Ok, here's my take on it. There were kids playing in the basement that night. Games that involved the light going on on and off, people being tied up, ghosts appearing, murder in the dark, hostages, cattle raiders.... that sort of thing.
I think that most of the elements/items later found, previously existed.
The garrotte was possibly an auto-erotic asphyxiation device belonging to an older sibling and was maybe in the suitcase. Or it was created just for fun or to play the "choking game" by a boy who practiced whittling and making knots. The silly, suggestive, adult Dr Seuss book from the suitcase was widely looked at and inspired the kids to sometimes take off their clothes while running amok in the basement.
The Ransom Note was indeed written by PR, but as part of a Christmas party, treasure-hunt/hostage game that never got played. It was compiled by Patsy and giggling children and teenagers dictating lines from films. It contained references to lead the searchers- a team led by JR- to look round the house in specific places for clues to the whereabouts of the treasure/victim (JonBenet)- e.g. the bonus cheque, a brown paper bag, the phone, the attache case, the bedroom (be well-rested) the "pick up" (did someone have a truck?) etc. Eventually these clues would have led to the successful "rescue" of beloved JonBenet. But the party got interrupted (phone call to police possibly) and the game probably didn't get played as the note was still pristine.
The Clothes
JonBenet was possibly dressing up (as a ghost) or just having fun (ever seen a kid pulling up outsize pants and laughing themselves silly?) Or possibly she was dressed afterwards by the boys because their play had included a sexual element and that was the bit they felt most guilty about (the rest was an accident).
Sexual Abuse
The evidence for this being the motivating factor in the death of JonBenet that Christmas night seems relatively weak to me and I think if the murder/torture of JonBenet had been a deliberate act then an accompanying sexual assault would have been severe and unambiguous or there would at least have been semen or other evidence found at the scene. I believe that the wood fibres and small abrasions found internally at post-mortem are more likely digital penetration with small fingers that had wood fibre on them. Or the abrasions were caused on other occasions and the wood fibre was cross-contamination from the scene.
The Accidental Death of JonBenet
A number of kids went into the basement that night, possibly just JonBenet, BR and one other, likely a son of close family friends. They were taking it in turns to scare one another by putting the light off and jumping out at one another (maybe dressed as ghosts in that blanket later found wrapping JonBenet) or they were playing a "murder in the dark" type game or were most likely playing a version of the earlier planned kidnapping game. Whatever. In the dark someone got scared/over excited and lashed out with that big torch cracking poor JonBenet over the head. JonBenet falls to the basement floor in the midst of a scuffle with the other kids on top of her and the garrotte gets pulled tight as "kidnapper/rescuers" (or "ghosts/ghost-busters" or whatever the hell they are playing) struggle with one another and possession of the "kidnap victim". In the dark they don't realise what is happening until it is too late when they put the light back on. They poke her with the track hoping she's fooling. They can't loosen the garrotte and they are absolutely terrified and horrified by what has happened The friend possibly runs/cycles home.
The Cover Up
I think there is missing information which would shed more light on the reasons for everybody's actions. Perhaps there were earlier suspicions of child abuse or actual child abuse by unspecified parties, which would come to light if the Ramseys simply phoned for help. Or perhaps they were worried they'd be held responsible or neglectful... JonBenet had been injured before (with the golf club). It's impossible to say. I think PR found JonBenet later that night/early the next morning when it was clearly too late to do anything to save JonBenet. She asked BR what the hell happened and he explained as best he could. Her priority became the welfare of surviving family members. There wasn't much time to come up with a plan. She was in shock and not able to think clearly. She initially went to the phone to call for help but saw the notepad with the ransom note for the game and thinks... maybe there is a way out of all this that will be better for the family. She takes the decision to fake a kidnapping and doesn't consult JR (because she doubts his acting abilities and whether he would agree) and so he has some catching up to do as he reads the note as she phones the police. The police arrive and also their friends. (Perhaps the visiting child was still there and they needed him collected. Perhaps they felt they all needed to be "singing from the same song sheet" or maybe they just wanted support and to confuse the scene and to create diversion to move the body. Or maybe PR was trying to avoid speaking with JR without it being obvious.) At some point JR finds JonBenet in the train room or outside in the corridor and initially hides her in the wine cellar to buy time while he works out what to do. He stages the broken window and places the suitcase, but is vague about details later in case he has overlooked some detail and finds himself caught out. He is just trying to create possibilities and alternative explanations for the investigators. I think it's important to realise that when normal people are traumatised, their ability to think clearly is severely impaired. The amygdala takes over and they are in survival mode taking decisions to the best of their ability.
I don't think anyone is clear exactly what happened that night in the dark other than it wasn't intentional. The adults probably each put a little more blame on the other boy(s) involved, while reasoning that they were all just children and should have been supervised better. And that the best thing would have been to call for help at the beginning, but once the wheels had been put in motion, they had little choice other than to keep the train trundling along.
All just my opinion
I think that most of the elements/items later found, previously existed.
The garrotte was possibly an auto-erotic asphyxiation device belonging to an older sibling and was maybe in the suitcase. Or it was created just for fun or to play the "choking game" by a boy who practiced whittling and making knots. The silly, suggestive, adult Dr Seuss book from the suitcase was widely looked at and inspired the kids to sometimes take off their clothes while running amok in the basement.
The Ransom Note was indeed written by PR, but as part of a Christmas party, treasure-hunt/hostage game that never got played. It was compiled by Patsy and giggling children and teenagers dictating lines from films. It contained references to lead the searchers- a team led by JR- to look round the house in specific places for clues to the whereabouts of the treasure/victim (JonBenet)- e.g. the bonus cheque, a brown paper bag, the phone, the attache case, the bedroom (be well-rested) the "pick up" (did someone have a truck?) etc. Eventually these clues would have led to the successful "rescue" of beloved JonBenet. But the party got interrupted (phone call to police possibly) and the game probably didn't get played as the note was still pristine.
The Clothes
JonBenet was possibly dressing up (as a ghost) or just having fun (ever seen a kid pulling up outsize pants and laughing themselves silly?) Or possibly she was dressed afterwards by the boys because their play had included a sexual element and that was the bit they felt most guilty about (the rest was an accident).
Sexual Abuse
The evidence for this being the motivating factor in the death of JonBenet that Christmas night seems relatively weak to me and I think if the murder/torture of JonBenet had been a deliberate act then an accompanying sexual assault would have been severe and unambiguous or there would at least have been semen or other evidence found at the scene. I believe that the wood fibres and small abrasions found internally at post-mortem are more likely digital penetration with small fingers that had wood fibre on them. Or the abrasions were caused on other occasions and the wood fibre was cross-contamination from the scene.
The Accidental Death of JonBenet
A number of kids went into the basement that night, possibly just JonBenet, BR and one other, likely a son of close family friends. They were taking it in turns to scare one another by putting the light off and jumping out at one another (maybe dressed as ghosts in that blanket later found wrapping JonBenet) or they were playing a "murder in the dark" type game or were most likely playing a version of the earlier planned kidnapping game. Whatever. In the dark someone got scared/over excited and lashed out with that big torch cracking poor JonBenet over the head. JonBenet falls to the basement floor in the midst of a scuffle with the other kids on top of her and the garrotte gets pulled tight as "kidnapper/rescuers" (or "ghosts/ghost-busters" or whatever the hell they are playing) struggle with one another and possession of the "kidnap victim". In the dark they don't realise what is happening until it is too late when they put the light back on. They poke her with the track hoping she's fooling. They can't loosen the garrotte and they are absolutely terrified and horrified by what has happened The friend possibly runs/cycles home.
The Cover Up
I think there is missing information which would shed more light on the reasons for everybody's actions. Perhaps there were earlier suspicions of child abuse or actual child abuse by unspecified parties, which would come to light if the Ramseys simply phoned for help. Or perhaps they were worried they'd be held responsible or neglectful... JonBenet had been injured before (with the golf club). It's impossible to say. I think PR found JonBenet later that night/early the next morning when it was clearly too late to do anything to save JonBenet. She asked BR what the hell happened and he explained as best he could. Her priority became the welfare of surviving family members. There wasn't much time to come up with a plan. She was in shock and not able to think clearly. She initially went to the phone to call for help but saw the notepad with the ransom note for the game and thinks... maybe there is a way out of all this that will be better for the family. She takes the decision to fake a kidnapping and doesn't consult JR (because she doubts his acting abilities and whether he would agree) and so he has some catching up to do as he reads the note as she phones the police. The police arrive and also their friends. (Perhaps the visiting child was still there and they needed him collected. Perhaps they felt they all needed to be "singing from the same song sheet" or maybe they just wanted support and to confuse the scene and to create diversion to move the body. Or maybe PR was trying to avoid speaking with JR without it being obvious.) At some point JR finds JonBenet in the train room or outside in the corridor and initially hides her in the wine cellar to buy time while he works out what to do. He stages the broken window and places the suitcase, but is vague about details later in case he has overlooked some detail and finds himself caught out. He is just trying to create possibilities and alternative explanations for the investigators. I think it's important to realise that when normal people are traumatised, their ability to think clearly is severely impaired. The amygdala takes over and they are in survival mode taking decisions to the best of their ability.
I don't think anyone is clear exactly what happened that night in the dark other than it wasn't intentional. The adults probably each put a little more blame on the other boy(s) involved, while reasoning that they were all just children and should have been supervised better. And that the best thing would have been to call for help at the beginning, but once the wheels had been put in motion, they had little choice other than to keep the train trundling along.
All just my opinion
Last edited:
