H. Ellis Armistead, hired in the first few days by the Ramsey criminal defense team of Haddon, Morgan and Foreman, remained as the primary private investigator for three and-a-half years until he abruptly, and unexpectedly, resigned on June 2, 2000.
He was tight-lipped regarding an explanation and there was speculation that perhaps he was developing suspicions about the Ramseys.
From the Denver Post, June 3, 2000:
JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case: The Denver Post
Armistead, 49, sent out a short statement saying his firm "is no longer associated with the JonBenet Ramsey investigation." "Mr. Armistead has made this decision in light of the events that are taking place in the media," the statement said.
Contacted by phone, Armistead declined to elaborate much. "This is my decision," he said. "Mine alone. It's just what's been going on. It's the media events."
Last week, the Ramseys appeared at a news conference with their civil attorney to announce they had passed a lie-detector test. And Wednesday, they engaged in a verbal slug-fest with former Boulder Police detective Steve Thomas on CNN's "Larry King Live."
Fast forward to 2023, and in an extended interview detailed in a Westword article, Armistead makes a very interesting statement where he admits he’s not sold on the “intruder theory.” A shocking admission from a Ramsey insider.
From the Westword article:
www.westword.com
More than a quarter-century after the crime, no one has been arrested for it, and Armistead retains cabinets full of leads on the homicide. Every year, a handful of women call him to say that their ex-husbands are good for the murder and should be taken into custody. He remains tight-lipped about the girl’s death, but allows that the “intruder theory” — of someone coming into the Ramsey house that night and carrying out the murder in a wine cellar in the basement — doesn’t hold up.
“The first time I was in the Ramseys’ home,” he says, “it took me ten minutes of walking around just to find the wine cellar. You’d have to be very familiar with the layout of the house to know where that is.”
He was tight-lipped regarding an explanation and there was speculation that perhaps he was developing suspicions about the Ramseys.
From the Denver Post, June 3, 2000:
JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case: The Denver Post
Armistead, 49, sent out a short statement saying his firm "is no longer associated with the JonBenet Ramsey investigation." "Mr. Armistead has made this decision in light of the events that are taking place in the media," the statement said.
Contacted by phone, Armistead declined to elaborate much. "This is my decision," he said. "Mine alone. It's just what's been going on. It's the media events."
Last week, the Ramseys appeared at a news conference with their civil attorney to announce they had passed a lie-detector test. And Wednesday, they engaged in a verbal slug-fest with former Boulder Police detective Steve Thomas on CNN's "Larry King Live."
Fast forward to 2023, and in an extended interview detailed in a Westword article, Armistead makes a very interesting statement where he admits he’s not sold on the “intruder theory.” A shocking admission from a Ramsey insider.
From the Westword article:
From JonBenét to Tim McVeigh and Columbine, P.I. Ellis Armistead Has Seen It All — and Paid the Price
"People in the system need to recognize that they’re impacted by this kind of work."
“The first time I was in the Ramseys’ home,” he says, “it took me ten minutes of walking around just to find the wine cellar. You’d have to be very familiar with the layout of the house to know where that is.”
