Other oddities about the Ramsey 1996 Christmas:
Patsy was "talked into" having a party at their home on the 23rd, from which a bogus 911 call was made. Fleet White claimed to be trying to arrange for medication for his mother who was in nursing care. A care facility would have been quite capable of keeping medication managed well enough that a family member would not have to become involved after hours on a weekday, unless it was an emergency. The R's did not respond to the officer arriving at their door - it was handled by Susan Stine. BPD did not respond with the proper protocol of requesting entrance into the home to make a determination of need for assistance.
JB was described as being seen alone at this party, sitting on a stairway, in a tearful state because of "not feeling pretty". Not typical of the way she was usually described by most who knew her.
Don Paugh took a stand-by flight out on the 24th to return to Georgia where Nedra was. He attended the party on the 23rd. Don and Nedra had previously been known to be at the Ramsey home on Christmas morning to share the festivity. IMHO, something is amiss in the family dynamic.
On Christmas Eve day, JB told a friend and her mother, Barbara Kostaniak, that Santa promised her another visit after Christmas, and she was quite clear that she knew Santa was also due to come that evening (the 24th) as well.
Patsy's choice of Purple as her decorating color:
From the GodWeb site:
Purple speaks of fasting, faith, patience and trust. It is the liturgical color used during seasons of penance, Advent and Lent.
(Definition of penance:Voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong).
John Ramsey gave Patsy (as well as Santa to JB) a new bike for Christmas.
Really - a bike from a millionaire to his socialite wife? There were bike tracks found in the yard on the 26th, leading away from the Ramsey home, and Patsy's new bike was never accounted for after that.
The older Ramsey children were scheduled to join the family for their FIRST EVER Christmas gathering at the Michigan house on the 26th. They were to use 'cheap flights' (at JR's request) from Atlanta to Minneaopolis, get picked up by the Ramsey plane which was readied by JR himself on the 25th, but had private pilots reserved as well, then proceeding to Michigan. The gathering was 'squeezed' into a short time frame, evidently, since the Ramsey's then had commercial flights scheduled on the 28th to Florida from Denver for their family Disney cruise in celebration of Patsy's 40th birthday.
Again: First ever Michigan family gathering, arriving midday 26th, probably departing end of day 27th, to get Ramseys home in order to take flights out on 28th, since they had to return to gather luggage, etc. that Patsy had prepared for the trip. Not much time devoted to the older kids, yet Patsy had made arrangements for the house in Michigan to be opened, cleaned, readied, and professionally decorated by a florist. At least there wasn't much expense spared, which they certainly could afford, but why was it so important for John to want those older kids with them that year when there was such a shortage of time? And, Patsy wasn't really relishing that extra trip either.
Another question, has it ever been determined how the older kids were to return to Atlanta from Michigan? Was the plan for them to return the same way as they would have arrived - private plane to Minneapolis, then commercial flight to Atlanta? If cheap tickets were the goal, then this would have made the most sense. Or, were they supposed to go from Michigan to Atlanta, and have a quick visit with the Paugh's before going back to Colorado?
The shirt JB was found in sported a single silver star. Though we know, by Patsy's testimony, that she and JB disagreed over what she would wear to the White's, and Patsy relented in letting her wear that shirt, that really is heresy. Here is some interesting information found about a paganistic group: Thelema is a complicated set of magical, mystical and religious beliefs formed in the 20th century by Aleister Crowley. Today it is embraced by a variety of occult groups including the Ordo Templis Orientis (O.T.O.) and Argenteum Astrum (A:.A:.), the Order of the Silver Star.
Basic Beliefs: The Great Work -Striving to ascend to higher states of existence, uniting oneself with higher powers, and understanding and embracing one's True Will, their ultimate purpose and place in life. The Law of Thelema - "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law." "Thou wilt" here means to live by ones own True Will. One of the Holiday Celebrations of this group: Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times, celebrated on the equinoxes and solstices". (Christmas evolved as a celebration of the winter solstice) and, from a wikipedia article: The Christmas tree is considered by some as Christianisation of pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice, which included the use of evergreen boughs, and an adaptation of pagan tree worship.
And there were how many Christmas trees in the Ramsey home?