Day 12 The Ransom Note/The 12 Days of JonBenet

[IBsleuthin]

That ransom note has been evaluated more than the Shroud of Turin and STILL no one can decide who wrote it.

Also, I'm fascinated by how many people are able to twist what the actual autopsy says.

IT CLEARLY SAYS: "Cause of death of this six year old female is asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma.

 

[BBB167893]

Nooooooooooo............ Let's revisit the first sentence of my post shall we? "One of the reasons this case will never end is because there is no lack of 'experts' weighing in with their opinion."

Notice if you will, my fine fellow sleuther, the use of a set of single quotation marks on either side of the word, 'experts'.



(plural noun: quotation marks, each of a set of punctuation marks, single (‘ &#8217 or double (“ &#8221, used either to mark the beginning and end of a title or quoted passage or to indicate that a word or phrase is regarded as slang or jargon or is being discussed rather than used within the sentence.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then; notice also if you would please the end of the post indicating that 'Experts' built the Titanic. This was to emphasize the sarcastic tone of my post.

Well, the Titanic's construction wasn't the problem; the captain was. That's a much better analogy to this case. And if you're saying that there's too much reliance on expert testimony in the legal system today, I agree, 100%. It seems like they've gone from being the supporting players to the leads. I would also say that the problem with this case is not just the proliferation of experts; it's the ability of the Ramseys to hire their own. Anything the police say, they get someone to say different. You illustrated that quite well.

I'm not saying Dr. Spitz is not an expert. For me to do so would be pure foolishness. What I am saying it that this case is absolutely FULL of 'experts' giving their own OPINION of what happened. That's a fact Jack. This thing floats on opinions and feeds on innuendo.

Like I said, there's too much reliance on them.

One expert says one thing and one expert says the complete and total opposite.

Agreed, but the tiebreaker for me is who is better informed.

I have no idea if L wind wood is an 'expert' or not. Could be.

No way. What he legitimately knows about this case could fit on the head of a pin. It doesn't matter to him; he's there to muddy up the water.

Seems to be anyone's opinion in this is a good one.

I wouldn't say that at all.

No one can pin down who wrote the ransom note, no one can pin down what happened to who and when and where it happened. It's a total mess.

Like I said, that's because the Ramseys got their "say-anything-for-a-buck" experts out early.

 

[IBsleuthin]

Well, the Titanic's construction wasn't the problem; the captain was. That's a much better analogy to this case. And if you're saying that there's too much reliance on expert testimony in the legal system today, I agree, 100%. It seems like they've gone from being the supporting players to the leads. I would also say that the problem with this case is not just the proliferation of experts; it's the ability of the Ramseys to hire their own. Anything the police say, they get someone to say different. You illustrated that quite well.

(snipped for clarity)...

.

(BBM)

Now, I haven't gone and looked this up but after I log out of here I am going to, but...IIRC the the main problem with the Titanic was the actual construction of the metal plates in the hull. They were brittle. My son reminded me that the construction was completed in Ireland and he thinks it was a conspiracy and made that way on purpose. I cannot argue that the captain was not a problem, he certainly was a huge problem. What the heck. So sad.



After reading your response here I just sat in pause for a moment or two reflecting on all the possibilities of the JBR case. I keep going back to Occam's Razor.

All things being equal the most outstanding part of this whole case to me is that ransom note. I just can't shake the fact that this ransom note was written by PR. I'm not an expert in handwriting even remotely but when I look at that note and then the samples she's written, the sure do look a lot alike.

Were will this all end? What is to come of this? The main character in this horror show seems to have died in 2006, so what can we do about all this?


More to think on.

 

[BBB167893]

(BBM)

Now, I haven't gone and looked this up but after I log out of here I am going to, but...IIRC the the main problem with the Titanic was the actual construction of the metal plates in the hull. They were brittle. My son reminded me that the construction was completed in Ireland and he thinks it was a conspiracy and made that way on purpose. I cannot argue that the captain was not a problem, he certainly was a huge problem. What the heck. So sad.



After reading your response here I just sat in pause for a moment or two reflecting on all the possibilities of the JBR case. I keep going back to Occam's Razor.

All things being equal the most outstanding part of this whole case to me is that ransom note. I just can't shake the fact that this ransom note was written by PR. I'm not an expert in handwriting even remotely but when I look at that note and then the samples she's written, they sure do look a lot alike.

Were will this all end? What is to come of this? The main character in this horror show seems to have died in 2006, so what can we do about all this?


