What comes to mind when you hear: injustice? As I was planning this blog post, I thought it would be great to hear how various individuals perceive this word. Some said discrimination, while others said racism and economic inequality. I definitely agree with all of these examples brought up, but what I most strongly correlate this word to is unsolved cases. Being brought up as an Asian female in a Caucasian society has allowed me to understand what’s right and what’s wrong, leading me to have a strong sense of responsibility for those who aren’t able to seek justice for themselves. Many unsolved cases are often given up on due to a lack of evidence, therefore, ceasing the investigation. Through my awareness blog posts, I hope to shine a light on those cases that have been pushed aside. I’m not sure about you, but I believe that everyone deserving of justice should have it returned to them. This is why my dream is to become a lawyer. I want to balance the unbalanced, right the wrongs, and orchestrate justice. These things just feel right to me. But until then, I wish to use what I have right now to contribute and introduce an unsolved case to everyone and anyone.
The Unsolved Case of JonBenét Ramsey
Trigger Warning:
the following text comprise gruesome descriptions of attempted murder and sexual dialogues.
In Atlanta, Georgia on August 6, 1990, JonBenét Patricia Ramsey was born to parents, Patricia "Patsy" Ramsey and John Bennett Ramsey. From a young age, her mother, Patsy, enrolled her in various child beauty pageants in their hometown, Boulder, in Colorado. Soon after, she would win the titles of America's Royale Miss, Little Miss Charlevoix, Little Miss Colorado, Colorado State All-Star Kids Cover Girl, and National Tiny Miss Beauty. JonBenét has two older brothers, one whose name is Burke. Burke was born in 1987, meaning that he was only nine years old when his sister was brutally murdered on December 25, 1996.
On Christmas Day in 1996, JonBenét Patricia Ramsey was murdered at the age of six in her family's home at 755 15th Street in Boulder, Colorado. Seven hours after she had been reported as a missing person, her body was found by her father, John, along with a three page long ransom note.
After some investigation, it was stated that JonBenét had sustained a broken skull two and half hours prior to her death due to “asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma.” This was confirmed by a garotte that was found wrapped around JonBenét's neck, ruling it a homicide. Since JonBenét was publically known due to her mother’s former fame as a beauty queen and her own fame as a contestant in several child beauty pageants, her case generated the interest of the public and media.
W h o D u n I t ?
Patsy and John Ramsey:
Initially, the ransom note was suspected to have been written by Patsy in order to cover up the murder of her child. This gave reason for the Boulder Police to suspect that both Patsy and John were involved in their daughter’s murder. The investigators found it odd how even though the ransom note was handwritten on Patsy’s note pad with a sharpie that belonged to her, it was still incredibly long. Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent/Profile Jim Clemente, along with other experts concluded that the note would have taken twenty-one and a half minutes to write, meaning that the murderer was in the Ramsey house for more than twenty-one minutes but still was not spotted by any family members. The fingers were all pointed at Patsy and John now.
Another factor allowing investigators to believe that it was Patsy and John who was responsible for JonBenét’s death was the misspelling of two words: business and possession. Forensic linguistics expert James Fitzgerald stated that misspelling in ransom notes can serve as an element of disguise for the culprit. It was presumed that this was Patsy and John’s way of concealing their suspicion. Since there were two misspelled words, most would assume that the murderer had a low level of education. The two parents thought that people would never accuse them as they went to big state schools like Michigan State University and West Virginia University. However, James Fitzgerald also noticed the similarities between the writing on the ransom note and Patsy’s very own handwriting. Fitzgerald stated, “the font-style printing is a feminine trait… Patsy Ramsey used this letter-form in her handwriting.”
Forensic Document Examiner Brenda Anderson also found the tone of the ransom note to be unusual. She said, “this fake ransom note has less emotion than a typical anonymous threat,” directing the suspicion towards Patsy and John once again. Anderson stated that when the ransom note's desire is to threaten or scare, the author will use certain words that the note suspected to have been written by Patsy did not. The theory was that both parents already knew that their daughter wasn’t kidnapped, leaving them no reason to include threats.
