The key to this whole case remains the ransom note.
I disagree. Having said that, You do make valid points on the note.
The ransom note is rabbit holes within rabbit holes and does nothing but cause people to run in circles. Its been overanalyzed to death for twenty years.
I had followed the case closely for years(many years ago). I took a refresher course on the case the past few months(read all the books, various web sites, documentaries,etc.).
If the case is ever going to be solved....these are the keys(IMO):
What
really happened at that Dec. 23rd party...which may have lit the fuse for her murder two days later.
The photographs of Jonbenet found in the basement(Who took them? What is she doing in them? Why are they down there?)
The original intent of the suitcase. Not as a step for this mythical intruder but the contents within it. What is a semen stained blanket and a Dr Seuss book in a suitcase doing in a room near the dead body of a six year old girl? Even if the suitcase is an aspect of staging, what is he/she/they trying to convey with this?
Why was Fleet White so interested in running back down into the basement to look at that piece of tape after John brought her body upstairs when he had been told specifically not to go back down there? Any chance that piece of tape wasn't on her mouth around 6 am or so?
What
really happened in the car on the way home?
What is he/she/they looking for in John Andrew's bedroom and bathroom that night? I see a sense of urgency in those particular photos.
If those questions can ever be answered, you don't even need that ransom note to solve the case.
disclaimer: That statement above is not implying that I think Fleet White murdered Jonbenet or had anything to do with her death. I just question what he saw, when he saw it, and why he zeroed in on that tape seconds after she is officially found.
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One more question I'd like answered is which family member had the most interest in this western theme, specifically rope and boots? Not necessarily a key to solving the crime but might provide some insight into the mind of one or two family members.