More to think on.

Great questions. I wish I had some great answers for you.

 

[carolinea]

Also, I'm fascinated by how many people are able to twist what the actual autopsy says.

IT CLEARLY SAYS: "Cause of death of this six year old female is asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma.

I'm no expert, but to me this indicates that both injuries were fatal. If the strangulation didn't end her life, she would have died from the injury to her brain. The injury to her head would have rendered her brain dead prior to her heart stopping, which is why a number of people consider it THE cause of death rather than the strangulation.

There are indications that the head injury bled internally for 45+ minutes. If the blow had come after she died, that would not have been possible.

Anyway, I 100% believe that PR wrote the letter. It's too overly dramatic and performative for JR to have written it.

 

[IBsleuthin]

I'm no expert, but to me this indicates that both injuries were fatal. If the strangulation didn't end her life, she would have died from the injury to her brain. The injury to her head would have rendered her brain dead prior to her heart stopping, which is why a number of people consider it THE cause of death rather than the strangulation.

There are indications that the head injury bled internally for 45+ minutes. If the blow had come after she died, that would not have been possible.

Anyway, I 100% believe that PR wrote the letter. It's too overly dramatic and performative for JR to have written it.

Completely agree with you here. Sometimes the wording of these documents just muddy the waters.

 

[BBB167893]

I'm no expert, but to me this indicates that both injuries were fatal. If the strangulation didn't end her life, she would have died from the injury to her brain. The injury to her head would have rendered her brain dead prior to her heart stopping, which is why a number of people consider it THE cause of death rather than the strangulation.

Yes, carolinea. She would have died from either one. The general consensus is that she was "on the way out" when the cord was applied.

There are indications that the head injury bled internally for 45+ minutes. If the blow had come after she died, that would not have been possible.

Even more important than the blood, carolinea: the swelling. That only happens with time.

Anyway, I 100% believe that PR wrote the letter. It's too overly dramatic and performative for JR to have written it.

That's what Michael Kane said, too. "It was a theatrical production and Patsy was a theatrical person." (That may not be an exact quote.)

 

[CircuitGuy]

Proper burial was on their mind when they wrote the ransom note.

I suspect this is true.

All in all, it was a very effective diversion. I'm thinking they did as well as they could have hoped for.

I suspect this is false. A favorable outcome for the killer does not mean the RN worked.

 

[Razz]

I suspect this is true.


I suspect this is false. A favorable outcome for the killer does not mean the RN worked.

I'm trying to figure out a timeline.

They got home around tenish.

When did Burke eat his pineapple? When did JBR have the pineapple? The autopsy showed the pineapple was digested at a 2 hour mark.

So, what did she do for 2 hours before this all went down.

(Would she continue to digest the pineapple after being hit in the head?)

Was the sexual exploration before the head bash?

Say it took 30 minutes to talk her into the basement after the pineapple. They played for an hour and then the digital penetration?

The penetration must have hurt, hence the scream. Was she hit the to get her to be quiet?

(The way Burke demonstrated the "hammer hit" in his interview with a psychologist ) "the fake person" would have been lying down.

So when did the parents learn what was going on?

Why not (instead of that unbelievable RN), "wake up" and not find JBR in bed or anywhere else? And then call the police?

The RN just wasn't necessary.

I don't think they'd thought as far as to a proper burial. Their goal was to have ALL evidence deflected from their son. And...they knew they themselves
didn't do it. Instead of the RN
they should have broken open a door or the window in the basement.




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[CircuitGuy]

Most of what I know is from the JonBenet Ramsey Case encyclopedia at this link.

I'm trying to figure out a timeline.

They got home around tenish.

When did Burke eat his pineapple? When did JBR have the pineapple? The autopsy showed the pineapple was digested at a 2 hour mark.

So, what did she do for 2 hours before this all went down.

(Would she continue to digest the pineapple after being hit in the head?)

The pineapple shows she was awake after getting home. It may be completely unrelated to the crime.
I suspect the 2-hour estimate is reliable because it's not just based on digestion but the foods progress through the GI tract.

Was the sexual exploration before the head bash?

I am unclear on this point. Shards of paintbrush used to make the garrote were found in her vagina, but I'm unclear on the evidence that they may have gotten there before she died. It seems to me like something done just after the crime to make it look like a sexual crime.

So when did the parents learn what was going on?

