Broken once or twice?

[shiloh]

I would find it hard to break a paintbrush in three pieces!

Artist paint brushes are often quite long. I have some that are 10 inches and one that is 12 inches.

Edited to say, this is measuring only the wooden portion, not including the bristles or the metal attachment. I'm sure there are some that are longer. I'll have to check in the craft store and see what's available.

 

[Seeker]

In looking at the photograph of the paint tote, the broken paint brush is blue. http://www.acandyrose.com/178paint-tote.jpg (The blue paint brush in the lower left hand corner is the one which is broken)

Ummmm, shiloh? Just how certain are you that that blue thing is a paintbrush and not something else?
It doesn't look like a paintbrush to me. Just wondering if you have a better pix of it, or another view which clearly shows it's a paintbrush.
TIA

 

[shiloh]

I would find it hard to break a paintbrush in three pieces!

Toltec: I agree. And I think that would be especially difficult for a scrawny 9-yr-old.

Seeker: Here's a better photo. http://www.acandyrose.com/179paint-tote.jpg

 

[shiloh]

Good catch, Shiloh. Ties in with the possibility that JR's black WOOL shirt fibers and PR's jacket fibers could have been taken from the parents' closet to implicate them, which closet was some distance from their sleeping area, separated by a door, stairway ( the straight stairs) , and a bathroom.

See Schiller's PMPT, Appendix A, FLOOR PLANS. There appears to be another smaller closet at the other end of the 3rd floor but it's not marked closet.

Does anyone know a source that the stick had been whittled? So if that was done to implicate Burke, probably finding his whittling knife that LHP had supposedly hidden would have been for the same purpose, shows a lot of premeditation, I would think, probably a to-do list? But he forgot the duffle bag? Anyone know a way to ask ST what was in the duffle bag?

See Schiller's PMPT, Appendix A, FLOOR PLANS. There appears to be another smaller closet at the other end of the 3rd floor but it's not marked closet. The washer and dryer were in the basement as well. I don't know if there was laundry there.

Does anyone know a source that the stick had been whittled? The only source I'm aware of is a former poster named La Contessa. She's the one who first pointed it out. But it's clear from the photograph that the stick tied in with the cord is not covered with the bright blue paint that covers the rest of the paintbrush.

So if that was done to implicate Burke, probably finding his whittling knife that LHP had supposedly hidden would have been for the same purpose, shows a lot of premeditation, I would think, probably a to-do list? Absolutely. The way I see the evidence is that various things were done throughout the house to intentionally implicate various family members. I'm going to have to post a thread on that topic.

Anyone know a way to ask ST what was in the duffle bag? He wasn't able to implicate the Ramseys with that information at all, so there was no need for him to leak that information.

 

[BlueCrab]

The crime scene photo of Patsy's paint tote identifying the blue object in it as what's left of the paintbrush, from which the "stick" was made, never has made sense to me. The stick used in the crime was brown with a finish coat of glistening varnish on top of the brown coat of paint. The word Korea was easily visible on the brown stick. It couldn't originally have had a coat of blue paint on top of all that.

Incidentally, scaling the diameter of the wooden stick along side of the coroner's ruler shows that the paintbrush handle was between 1/2 inch to 5/8 inches in diameter. That would be extremely hard to break without mechanical help. I think it was partially cut with a knife. Also, wooden handles are not made with the grain of the wood running perpendicular to the shaft. Therefore, the slanted 45 degree break shown on one end of the stick was probably carved, at least partially, with a knife.

BlueCrab

 

[Paradox]

Yes, it doesn't look like a typical snapping, but I think it is less than 1/2".

Snapping the brush off is one thing, but snapping the opposite end is another: less torque.

Then again, if the small end was in something and snapped under pressure, that might explain the clean break. Otherwise, it looks like time was spent on both ends, and a cross-hatch gouge would make for a cleaner break.

 

[Holdontoyourhat]

The crime scene photo of Patsy's paint tote identifying the blue object in it as what's left of the paintbrush, from which the "stick" was made, never has made sense to me. The stick used in the crime was brown with a finish coat of glistening varnish on top of the brown coat of paint. The word Korea was easily visible on the brown stick. It couldn't originally have had a coat of blue paint on top of all that.

Incidentally, scaling the diameter of the wooden stick along side of the coroner's ruler shows that the paintbrush handle was between 1/2 inch to 5/8 inches in diameter. That would be extremely hard to break without mechanical help. I think it was partially cut with a knife. Also, wooden handles are not made with the grain of the wood running perpendicular to the shaft. Therefore, the slanted 45 degree break shown on one end of the stick was probably carved, at least partially, with a knife.

BlueCrab

I agree with your post, especially the 'extremely hard to break' part. It does raise the question as to why someone would go to the trouble. There had to be a reason why the perp apparently wanted not just one but both ends finished this way.

If shaping the ends was not the result of simple breaking, but was instead the result of a deliberate finishing, then the resultant shape must have been important to the perp.

 

[narlacat]

<<The way I see the evidence is that various things were done throughout the house to intentionally implicate various family members.>>

It could be seen that way Shiloh, seems some things lead to BR, some things lead to PR and some things lead to JR.

Have you got someone in mind, do you think it was a family friend?

 

[Holdontoyourhat]

<<The way I see the evidence is that various things were done throughout the house to intentionally implicate various family members.>>

It could be seen that way Shiloh, seems some things lead to BR, some things lead to PR and some things lead to JR.

Not really. Most things lead to an intruder, who was using tactics. The ransom note was part of a tactic. The sharp points on each end of the garrote was part of a tactic.

 

[UKGuy]

The crime scene photo of Patsy's paint tote identifying the blue object in it as what's left of the paintbrush, from which the "stick" was made, never has made sense to me. The stick used in the crime was brown with a finish coat of glistening varnish on top of the brown coat of paint. The word Korea was easily visible on the brown stick. It couldn't originally have had a coat of blue paint on top of all that.

Incidentally, scaling the diameter of the wooden stick along side of the coroner's ruler shows that the paintbrush handle was between 1/2 inch to 5/8 inches in diameter. That would be extremely hard to break without mechanical help. I think it was partially cut with a knife. Also, wooden handles are not made with the grain of the wood running perpendicular to the shaft. Therefore, the slanted 45 degree break shown on one end of the stick was probably carved, at least partially, with a knife.

BlueCrab

This aspect of her murder has always seemed inconsistent to me, particularly with respect to the alleged staging.

This is why I remarked on another thread that strictly speaking one break, never mind two breaks would not be required to simulate a garroting, since the use of a smaller brush would achieve the same result. Assuming the killer was attempting some kind of realism, then surely one break would be sufficient?
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Coroner Meyer's Autopsy
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/jonbenet3.html

Wrapped around the neck with a double knot in the midline of he posterior neck is a length of white courd similar to that described as being tied around the right wrist.".......Extending from the knot on the posterior aspect of the neck are two tails of the knot, one measuring 4 inches in length and having a frayed end, and the other measuring 17 inches in length with the end tied in multiple loops around a length of a round tan-brown wooden stick which measures 4.5 inches in length. This stick is irregulary broken at both ends...
...Blonde hair is entwined in the knot on the posterior aspect of the neck
as well as in the cord wrapped around the wooden stick.

This description of the stick does not seem to match the blue handle pictured in the paint tote, I dont think I have read any official source as saying that remainder of a blue brush is the counterpart to the garrote/stick on JonBenet's neck?

Although Smit does very indirectly:
Who Killed The Pageant Queen? : Mills and Tracey

SMIT: "There's very strong evidence that JonBenét was killed in this part of the basement and one of the reasons for that is that there was a paint tray right there and in this paint tray was a paintbrush that was used to make the garrotte. The bristle portion was still in the tray. Right next to the paint tray is a very small sliver of wood that came off of that broken brush. The garrotte was made of the middle portion of that paintbrush, the handle. Her hair was actually entwined right in the wrappings of the garrotte as the killer made it right on the back of her neck, most likely when she was lying face down on the floor. He made a noose on the other end of this garrotte. Then this noose was pulled very tightly against the neck of JonBenét, almost like a control device, almost like you were controlling a pet or a dog. Her killer has a fantasy in his mind of what he wants to do with this garrotte."

Is it possible more than one attempt was made to create a garrote/stick, or could the difference in appearance be attributed to regular use?

Some of Patsy's fibers were found in the knotting on the garrote stick and Smit has said he has more hair and fiber clues but he would not reveal them for fear of alerting the perpetrator to the evidence. I wonder if there is more forensic evidence relating to the paint-tote being held back? Remember BPD were not certain what would constitute a full complement of artistic tools, so they sent some Officer on an undercover Art-Course.

And
Lawrence Schillers bookerfect Murder, Perfect Town Page 84:

"Just outside the room, there were wooden shards near an artist's paint tray that also held part of a broken paintbrush; several paintings, one of which Patsy had done in Michigan, of flowers in a box on her porch; rope; string from a sled; and down the hall on a counter, a red pocket knife.

Although a broken paintbrush is mentioned it is not explicitly linked to the garrote!


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[Holdontoyourhat]

The sharp points on each end of the paintbrush were obviously put there for a reason. Any guesses?

 

[Nuisanceposter]

I suspect the stager didn't know how to construct a real garotte.

If the perp was going to use that as a handle and crank it to tighten the cord, why would s/he want both ends to be jagged and sharp?

If it was broken to a specific size, why wouldn't one break have sufficed?

If the perp was an intruder planning to kill JonBenet with a garotte, why didn't s/he construct one before going to the R house to do so?

 

[UKGuy]

The sharp points on each end of the paintbrush were obviously put there for a reason. Any guesses?

Holdontoyourhat,

It may be as simple as the perp wished to remove the mising end, thereby creating two breaks.

Or a prior indecent pose had been staged which incorporated the whole paintbrush, the length of the cord held it in place, this was removed, and refashioned to become a garrote, and the end which indecently assaulted her left with the perp?

Creating that garrote/stick would have created noise, with the snapping/breaking etc. So it is unlikely to have been done after the 911 call.

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[UKGuy]

I suspect the stager didn't know how to construct a real garotte.

If the perp was going to use that as a handle and crank it to tighten the cord, why would s/he want both ends to be jagged and sharp?

If it was broken to a specific size, why wouldn't one break have sufficed?

If the perp was an intruder planning to kill JonBenet with a garotte, why didn't s/he construct one before going to the R house to do so?

Nuisanceposter,

No need to break anything, any other small paintbrush would do the job.

This possibly underlines the staging aspect, or the paintbrush was part of an earlier staging, and was now being refashioned to obscure its prior use?

.

 

[BlueCrab]

The sharp points on each end of the paintbrush were obviously put there for a reason. Any guesses?

Holdontoyourhat,

I agree there had to be a reason for BOTH ends of the paintbrush handle to be broken or whittled off. The first break, of course, was to remove the bristled part of the paintbrush from the wooden handle. The missing other end is what bothers me.

Since this was a sex murder that was trying to be covered up to make it look like a kidnapping gone bad, my first guess is that the missing end of the stick at one time had something to do with sex. For instance, if it had been inserted into JonBenet, was it cut off and saved as a souvenir? Or had it at one time been whittled into the shape of a penis, but then destroyed during the staging and coverup to hide the sex aspects of the crime?

BlueCrab

 

[UKGuy]

BlueCrab,

It could be the hiding of the sex aspects of a prior staging, which is now to mutate into that of a kidnap/ransom staging.

If its a Ramsey then this may buy them more time, this fits in with her being wiped down, but sequencing these different events is difficult.

.

 

[BBB167893]

"This possibly underlines the staging aspect, or the paintbrush was part of an earlier staging, and was now being refashioned to obscure its prior use?"

That's my guess. The person who did it wanted to muddy up the water, by that I mean by breaking both ends, you couldn't be SURE that it was a paintbrush, to their thinking.

"Anyone know a way to ask ST what was in the duffle bag?"

Even if I did, it wouldn't do any good, Eagle1. His e-mails state clearly not to repeat anything. Besides, he has more important duties with the new baby and all.

 

[Britt]

The sharp points on each end of the paintbrush were obviously put there for a reason. Any guesses?

Because the perp didn't have a saw handy.

It may be as simple as the perp wished to remove the mising end, thereby creating two breaks.

Very possible.

The person who did it wanted to muddy up the water, by that I mean by breaking both ends, you couldn't be SURE that it was a paintbrush, to their thinking.

I agree. This is the most likely IMO.

 

[Britt]

Anyone know a way to ask ST what was in the duffle bag?

No, but we know who Thomas believes is good for it, which IMO tells us something about the evidence not made public.

 

[shiloh]

<<The way I see the evidence is that various things were done throughout the house to intentionally implicate various family members.>>

It could be seen that way Shiloh, seems some things lead to BR, some things lead to PR and some things lead to JR.

Have you got someone in mind, do you think it was a family friend?

More like a family enemy. I don't suspect any of their known friends, but someone more on the periphery, who never was part of their inner circle.

I feel there must have been at least 2 intruders. The note indicates there were 3, the notewriter and "two gentlemen." I think they had spent hours and days in the house over the summer while the Ramseys were at Charlevoix, going through all the rooms, opening every cupboard and drawer, looking through their things, getting to know the layout of the home and learning a great deal about them.

Whoever it was obviously had to have an intense amount of hatred for them, and I believe JR in particular, and was jealous of his business success, his perfect family, all their wealth and their fairy tale lifestyle.

It could have been someone who had felt they had been cheated in business or rejected by them socially. I don't know how many workers they had hired during the rennovation of their home, but it was probably quite a few. Maybe one or more of them were involved. Manual labor is hard, it usually doesn't pay very well, people often look down on them, and it's possible that one of them could have built up a great deal of resentment towards them.