BC, speaking of the Stines, it is clear that John Ramsey tried very hard to avoid mentioning them in his October 20, 1998
deposition.
Excerpt:
Page 38
16
Q. I'm looking for, you know, as best you can, a
17 comprehensive list of your friend and associates.
18
A. Friends -- they typically revolved around
19 children. John and Barbara Fernie, Fleet and Priscilla
20 White, Larry and Pinky Barber. I think those are probably
21 our three --
22
Q. The top of the list?
23
A. Yeah.
24
Q. How about any others that you would consider to
25 have been social acquaintances on a friendly basis?
Page 39
1
A. There were lots of people that would fall in
2 that category by the end of five years.
3
Q. I know it's daunting, but as best you can, if we
4 can get a list of as many of those as you recall today, it
5 would be very helpful, please.
6 MR. CRAVER: Social acquaintances on a friendly
7 basis?
8 MR. HILL: Right.
9 MR. CRAVER: People that you knew through the
10 church, activities through the church, things of that
11 nature, through work?
12
Q. Who would be invited to your house for dinner,
13 for example?
14
A. Well, our neighbors across the street, Betty and
15 Joe Barnhill. We had Betsy -- I can't think of their last
16 names. Roxy and Stewart Walker. We knew lots of people,
17 but then that's kind of the people we socialized with.
18
Q. Is that pretty much the complete list of people
19 that you would want to spend time with?
20
A. I don't know if it's a complete list. It's all
21 that comes to mind. Penny and Dr. Buff.
22
Q. If more names do come to mind between now and
23 when you review the transcript, if you don't mind just
24 inking that in so we have the best, most complete list we
25 can get, I would appreciate that.
Page 40
1 And the court reporter might leave a couple
2 blank lines to accommodate or remind you that we'd like to
3 do that, if you don't --
4
A. Yeah.
5 (Blank line)
6 MR. GRAY: Is this the list of people that have
7 been to dinner at his house, a list of close friends, or a
8 list of -- I just want to make sure we understand what
9 you're asking him to make a list of, please?
10 MR. HILL: People Mr. Ramsey considers to be
11 social friends, including especially close friends and
12 people that the Ramseys invited to dine in their home.
13 THE WITNESS: We had, for example, a church
14 dinner at our house. There were 80 people there and I
15 didn't know --
16
Q. I'm not too worried about that. If there were
17 members of that group that came again, for example,
18 individually, I would be interested in having those
19 indicated. Does that help?
20
A. Yes.
21
Q. I understand a lot of people came to your house.
22 For example, from what I've read, you maintained open
23 houses from time to time?
24
A. We did an open house to benefit the historical
25 society one year.
Page 41
1
Q. Did you maintain a guest book at the house?
2
A. We didn't. I don't know --
3
Q. If the historical society did?
4
A. Yeah, if they did. And they sold tickets to go
5 through several houses at Christmas time.
6
Q. Actually, you occasionally also entertained at
7 your home, if I remember correctly?
8
A. Yes.
9
Q. Prior to the unfortunate tragedy, you
10 entertained at your home; is that correct?
11
A. Uh-huh.
12 MR. CRAVER: What do you mean by "prior"? You
13 mean during the years prior?
14 MR. HILL: During the month prior.
15 MR. CRAVER: Okay.
16
A. Yes.
17
Q. I have information that you hosted a party on
18 December 23; is that correct?
19
A. That's correct.
20 Q. Who did you invite to that party?
21
A. They were a group of friends and their children.
22 Certainly some of the people I've mentioned were there.
23 Priscilla White's parents were there. Some guests they
24 had, who we didn't know, were there. There might have
25 been others. That's all I can remember.
~~~~
John mentions the Stines only when he can't avoid it, and he downplays their relationship.
~~~~~
Page 50
13
Q. Do you have anyone running interference for you
14 with respect to social contacts or attempts? Anyone
15 taking calls or screening calls?
16
A. Not -- we did for a while, only because we lived
17 with some people.
18
Q. Who were those people?
19
A. Susan and Glenn Stine.
20
Q. Should I add them to your list of close friends?
21
A. They were not close friends, believe it or not.
22 They were friends, but we didn't socialize a lot with
23 them.
~~~
How interesting that John didn't include the Stines when naming friends and aquaintances, but he did name Betsy-he-can't remember-their-last-names.
imo