If outsiders werent allowed in the pageants, who came up with the theory....

[Chrishope]

Someone on drugs such as meth is still my favorite suspect. Illegal drugs aren't part of my world, fortunately, so it's hard to relate. There were plenty of druggies in Boulder. Writing the note, and coming up with a half-assed plan could have been done when the person(s) were high---and had a sense of omnipotence---thinking they could do anything. Coming down from drugs can cause a rage--particularly if their plan was unravelling. Stun guns and bats were the preferred weapons at the time in the Boulder area---the Boulder Camera had stories about the use of both. I've yet to see a psychological profile of a perp on drugs doing a crime such as this. It wouldn't necessarily have had to be a pedophile, IMO. The overkill and sexual assault could have been part of the rage. The person could have known JR or known of him. A lot of criminals cruise the paper for victims.....a front page story about a billionaire could have caught someone's attention. That appears to be more likely due to the timing of the article and the murder.

Highly improbable.

I've yet to see a psychological profile of a perp on drugs doing a crime such as this.

Kinda says it all.

 

[Maikai]

how does this someone on meth know about John's 'good ole southern common sense' inside joke?


Sigh..... I don't know how anyone can read that ransom note and still believe that an intruder did it.

How do you know it was a joke? There was enough information in the article where someone may have assumed he was from the south...which could indicate they didn't know that much about him, since he's from Michigan.

 

[brit1981]

how does this someone on meth know about John's 'good ole southern common sense' inside joke?


Sigh..... I don't know how anyone can read that ransom note and still believe that an intruder did it.

Because maybe whoever wrote it, it was never really a ransom note, just a sick way to torment the parents. Why does it have to be either the family wrote it, or it is was really intended as a ransom note? If there is somuch conclusive evidence why have the Ramsey's never been charged? It does not sound like LE or the original DA were big fans.

 

[Chrishope]

Because maybe whoever wrote it, it was never really a ransom note, just a sick way to torment the parents. Why does it have to be either the family wrote it, or it is was really intended as a ransom note? If there is somuch conclusive evidence why have the Ramsey's never been charged? It does not sound like LE or the original DA were big fans.

Wouldn't killing her be torment enough? We know it was never really a RN because JBs body was in the basement where it should have been found, relatively quickly. As it turns out, it wasn't found quickly, but no kidnapper could have really figured on that. So, no added torment by making them believe she'd been kidnapped - at least not for long.

Even if meant to torment, why the nonsense about a small foreign faction? No one in their right mind believed that crap. Why ask for $118,000 -the amount of JR's bonus? That doens't add to the torment, it just makes the note harder to believe. Why advise JR to be well rested? How does that torment? Why advise JR to bring an adequately sized attache case? How does that torment?

 

[Whaleshark]

How do you know it was a joke? There was enough information in the article where someone may have assumed he was from the south...which could indicate they didn't know that much about him, since he's from Michigan.

How do i know it was a joke? Because I read the case material. Maybe if you read up on it, and read the specific testimony that states how that was an inside joke among them, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about...

...In fact, after all these years, how do you NOT know about it being an inside joke.

Maybe that's why you are still IDI.

Even if someone assumed he was from the south, they wouldn't know about the inside joke. If you were new to this story, I'd find the info and post it here for you, but since you're not, you might want to go read up on A Candy Rose about the 'good ole southern common sense' inside joke.

A random person on meth off the street is not going to know about the specifics in the ransom note, and probably not write in an educated genteel southern dialect including 'hence, attache, gentlemen', etc....
A random person on meth is also probably not going to care about the grammatical correctness of this literary piece of fiction - making sure to add an accent mark and a caret in the right place, include a salutation, storyline, and a closing.

And if he's that f'd up, it's interesting that he didn't steal one thing, leave one thing out of place (being that his main drive would be to secure funds for his drugs), and was as stealthy as could be, even though he was suppposedly so tweaked out that he did what he did to JBR...

 

[brit1981]

There could have been another purpose to the note - it stopped the house being searched by the ramseys. I know when a friend's child went missing (she was found fine after an hour or so), we searched the entire house (and this was a huge place) several time before we called the police. The only reason the ramsey's did not was because of the note. I cannot see what benefit that would have had, unless someone wrote it thinking the ramseys would not call the police, and give them time to hide Jonbenet.

 

[Whaleshark]

it did not stop the house from being 'searched' by the ramseys.... they 'searched' the house, as they said... you think they didn't 'search' the house because they didn't 'find' her in the wine cellar once they got the note, but then did a complete 'search' once the officer told them to?

there was a lot of 'searching' going on - see here:

http://jonbenetramsey.pbworks.com/w/page/11682461/December%2026

Before 6:00 AM
2:00 AM Neighbor Heard Scream. Neighbor Melody Stanton heard scream (details).

~5:30 AM John Ramsey Awoke. "Defendants assert they woke around 5:30 a.m. and proceeded to get ready for their trip. While Mr. Ramsey took a shower, Mrs. Ramsey put back on the same outfit she had on the night before and reapplied her makeup. (SMF P 15.)" (Carnes 2003: 7) John Ramsey reportedly awoke before Patsy, at about 5:30, and dressed after showering (Schiller 1999a:77).


~5:33 AM Patsy Ramsey Awoke. Patsy Ramsey awoke "a few minutes later;" dressed, put on make-up and went to 2nd floor to rinse out JBR jumpsuit and then went downstairs to kitchen (Schiller 1999a:77). Ramsey & Ramsey (2001:10) states she put clothes for trip into plastic bag (there is no allusion to rinsing the jumpsuit).

~5:45 Ransom Note Discovered. "Mrs. Ramsey then went down the backstairs towards the second floor, then the spiral stairs towards the ground floor, where, on a step near the bottom of the stairs, she discovered a handwritten note on three sheets of paper that indicated JonBenét had been kidnapped (the "Ransom Note"). (SMF P 16)." (Carnes 2003:7). Patsy Ramsey "told Det. Arndt that she found a note at the bottom of the staircase" at "approximately" 5:45 AM (Byfield 1997:1)

~5:45 AM JBR Found Missing. "As she descended the back stairwell, she discovered the Ransom Note and read only those few lines stating that JonBenét was kidnapped, but "safe and unharmed," and demanding $118,000 for her return. (SMF P 17; PSMF P 17.) Mrs. Ramsey immediately screamed and proceeded to check JonBenét's room, which was empty. (SMF P 18; PSMF P 18)." (Carnes 2003:11-12). Patsy Ramsey discovered JBR missing at "approximately 5:45 AM" (Byfield 1997:1).

Before 5:52 AM Parents Checked on Burke. "After hearing Mrs. Ramsey's scream, Mr. Ramsey ran downstairs and met Mrs. Ramsey in the stairwell. Together, they checked on their son who appeared to be asleep in his room. (SMF P 18; PSMF P 18.)" (Carnes 2003:12).

Before 5:52 AM John Ramsey Read RN. "Mr. Ramsey then went downstairs to read the Ransom Note, while Mrs. Ramsey called the police, informing them that her child had been kidnapped. (SMF P 19; PSMF P 19)" (Carnes 2003:12).

5:52 AM Patsy Ramsey Made 911 Call. John told Patsy to call police; 911 call logged at 5:52 AM (Schiller 1999a:78). The Daily Camera places this call at 5:45 AM, as does Bardach (1997).