Amidst the investigation, another unconfirmed theory arose. It was said that Patsy hit JonBenét after a bedwetting episode and staggered JonBenét with a garotte to cover up what had truly happened as she had mistakenly believed her daughter to be dead.
All of these elements play a part in placing the suspicions on Patsy and John Ramsey. However, touch DNA testing cleared them and they were exonerated in 2008.
Burke Ramsey:
After the murder of their daughter, Burke’s parents, Patsy and John, tirelessly shielded him from the press for years. Even though Burke was formally exonerated in 2008 along with his parents, his interview in 2016 rooted in an attempt to “clear the air” from further skepticisms led suspicions to arise once again. As Dr. Phil, his interviewer, asked about the chain of events that occurred leading up to the death of his sister, he creepily grinned, raising speculation. In the same year, CBS aired a two-part documentary called “The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey” in which a select group of FBI and forensic experts re-investigated the evidence of the crime. The documentary targeted Burke Ramsey as the culprit as close as they could without crafting a formal accusation.
A compelling theory was set up by the CBS team. Famed forensic investigator Werner Spitz recognized that in JonBenét’s autopsy, there was a “perfectly rectangular defect” suspected to have stemmed from a blow to her head with a flashlight. Spitz claimed the flashlight to have fit the gash in the victim’s skull “to perfection.” The flashlight was seen on the kitchen counter in the crime scene photos.
The suspicion tied to the flashlight grew when linked to the pineapple scenario. This theory proposed that JonBenét had stolen a slice of pineapple from her brother’s late night snack situated on the dining room table. The hypothesis was supported by JonBenét’s autopsy that showed an undigested piece of pineapple in her stomach, meaning that her indulgence of the fruit and her death occurred very closely. This led towards suppositions stating Burke struck his sister with the flashlight that was nearby out of anger for stealing his fruit. It was also suspected that the wounds on JonBenét’s back, previously thought to have come from an encounter with a stun gun, matched the edges of Burke’s toy train tracks, suggesting that he likely used the tracks to check his unconscious sister for a response.
Burke Ramsey was not happy with the documentary. His attorney, L. Lin Wood, claimed that "CBS perpetrated a fraud on its viewers,” filing a $150 million lawsuit against Werner Spitz for defaming his client.
Gary Oliva:
Gary Olivia was a known sex offender in Boulder, Colorado where JonBenét was murdered. Her strangulation was perceived as a potential sexual assault, as there were droplets of blood on her underwear. Suspicions were raised when a magazine cutout of JonBenét Ramsey was found in Olivia’s backpack after he was arrested with drug charges in 2000. He was released soon after.
The Ramsey family and their longtime private investigator, Ollie Gray, criticized the Boulder Police Department for not considering Olivia as a more prominent suspect. Thereafter, Olivia’s high school friend, Michael Vail, came out with an allegation that supported Gray’s suspicion. Vail spoke of a phone call that occurred not long after the murder of JonBenét in which his friend, Olivia, allegedly confessed to hurting a little girl.
Vail revealed that the knots used to construct the garotte in JonBenét’s murder were similar to a previous attempt from Olivia to choke his mother with a telephone cord.
Olivia was also rumoured to be connected to the case as the marks found on JonBenét’s body could have also been from a stun gun (and not Burke’s train tracks). A stun gun was found on Olivia at the time of his initial arrest.
However, Olivia was cleared after a DNA test.
Michael Helgoth:
Ollie Gray also suspected an electrician named Michael Helgoth who worked in a nearby auto salvage yard. Gray stated that Helgoth could have kidnapped and murdered JonBenét due to his property dispute with the Ramseys. After investigations, officials found a boot print that resembled Helgoth’s near the Ramsey home. However, after Helgoth realized that he was a suspect in this case, he committed suicide at the age of twenty-six before any charges could be pressed.
