JAR and Melinda were "cleared" as a negotiating tool for the Ramseys to have an interview with the police. It was one of the conditions set. This is fact from one of the books (Steve Thomas?)
In PMPT, the BPD still felt there was a window of time for JAR.
There's plenty of evidence at the crime scene to include JAR (his semen is the biggie), but the problem is with the travel...
If you'll note: Archuletta was not accessible by telephone that morning (26th). He was neither home nor at the airport. Later, when asked by John how long to get the plane ready to fly to Atlanta, Archuletta answered "Two hours."
Why? When it was supposed to be ready for take off that morning. John brags in DOI that the hangers where his planes (If I remember right, there were two planes; a personal and a company) were never checked - nothing, nada. No hangers, no planes, no flight records, no logs, maintenance - nothing was investigated.
Brad & Chris - two friends of JAR's - all three from Atlanta, all three attending the same college in Colorado (small foriegn faction?) may have conspired. One (can't remember which one after all this time - Chris Stanley, I believe) was a pilot, lived near Jeffco Airport. (1.5 miles)
I believe it was Brad who volunteered to the police, he once slept in JonBenet's bed. JAR also said the killer deserved "forgiveness."
I could go on and on - but it's the geographical distance. The ATM receipt (picture is questionable, but not recognizable anyway) - is an alibi, along with the movie tickets. Not only is there a time difference between the two states; one of the college boys could easily have stayed behind to acquire the "alibis."
Weeks later, JAR turned over the ATM receipt and movie ticket...why did he still have them. Don't "kids" just toss those things?
Brad stayed with JAR all night (as alibi?) The story is - JAR left his car at Brad's. He, Brad & Chris went to the movies. After the movie, JAR went back to Brad's for his car. Brad then followed JAR back to his (mom's) house in his own car. They say they got in around 1 a.m. Melinda showed up to get JAR for the Michigan flight around 6 a.m.
Why did Brad follow JAR home - only to have a couple hours sleep? College kids like to sleep in whenever they can. Were they to be each other's alibi?
Chris wasn't spoken of since (did he stay in Boulder?) Did Archuletta fly both boys back?
Note: Archuletta now owns John Ramsey's million dollar airplane. Nice gift, eh?
So, it may not be an easy answer - but this case does have something missing that keeps it from being a "slam dunk."