect flew under the radar. I’m not sure how much of the DNA collected is still available or could be compared to new findings but there has been a lot of success with ancestral DNA testing solving cold cases and I am holding out hope that is the case for this crime! Jonbenet was taken from the world much too soon and her family has suffered immensely ever since and I hope they get the answers they deserve.
Interested in “The Cases That Haunt Us” ? Find John Douglas’ full breakdown in his novel here:
