Day 12 The Ransom Note/The 12 Days of JonBenet

[icedtea4me]

It makes no sense to me why Patsy would write such a long winded RN. Knowing that her handwriting would be analysed in the future, you would keep the letter short as possible.

No, it doesn't, but if you view it as being more than just a ransom note, it does make sense.

 

[icedtea4me]

Just curious, but did anyone else notice there were a couple of misspellings in the first paragraph of the RN (business and possession), but then none after? That to me indicates an adult trying to make it look like someone else wrote the note, but then, as he/she got further along, forgetting to continue to make those types of mistakes. I just don't think a person who would misspell those words would not make another spelling mistake further in the RN.

We don [scribbled out] respect your bussiness [ http://www.dictionary.com/browse/buss?s=t buss=kiss] but not the c*untry that it serves.

At this time we have your daughter in our posession.

 

[Heymom]

I am reading a book about the Mediterranean, and it includes trips to both Corsica and Sardinia. In the Sardinian area, the author discusses the regions' renown for kidnappings in the 1970's. This popped out at me.

"...Yes, I've heard there were a few kidnappings."

A few! In the 1970s kidnapping of foreigners had amounted almost to a cottage industry, and Sardinia was known to have developed a culture of kidnapping. The style of crime had deep roots in mountainous regions of the island. Almost anyone with a little money visiting Sardinia was snatched and held in a peasant hut in the mountains by semi-literates demanding millions from their desperate family.

"Kidnapping is labor-intensive," a Sardinian, Questore Emilio Pazzi, told Robert Fox, who described the encounter in his chronicle of the modern Mediterranean, The Inner Sea. A band needs at least twelve men to act as look-outs, messengers and negotiators, as well as seizing and guarding the victim. Unlike the Mafia families of Sicily and Calabria, the gang works together for one crime only, and then disperses."

From: The Pillars of Hercules by Paul Theroux, 1995

There's Patsy's small foreign faction, I suppose. I didn't realize there were Sardinians in Boulder CO though...and stupid Sardinians who murdered their hostage and still left a ransom novel behind...

 

[BBB167893]

I am reading a book about the Mediterranean, and it includes trips to both Corsica and Sardinia. In the Sardinian area, the author discusses the regions' renown for kidnappings in the 1970's. This popped out at me.

"...Yes, I've heard there were a few kidnappings."

A few! In the 1970s kidnapping of foreigners had amounted almost to a cottage industry, and Sardinia was known to have developed a culture of kidnapping. The style of crime had deep roots in mountainous regions of the island. Almost anyone with a little money visiting Sardinia was snatched and held in a peasant hut in the mountains by semi-literates demanding millions from their desperate family.

"Kidnapping is labor-intensive," a Sardinian, Questore Emilio Pazzi, told Robert Fox, who described the encounter in his chronicle of the modern Mediterranean, The Inner Sea. A band needs at least twelve men to act as look-outs, messengers and negotiators, as well as seizing and guarding the victim. Unlike the Mafia families of Sicily and Calabria, the gang works together for one crime only, and then disperses."

From: The Pillars of Hercules by Paul Theroux, 1995

There's Patsy's small foreign faction, I suppose. I didn't realize there were Sardinians in Boulder CO though...and stupid Sardinians who murdered their hostage and still left a ransom novel behind...

Well, I don't think these Mafia-types have ever been accused of being brain surgeons!

 

[AndHence]

I posted this in another thread, but it belongs here:

Something I think doesn't receive enough attention in this case is the film roll on the Ramseys' camera from Christmas morning. Haney questions both parents about a photo on there of the back staircase that appears to show the notepad the ransom note was written on taken that Christmas morning (before the crime). John says he took a few photos to finish off the roll and that was one of these throwaway photos. LE clearly find something notable about what this photo shows compared with photos taken of the same area by crime scene technicians just a day later. John and Patsy's responses to Haney's questions about this photo are interesting, to say the least.


Patsy attempts to dismiss the photo showing the notepad, saying that they had lots of pads like that around the house and it might not be the same one. John, on the other hand, says it is probably the notepad he handed to investigators that morning when asked for handwriting exemplars. As we know, this pad was shown to be the one on which the ransom note and practice were written. Why do you think LE was focusing on this photo? Does it show the notepad placed in an identical and perhaps unconventional way in both photos, suggesting that an intruder didn't handle it that night? There is something here, but it gets overlooked. This case has always been about the small things, in my opinion.

 

[PositiveLight]

I posted this in another thread, but it belongs here:

Something I think doesn't receive enough attention in this case is the film roll on the Ramseys' camera from Christmas morning. Haney questions both parents about a photo on there of the back staircase that appears to show the notepad the ransom note was written on taken that Christmas morning (before the crime). John says he took a few photos to finish off the roll and that was one of these throwaway photos. LE clearly find something notable about what this photo shows compared with photos taken of the same area by crime scene technicians just a day later. John and Patsy's responses to Haney's questions about this photo are interesting, to say the least.


Patsy attempts to dismiss the photo showing the notepad, saying that they had lots of pads like that around the house and it might not be the same one. John, on the other hand, says it is probably the notepad he handed to investigators that morning when asked for handwriting exemplars. As we know, this pad was shown to be the one on which the ransom note and practice were written. Why do you think LE was focusing on this photo? Does it show the notepad placed in an identical and perhaps unconventional way in both photos, suggesting that an intruder didn't handle it that night? There is something here, but it gets overlooked. This case has always been about the small things, in my opinion.

Totally agree! The devil is in the details with this case.

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[Heymom]

Well, I don't think these Mafia-types have ever been accused of being brain surgeons!

Except they do get the job done! They take their victims, hold them hostage, ask for MILLIONS from the family, get the money, and release their victims ALIVE and not dead. And they don't leave a 3 page ransom novel at the scene of the crime!

It was funny to read that description of a gang of up to 12 people working together to get the job done. I can see how that would happen as a "cottage industry" but not in Boulder CO in the mid-1990s.

 

[Tortoise]

Patsy and John Ramsey Interview with Paula Woodward (in 1999?)

PW - Mrs Ramsey, how many times did you have to write and read this note?

PR - ..Oh I think I gave 5 or 6 handwriting samples.

JR - They were extensive, we wrote and we wrote this note, which was terribly painful.

PR - Right handed, left handed, with different pens, different..you know..angles, everything..

PW - Did they ask you to read the note?

PR - No. They..when..when the test was administered they would..they would, er, verbally dictate what I was to write, and it was rather....fast, you know, so you didn't have time, I guess, to..you know..try to think about how you were making your letters, you just had to write as you always write, to keep up.

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Mmm. Wow. This is not as innocent a statement as it first appears.

I listened, then listened, then listened again. And I couldn't work out why it grabbed my attention, why a little alarm bell went off in my head. Anyone who is having their handwriting tested for the purposes of elimination might say something like this, right? Wrong!

(I don't need convincing that Patsy wrote the ransom note btw, I know she did, but I'm just recording this for posterity, or doubters.)

There is a layer of meaning underneath this statement that is not immediately apparent, and it's so hard to grasp that it almost evades me when I try to capture it in words. But I'll try -

Anyone who did not write the ransom note will never even contemplate the notion of 'thinking about how they are making their letters'. All they need to do is write! They won't even know what they are trying to achieve by thinking about that, or have knowledge of what they are needing to avoid.

It's not as simple as saying all she's doing here is explaining the logic behind the speed with which the test was administered. She's unconsciously revealed that she knew there was a certain style she had a need to avoid.

If this isn't making sense, just imagine you were asked to write out the note as it was being dictated to you. It would not cross your mind, even with all the time in the world, that thinking might have a bearing on how you would decide to write it. Why would you need to worry about your letter shapes if you didn't know what shapes you were trying to avoid?

It's the thinking of someone who did have that concern.

(And she didn't succeed anyway!)

 

[DrollForeignFaction]

Thank you for pointing that out, Tortoise. It also bears repeating that Patsy was accused by multiple people of trying to alter her handwriting after the fact. ST's book touches on that a few times, for example.


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[BBB167893]

Patsy and John Ramsey Interview with Paula Woodward (in 1999?)

PW - Mrs Ramsey, how many times did you have to write and read this note?

PR - ..Oh I think I gave 5 or 6 handwriting samples.

JR - They were extensive, we wrote and we wrote this note, which was terribly painful.

PR - Right handed, left handed, with different pens, different..you know..angles, everything..

PW - Did they ask you to read the note?

PR - No. They..when..when the test was administered they would..they would, er, verbally dictate what I was to write, and it was rather....fast, you know, so you didn't have time, I guess, to..you know..try to think about how you were making your letters, you just had to write as you always write, to keep up.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Mmm. Wow. This is not as innocent a statement as it first appears.

I listened, then listened, then listened again. And I couldn't work out why it grabbed my attention, why a little alarm bell went off in my head. Anyone who is having their handwriting tested for the purposes of elimination might say something like this, right? Wrong!

(I don't need convincing that Patsy wrote the ransom note btw, I know she did, but I'm just recording this for posterity, or doubters.)

There is a layer of meaning underneath this statement that is not immediately apparent, and it's so hard to grasp that it almost evades me when I try to capture it in words. But I'll try -

Anyone who did not write the ransom note will never even contemplate the notion of 'thinking about how they are making their letters'. All they need to do is write! They won't even know what they are trying to achieve by thinking about that, or have knowledge of what they are needing to avoid.

It's not as simple as saying all she's doing here is explaining the logic behind the speed with which the test was administered. She's unconsciously revealed that she knew there was a certain style she had a need to avoid.

If this isn't making sense, just imagine you were asked to write out the note as it was being dictated to you. It would not cross your mind, even with all the time in the world, that thinking might have a bearing on how you would decide to write it. Why would you need to worry about your letter shapes if you didn't know what shapes you were trying to avoid?

It's the thinking of someone who did have that concern.

(And she didn't succeed anyway!)

Well done, Tortoise!

 

[Cranberry]

Patsy and John Ramsey Interview with Paula Woodward (in 1999?)

PW - Mrs Ramsey, how many times did you have to write and read this note?

PR - ..Oh I think I gave 5 or 6 handwriting samples.

JR - They were extensive, we wrote and we wrote this note, which was terribly painful.

PR - Right handed, left handed, with different pens, different..you know..angles, everything..

PW - Did they ask you to read the note?

PR - No. They..when..when the test was administered they would..they would, er, verbally dictate what I was to write, and it was rather....fast, you know, so you didn't have time, I guess, to..you know..try to think about how you were making your letters, you just had to write as you always write, to keep up.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Mmm. Wow. This is not as innocent a statement as it first appears.

I listened, then listened, then listened again. And I couldn't work out why it grabbed my attention, why a little alarm bell went off in my head. Anyone who is having their handwriting tested for the purposes of elimination might say something like this, right? Wrong!

(I don't need convincing that Patsy wrote the ransom note btw, I know she did, but I'm just recording this for posterity, or doubters.)

There is a layer of meaning underneath this statement that is not immediately apparent, and it's so hard to grasp that it almost evades me when I try to capture it in words. But I'll try -

Anyone who did not write the ransom note will never even contemplate the notion of 'thinking about how they are making their letters'. All they need to do is write! They won't even know what they are trying to achieve by thinking about that, or have knowledge of what they are needing to avoid.

It's not as simple as saying all she's doing here is explaining the logic behind the speed with which the test was administered. She's unconsciously revealed that she knew there was a certain style she had a need to avoid.

If this isn't making sense, just imagine you were asked to write out the note as it was being dictated to you. It would not cross your mind, even with all the time in the world, that thinking might have a bearing on how you would decide to write it. Why would you need to worry about your letter shapes if you didn't know what shapes you were trying to avoid?

It's the thinking of someone who did have that concern.

(And she didn't succeed anyway!)

Yes Tortoise, I agree, like if the "you" was replaced with "I": It was rather fast, I didn't have time to think about how I was making my letters, I just had to write as I always write, to keep up.

 

[k-mac]

brilliant tortoise!
you know my iky alarm went off watching her say all that also but couldnt put my finger on it.
:happydance:

i must say.....how positively beautiful PR looked in this PW interview.very hard to comprehend cancer quietly ravaging her below the surface.....

 

[Tortoise]

brilliant tortoise!
you know my iky alarm went off watching her say all that also but couldnt put my finger on it.
:happydance:

i must say.....how positively beautiful PR looked in this PW interview.very hard to comprehend cancer quietly ravaging her below the surface.....

She did look good. I don't know how I could, if I was in her situation I must say. No guilt etched into her face, gnawing away. Look how John always pokes his oar in as well, when Patsy is asked a question.

 

[kanzz]

I think we all agree with Cina Wong and others that PR was the author of the RN.

Something occurred to me today as I was rereading it. All of it is a rambling pseudo-kidnapping note that speaks about JB, the money, and possible outcomes - with the exception of the last paragraph.

It seems to me that the RN specifically instructs and threatens JB in that last paragraph.

I am adding just one word to Patsy's diatribe to illustrate:
"Don't try to grow a brain John. You are not the only fat cat around so don't think that killing [you] will be difficult. Don't underestimate us John. Use that good southern common sense of yours. It's all up to you now John."

Here's the text of RN in its entirety, so you don't have to hunt for it:

"Mr. Ramsey:
Listen Carefully! We are a group of individuals that represent a small foreign faction. We respect your business, but not the country it serves.
At this time, we have your daughter in our possession. She is safe and unharmed and if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter.
You will withdraw $118,000 from your account. $100,000 will be in $100 bills and the remaining $18,000 in $20 bills. Make sure that you bring an adequate size attache to the bank.
When you get home, you will put the money in a brown paper bag. I will call you between 8 and 10 a.m. tomorrow to instruct you on delivery. The delivery will be exhausting so I advise you to be rested. If we monitor you getting the money early we might call you early to arrange an earlier delivery of the money and hence and earlier pickup of your daughter.
Any deviation of my instructions will result in the immediate execution of your daughter. You will also be denied her remains for a proper burial. The two gentlemen watching over your daughter do not particularly like you so I advise you not to provoke them.
Speaking to anyone about your situation, such as police or F.B.I. will result in your daughter being beheaded. If we catch you talking to a stray dog, she dies. If you alert bank authorities, she dies. If the money is in way marked or tampered with, she dies. You can try to deceive us, but be warned we are familiar with law enforcement countermeasures and tactics.
You stand a 99% chance of killing your daughter if you try to outsmart us. Follow our instructions and you stand a 100% of getting her back. You and your family are under constant scrutiny, as well as the authorities.
Don't try to grow a brain John. You are not the only fat cat around so don't think that killing will be difficult. Don't underestimate us, John. Use that good, Southern common sense of yours. It's up to you now John!
Victory! S.B.T.C."​