Question re Ransom Note

[Jayelles]

The items in the house were available to the intruder and he used them. The cord has never been sourced and none like it was found after days of searching the Ramsey's house, cars and property. The duct tape has never been sourced and none like it was ever found in or on anything the Ramseys owned.

Do you take the fact that the tape/cord weren't found on the premises as proof that they were never there?

The pubic hair on the blanket does not match a Ramsey.

This is unclear - newspaper reports suggesting that the hair belonged to Patsy Ramsey have never been officially refuted.

The palmprint on the door has not been matched.

Not according to unrefuted newspaper reports which claimed they were sourced to Melinda Ramsey. Lin Wood did not dispute that.

The partial palmprint on the ransom note has not been matched.

Please state your source for this unmatched partial on the ransom note.

The handwriting on the note has not been matched.

Handwriting analysis is not an exact science. You are very quick to dismiss those experts who claim the note is a match to Patsy.

The male DNA under JonBenét's fingernails and mixed with her blood in her panties has not been matched.

LP - how can you tell that the DNA was 'mixed' with the blood? If you spill salt water on a carpet and then spill fruit juice on top of it, how can you tell if two liquids or one (i.e. salty fruit juice) were spilled? Is there a way of telling?

 

[Ivy]

LP, the handprint was Melinda Ramsey's. There's even a video showing her making the print on the door.

Okay, about the fiber evidence: Along with fibers consistent with Patsy's jacket fibers being found entwined in the ligature knot, fibers consistent with Patsy's jacket fibers were also found in the paint tote and on the sticky side of the small strip of tape that John said he removed from JonBenet's mouth when he "found" her body. Thomas wrote in his book that the four tape fibers were "chemically and microscopically consistent" with Patsy's jacket fibers. (Analyses of the paint tote fibers and knot fibers weren't in when Thomas resigned from the force in '98). It could be argued that since John dropped the tape after removing it, the tape may have picked up the fibers from the blanket which Patsy claims came from JonBenet's bed, but that wouldn't explain the fibers in the ligature knot and the paint tote.

When investigators informed the Rs of the fiber evidence, Patsy said (in part), "I don't give a flip how scientific it is," and told them to "quit screwin around asking me about things that are ridiculous..."

John said, "Bulls-it. If you're trying to disgrace my relationship with my daughter....that's disgusting."

It was Lin Wood who blocked the further questioning on the subject, not John's one, all-powerful word, "Bullsh-t." Wood wouldn't let the Rs answer any questions unless he was given the actual lab reports on the fibers. Prosecutors refused, so that was that. Because of Wood, John and Patsy were unable to offer innocent explanations for the fibers; that is, if they had innocent explanations.

 

[twilight]

There is only one piece of evidence that could in any way indicate an intruder - the ransom note. Without it, they would look to the family and some form of accident or violence.

Now, normally when a body is found in the home and a note is found with it, it becomes a possible 'suicide' note. Is it, or isn't it. If it is - fine, there is no homicide, but if it isn't but has been made to look like one - look out surviving co-habitants. Who would fake a suicide note. A killer.

So, you have the same senario here, but JB was not really old enough to contemplate suicide, right? (autoerotic asphixiation, yes, but suicide, probably not) But kidnapping - hey, 6 year olds get kidnapped! don't they??

When people are stressed, their reasoning ability goes out the {{broken}} window. They want to make a death look like something it was not...so put it on paper. Tell them what happened just in case they don't figure it out for themselves. Someone name a better way to point to an intruder.

If you were standing over a dead child and wanted to indicate someone had broken in and killed her, what would you do that would be faster, safer and more effective than a phoney ransom note?

 

[Shylock]

The intruder theory is the only one that has held up under forensic scrutiny. It is the theory with physical evidence behind it. It is the theory that is being pursued by the Boulder DA's office.

If the intruder theory has "physical evidence" behind it, why haven't the Ramseys been cleared? Why are the Ramseys still the prime suspects?
And where do you get the idea that the intruder theory is being persued by the DA's office? Just because Keenan made some half-baked remark to throw Lin Wood off the trail doesn't mean the Ramseys are in the clear.

You should pause for a moment, LP, and put 2+2 together. If Keenan really believes the intruder theory then why did she release a redacted version of the 911 tape? There is a 4-second gap in the tape, where according to Thomas, John and Burke's voices appear. Since Keenan removed that portion of the tape, she knows it contains Burke's voice and therefore she knows the Ramseys are lying about what really happened that morning. If Keenan knows the Ramseys are lying, do you REALLY thing she's going blindly down the intruder road? Would YOU be that foolish?

 

[tipper]

When/where did Keenan say what she released was redacted? I must have missed it.

 

[Toth]

Keenan favored the intruder theory even before she had the case. Years before!

Keenan is not a fool, she would never release something that was redacted without it being marked as redacted.

You may not like her personality or management style, but you can't fault her in the brains department.

 

[twilight]

uhhhhhmmm...she said there was more evidence of an intruder...and technically she is right. The ransom note is the ONLY evidence and it says - :woohoo: over here - look I'm an intruder. Doesn't mean she favours the 'Intruder Theory'...just that she's stuck with it!!! As will be all who come after her - the DA's legacy.

Lingusitic analysis has determined that what it says and what is really says are two entirely different things, however. Just thought I better add that in case anyone has missed my posts.

 

[MsBee]

Patsy wrote the ransom note. Poor little JonBenet.

 

[Ivy]

Yes, twilight, Keenan is stuck with the intruder theory. If she doesn't go through all the motions of tracking down this non-existent child-murdering bad guy, Lin Wood will file suit against the city of Boulder. Keenan has been doing a superb job of kissing up to the Ramseys. She even shook their hands and offered them her warm condolences. Keenan promised Wood that she would keep him informed on the investigation, and that she wouldn't release any investigative findings to the press.

It's a sickening situation that Lin Wood and the Ramseys are able to hold the city of Boulder hostage like this.

 

[LovelyPigeon]

The facts are that the black Shurtape brand duct tape, which was manufactored in a short run in November 1996, has never been sourced. There was no matching black duct tape found on or in anything the police searched. I think the intruder brought that in with him.

I don't know of any newspaper report that matched the pubic hair on the blanket to Patsy Ramsey. Even Thomas acknowledges that the pubic hair has not been matched. I am not aware that the hair has been mtDNA tested. Perhaps you're thinking of ST's comment that the pubic hair had some consistencies with Melinda's hair. Smit has said the pubic (or body hair) has not been matched to anyone.

I believe Lin Wood disputed that the unidentified partial palmprint on the wine cellar door has been matched to Melinda (or anyone else) after Charlie Brennan's mid-2002 article. Even in the article Wood was quoted saying "...I would put no weight, whatsoever, on anonymous information coming out of the Boulder Police Department. Zero."

BPD had not indentified the print by the time Thomas resigned, and they certainly had access to compare Melinda during that time. Thomas thought the print might belong to some cop who wouldn't admit touching the door.
ST asked Patsy in interrogation about the palm print on the ransom note. We haven't heard much about it as evidence, so it may not be clear enough to match to anyone.

The document experts consulted by the BPD and the defense, and who were given first hand access to the note concluded that Patsy most likely did not write the note. I'm not the only one to dismiss "experts" like Wong. Both of Darnay Hoffman's first experts were denounced and rejected by Boulder. His second experts were dismissed by a federal judge. Of course, one of those experts denounced the other one.

As far as we've heard, the blood spots on the panties are what have been tested, meaning the blood itself. We have not heard that the fabric of the panties was tested. The way I understand it, blood would be swabbed from the panties and analysis for DNA done on that material. That would make the male DNA "mixed" with the blood.

I left out the partial boot impression made by a Hi Tech brand hiking boot. BPD have no source for that shoeprint. I believe that may very well belong to the killer.

There was also a beaver hair found stuck to the duct tape that covered JonBenét's mouth. It has never been sourced and no matching beaver hair was found in the house or cars. It may have been secondary transfer from the killer.

I don't know of any source to claim that Keenan released a "redacted" 911 tape.

 

[Ivy]

The shoe print is almost certainly Burke Ramsey's. Thanks to Lin Wood, certain information pertaining to grand jury testimony was released when Wood sent major TV networks tapes of the 2000 interviews prosecutors did with the Ramseys. Included was certain information prosecutors shared with John and Patsy, including the fact that Burke and his friend separately revealed to the grand jury that Burke did indeed own Hi Tech shoes.

The hair found on the blanket is thought to be Melinda's, which could have been transferred onto the blanket via the dryer.

Lin Wood's disputing the identification of the basement palm print is sooooo typical of Lin Wood. Despite all his hooting and hollering and posturing, he cannot change the fact that the palm print belongs to Melinda. And the palm print on the note is Patsy's.

 

[BrotherMoon]

You know what's funny is that there is evidence of previous attempts at writing a note: the missing pages, the page still in the tablet with the aborted greeting. Owing to the fact that there were 8 missing pages and the ransom note was what, 3 pages, there could have been two or three early versions. The last one must have been the best of the bunch. Just how bad were the early ones? And where are they?

 

[Shylock]

When/where did Keenan say what she released was redacted? I must have missed it.

You probably need to read more at other forums.
If you have any doubt that the version of the 911 tape that Keenan released is redacted all you have to do is listen to it for yourself. On the version that Keenan's office released on CD, near end of the tape, the sound goes completely blank for almost 4 seconds. The sound then returns and the recording ends.

The position of the 4 second gap on the recording is no coinsidence. The gap takes place right after Patsy can be heard saying "help me jesus" three times. According to the Thomas transcript, it is at this point that John and Burke's voices can be heard. It isn't hard to figure out that the 4 second gap removed those voices.

So if you think Keenan is off chasing intruders, you better think again. Keenan redacted Burke's voice from the 911 tape. She knows the Ramseys lied about what happened that morning. She knows that if they lied, then they obviously have something to hide.

But hey! Don't take MY word for it... Pick up the phone, call Keenan, and ask her why she released a redacted version of the 911 call. The answer you will get is "No comment."

 

[tipper]

So in other words this - "Since Keenan removed that portion of the tape," - is your interpretation and not a fact.

Sometimes "No comment" means just that. It doesn't confirm, it doesn't deny, It just means they aren't going to talk with you.

I'm sure you've heard the story about the young lady from DC who vowed never again to get burned by talking to the press. At the Inaugural Ball she was asked "How did you enjoy dancing with the President?" Her answer was...You guessed it!

 

[Shylock]

As far as we've heard, the blood spots on the panties are what have been tested, meaning the blood itself. We have not heard that the fabric of the panties was tested.

We have heard that the BPD went out and purchased new/identicle panties and found DNA on them, probably from the garment factory or the point of sale. I would imagine after finding that out, the next logical thing to do would be to test the non-blood stained areas of the actual panties she was wearing.

Of course, we will never know what the results were, but since the BPD didn't bother submitting the DNA to the FBI database maybe we can logically deduce the answer.

 

[Shylock]

So in other words this - "Since Keenan removed that portion of the tape," - is your interpretation and not a fact.

No Tipper. The FACT is there is a FOUR SECOND gap near the end of the tape. That's a FACT Tipper, not an interpretation--deal with it.

 

[twilight]

The duct tape was only used to keep her jaw off her chest till rigour set in. People who die of natural causes in hospitals are taped for this very purpose before they are transported to the funeral home. Got that from a nurse.

BTW, I was talking to my nurse friend again just the other day. She works neuro-surgery, and was telling me about some peculiar minor accidents they have had lately who wound up majorly compromised. A skydiver jumping with a student - wind caught their chute and they bounced - student's head connected with his chin, and broke his neck - quad. Woman fell down 6 stairs - hit her head and is totally, irreversibly brain dead. I asked her about an 8 inch fracture on a 6 year old's skull. She said it could be a really minor accident because 6 year olds skulls are still somewhat soft and strange things can and do happen if you hit a skull just right. So, a fall in the tub could do this...or a fall down the stairs...or a rap on the skull with a flashlight, or ... something really quite minor.

About the tape. Most homes have duct tape in a variety of locations. Sports gear would be one place to look - you know bats, skates, hockey sticks - then there's the outdoor element - tents, bikes, boats, etc. Or the home repair type tape stored in basements and garages - attached to electrical cords and repairs of many sorts. Then there is costuming, crafting, painting, decorating, etc. etc. duct tape. Yikes, I'm starting to sound like Red Green. But to have a small amount of duct tape around the house, maybe for years, would not be that unusual. To trace an individual purchase - ya must be kiddin', right?

And if you're going to start accusing beavers - I object. They're our national animal, on our nickels and all. We Canadians only object to them in the wild as they are rerouting all our major and minor water ways. TSo ya see, they don't really have time to write a 3 page ransom note.

Because the door to a storage area would probably not get wiped or dusted often, the palm print could belong to the previous owners. Have they been checked?

The hair could belong to anybody. There is a list somewhere in ST's book of all the people who slept in JB's bed. The Ramsey home was sort of like an hotel. Speaks to the excellent skills of LHP, however, that more evidence of an intruder was not found. All the coming and going - Xmas etc. and this was it? 1 hair...1 palm print...1 partial footprint...oh, and that degraded DNA in the panties that did not appear to be hers (way too big).

Degraded DNA, could belong to the dog. Jacques. That's a masculine name, isn't it?

 

[Ivy]

Fascinating post, twi, with good, sound information. (Btw, I agree that beavers are too busy to write RNs. )

Here's a link to a Rocky Mountain News story containing info on the Hi Tec print and the palm print on the basement door.
Link

 

[twilight]

The article says the Rams are still in Atlanta. I heard a while back that they were headed for Michigan? Did they move, do you know? I'm wondering if they aren't in the southern part of Michigan? Anybody know?

 

[tipper]

'Because the door to a storage area would probably not get wiped or dusted often, the palm print could belong to the previous owners. Have they been checked? "


I believe it had been painted in the previous year or so.