Good points. Plus, there's a twist. Many theorize that BR has Asperger Syndrome, and a little noted detail in the case literature supports the idea: Although BR was a bright student and enjoyed activities requiring fine motor coordination, he struggled with handwriting. Difficulty in forming letters and words with greater than 50% - 75% legibility is common in children with AS. So, could BR have written the note? I think the handwriting issue alone says no. But suppose, somehow, he did. It would have been the ‘We have your kid. Will call 8 - 10. Talk and she dies’ kind, not the War and Peace version. I can see why Pat Brown read the crime scene as she did and thinks BR wrote the note. I wonder what she'd say if she had the handwriting information.