Helgoth was cleared and concluded not to be a suspect.
John Mark Karr:
John Mark Karr was a former high school teacher who admitted to the strangulation of JonBenét in graphic and sexual detail in 2006. Karr stated that he recalls strangling JonBenét in a “love game” gone sideways. Karr recounts himself saying, “Close your pretty eyes, sweetheart.” Karr then refers to himself as “Daxis.” Karr says, “Daxis loves you so much. Oh God, I love you, JonBenét. And my lover's eyes are slowly closing…” Karr was then flown from Bangkok to Boulder for questioning.
Karr was cleared after his DNA test failed to match those that were found on the waistband on JonBenét’s long-johns.
Linda Hoffman-Pugh:
Linda Hoffman-Pugh was the family’s housekeeper. She worked with her husband, Mervin, who was their handyman. Hoffman-Pugh openly voiced her suspicions upon Patsy Ramsey. However, Patsy claimed that Hoffman-Pugh’s accusation could have arisen due to the hatred she harboured towards her as Patsy refused to lend money to her housekeeper. Patsy claimed that Hoffman-Pugh was struggling financially. This did not stop Hoffman-Pugh. She continued to testify against Patsy and said, “I think she had multiple personalities. She'd be in a good mood and then she'd be cranky. She got into arguments with JonBenét about wearing a dress or about a friend coming over. I had never seen Patsy so upset.”
Nevertheless, a theory was conjured up about Hoffman-Pugh. It was presumed that Hoffman-Pugh led JonBenét down to the basement and left the ransom note to trick the Ramseys into leaving the money she needed which was previously denied by Patsy. Hoffman-Pugh posed as a suspect as she had the key to the home, the family’s schedule, and was without an alibi as she claimed to have been asleep in her bed and her husband on the couch.
However, she has never been formally accused of the crime.
William "Bill" McReynolds:
A week before JonBenét’s murder, Bill McReynolds dressed up as Santa Claus at Patsy’s famous Christmas gatherings. Rumours were conjured up when it was stated that McReynolds paid a little too much attention to JonBenét during the party. He even arranged a secret visit from Santa on Christmas, which was the day JonBenét was murdered. It was reported that McReynolds chose JonBenét to be his “special friend.”
When McReynolds needed heart surgery, he brought a vial of glitter gifted to him by JonBenét. Additionally, he asked his wife to mix the glitter in with his ashes if he were to die.
However, no charges were pressed. McReynolds have now passed away. The chances of him being a part of the death of JonBenét seems unlikely.
It’s been 28 years and justice still has not been served to forever-six-year-old JonBenét Patricia Ramsey. She would have been 34 this year. She could have grown up to be the world’s biggest beauty pageant queen, but we’ll know because she never got to experience life after her sixth Christmas. This case never fails to make me feel sad and empty inside. How could anyone do such a thing? I hope JonBenét Patricia Ramsey went knowing she was loved and her legacy would live on to raise awareness regarding various cases similar to hers. She was beautiful and gone far too soon. She had her whole life ahead of her. She could have had a life filled with joy, laughter, adventure, excitement, but now, it’s merely a sad, faded memory. I refuse to sit here and do nothing to raise awareness to this poor victim. It sickens me to know that those who have played a part in cases like JonBenét Patricia Ramsey’s murder roam around free while their victims’ bodies lie in a grave. JonBenét Patricia Ramsey is buried in St. James Episcopal Cemetery located within Marietta, Georgia. Her life was robbed from her and the thief still hasn’t been caught.
Say her name: JonBenét Patricia Ramsey. Don’t forget it because one day, justice shall be returned to her, but until that day comes, we will say: Justice for JonBenét Patricia Ramsey!
I hope this blog post can reach as many people as possible because we cannot let JonBenét Patricia Ramsey’s death be forgotten. If you can, please consider sharing this post and JonBenét Patricia Ramsey’s story with those around you because she deserves to be remembered.
Justice. For. JonBenét. Patricia. Ramsey.
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