After 5:52 AM Ramseys Phone Family Friends. Fleet & Priscilla White and John & Barbara Fernie (friends of family) had been phoned "shortly after the note was found" (Byfield 1997:1). Schiller (1999a:78) states that Patsy had called Whites & Fernies "immediately after" the 911 call; Ramsey & Ramsey (2001: 12-13) states she called Fernies first and then Whites. Schiller places the call to the Whites at "at about 6:00 AM" with house guest Clif Gaston picking up the phone (1999a:44); since the call was placed before Officer French arrived, it must have been before 5:59 AM since that is the time Schiller has French arriving at the house.

5:59 AM Officer French Arrived. BPD officers Karl Veitch and Rick French are reported to have "responded to" 911 call at 5:52 AM, but it is not clear whether this denotes actual time of arrival at the house (Byfield 1997:1. "Office Rick French of the Boulder Police arrived at the defendants' home in a marked car a few minutes before six a.m., followed soon after by Detective Linda Arndt. (SMF P 21; PSMF P 21.)" (Carnes 2003:14). BPD Officer Rick French was the first law officer to arrive at Ramsey house at 5:59 AM (Schiller 1999a:77), i.e., 7 minutes after the 911 call (Schiller 1999a:78). Glick et al. (1998) concurs French arrived "just before 6 a.m." The Daily Camera has French and Veitch arriving at the Ramseys at 5:45 AM.

After 5:59 AM Officer French Read RN. In a story based on reading police reports, Newsweek reporters claim "French read the ransom note and later conducted a quick search of the house" although no timeframe is given for this (Glick et al. 1998). In contrast, Schiller claims French did the house search and then read the ransom note (Schiller 1999a:7; source and summary provided by Internet poster Athena). French himself stated in a Vanity Fair interview that after being greeted by Patsy on arrival, "John Ramsey directed me through the house and pointed out a three-page handwritten note which was laid on the wooden floor just west of the kitchen area" (Bardach 1997).

After 5:59 AM Officer Veitch Arrived. BPD officer Karl Veitch arrived before Fernies (Ramsey & Ramsey 1999a: 14). "Contrary to normal protocol, the police did not seal off the defendants' home, with the sole exception being the interior of JonBenét's bedroom. In other words, any person in the Ramsey house could, and often did, move freely throughout the home. (SMF P 21; PSMF P 22.)" (Carnes 2003:13).

After 5:59 AM John Fernie Arrived. John Fernie arrived at Ramsey house; his wife Barbara Fernie came "later" (Schiller 1999a: 44); Fernie was the first friend to arrive and he tried the patio door first (Schiller 1999a:78). This is consistent with the search warrant affidavit that Fernies were phoned "shortly after the note was found" and "immediately" come over. (Byfield 1997:1)

6:00-8:00 AM
After 6:00 AM Officer French Searched Basement. However, according to Schiller, after arriving at 6:59 AM, French "immediately" searched the house looking for a point of entry; only after he did that search did he read the ransom note. The Newsweek story based on police reports is consistent with Schilling on timing even though it asserts that the search came after reading the RN (Glick et al., 1998). Thomas's account is far different in terms of timing: "with detectives finally on the scene [they arrived at 8:10 according to Thomas] to handle witnesses, French checked the garage and lower levels of the house, looking for places through which the kidnapper might have carried off the child. He found none. The house was messy, but he saw no sign of a struggle" (Thomas 2000:22-23). Reconciliation of these conflicting accounts is provided at the end of the following event.

After 6:00 AM Officer French Fails to Search Wine Cellar Room. Glick et al. (1998) states that in French's search of the basement (time unstated), "he came to a door secured with a wooden latch. According to police reports obtained by NEWSWEEK, he paused for a moment in front of the door--but walked away." JBR's body was later found behind this same door, so why did French not open the door? "In the police report French filed about the events that morning, he says he didn't open the door to the basement room because he was looking for exits the kidnapper might have used. He noticed the latch was on the wrong side for a door leading out of the house. So he kept moving" (Glick et al. 1998). This is consistent with Schiller who reports: "Rick French....was reportedly still tortured by his failure to open the wine cellar door when he searched the house in those first few minutes" (Schiller 1999a:660; source and quote provided by Internet poster Athena).

Thomas provides a very similar account: "In the basement he also came to the white door at the far end of the that was closed and secured at the top by the wooden block on a screw. French was looking for exit points from the house and the door obviously was not one. No one could have gone through that door, closed it behind them, and locked it on the opposite side by turning the wooden latch, so he did not open it." (Thomas 2000:22-23).


This raises the question of how to resolve a 2-hour discrepancy between what might be viewed as "insider" accounts. Glick et al., do not provide an exact time, but it is clear that it nearly matches Schiller's rather than Thomas's as they flatly assert: "He noticed the latch was on the wrong side for a door leading out of the house. So he kept moving. Soon other officers arrived, including detectives and a forensics team that began dusting the house for fingerprints and searching for other clues" (Glick et al., 1998), so the search clearly was before the other detectives arrived, a flat contradiction of Thomas. Given that Glick et al. are professional reporters relying on police reports and produce a story consistent with Schiller, who conducted numerous interviews, their account probably should be accorded more credence than Thomas's even though he too in theory had access to the same police reports.

~6:03 AM Whites Arrived. Fleet & Priscilla White arrived at Ramsey house "minutes after" 6:00 AM (Schiller 1999a: 44). This is consistent with the search warrant affidavit that Whites had been phoned "shortly after the note was found" and "immediately" come over (Byfield 1997:1). Whites reportedly came "promptly" after being called (Carnes, 2003:12).

~6:06 AM Fleet White Searched Basement. Fleet White went downstairs to basement to look for JBR (Schiller 1999a: 44). This time is supported by Carnes (2003:14): "The Whites arrived at defendant's home at approximately 6:00 a.m., and Mr. White, alone, searched the basement within fifteen minutes of arrival. (SMF P 23; PSMF P 23.) Mr. White testified that when he began his search, the lights were already on in the basement and the door in the hallway leading to the basement "wine cellar" room was opened. (SMF P 25; PSMF P 25; White Dep. at 147, 151-52.)" (Carnes 2003:14).

After 6:06 AM Fleet White Searched Train Room. "He further testified that a window in the basement playroom was broken. (SMF P 26; PSMF P 26; White Dep. at 28, 152 & 154.) Under the broken window, Mr. White states there was a suitcase, along with a broken shard of glass. (SMF P 27; PSMF P 27; White Dep. at 28-29, 156-59, & 15 265.) He does not, however, remember whether the window was opened or closed. n11 (SMF P 28; PSMF P 28; White Dep. at 153.)" (Carnes 2003:14).

After 6:06 AM Fleet White Searched Wine Cellar Room. "Mr. White also opened the door to the wine cellar room, but he could not see anything inside because it was dark and he could not find the light switch. (SMF P 29; PSMF P 29; White Dep. at 159-61.)" (Carnes 2003:14).

Before 6:45 AM John Ramsey Calls Pilot. John Ramsey leaves message for his pilot Michael Archuleta who returns the call a few minutes later; Patsy answers the phone (Schiller 1999a:78).

6:45 AM Weiss, Barcklow and Reichenbach Arrive. BPD officers Barry Weiss, Sue Barcklow, and Sgt. Paul Reichenbach arrive at Ramsey house (Schiller 1999a:79); the search warrant affidavit confirms that Weiss was at the house when Arndt arrived at 8:00 AM (Byfield 1997:1).

6:45 AM Priscilla White called niece at White house (Schiller 1999a:44).

~7:00 AM Burke Ramsey is awakened and dressed (Schiller 1999a:45).

After 7:00 AM Rev. Hoverstock Arrived. Rev. Hoverstock from St. John's Episcopalian Church arrives at Ramsey house just before Burke left to go to White's house (Schiller 1999a:45); the search warrant affidavit states the pastor arrived "shortly after the note was found" (Byfield 1997:1).

After 7:00 AM Burke Ramsey Taken to Whites. Burke Ramsey is taken by Fleet White and John Fernie to pick up the Fernie children and then taken to the White's home (Schiller 1999a:45).

Between 7:00-8:00 AM John Ramsey Searched Basement. "at around ten a.m., Mr. Ramsey also searched the basement area alone. He testified he found the broken window partially open. (SMF P 30; PSMF P 30; J. Ramsey Dep. at 30.) Under the broken window, Mr. Ramsey also saw the same suitcase seen earlier by Mr. White. Mr. Ramsey testified that the suitcase belonged to his family, but was normally stored in a different place. (SMF P 31; 16 PSMF P 31; J. Ramsey Dep. at 17.) *1331 Mr. Ramsey then returned upstairs. Plaintiff Chris Wolf theorizes that Mr. Ramsey actually found JonBenét's body at this time. (PSDMF P 57.)" (Carnes 2003:14]. Internet poster Bluecrab claims he did more than just check the window. It appears that Carnes may have this time wrong. In his 1998 testimony, John Ramsey provides several different times for when he searched the basement on his own. He first states "It would have been that time period: seven to nine." (p. 155, lines 19-20) and later reiterates "it was probably some time between seven and nine" (p. 157, lines 12-13). When asked whether it was before or after Whites and Fernies arrived, John stated: "I think it was after, because they came fairly early" (p. 174, lines 1-2). He then reiterated: "The best I can do is, it was, I believe, after the police came. Because they had gone through the house before I figured out what I'm going to do. It was before ten o'clock. They had already done some preparation before that. So it would have been before. Probably before nine. So then somewhere between seven and nine." (p. 174, lines 5-11). But when reminded that the RN said a phone call would come between 8 and 10 AM, NOT 10-12 AM, as John had supposed, John made clear that he had visited the basement prior to that time since "When we were ready for the phone call and I was prepped about what I was going to say and I was getting the family ready. And so between that period of time we were just waiting for the phone call and I was near the phone. And I was either in the study or on the first floor. I just waiting for it." (p. 174, lines 22-25; p. 175, lines 1-3). In response to a query from Mike Kane, John Ramsey confirmed that his trip to the basement "would have been before that time period." (p. 175, lines 6-7). However, Internet poster Amber believes John must have visited the basement before either Fleet White or Officer French since he found a chair in front of the train room door and there's no good reason to believe White or French would have re-blocked the door with the chair after they entered the train room (which both did according to their own accounts). If so, John's trip would have been before 6:00 AM....

 

[BBB167893]

brit1981,
Have you ever considered that the purpose of the documentary was to directly influence you with the idea that a pedophile external to the Ramsey household was responsible for her death?

After all if you have the money and the ability to sow the seeds of doubt, why not?


.

Not to mention an anti-American college professor (one of many) looking to make money and bash the US legal system at the same time. Talk about a perfect pigeon.

 

[BBB167893]

I agree it was something like that. This was rage, but not just a quick snap like one might expect from a parents. She was strangled with a ligiture, that was not quick, then she was hit on the head with force, and at some point she had been sexually assaulted. It was rage, but a long drawn out sadistic rage.

Actually, it's believed that the head strike was done first in a rage, and the rest was staging.

 

[BBB167893]

How do you know it was a joke? There was enough information in the article where someone may have assumed he was from the south...which could indicate they didn't know that much about him, since he's from Michigan.

What do you mean, "HOW?" It's been established for a long time that Patsy's mother and sisters thought it was funny to refer to John's "good Southern common sense" when he was not from the South at all.

 

[BBB167893]

If there is so much conclusive evidence why have the Ramsey's never been charged?

How much time do you have, brit1981? Because the answer is quite LONG!

It does not sound like LE or the original DA were big fans.

brit1981, you may not know this, but here in the United States, inside cases like this are not solved on forensic evidence. They're solved be getting confessions. No, LE were NOT big fans of the Ramseys. Maybe even Alex Hunter (the original DA you speak of) wasn't. (As opposed to many on his staff!) But he WAS an anti-police, 1960's leftist who viewed standard investigative techniques as fascism.

 

[Chrishope]

How much time do you have, brit1981? Because the answer is quite LONG!



brit1981, you may not know this, but here in the United States, inside cases like this are not solved on forensic evidence. They're solved be getting confessions. No, LE were NOT big fans of the Ramseys. Maybe even Alex Hunter (the original DA you speak of) wasn't. (As opposed to many on his staff!) But he WAS an anti-police, 1960's leftist who viewed standard investigative techniques as fascism.

I suspect most murder cases are solved by juries, after they hear evidence.

 

[UKGuy]

it did not stop the house from being 'searched' by the ramseys.... they 'searched' the house, as they said... you think they didn't 'search' the house because they didn't 'find' her in the wine cellar once they got the note, but then did a complete 'search' once the officer told them to?

there was a lot of 'searching' going on - see here:

http://jonbenetramsey.pbworks.com/w/page/11682461/December%2026

Before 6:00 AM
2:00 AM Neighbor Heard Scream. Neighbor Melody Stanton heard scream (details).

~5:30 AM John Ramsey Awoke. "Defendants assert they woke around 5:30 a.m. and proceeded to get ready for their trip. While Mr. Ramsey took a shower, Mrs. Ramsey put back on the same outfit she had on the night before and reapplied her makeup. (SMF P 15.)" (Carnes 2003: 7) John Ramsey reportedly awoke before Patsy, at about 5:30, and dressed after showering (Schiller 1999a:77).


~5:33 AM Patsy Ramsey Awoke. Patsy Ramsey awoke "a few minutes later;" dressed, put on make-up and went to 2nd floor to rinse out JBR jumpsuit and then went downstairs to kitchen (Schiller 1999a:77). Ramsey & Ramsey (2001:10) states she put clothes for trip into plastic bag (there is no allusion to rinsing the jumpsuit).

~5:45 Ransom Note Discovered. "Mrs. Ramsey then went down the backstairs towards the second floor, then the spiral stairs towards the ground floor, where, on a step near the bottom of the stairs, she discovered a handwritten note on three sheets of paper that indicated JonBenét had been kidnapped (the "Ransom Note"). (SMF P 16)." (Carnes 2003:7). Patsy Ramsey "told Det. Arndt that she found a note at the bottom of the staircase" at "approximately" 5:45 AM (Byfield 1997:1)

~5:45 AM JBR Found Missing. "As she descended the back stairwell, she discovered the Ransom Note and read only those few lines stating that JonBenét was kidnapped, but "safe and unharmed," and demanding $118,000 for her return. (SMF P 17; PSMF P 17.) Mrs. Ramsey immediately screamed and proceeded to check JonBenét's room, which was empty. (SMF P 18; PSMF P 18)." (Carnes 2003:11-12). Patsy Ramsey discovered JBR missing at "approximately 5:45 AM" (Byfield 1997:1).

Before 5:52 AM Parents Checked on Burke. "After hearing Mrs. Ramsey's scream, Mr. Ramsey ran downstairs and met Mrs. Ramsey in the stairwell. Together, they checked on their son who appeared to be asleep in his room. (SMF P 18; PSMF P 18.)" (Carnes 2003:12).

Before 5:52 AM John Ramsey Read RN. "Mr. Ramsey then went downstairs to read the Ransom Note, while Mrs. Ramsey called the police, informing them that her child had been kidnapped. (SMF P 19; PSMF P 19)" (Carnes 2003:12).

5:52 AM Patsy Ramsey Made 911 Call. John told Patsy to call police; 911 call logged at 5:52 AM (Schiller 1999a:78). The Daily Camera places this call at 5:45 AM, as does Bardach (1997).


After 5:52 AM Ramseys Phone Family Friends. Fleet & Priscilla White and John & Barbara Fernie (friends of family) had been phoned "shortly after the note was found" (Byfield 1997:1). Schiller (1999a:78) states that Patsy had called Whites & Fernies "immediately after" the 911 call; Ramsey & Ramsey (2001: 12-13) states she called Fernies first and then Whites. Schiller places the call to the Whites at "at about 6:00 AM" with house guest Clif Gaston picking up the phone (1999a:44); since the call was placed before Officer French arrived, it must have been before 5:59 AM since that is the time Schiller has French arriving at the house.

5:59 AM Officer French Arrived. BPD officers Karl Veitch and Rick French are reported to have "responded to" 911 call at 5:52 AM, but it is not clear whether this denotes actual time of arrival at the house (Byfield 1997:1. "Office Rick French of the Boulder Police arrived at the defendants' home in a marked car a few minutes before six a.m., followed soon after by Detective Linda Arndt. (SMF P 21; PSMF P 21.)" (Carnes 2003:14). BPD Officer Rick French was the first law officer to arrive at Ramsey house at 5:59 AM (Schiller 1999a:77), i.e., 7 minutes after the 911 call (Schiller 1999a:78). Glick et al. (1998) concurs French arrived "just before 6 a.m." The Daily Camera has French and Veitch arriving at the Ramseys at 5:45 AM.

After 5:59 AM Officer French Read RN. In a story based on reading police reports, Newsweek reporters claim "French read the ransom note and later conducted a quick search of the house" although no timeframe is given for this (Glick et al. 1998). In contrast, Schiller claims French did the house search and then read the ransom note (Schiller 1999a:7; source and summary provided by Internet poster Athena). French himself stated in a Vanity Fair interview that after being greeted by Patsy on arrival, "John Ramsey directed me through the house and pointed out a three-page handwritten note which was laid on the wooden floor just west of the kitchen area" (Bardach 1997).

After 5:59 AM Officer Veitch Arrived. BPD officer Karl Veitch arrived before Fernies (Ramsey & Ramsey 1999a: 14). "Contrary to normal protocol, the police did not seal off the defendants' home, with the sole exception being the interior of JonBenét's bedroom. In other words, any person in the Ramsey house could, and often did, move freely throughout the home. (SMF P 21; PSMF P 22.)" (Carnes 2003:13).

After 5:59 AM John Fernie Arrived. John Fernie arrived at Ramsey house; his wife Barbara Fernie came "later" (Schiller 1999a: 44); Fernie was the first friend to arrive and he tried the patio door first (Schiller 1999a:78). This is consistent with the search warrant affidavit that Fernies were phoned "shortly after the note was found" and "immediately" come over. (Byfield 1997:1)

6:00-8:00 AM
After 6:00 AM Officer French Searched Basement. However, according to Schiller, after arriving at 6:59 AM, French "immediately" searched the house looking for a point of entry; only after he did that search did he read the ransom note. The Newsweek story based on police reports is consistent with Schilling on timing even though it asserts that the search came after reading the RN (Glick et al., 1998). Thomas's account is far different in terms of timing: "with detectives finally on the scene [they arrived at 8:10 according to Thomas] to handle witnesses, French checked the garage and lower levels of the house, looking for places through which the kidnapper might have carried off the child. He found none. The house was messy, but he saw no sign of a struggle" (Thomas 2000:22-23). Reconciliation of these conflicting accounts is provided at the end of the following event.

After 6:00 AM Officer French Fails to Search Wine Cellar Room. Glick et al. (1998) states that in French's search of the basement (time unstated), "he came to a door secured with a wooden latch. According to police reports obtained by NEWSWEEK, he paused for a moment in front of the door--but walked away." JBR's body was later found behind this same door, so why did French not open the door? "In the police report French filed about the events that morning, he says he didn't open the door to the basement room because he was looking for exits the kidnapper might have used. He noticed the latch was on the wrong side for a door leading out of the house. So he kept moving" (Glick et al. 1998). This is consistent with Schiller who reports: "Rick French....was reportedly still tortured by his failure to open the wine cellar door when he searched the house in those first few minutes" (Schiller 1999a:660; source and quote provided by Internet poster Athena).

Thomas provides a very similar account: "In the basement he also came to the white door at the far end of the that was closed and secured at the top by the wooden block on a screw. French was looking for exit points from the house and the door obviously was not one. No one could have gone through that door, closed it behind them, and locked it on the opposite side by turning the wooden latch, so he did not open it." (Thomas 2000:22-23).


This raises the question of how to resolve a 2-hour discrepancy between what might be viewed as "insider" accounts. Glick et al., do not provide an exact time, but it is clear that it nearly matches Schiller's rather than Thomas's as they flatly assert: "He noticed the latch was on the wrong side for a door leading out of the house. So he kept moving. Soon other officers arrived, including detectives and a forensics team that began dusting the house for fingerprints and searching for other clues" (Glick et al., 1998), so the search clearly was before the other detectives arrived, a flat contradiction of Thomas. Given that Glick et al. are professional reporters relying on police reports and produce a story consistent with Schiller, who conducted numerous interviews, their account probably should be accorded more credence than Thomas's even though he too in theory had access to the same police reports.

~6:03 AM Whites Arrived. Fleet & Priscilla White arrived at Ramsey house "minutes after" 6:00 AM (Schiller 1999a: 44). This is consistent with the search warrant affidavit that Whites had been phoned "shortly after the note was found" and "immediately" come over (Byfield 1997:1). Whites reportedly came "promptly" after being called (Carnes, 2003:12).

~6:06 AM Fleet White Searched Basement. Fleet White went downstairs to basement to look for JBR (Schiller 1999a: 44). This time is supported by Carnes (2003:14): "The Whites arrived at defendant's home at approximately 6:00 a.m., and Mr. White, alone, searched the basement within fifteen minutes of arrival. (SMF P 23; PSMF P 23.) Mr. White testified that when he began his search, the lights were already on in the basement and the door in the hallway leading to the basement "wine cellar" room was opened. (SMF P 25; PSMF P 25; White Dep. at 147, 151-52.)" (Carnes 2003:14).

After 6:06 AM Fleet White Searched Train Room. "He further testified that a window in the basement playroom was broken. (SMF P 26; PSMF P 26; White Dep. at 28, 152 & 154.) Under the broken window, Mr. White states there was a suitcase, along with a broken shard of glass. (SMF P 27; PSMF P 27; White Dep. at 28-29, 156-59, & 15 265.) He does not, however, remember whether the window was opened or closed. n11 (SMF P 28; PSMF P 28; White Dep. at 153.)" (Carnes 2003:14).

After 6:06 AM Fleet White Searched Wine Cellar Room. "Mr. White also opened the door to the wine cellar room, but he could not see anything inside because it was dark and he could not find the light switch. (SMF P 29; PSMF P 29; White Dep. at 159-61.)" (Carnes 2003:14).

Before 6:45 AM John Ramsey Calls Pilot. John Ramsey leaves message for his pilot Michael Archuleta who returns the call a few minutes later; Patsy answers the phone (Schiller 1999a:78).

6:45 AM Weiss, Barcklow and Reichenbach Arrive. BPD officers Barry Weiss, Sue Barcklow, and Sgt. Paul Reichenbach arrive at Ramsey house (Schiller 1999a:79); the search warrant affidavit confirms that Weiss was at the house when Arndt arrived at 8:00 AM (Byfield 1997:1).

6:45 AM Priscilla White called niece at White house (Schiller 1999a:44).

~7:00 AM Burke Ramsey is awakened and dressed (Schiller 1999a:45).

After 7:00 AM Rev. Hoverstock Arrived. Rev. Hoverstock from St. John's Episcopalian Church arrives at Ramsey house just before Burke left to go to White's house (Schiller 1999a:45); the search warrant affidavit states the pastor arrived "shortly after the note was found" (Byfield 1997:1).

After 7:00 AM Burke Ramsey Taken to Whites. Burke Ramsey is taken by Fleet White and John Fernie to pick up the Fernie children and then taken to the White's home (Schiller 1999a:45).

Between 7:00-8:00 AM John Ramsey Searched Basement. "at around ten a.m., Mr. Ramsey also searched the basement area alone. He testified he found the broken window partially open. (SMF P 30; PSMF P 30; J. Ramsey Dep. at 30.) Under the broken window, Mr. Ramsey also saw the same suitcase seen earlier by Mr. White. Mr. Ramsey testified that the suitcase belonged to his family, but was normally stored in a different place. (SMF P 31; 16 PSMF P 31; J. Ramsey Dep. at 17.) *1331 Mr. Ramsey then returned upstairs. Plaintiff Chris Wolf theorizes that Mr. Ramsey actually found JonBenét's body at this time. (PSDMF P 57.)" (Carnes 2003:14]. Internet poster Bluecrab claims he did more than just check the window. It appears that Carnes may have this time wrong. In his 1998 testimony, John Ramsey provides several different times for when he searched the basement on his own. He first states "It would have been that time period: seven to nine." (p. 155, lines 19-20) and later reiterates "it was probably some time between seven and nine" (p. 157, lines 12-13). When asked whether it was before or after Whites and Fernies arrived, John stated: "I think it was after, because they came fairly early" (p. 174, lines 1-2). He then reiterated: "The best I can do is, it was, I believe, after the police came. Because they had gone through the house before I figured out what I'm going to do. It was before ten o'clock. They had already done some preparation before that. So it would have been before. Probably before nine. So then somewhere between seven and nine." (p. 174, lines 5-11). But when reminded that the RN said a phone call would come between 8 and 10 AM, NOT 10-12 AM, as John had supposed, John made clear that he had visited the basement prior to that time since "When we were ready for the phone call and I was prepped about what I was going to say and I was getting the family ready. And so between that period of time we were just waiting for the phone call and I was near the phone. And I was either in the study or on the first floor. I just waiting for it." (p. 174, lines 22-25; p. 175, lines 1-3). In response to a query from Mike Kane, John Ramsey confirmed that his trip to the basement "would have been before that time period." (p. 175, lines 6-7). However, Internet poster Amber believes John must have visited the basement before either Fleet White or Officer French since he found a chair in front of the train room door and there's no good reason to believe White or French would have re-blocked the door with the chair after they entered the train room (which both did according to their own accounts). If so, John's trip would have been before 6:00 AM....

Whaleshark,
Excellent analysis. Others have noticed this too, but this plays into my assumption that the standard RDI is flawed precisely because it assumes the R's timeframe, but as you point out JR's timeframe is inconsistent with the physical evidence. Not unless you assume chairs have evolved to assume movement?


.

 

[Whaleshark]

Not unless you assume chairs have evolved to assume movement?

well, anything is possible now, isn't it? that must be it - what else could it be?

*Sigh* - I figure, some people are convinced to believe what they want, no matter what, no matter how implausible, so no point in wasting my breath (or typing, I suppose) for them...

:banghead:

 

[UKGuy]

well, anything is possible now, isn't it? that must be it - what else could it be?

*Sigh* - I figure, some people are convinced to believe what they want, no matter what, no matter how implausible, so no point in wasting my breath (or typing, I suppose) for them...

:banghead:

Whaleshark,
Sure, but restating the facts sometimes helps other members who might be undecided on certain aspects.

The location of the chair and John's claims regarding his passage through the basement are particularly revealing. Even if there is no smoking gun, the inconsistency brings into question Johns version of events.

The R's claim indirectly that JonBenet was killed prior to midnight, they even redressed her in a Wednesday pair of size-12's. JonBenet's headstone suggests she died prior to midnight.

I reckon this is all staging, and that JonBenet was killed after midnight. Revising the TOD does not alter much of what we know, but it might help explain why John was still traversing the basement so early that morning?

.

 

[ukrberserker23]

Actually, he was born in Nebraska. That is what you call a Midwesterner, not a Southerner. I believe I read that he met Patsy in Atlanta, even though she is from West Virginia. She and Her parents would be the only "Southerners" involved in this case.

 

[InstantProof]

There was absolutley no doubt it was designed to show it was an external intruder.

But I think Maikai has a point. If it was not the parents, then they were the targets. The murder and note seems so full of hatred, that it could easily be someone who hated the parents and had no intention of kidnapping Jonbenet, but just wrote it in a sadistic rage hence the rambling. The strangulation and the head injuries were certainly overkill. It would be interesting to now if there were any people in the area with problems with sudden rages etc.

The note doesn't read as rage or sadistic to me. Of course there are disturbing parts but the writer drifts into a number of nonchalant moments.

 

[THE BUNK]

The note doesn't read as rage or sadistic to me. Of course there are disturbing parts but the writer drifts into a number of nonchalant moments.

The writer is pretty calm and in control of his/her emotions, IMHO. A lot of people who write in rage use CAPS a lot and use lots of exclamation points (!!!!!). Much like how Internet Chats work.

 

[pageantmom]

I cannot remember the article, I am racking my brains, but it is a brief article I read seventeen years ago. I just remember it was a short article talking about the culture of these pagaents in America. It was definetly before she died though. She was mentioned only very briefly. basicly it mentioned that the two most "famous" pagaent queens were Jonbenet ramsey and another little girl. It spoke of them as arch rivals and then contrasted their backgrounds as the other little girl came from a much poorer background and lived in a trailer etc, where as it said Jonbenet came from a wealthy family and her mother could afford to spend a fortune on preparing her for pageants. It was only really two or three lines that mentioned them. The only reason i remember it at all is because Jonbenet was murdered, and was written about in a teen magazine I read (I think they called her little miss dead !) and I realised it was the little girl I had read about previously. It cannot have been written that long before she was murdered because I do not think I would have remembered her for that long.
Now I think about it, it might even have been in an american magazine. I know in about 1995 a friend brought me some american magazines over from the states. they were like people magazine, that type of thing. It was definetly from a magazine or newspaper targeted to adults, not teenagers so the chances are it was either one of these american magazines, or a british newspaper. Was there ever any documentaries about the pageants back then, it might even have been a review.
The documentary was called "who killed the pageant queen".

I know what article you're talking about I think, but maybe not, (scroll down, I'll copy and paste the article in my post)....this article was written after JB died, but it was talking about her and another pageant girl. It is an article about Thumper Gosney (real name Leslie Gosney) who did some pageants with jonbenet.
Thumper WAS big stuff in pageants, won a lot.
Sorry but it's not true about Jonbenet, she was a newbie and wasn't someone who won big titles. If I recall correctly she never supremes anything, just won her age group...and she didn't have a lot of titles.
Plus it was harder for her to win because her costumes weren't right, Patsy made jonbenet wear what SHE (Patsy) liked, and they weren't necessarily right for pageants. (too much black and white not enough color).
I pretty much know all the big names from way back when I was competing then and jonbenet wasn't even a blip on our radar.

As for people being let into pageants you have to buy a ticket and generally you can't buy them at the door, you have to have bought them through a contestant. Nowadays they do armbands not tickets at most pageants.
Although they are held at hotels, doors are kept closed with staff standing at the door so you can't just walk in.
Now of course maybe there are pageants that don't operate that way but I go to a lot of pageants (did them as a child and now my daughter competes) and pretty much every one we have been to is this way.
There are some small local preliminaries that are held in malls and those anyone can see because it's a mall, but, those are usually really short and only involve one outfit (party dress) not pageant costumes.


Article: (is this the one you Remember or is it a different one?)

Authors: Hilboldt-Stollev.
Use Source: Good Housekeeping; Feb99, Vol. 228 Issue 2. p102, 9p, 6c Document Type: Article
Subject Terms: BEAUTY contests
RAMSEY, JonBenet
Geographic Terms: GEORGIA
ATLANTA (Ga.)

Abstract: Examines the merits of child beauty pageants. Impact of JonBenet Ramsey's murder; Effect of pageants on development of Thumper Gosney's personality; Gosney's friendship with Ramsey; Psychological impact of beauty contests on kids; Details of Universal/Southern Charm National Pageant in Atlanta, Georgia

Full Text Word Count: 4273

PRETTY BABIES

For years, child beauty pageants quietly flourished. But since the brutal murder of JonBenet Ramsey, enrollment has plunged and pageant families are facing fierce public hostility. Do they deserve it?

There's something different about Thumper Gosney. Playing in the pool at the Atlanta Airport Marriott, the 8-year-old moves with a dancer's grace, her waist-length hair spreading like seaweed around her She's a magnet for younger kids, two little girls wearing water wings float around her, and the three form a spontaneous family. 4, Thumper (real name: Leslie) displays confidence and independence, qualities her mother is eager for her to cultivate. Susan Gosney and her husband, Gary, are older parents- Thumper's three sisters are already in their 20s -and they want their youngest to flourish on her own.

In fact, Thumper used to be quite shy, according to her mother But that was before the pageants. At age 5, Thumper visited a county fair near the Gosneys' hometown of Temple, TX, where a beauty competition is held each year. Captivated by pictures of the sparkling crowns and omate dresses worn by the previous year's winners, Thumper begged her mother to let her enter. Susan agreed. "I bought her a beautiful dress," Susan recalls "But I did everything wrong. I put her hair up in a bun, real tight, to show off the dress. I wet it, real slick She looked like a peeled grape in that big dress."

Thumper went on to lose her first five pageants. "I didn't care," she says now. "They were fun. I got to make new friends." Within a couple of years, she had won a large number of state titles and had moved on to national competitions.

Thumper, Susan, and Susan's mother, Jerry, are in Atlanta for the Universal/Southern Charm National Pageant. ( Gary, a veterinarian, would be here, too, if it didn't mean shutting down his animal clinic for the weekend and missing the Sunday school class he's taught for 27 years.) Charm, as the pageant is known, has been around for 16 years and is one of the most competitive Contestants range in age from under a year to 20-something, and come from all over the country "Everyone knows it's hard to win," says Susan. "You're competing with the cream of the crop"

The Gosneys have arrived a day early to give Thumper a chance to relax, while Susan gets her daughter's clothes ready. Charm requires elaborate outfits for each of its categories, and families often transport trunks of gear in vans and Winnebagos. But the Gosneys live too far away to drive, so Susan carried Thumper's two fanciest pageant dresses on the plane in a huge Rubbermaid plastic box, along with her irreplaceable submissions for the picture competitions, Photogenic and Portfolio. She packed a rolling footlocker for the rest of Thumper's costumes and a black ease for makeup and the three sets of hot rollers it takes to set Thumper's long hair.
'That's all Thumper's," Susan says with pride, pointing to her daughter's tresses "Most of these girls will be wearing hair extensions. We are rising false eyelashes, though. You get the same effect with mascara, but false eyelashes are easier on the eyes than fourteen coats of mascara. You just drop them on."

Thumper has emerged from the pool and is launching into the routine she'll do for the modeling competition. She flings a towel -substituting for a cape - over her wet shoulders, spins several times, and with a whoosh drops the towel to her forearm. She catches it perfectly.

It was in this hotel, in Atlanta, that Thumper Gosney met JonBenet Ramsey, five months before the pretty blond 6-year-old was found murdered in the basement of her Boulder, CO, home on December 26, 1996. The girls were competing in the same age group at the Sunburst International Pageant, though JonBenet was something of a novice, having competed only in local Colorado contests.

Susan first noticed JonBenet in the pageant book. "When you get to a pageant, you look to see who your competition is," Susan says. "I remember saying, 'That's one beautiful child.' So many kids look like cookie-cutter cutouts. Their families hire the same hair and makeup people. But she was naturally gorgeous And she was brand-new."

JonBenet was transfixed by Thumper's talent routine, Susan remembers, a rendition of a Patsy Cline number entitled "She's Got You." Playing a scorned girlfriend, Thumper yanked various objects including love letters, records, even a pair of junior golf clubs -out of her evening gown. "JonBenet wanted to know how she got all that stuff in her dress," says Susan.

Thumper and JonBenet became friends and played together. The Gosneys found JonBenet to be sweet, quiet, and unaffected. Patsy Ramsey, her mother, though mostly friendly, at one point became standoffish. The Gosneys were intrigued by JonBenet's black-and-white costumes (most pageant dresses are in vibrant colors), and asked Patsy about her dressmaker. "She gave short answers," Susan recalls, ''as if we were trying to steal her ideas" When JonBenet died, the Gosneys were stunned. Thumper sent flowers to her little friend's funeral. And then everything began to change.

Pageants celebrating female beauty and charm have been fixtures at fairs and festivals in the United States since the nineteenth century But their rise in popularity probably dates to 1954, when the Miss America pageant was first broadcast on television. Susan Gosney remembers the first time her family saw the show. "You looked up to Miss America," she recalls. "She had poise, she was beautiful. She was the ideal woman" Little girls began dreaming of one day becoming Miss America. And some parents wanted to give them ahead start.

In 1960, a Miami broadcaster hosted the first locally televised pageant for children, Little Miss Universe. By the 1980's, child pageants had become an inextricable part of life in the South, proliferating by word of mouth, without any national advertising or publicity. Children became "names" on the circuit but remained unknown outside the pageant world.

If not for JonBenet's murder, that world might have thrived in relative anonymity. But in the media frenzy following her death, pageants were condemned, even demonized. Americans were shocked by images of little girls in bejeweled dresses imitating grown-up beauty queens And in a time of heightened concern about child abuse, pageant children were seen as having been robbed of their innocence by being taught to behave in sexually provocative ways As a result, newcomers were scared away from the contests, and enrollment plunged At the same time, pageant families suddenly found themselves hounded by reporters and insulted by strangers.

At a pageant in Dallas recently, Susan Gosney reports, a group of salesmen caught sight of Thumper on her way to the ballroom. One of the men loudly remarked, "I think it's appalling you force that poor child to wear makeup like that" His words stung.

"I'm not a pushy stage mother," Susan insists. "My daughter loves our weekends together, loves dressing up, loves doing her talent routine Pageants didn't kill JonBenet," she adds emphatically. "A terrible person did."

Faye DeMatteo, mother of Rayanna, one of last year's winners at Charm, says that her family had to change their phone number twice to avoid reporters. She refused to talk to any of them, and was outraged by comments made by Geraldo Rivera on his TV show. "He said that when he sees a six-year-old in a swimsuit, he sees sex. Well, that's his perception. When I see a six-year-old in a swimsuit, I see a six-year-old in a swimsuit."

Pageant moms believe the media look through a distorted lens. And they charge that the heaviest criticism comes from people who have never even been to child beauty pageants. After psychologists and a former Miss America appeared on television to talk about the emotional damage inflicted on pageant kids, Faye and other mothers sprang into action. "We called psychological institutes around the country," she says, "even the Mayo Clinic. There are no studies. They can't produce anything to prove adverse effects."

Over and over, pageant mothers insist that their children want to participate and are not subjected to the perfectionist pressures imposed on child actors or athletes. Indeed, their behavior in competition can be charmingly unpredictable. "When Rayanna was three," Faye recalls, "she walked downstage toward the judges, bent down, and yanked off her shoes. 'These shoes hurt,' she announced. Then she set the shoes down, finished modeling, blew a kiss -and still won the top title."

Some of the regulars say that pageants help young girls the way charm schools once did. "People misunderstand pageant kids," argues Francis Clinton, grandmother of two contestants at Charm. "They have good manners, high self-esteem, and they know how to act in public. You can go into a restaurant and see a table of pageant kids eating quietly, surrounded by rowdy, badly behaved kids all over the place" Pageants may be "politically incorrect," as Faye notes, but they are also free of such scourges as drugs, alcohol, and gangs. And besides, she adds, 'There's a lot worse things you could subject your child to than spending time with her."

After JonBenet was killed, some pageant families began worrying about the safety of their children. "If people talked to you in the elevator, you'd get paranoid," says Diana Pote, mother of Charm contestant Alexandra. That fear has receded, but not the remarks. "I had one lady say [about my daughter], 'Oh, that poor baby.' It made me furious." Incidents like these have made pageant families more cautious, though. Now mothers scrub their daughter's faces and take down their hair as soon as a contest is over. And the girls themselves have stopped telling schoolmates what they do on weekends Pageants have become a secret shared only with pageant friends
Charm registration begins Friday around noon, as a line forms outside the Marriott ballroom. Faye DeMatteo, wearing a red-and-white polka dot outfit that matches her daughter's, greets everyone and hands out Charm T -shirts.

Seated behind the registration desk is Darlene Burgess, who founded Charm with her husband, Jerry, in 1982, partly because their daughter, Becky, I loved to compete. Becky is now 27 and has a 4-year-old daughter who's also on the circuit. Darlene spends time with each applicant, answering questions and giving advice about which photographs to submit "Not this one," Darlene tells a mother. "We don't do swimsuits anymore, and she's got shadows under her eyes." A pleasant-faced woman with a lilting Arkansan accent, Darlene has the air of a country doctor 'This one's cuter," she says "':

In 1997, Darlene and Jerry say they lost more than $25,000 on Charm, as paid entries dropped from 200 to 68.

'We didn't get any babies at all," says Darlene. Another casualty is Charm's pageant book, which once attracted more than 100 pages of ads from local businesses In 1997 and 1998, only a handful of ads were sold. The number of entrants remains low, but the Burgesses have reduced the amount of their cash awards and figure they'll break about even.

Loyal pageant families are undeterred by the bad publicity and continue to support what they see as a wholesome family activity. Says Hugh Roberts, the doting grandfather of Charm contestant Ashlee Golden, "I've seen people act uglier at Little League baseball games than at pageants."

But Little League has got to be cheaper. Entry fees for Charm now start at $395, with additional charges for special categories like Portfolio and Talent. It's possible, with multiple submissions, to spend more than $1,000 just to enter. Then there are the pageant dresses, which range from $300 to several thousand dollars each.

Hairstyling and makeup costs for the two-and-a-half-day pageant range from $175 to $350. And to prepare for the event, many children take modeling lessons with a coach, costing up to $85 per hour. There's also the expense of makeup and hairstyling for studio photographs To help cover costs, many pageant parents work as hairdressers, makeup artists, costume designers, or modeling coaches.

Susan Gosney runs a store in Temple where she sells cribs, children's clothes, and pageant dresses; a former dance teacher, she also coaches children and designs clothes. Since Thumper began competing, she's won more than $20,000 in U.S savings bonds. But Susan doesn't want to think about what the family has spent - -and she's grateful her husband doesn't ask. It's Friday aftenoon, and the talent competition is about to begin in the brightly lit, heavily chilled ballroom. No tickets are sold at the door, and no strangers are in the house -just pageant families. Thumper glides into the ballroom wearing a yellow chiffon dress that Susan has decorated with silk flowers and clusters of pearls. Her hair, swept off her forehead, cascades into a huge flip at her lower back, like a blond waterfall. "It takes forty-five minutes just to roll her hair," Susan says.

Three judges -all women with pageant backgrounds -are seated at a long table, a few feet from the stage, their backs to the audience. "It's not just about a voice, but also about showmanship and performance," explains judge Marie Mobley, a former contestant who now works as a flight attendant.

"You can have a great voice, but sing the wrong song." And when the competition is close, she adds, "winning can come down to an uneven hem, or the wrong accessory. It can be the parent's fault."

Talent contestants are allowed approximately three minutes on stage; exceeding the time limit may cost points.

As the girls take their turns, cries of "Go girl!" ring out. Cheering is especially loud for contestants who have surmounted personal obstacles; a teenager from Florida who tap-dances on afoot recently removed from a cast; a 12-year-old who, after seven years of speech therapy, manages to fly through a tongue-twisting country and westen ditty; a 12-year-old Indian girl singing a powerful rendition of "Amazing Grace." (The audience knows that the girl was abandoned as an infant on the streets of Calcutta and adopted by a loving family from the Midwest.)

One of the girls in Thumper's age group belts out a Broadway tune; another dances the can-can. There are the usual mishaps. One girl drops a baton; another trips on her feather boa. Finally, it's Thumper's turn. Susan gives her daughter a careful kiss, so as not to muss her makeup, then runs to the center of the house to root for her. Wearing a big smile, Thumper sings "Baby Face" into a handheld mike. She is funny and charming, though her voice seems a little thin. During the song, Thumper rocks her hips and points her finger at her cheeks and chin. She is at once coy and innocent, like a latter-day Shirley Temple. If there is something mildly disconcerting about a child performing this number, no one seems to notice.

At Charm, the talent competition does not count toward Supreme Queen - the most important title in the pageant - and Susan is already cutting her losses. 'We're doing this for practice," she offers. "It's not her normal talent routine. Thumper is a real beginner singer."

For the beauty competition Saturday moming, Thumper is made up by Toni, a pretty young mother who was herself a beauty queen and whose infant daughter now competes. She charges Susan $250 for two days. 'Toni makes Thumper prettier than anyone else," says Susan.

Dresses for the Beauty segment are elaborate Thumper's is made with palepeach crepe and decorated with velvet roses, clusters of pearls, and rhinestone applique. It shimmers under the lights.

Although she knows some people are critical of the practice, Susan has Thumper's hair colored. 'The last twelve inches were blond from swimming in chlorinated pools]," she explains. 'When we put it up, her roots were so dark, it looked like she was wearing a false hairpiece. I had her hair highlighted to even it out. Now she looks more natural than when she was natural."

Susan knows that the kids who appear joyful and spontaneous onstage have a better chance of winning -which is why she's so concerned about Thumper's smile. 'Thumper recently picked up a habit of locking a freeze smile on her face," Susan says. "It's not genuine. I told her to justflat-out smile. That's what the judges want to see."

As they head to the ballroom, Susan asks Thumper, "What do you do when you turn around on stage?" "Monkey lips," Thumper replies, laughing at the words.

Susan explains. "When she turns upstage, she throws her lips out like a monkey. It relaxes them. Then when she turns back to the judges, she has a natural smile."

Charm's Beauty competition begins with the youngest group-children 1 year old and under, helped on stage by their parents. Things move quickly, and it isn't long before the emcee calls the older girls.

"Do you want to say a prayer before you go on?" a pretty woman asks her 7-year-old granddaughter. Together they bow their heads: "The light of God surrounds me. The love of God enfolds me." Just before her entrance, the girl is reminded to "flow like the angels."

Now master of ceremonies Tim Whitmer, a handsome former Air Force sergeant, is crying out, 'Welcome number seventy-four, Thumper Gosney!" To the accompaniment of mellow synthesizer music, Thumper floats across the stage. Just above the judge's table, she perfom1s a universal turn, crossing one foot over the other and slowly rotating -all the while keeping her eyes locked on the judges. Her broad smile is dazzling. The monkey lips have worked.

'Thumper's ambition is to be a veterinarian and a cartoonist," Tim announces. Her score is 29.7 out of a possible 30.

After beauty, Thumper changes into a coral pantsuit for the modeling competition. Pageant modeling is like a choreographed dance, a series of spins, struts, sassy poses, smiles, and pouts, all perfom1ed at breakneck speed. Thumper's choreography was changed just a few days ago, and Susan is concerned that her daughter's under rehearsed moves may be forgotten.

Thumper learns quickly, according to her mother, but she doesn't particularly like to rehearse At home, "she'd rather draw or watch the Disney Channel or play on her computer or work on math. She's a couch potato." Thumper isn't always so well groomed, either. "For school, you can't get a bow on her," Susan complains, "or even get her to brush her teeth or comb her hair." Apparently, it takes an audience to bring out the competitor in Thumper. "She absolutely loves being on stage," Susan says. "She can't wait to get out there."

Now Thumper hears her dance music and shoots across the stage. Though she seems a little tentative at first, her movements are clean and precise. At one point, she swings her cape over her head, back and forth like a matador. Then, just as she did pool side, Thumper drops the cape and catches it on her forearm.

Her scores are almost perfect. Thumper now has a chance at winning Supreme.

Next comes her favorite part. Western Wear. "That's because I don't have to wear pantyhose," Thumper says with a grin. "I can wear socks in my boots." Drenched in spangles, sequins, and glitter, Western Wear costumes are amazingly intricate. In a flash, Thumper is decked out in a neon lime-green coat trimmed with dyed-to-match fox fur. The mid-thigh-length coat conceals a sleeveless top and pair of shores -covered, hula-style, with shimmering gold disks that she reveals midway through the number. Thumper attacks her routine with relish, pumping her knees and elbows, and leaping in the air to click her heels. She pulls another top score.

Pageant outfits are frequently resold and refitted. Although Thumper's Western Wear costume originally Cost $2,200, Susan picked it up from another pageant mother for much less.

"People sell their clothes because their children have outgrown them, or they want a new look," says Faye DeMatteo. Some mothers think that buying a dress from a winner will help their own child's chances.

JonBenet's mother, Patsy Ramsey, was in the market for some custom made costumes at a local pageant called Dream Star held in Rome, GA, over Thanksgiving weekend 1996. After striking up a conversation with Faye in a restaurant, Patsy asked about the outfits she was selling. Patsy ended up buying Rayanna's fancy white pageant dress, made of silk organza. One month later, JonBenet was buried in it.

The DeMatteos went to the funeral. "All the girls in JonBenet's group from Dream Star bought an enteral light for her grave," says Faye.

Sunday morning, there is a prayer service in the ballroom conducted by pageant sound technician Larry Cole. "We are all God's children," Larry tells his sleepy-eyed audience. "Just as we watch over and guide our children, God watches us."

After devotionals, Larry plays the sound track from Gone With the Wind, as the emcee announces contestants for the final competition-Southern Belle, featuring designs and fabrics true to the Civil War period. Girls waft in wearing large hoop skirts of velvet and silk, their capes trimmed with lace or fur, ~ .their hair heaped in tight ringlets. Many look like miniature Scarlett O'Haras.

Thumper seems intimidated by the costumes of her competitors. "I think the other dresses are prettier than mine," she says. 'They're so fancy." Actually, r Susan has gotten compliments for the simplicity of Thumper's outfit -a paleaqua dress with short puffed sleeves and lacy pantaloons Susan came up with the design after extensive library research, and she is proud of the result.

When it's her turn, Thumper moves downstage fanning herself and twirling her parasol. Demurely, she lifts her skirt in front of the judges to reveal the pantaloons. Then, as she begins a universal tum, her fan suddenly falls to the ground. This could cost her serious points, but Thumper doesn't flinch She continues her turn, curtsying when her back is to the judges and retrieving her fan as if the whole thing had been deliberate. "She did it so smoothly," Susan says, "the judges didn't even notice."

But they do notice the peach ribbon sewn into Thumper's pantaloons. Civil War children apparently did not have colored ribbons in their undergarments, and the mistake costs Thumper two tenths of a point. Susan is mortified.

On Sunday evening, everyone dresses for the crowning The girls have changed back into their Beauty gowns and touched up their hair and makeup on st'age. Orange, pink, and yellow lights flash behind the silver curtain, as the sound track from The Bridges of Madison County plays over the loudspeakers.

There are so many awards, so many alternates, it's almost impossible to keep track. Dozens of plaques and trophies are presented to each age group, passed out by last year's winners, known as Charm Royalty. The emcee rushes through the names, as the audience shouts and claps. All the contestants seem to walk away carrying something.

When Thumper's group takes the stage, the emcee calls out her name again and again, as she sweeps her division, winning Dream Girl and the coveted National Beauty Queen. Strung with banners, Thumper is fitted with a rhinestone tiara as the audience applauds wildly. Susan is shouting and hugging her daughter. Standing beside a five-foot-high glittering trophy, Thumper grins from ear to ear.

But it is 5-year-old Leslie Butler who wins Supreme Queen, scoring six-tenths of a point ahead of Thumper. Leslie has two dads who are famous pageant coaches -her real father, Michael Butler, and his partner in business and in life, Shane King. Michael was awarded custody of Leslie when she was an infant, and he started her in pageants at the age of 3 months. (He carried her on stage in a pink dress, and she slept through the whole thing -and won.) Now the two men rash to the stage and sweep Leslie off her feet.

Thumper insists she isn't bothered by losing Supreme Queen And she notes with satisfaction that "National Beauty Queen gets the same-size crown as Supreme. It's just not the same title." Susan, too, is pleased, pointing out that Thumper has won a total of $2,400 in savings bonds. But Susan is still upset about the peach ribbon. Later she will lean that the judges for the Photogenic and Portfolio competitions thought Thumper was wearing too much makeup in her pictures. And that it was the makeup problem that probably cost her the crown.

For her part, Darlene Burgess has begun to feel more confident about Charm's future. "Pageants will make a comeback," she predicts, "because everybody thinks their babies are pretty ."

The lights come up in the ballroom, and the contestants revert to ordinary little girls, charging around and pestering their parents. They want to play with their new friends. They want to shed their dresses, take down their hair, order room-service pizza, watch a video, organize a slumber party.

Thumper wants to swim. "Come on, Mom," she says, bouncing up and down and tugging at Susan's arm. "Let's go right now!" Still flushed with pride, Susan gathers up her daughter's trophies and follows along.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I found this video of a 1991 episode of the Oprah Show with a child beauty queen and her mother:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO6m5XeeH9M&list=UUKBnlTTgEnhIXv_c4LvvyMQ

On Sunday, "Where are they now?" on OWN will air an update on them. The little girl is about 6 years older than JonBenet. Back then, the concern was about whether the kid really wanted to do it, and whether the parent was being too pushy. Nothing about sexualization.