Assuming they wrote the RN and did some staging, it would have had to be several hours before the 911 call, for them to have time to process what happened, formulate a plan, an execute it. The autopsy suggests JBR died between 10am and 6am. It was probably on the earlier side of that range, if RN was written after she died. A neighbor heard a screem around 2am. This could have been the murder or someone finding out about it.

Why not (instead of that unbelievable RN), "wake up" and not find JBR in bed or anywhere else? And then call the police?

The RN just wasn't necessary.

I agree. I think they had just a few hours to put together a coverup. On the CBS show they said it took 21 minutes just to transcribe the RN. It would have taken longer to formulate the note, get gloves, and write the note with disguised handwriting. Presumably there was some staging of the body, which took time.

In the middle of the night while they were shocked and maybe using prescription drugs or alcohol to calm their nerves, they had to come up with a story. It wasn't a good one at all, but they got lucky. If they had had a day to think about it, they would have done your plan of waking up and calling the cops to report her missing with no RN.

I don't think they'd thought as far as to a proper burial. Their goal was to have ALL evidence deflected from their son. And...they knew they themselves didn't do it.

Well I'm not sure they didn't. The note comes off a PR's attempt to point the finger to anyone and everyone outside the house: a disgruntled employee or politically-motivated foreign extremists.

 

[Solaris]

...Johns early declarations that the house was all locked up, that it was an "inside job" lead me to believe he wasn't part of the murder or the cover-up.
He did however figure it out as the morning wore on.

Totally agree Linda7NJ.

Also, I don't think that JR originally considered that the RN was written by anyone inside the house, because he was the one who gave the police officer PR's writing pad when he was asked for a sample of her handwriting. If he was aware that PR or BR (or he) had written the note at that stage, he would not have given that pad to the officer (especially given that there was evidence of a "false start" RN on the pad).

I think JR's knowledge of the true situation, and involvement as an accessory after the fact, began during the 1.5 hours that he was missing on the morning of 26 December (after police arrived but before JBR was "found"). MOO

 

[grapedrink]

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.

 

[BBB167893]

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.

Maybe that's your problem, grapedrink: you expect it to make sense. If that seems too much of a handwave for you, keeping it short would have been better in hindsight, but that wouldn't have allowed her to drop those little hints at who the "kidnapper" was. Maybe she thought that's what was needed.

 

[No it's not]

The stairwell where the ransom note was found according to PR:

Source: Paula Woodward
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIpISsUtk7LemdNDHAz4ycA

 

[PositiveLight]

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.

Patsy was all about over the top dramatic flair in everything she did. So that's another reason why the note in my opinion is so obviously done by Patsy. A true kidnapper would have done it short and to the point. Plus....they would have actually took the kid. Welcome to the forums Grape! *Waves!*

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[dbsabzb]

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.

 

[InstantProof]

Totally agree Linda7NJ.

Also, I don't think that JR originally considered that the RN was written by anyone inside the house, because he was the one who gave the police officer PR's writing pad when he was asked for a sample of her handwriting. If he was aware that PR or BR (or he) had written the note at that stage, he would not have given that pad to the officer (especially given that there was evidence of a "false start" RN on the pad).

I think JR's knowledge of the true situation, and involvement as an accessory after the fact, began during the 1.5 hours that he was missing on the morning of 26 December (after police arrived but before JBR was "found"). MOO

I think he's mostly ignorant about what is going on but he must have been in on it to some degree, to be involved with keeping Burke in bed, not asking Burke if he saw anything and so on. I don't think he believed it was a real kidnapping from before the 911 call.

 

[InstantProof]

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.

I've thinkt the note is long to have the "do not contact anyone" information buried. Patsy said she read the first few lines and then ran to check on JB. That sounds believable to me, for a parent to become frantic before reading 3 pages. The length allows her to claim ignorance about being warned not to contact anyone, when she does just that. The movie dialogue may have been someone struggling to think of things to write to fill out a long ransom note.

 

[BBB167893]

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.

That's what Ron Walker said, too.

 

[k-mac]

I think he did not see it until he came down the stairs I think he was clueless when he heard Patsy scream. I think once he saw the RN, he immediately recognized Patsy's writing and style and started to put it together fairly quickly. Not details, just the fact that something was very wrong, aside from the obvious, and that Patsy was involved.

totally disagree! jmho
the wording "proper burial" was uttered (pretty sure the cnn tv appearance) by non other than JR . ironic dont you think the author also used the term "proper burial"?

:thinking: