RDI Theories & Discussion ONLY!

[questfortrue]

Schiller obtained much of his info from AH IIRC. ST wasn’t initially on the case, but came in a few months later, so his and Kolar’s info comes from filed police reports. How is it there are so many variations about who arrived and when? It seems the police should have had an entry/exit log. Also, ST mentions in an interview that BPD did not time-stamp the crime scene photos; something he considers a mistake.

I haven’t seen any report by whoever searched first (French, I think) regarding status of basement lights and the train room window, but Kolar did write about one discrepancy revealed by sequence of visits to the basement. JR claimed in his interviews that a chair blocked the train room. However, from the sequence of FW and French being in the basement before JR said he was, and that they did not see a chair blocking that room, it seems something doesn't jive with JR's report about the chair.

Just one last thought about this timeline - as I reviewed the details and timeline pertaining to the arrival of police it’s so evident that they initially had to take the 911 call and the RN seriously. That meant their primary inquiry had to be focused on searching for the entry and exit of an intruder and any other evidence of an intruder to lead them to finding the kidnapped child. (We know at least from news stories and books how imperative it is to find the child quickly.) Even though two officers looked through the home early, any instinct about the odd behavior of the parents just didn’t register enough to cause them to do a more thorough search. mho

 

[andreww]

Always felt that the case really suffered from the fact that there was no lead investigator assigned to the case from day 1. I think that whoever it was, they would have benefitted from being at the crime scene. Relying on photos and other peoples fading memories just doesn't work.

And I believe Fernie was the first to arrive (without his wife), shortly after French.

 

[UKGuy]

Looking at the diagrams on the previous page I would estimate that the note lay on the floor at a distance of about twice the width of the door. A typical door width is about 30", so it looks as though the note was probably a little more than 60", probably closer to 70" or about 6 feet from the door JF claims to have read it from. As an experiment I printed out a clean copy of the note, and even with my eyes that are a little older than JFs were at the time, I was easily able to read the upside down note at 6 feet. At 8 feet I was able to make out the first couple of lines, but the angle of viewing and sloppy handwriting makes it hard to read the rest of it. Remember that JF only claimed to read the first couple of lines. It isn't until about the 7th line that the kidnapping is mentioned, but Fernie only said that he read the first few lines and new something strange was going on. He did not say that he knew JB had been kidnapped at that point.

So from my tests I think what JF said in not only believable, but quite probable.

andreww,
Did you read your note through a glass window in poor light conditions?

.

 

[UKGuy]

(Linked for reference, snipped for brevity):
Cynic, no one can take such a complicated issue as this business about Fernie's reading the RN and illustrate it in such a way that it makes sense like you can. I’m sure I speak for a lot of people when I say a simple “thank you” isn't enough.

It’s unbelievable that this long after this happened, we still don’t have clarity on so many of the issues that would help to understand (maybe) what happened.

I always felt that if we knew the order and time of certain events, a picture of what could have happened might emerge (or at least make some things a little more clear). For instance, I think knowing the order of the various searches in the basement by different individuals is important because of John's account of the location of the chair when he went in, when the WC latch was locked or not locked, lights on/lights off, and who changed each one of these items before the next person went in to look around. (How could Fleet White have looked into the WC and not seen the white blanket?)

This is the reason I felt a timeline would be useful, and why I’ve been trying (with a lot of help from questfortrue) to come up with something. But with so many different versions (and how do we know what to believe about anything that comes out of a Ramsey mouth) conflicting with one another, it becomes almost impossible. Cynic, you mention in your post #1027 the conflicting information on whether the Whites or the Fernies arrived at the Ramsey house first. This is just one example of how confusing it all becomes when trying to put it all together.

• According to Schiller, Offcs. Rick French and Karl Veitch arrive at 5:59 am., and French searches basement “shortly after arrival”.
• Kolar has French arriving alone at 5:59 am and meeting Sgt. Reichenbach at the front door when he arrives at 6:10 am (not likely enough time for French to have spoken with Ramseys, searched the basement, and then get back up to the first floor to meet Reichenbach). After a briefing from French, Kolar has Reichenbach conducting a search (in part with John Ramsey) of “all three floors, including the basement.” Kolar doesn't mention Veitch.
• According to Kolar and the Bonita Papers, the Fernies arrived before the Whites (most other sources have the Whites arriving before the Fernies, and I would tend to believe John Fernie’s court testimony over any writer’s version).
• Schiller has Offcs. Weiss, Barcklow, and Sgt. Reichenbach all arriving at 6:45 am.
• Kolar only mentions Reichenbach arriving after French at 6:10 am.

With all this conflicting information, is it even possible to put together a reasonable timeline of the events that morning?

I don’t know the answer. But maybe if I put out here what I’ve got so far, with input from other posters maybe we can come up with something helpful.



(Note to questfortrue: Since this timeline has been a joint project, do you have anything to add?)

otg,
BBM: I think it is. For the following reasons; 1. You can evaluate who may have done whatever, 2. You can decide who could not have done whatever. Employing corroboration can assist in deciding what is factual.

I seriously doubt whether JF could have read the RN through glass in poor light. If it was where JF says it was, then why? PR says it was on the stairs, then JR says it was on the ground, why did PR not place it on the desk for him to read, why the floor?

I reckon JR changed the basement crime-scene that morning, followed up with relocating BR out of the house. If JF's account is judged to be implausible due to physics then he might have been acting in tandem with the R's?

On the white-blanket: what did FW see in the wine-cellar that morning, did he see the other items?

.

 

[DeeDee249]

Always felt that the case really suffered from the fact that there was no lead investigator assigned to the case from day 1. I think that whoever it was, they would have benefitted from being at the crime scene. Relying on photos and other peoples fading memories just doesn't work.

And I believe Fernie was the first to arrive (without his wife), shortly after French.

Mistakes were made from the start, that is something NO one disputes. However, some believe (I am one of them) that phone calls were made in the middle of the night, long BEFORE that 911 call. That is why the phone records "disappeared". I believe calls were then made from people in a position of power to the DA's office and possible even the police chief. Do NOT attempt to arrest these people or treat them as suspects. I know it was the day after Christmas and the police were short-staffed. But there was simply NO excuse for sending the FBI away, refusing help from a larger police department (Denver- who offered to send homicide investigators) and refusing to send help to Det Arndt. The police also were VERY quick to want to release the house back to the family. They also allowed Patsy's sister to wander the house unaccompanied, wearing a police jacket so as not to arouse suspicion. (this in itself is illegal- no one may wear official police uniforms unless they are in fact a police officer). There was funny business from the get-go and from all areas of the investigation.

 

[DeeDee249]

otg,
BBM: I think it is. For the following reasons; 1. You can evaluate who may have done whatever, 2. You can decide who could not have done whatever. Employing corroboration can assist in deciding what is factual.

I seriously doubt whether JF could have read the RN through glass in poor light. If it was where JF says it was, then why? PR says it was on the stairs, then JR says it was on the ground, why did PR not place it on the desk for him to read, why the floor?

I reckon JR changed the basement crime-scene that morning, followed up with relocating BR out of the house. If JF's account is judged to be implausible due to physics then he might have been acting in tandem with the R's?

On the white-blanket: what did FW see in the wine-cellar that morning, did he see the other items?

.

As you know it has long been discussed as to exactly what FW saw that morning on his 2 trips to the WC. We know he couldn't find the light and did not see JB when he looked in. He admits he did not actually step into the room, and if you recall, the WC is L-shaped and when you looked in, you saw only the wall in front of you. To see the section of the room where JB was, you had to step into the room and look to the left. I do not recall FW mentioning seeing the note, either on the stairs or floor. At some point, police made copies of that note. I do not know whether copies were made right in the R home (most homes had faxes/copiers by 1996) or if it was taken into evidence to have copies made.
When FW went back to the basement with JR, he was just a few seconds behind JR as they went into the room. We know FW picked up the dict tape, looked at it, and threw it back on the blanket (obviously contaminating the evidence further). Only HE knows exactly what he saw- whether JR really tried to untie her wrists (never happened, IMO, because JR lied about her wrists being tied tightly together). We know for a FACT that her wrists were NOT tied tightly (no ligature furrows) nor were they tied TOGETHER (rigor mortis had them over a foot apart- had they been together, rigor mortis would have kept them together, even when the cord was removed). Did he see the doll, pink nightie? We don't know. He must have seen the nightie- it was right on top of the white blanket. He would have seen the doll if it was close to the body, might not have noticed it if it had been tossed to the side away from the body.

 

[andreww]

andreww,
Did you read your note through a glass window in poor light conditions?

.

You really think the lighting was poor? That's why John supposedly moved the note there right? Because there was a light right there? And Fernie being outside, with his eyes accustomed to the dark, would not have a problem with light looking in to a lit up house.

Fernie isn't a suspect. Why on gods earth would he start lying to police?? He said he read the first couple of lines, which could be as little as "Dear Mr Ramsey, Listen Carefully". Seeing that note on the floor, and being able to read those first few words would be enough to give him the impression that this wasn't a heart attack.

Sometimes it gets frustrating here. People just say stuff like "he couldn't have read that note at that distance, he lying". I could easily read that note at that distance. Lighting wouldn't have played an issue because the writing was fairly large and bold as it was done with a sharpie.

Also, I have never seen officer French say that the house was dark when he got there or say that he needed to turn on lights, so I think it's pretty safe to say that by that point in time the main level was probably lit adequately.

Not sure why people alway try to find fault with innocent peoples testimony? People generally tell the truth about what they saw. They may be mistaken about things but they usually don't blatantly lie.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[balaney]

Ransom note:

Whe people speak or write, they use a specific language. Most are Visual and say things like "I see" "this looks good"

Some are Audio and say "Listen to me" " I hear you"

Some are kinesthetic "I feel for you" "my heart goes out to them"

The majority of the language used in the letter is Auditory. It would be helpful to read other items written by those involved and see (notice I am speaking visually by using the word see) who speaks and writes Auditory.

 

[UKGuy]

John Ramsey did have vision problems – cataracts, but, for me, his tale of reading the RN on the floor has never rung true.

Officer French would be able to clarify what happened to the note in terms of its movement from the floor where it was allegedly read by John (and the location marked in the 1998 LE interview,) to the placement on the spiral staircase where it was photographed by crime scene techs.
Presently, from what is available publically, it’s not clear whether French was handed the note or whether he read it at the location where JR claims to have read it.
If French was handed the note, would he have dropped it back on the hall floor for some reason only to later pick it up again and place it on the spiral staircase?
If the note was pointed out to him on the floor, did he pick it up to read it only to drop it again at the same location, or would he have dropped it closer to the patio door.
Would he have dropped it back on the floor at all if the intention was to ultimately place it on the spiral staircase?
One thing is clear, John Fernie (who was 51 years old in 1996) would have had to have vision in the range of 20/15 to even have the slightest chance of resolving any part of the ransom note. Given the fact that he was attempting to read handwriting upside down and at an angle in sub-optimal lighting, how probable is JF’s story if the note was left where John Ramsey claims he read it?
The only advantage John Fernie would have had would be that he was probably familiar with Patsy’s handwriting.

What if the note was moved closer to the door?
The complicating factor in a location closer to the door is that presumably it would then be in a poorly-lit area because, according to John, the location some 10 – 11 feet away from the patio door where he claims to have read it had the best lighting.
If JF lied, why did he lie? It’s certainly possible that he may have seen the paper on the floor – maybe he simply embellished the story to make it seem more interesting?

• (For anyone interested, I have a link to a reasonably print-worthy picture of the first page of the ransom note which you can print, place 10 – 11 feet away, and attempt to read.)
http://i57.tinypic.com/szc0fq.jpg (Right click, "Save target as")

Other than the issue of vision, there is another factor that makes it more probable that JF was lying.
JF claims he didn’t know why Patsy had called, and foremost in his thinking was that John Ramsey must have had a heart attack.
Why, if JF thought that John Ramsey may be having a heart attack, did he stop and fixate on a piece of paper (or papers, depending on which version you believe) on the floor, facing the other direction, long enough to allegedly determine that JonBenet had been kidnapped rather than immediately running to another door after finding the first one locked. Why was he wasting precious time reading an upside down piece of paper???

• Did JF see one sheet of paper or several?

Before he finished reading the ransom note, he told Patsy to call the police. Immediately afterward, Patsy called the Whites and Fernies and told them something terrible had happened. “Barbara, get over here as fast as you can,” she said to her friend. Seven minutes after Patsy’s call to 911, Officer French was at their front door.
John Fernie told the police that he was the first of the Ramseys’ friends to arrive. His wife, Barbara, came later in her car. As Fernie drove over, he thought that John must have had a heart attack, since Patsy hadn’t told his wife what had happened.
Fernie parked his car in the alley behind the Ramseys’ house and ran to the patio door on the south side, which he always used. It was locked. When he looked through the glass-paneled door, the lights were on and he could see some papers lying on the wooden floor. They were not facing him, but from where he stood, he could read the first few lines of one page. That was all he needed. He understood immediately that JonBenét had been kidnapped. Once inside the house, he read the entire ransom note. At first he thought it was bizarre, then later he saw it as perverse.
A few minutes later, John Ramsey tried to phone his pilot, Mike Archuleta, to tell him what had happened and learned that the pilot was already on his way to the airport for the Ramseys’ scheduled flight to Michigan. When Archuleta returned Ramsey’s call, Patsy answered. Archuleta told the police that Patsy had been hysterical, barely coherent. She was now being consoled by her friends when a second officer, Karl Veitch, arrived. The police then paged Mary Lou Jedamus, a victim advocate.
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Lawrence Schiller, page 78

John Fernie: "I drove my car into the -- up the alley and parked in the back of your house, and went around to the patio door, which was a glass door leading into the kitchen and back of the house, and didn't see anybody, but saw a piece of paper laying on the floor. Looked at that. It was facing the other direction. Read it. And after the first few lines realized something very strange was happening. And so I ran around to the front of the house and knocked on the door and was let in."
John Fernie: "I didn't pick it up. It was inside the door and I was outside. The door was locked. I read it through the door."
John Fernie: "Fleet and Priscilla White were there when I arrived. And my wife came shortly thereafter. And our -- Haverstock, our priest, came afterwards as well."
John Fernie: "My recollection is that later in the day, when we were waiting for phone calls from the supposed kidnappers, we were sitting in the back room with a detective and trying to figure out what the note meant. And there was a copy of the note. I don't know if it was the note, or a copy of the note, actually."
Deposition of John Fernie, Colorado v Miller, June 13, 2001

• By the way, who was there first, JF or FW?

At 6:00 A.M. the telephone awakened Cliff Gaston. It was Patsy Ramsey. Priscilla took the call, and within minutes the Whites were dressed and on their way to the Ramseys’ house. When they arrived, the police and John Fernie were already there.
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Lawrence Schiller, page 30

• With respect to the location of the RN when the police arrived, there are conflicting stories. In the 1998 interview, JR claims he handed the RN to Officer French, however the account in ST’s book and in the Bonita Papers indicates that the RN was left on the floor where JR initially read it.

LOU SMIT: Just try to take it in slow steps. You know what you did with the officer and how you proceeded then; (INAUDIBLE)?
JOHN RAMSEY: We were standing in the hallway. We were handing him the note trying to explain and convince him that we had a problem. And at some point he asked us all to go into this room here and stay there.
LOU SMIT: That's the solarium?
JOHN RAMSEY: Right. The Fernies and the Whites were arriving at sometime between - I think he got there first. But at some point he kind of shepherded us all in there and asked us all to stay there. (INAUDIBLE)
LOU SMIT: What did you do with the note?
JOHN RAMSEY: I gave it to him. I think at that point he kept it. I mean I don't remember him giving it back to me. I do remember later we had, I think they made copies but we had it spread out on the table back here just trying to figure out what we could figure out.
1998 LE interview

"Another tech saw the ransom note on the bottom step of the spiral staircase and photographed it there. But the photograph lied. The note had traveled from the stairs, possibly into Patsy's hands, then had been spread out on the hallway floor where John Ramsey and the police had read it, and French had put it back on the stairs. The photograph, which was supposed to show exactly where evidence had been discovered, was inaccurate."
JonBenet: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation, Steve Thomas, page 20

Officer Rick French was dispatched to 755 15th Street in Boulder at approximately 5:52 a.m. on the report of a possible kidnapping. He was met at the door by the distraught Patsy and by John who told him that their six-year-old daughter was missing and their nine-year-old son was asleep upstairs. Patsy, hysterical and apparently confused about the sequence of the mornings events, told officer French that she went into JonBenet’s bedroom at approximately 5:45 a.m. that morning to wake her up for the trip and saw that she was not in bed. As she was coming down the spiral staircase she found the note stating that her daughter had been kidnapped. John then led French through the house and pointed out a three page handwritten note which still lay on the hallway floor next to the kitchen.
-Bonita Papers

cynic,
IMO, this is the important aspect:

John Fernie told the police that he was the first of the Ramseys’ friends to arrive. His wife, Barbara, came later in her car. As Fernie drove over, he thought that John must have had a heart attack, since Patsy hadn’t told his wife what had happened.

So JF arrives at the house to find his usual entrance locked, so why bother attempting to read anything on the ground, why should a piece of notepad hold any relevance at that point in time?

he could see some papers lying on the wooden floor. They were not facing him, but from where he stood, he could read the first few lines of one page. That was all he needed. He understood immediately that JonBenét had been kidnapped. Once inside the house, he read the entire ransom note.

Lets assume nobody has moved the RN since JR read it on his knees, so is what JF says he saw consistent with the location where JR says he read the RN?

From a distance how would JF know which was page one of three pages, were they spread out, or was page three lying on top of page two, since this was the last page JR read?

BBM: Is JF saying he picked the RN off the floor, depositing no fingerprints, read the contents, then placed it where?

Patently JF is stating that FW arrived before him. JF's account is, allegedly, first hand, whilst Lawrence Schiller's is second hand.

An alternative explanation is that JF's account is a mixture of fact and fiction, what does FW's deposition say regarding his time of arrival?

If JF lied, why did he lie? It’s certainly possible that he may have seen the paper on the floor – maybe he simply embellished the story to make it seem more interesting?

JF would lie if he desired to corroborate the R's version of events, and embellish his own account. When did JR communicate to JF that he wished to transfer BR out of the house?

.

 

[UKGuy]

As you know it has long been discussed as to exactly what FW saw that morning on his 2 trips to the WC. We know he couldn't find the light and did not see JB when he looked in. He admits he did not actually step into the room, and if you recall, the WC is L-shaped and when you looked in, you saw only the wall in front of you. To see the section of the room where JB was, you had to step into the room and look to the left. I do not recall FW mentioning seeing the note, either on the stairs or floor. At some point, police made copies of that note. I do not know whether copies were made right in the R home (most homes had faxes/copiers by 1996) or if it was taken into evidence to have copies made.
When FW went back to the basement with JR, he was just a few seconds behind JR as they went into the room. We know FW picked up the dict tape, looked at it, and threw it back on the blanket (obviously contaminating the evidence further). Only HE knows exactly what he saw- whether JR really tried to untie her wrists (never happened, IMO, because JR lied about her wrists being tied tightly together). We know for a FACT that her wrists were NOT tied tightly (no ligature furrows) nor were they tied TOGETHER (rigor mortis had them over a foot apart- had they been together, rigor mortis would have kept them together, even when the cord was removed). Did he see the doll, pink nightie? We don't know. He must have seen the nightie- it was right on top of the white blanket. He would have seen the doll if it was close to the body, might not have noticed it if it had been tossed to the side away from the body.

DeeDee249,

To see the section of the room where JB was, you had to step into the room and look to the left.

Sure, but we have peripheral vision, so its possible something might have been perceptible? I wonder if it was JR who added those restraints on JonBenet, knowing he would remove them later with a dramatic flourish?

Did he see the doll, pink nightie? We don't know. He must have seen the nightie- it was right on top of the white blanket. He would have seen the doll if it was close to the body, might not have noticed it if it had been tossed to the side away from the body.

Yes, what did he see? What IMO is important is what did FW see the first time he visited the wine-cellar? Can he he tell us he could vaguely see the outline of some objects, even that he saw particular objects? If so, then this might explain why he returned. Since he might have found it perplexing to view something on his first visit, i.e. not JonBenet, then on his second visit his peripheral vision could see JonBenet?

.

 

[chlban]

Yes. Jeffrey Scott Shapiro is the name I needed for I did not realize he became an attorney in 2005.

A confidential source, whom I cannot disclose, told me that "the investigative journalist turned lawyer knows who killed JonBenét Ramsey".

"Shapiro felt compassion for the people his editors were targeting, and eventually he called John Ramsey personally to apologize for his participation in the tabloid accusations against him.[11] After apologizing to John Ramsey, Shapiro walked into the Denver Federal Building to report his editors for conspiring to blackmail lead Boulder Detective Steve Thomas for sealed grand jury evidence. He also told a team of FBI agents about how his editors engaged in commercial bribery and illegal information brokering.[10]"

"Shapiro has also defended members of JonBenét Ramsey's family whom he believes are innocent. In a Denver Post article in which he challenged tabloid accusations against JonBenet's older brother, Burke Ramsey, Shapiro quoted American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox saying, "To sin by silence when we should protest is what makes cowards of men."[28]"

"Shapiro has continuously worked on the JonBenét Ramsey murder case for 15 years since 1997, and in 2011 he chronicled his search for the little girl's killer, revealing his belief that her mother, Patsy Ramsey was most likely the killer.[30] Despite his belief that Patsy Ramsey was most likely the killer, Shapiro has also spent considerable time personally tracking down intruder suspects and turning over information as well as evidence to law enforcement officials.[31] Shapiro has publicly called upon the FBI to take over the case from Boulder authorities and has also criticized former District Attorney Mary Lacy for clearing the Ramseys against the advice of the Boulder Police Department and Lacy's predecessor, District Attorney Alex Hunter.[32][33]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Scott_Shapiro

PS ~ cynic, I got a nice chuckle out of your depiction of John Ramsey on his hands and knees reading the three page Ransom Note.

MOO and all that jazz

Its' kind of ironic, since Shapiro once worked for the Globe tabloid, but I have found his opinions to be well reasoned and they have always made sense to me. It is my understanding that it was his opinion, as stated above, that Patsy was the killer, but I also understood that be felt some measure of pity for her. That she was tortured the rest of her life by what she had done.

Although I never read his full theory of the killing, just that he had ultimately decided Patsy was respohsible. I would like to know if he has a full theory.

 

[chlban]

I beg to differ. The ransom note was absolutely necessary for the Ramseys. If they had called the cops saying our daughter is dead (or simply missing), LE would have immediately looked at the three surviving people in that house as prime suspects as there really was no evidence of an intruder or forced entry. The note allowed the Ramsey's the opportunity to gather their posse of friends and contaminate the murder scene. The note also allowed John the opportunity to find the body and cast doubt on any forensic evidence that was found on it. I would say with certainty that without that note, the Ramsey's would have been in jail almost immediately.

I am with madeleine on this one. Only I do have a problem, a big one, will most of the contents of the note.

However, I don't see why or how such a ridiculous note helped them. I think LE did immediately look at the people in the house and looked even harder when they read that complete work of fantasy. I also don't see how it allowed the Ramsey's the opportunity to gather their posse. To me, and I think to many other people, the fact that they called their friends over in spite of the threats in the RN, just made them look more guilty.

For me that note also remains the main reason that, although I can see some merit in the BDI theory, I always end up back at PDI. I still cannot believe that if John were part of it that note would have ever been presented to LE. A note perhaps, but certainly not something that ludicrous and dramatic. That note has always screamed Patsy to me. I have often thought it may have been the major red flag for John as well.

 

[elannia]

Mistakes were made from the start, that is something NO one disputes. However, some believe (I am one of them) that phone calls were made in the middle of the night, long BEFORE that 911 call. That is why the phone records "disappeared". I believe calls were then made from people in a position of power to the DA's office and possible even the police chief. Do NOT attempt to arrest these people or treat them as suspects. I know it was the day after Christmas and the police were short-staffed. But there was simply NO excuse for sending the FBI away, refusing help from a larger police department (Denver- who offered to send homicide investigators) and refusing to send help to Det Arndt. The police also were VERY quick to want to release the house back to the family. They also allowed Patsy's sister to wander the house unaccompanied, wearing a police jacket so as not to arouse suspicion. (this in itself is illegal- no one may wear official police uniforms unless they are in fact a police officer). There was funny business from the get-go and from all areas of the investigation.

IA, the CoP was booted out, wouldnt accept help from other LE agencies, all of these people coming forward and they were shooed away... I too believe calls were made early that morning(and JR says on LKL that "alot of people were there at 3 in the morning"), which is that were true how did they go unnoticed? If calls were made, I wonder what the R' told them about what was going on, how it happened, etc... and WHY these people covered for the R's. Also LA being the only LE in the house, I know it was Christmas but still... seems to me this was all planned out in the wee hours of the morning after the murder and someone in LE? maybe received a call and were told of what was going on and thats why they were refusing help and left LA alone in that house. It was a big mistake turning the house back over to them , as well as (imo, JB's body) I just think it was too soon, and people wanted to hurry and get her buried(dont mean that to sound harsh, just think they could have rechecked her if needed(stun gun injuries, etc). If people in high up places were aware of the murder and did nothing but help cover, how do they live with themselves, what did they get out of it?

 

[DeDee]

Ransom note:

Whe people speak or write, they use a specific language. Most are Visual and say things like "I see" "this looks good"

Some are Audio and say "Listen to me" " I hear you"

Some are kinesthetic "I feel for you" "my heart goes out to them"

The majority of the language used in the letter is Auditory. It would be helpful to read other items written by those involved and see (notice I am speaking visually by using the word see) who speaks and writes Auditory.

The Ramsey Christmas Letters 1995 & 1996

In accordance with Patsy's Christmas Traditions, she annually mailed Christmas Letters to their friends. Use your auditory, visual and kinesthetic skills with them if you like. I shall eagerly anticipate your thoughts.



John and Patsy Ramsey 1995 Christmas Newsletter

Twas a week before Christmas with a million things to do, And wouldn't you know it, Mom came down with the flu. Fortunately the gifts were all gotten and under the tree, But the Christmas cards didn't make it - as you can well see! So we'll take this opportunity to extend the Holiday Cheer. And be the first to wish you a Healthy & Happy New Year!

We've finally given in to the computerized form letter! What better way to keep the high-tech industry in business!? Speaking of business, John and Access are going great guns. Europe has been successfully conquered with offices in every country except Norway! Mexico & Canada opened too. (Can you believe this grew out of our garage on Northridge?) Anyway, John was rewarded by parent company, Lockheed-Martin, by being elected an office of the company.

All work and no play make John a dull boy, so he leaves plenty of time for the latter. This year John, John Andrew, and Melinda took the crew of the Miss America (our sailing sloop) to victories in the NOOD Races in Chicago and a 4th place division finish of the Chicago-Mackinac Island Race. Seventy-knot winds in the Mac race really made the finish line look pretty good! John Andrew is a freshman at CU here in Boulder, and Melinda is due to complete her Nursing Degree from MCG [Medical College of Georgia] in Augusta next June.

Burke is busy in his third grade year at a new school named High Peaks. It is a Core Knowledge school which accesses high academics and personal achievement. He loves it! He continues with Boy Scouting and the piano. This winter he is the tallest guy on his basketball team. Summer on Charlevoix was spent taking golf and sailing lessons each day. Burke is quite the sailor!

JonBenet too had a busy summer in Charlevoix. She was crowned Little Miss Charlevoix in a pageant in June and spent the rest of the summer riding in convertibles in various home-town parades throughout Michigan. She performed a patriotic tap & song for her talent. She and Burke both won ribbons in several decorated bicycle contests. In October, JonBenet become Little Miss Colorado, she rode on the "Good Ship Lollipop" float during the Boulder Christmas parade. (Grandpa Paugh built the float!) She waved and sang all along the parade route! She also takes piano, violin, and drama classes. Busy little Pre-kindergartener![sic] (Busy Mom hauling her around!)

I continue to have good check-ups at NIH in Bethesda, MD. God has surely blessed me with energy and the ability to return to raising a family. I thank Him every morning when I wake up and see the sunrise reflecting on the Flatirons over Boulder. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Hope your Christmas was merry and here's to 1996! By the time you read this we'll be cheering on the Buffs at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas and then on to the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix! Thanks to everyone who visited us in Colorado or Charlevoix this year. Please come see us in 1996! Love to you all!

The Ramseys


JOHN AND PATSY RAMSEY 1996 CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER


Dear Friends & Family,

It's been another busy year at the Ramsey household. Can't believe its almost over and time to start again!

Melinda (24) graduated from Medical College of Georgia and is working in Pediatric ICU at Kennestone Hospital in Atlanta. John Andrew (20) is a Sophomore at the University of Colorado.

Burke is a busy fourth grader where he really shines in math and spelling. He played flag football this fall and is currently on a basketball binge! His little league team was #1. He's lost just about all of his baby teeth, so I'm sure we'll be seeing the orthodontist in 1997!

JonBenet is enjoying her first year in 'real school.' Kindergarten in the Core Knowledge program is fast paced and five full days a week. She has already been moved ahead to first grade math. She continues to enjoy participating in talent and modeling pageants. She was named "America's Royale Tiny Miss" last summer and is Colorado's Little Miss Christmas. Her teacher says she is so outgoing that she will never have trouble delivering an oral book report!

John is always on the go travelling hither and yon. Access recently celebrated its one billion $$ mark in sales, so he's pretty happy! He and his crew were underway in the Port Huron to Mackinac Island yacht race in July, but had to pull out mid way due to lack of wind. (Can you believe that?) But, his real love is the new 'old looking' boat, Grand Season, which he spent months designing.

I spend most of my 'free time' working in the school and doing volunteer work. The Charlevoix house was on the home tour in July and will likely appear in one of the Better Homes & Gardens publications in 1997. On a recent trip to NYC, my friend and I appeared amid the throng of fans on the TODAY show. Al Roker & Bryant actually talked to us and we were on camera for a few fleeting moments!

We are all enjoying continued good health and look forward to seeing you in 1997! One final note ... thank you to all my 'friends' and my dear husband for surprising me with the biggest, most outrageous 40th birthday bash I've ever had! We'll be spending my actual birthday on the Disney Big Red Boat over the new year!

Merry Christmas and much love,
The Ramseys

http://thewebsafe.tripod.com/1995christmasnewsletter.htm

http://thewebsafe.tripod.com/1996christmasnewsletter.htm

 

[CorallaroC]

John Ramsey did have vision problems – cataracts, but, for me, his tale of reading the RN on the floor has never rung true.

Officer French would be able to clarify what happened to the note in terms of its movement from the floor where it was allegedly read by John (and the location marked in the 1998 LE interview,) to the placement on the spiral staircase where it was photographed by crime scene techs.
Presently, from what is available publically, it’s not clear whether French was handed the note or whether he read it at the location where JR claims to have read it.
If French was handed the note, would he have dropped it back on the hall floor for some reason only to later pick it up again and place it on the spiral staircase?
If the note was pointed out to him on the floor, did he pick it up to read it only to drop it again at the same location, or would he have dropped it closer to the patio door.
Would he have dropped it back on the floor at all if the intention was to ultimately place it on the spiral staircase?
One thing is clear, John Fernie (who was 51 years old in 1996) would have had to have vision in the range of 20/15 to even have the slightest chance of resolving any part of the ransom note. Given the fact that he was attempting to read handwriting upside down and at an angle in sub-optimal lighting, how probable is JF’s story if the note was left where John Ramsey claims he read it?
The only advantage John Fernie would have had would be that he was probably familiar with Patsy’s handwriting.

What if the note was moved closer to the door?
The complicating factor in a location closer to the door is that presumably it would then be in a poorly-lit area because, according to John, the location some 10 – 11 feet away from the patio door where he claims to have read it had the best lighting.
If JF lied, why did he lie? It’s certainly possible that he may have seen the paper on the floor – maybe he simply embellished the story to make it seem more interesting?

• (For anyone interested, I have a link to a reasonably print-worthy picture of the first page of the ransom note which you can print, place 10 – 11 feet away, and attempt to read.)
http://i57.tinypic.com/szc0fq.jpg (Right click, "Save target as")

Other than the issue of vision, there is another factor that makes it more probable that JF was lying.
JF claims he didn’t know why Patsy had called, and foremost in his thinking was that John Ramsey must have had a heart attack.
Why, if JF thought that John Ramsey may be having a heart attack, did he stop and fixate on a piece of paper (or papers, depending on which version you believe) on the floor, facing the other direction, long enough to allegedly determine that JonBenet had been kidnapped rather than immediately running to another door after finding the first one locked. Why was he wasting precious time reading an upside down piece of paper???

• Did JF see one sheet of paper or several?

Before he finished reading the ransom note, he told Patsy to call the police. Immediately afterward, Patsy called the Whites and Fernies and told them something terrible had happened. “Barbara, get over here as fast as you can,” she said to her friend. Seven minutes after Patsy’s call to 911, Officer French was at their front door.
John Fernie told the police that he was the first of the Ramseys’ friends to arrive. His wife, Barbara, came later in her car. As Fernie drove over, he thought that John must have had a heart attack, since Patsy hadn’t told his wife what had happened.
Fernie parked his car in the alley behind the Ramseys’ house and ran to the patio door on the south side, which he always used. It was locked. When he looked through the glass-paneled door, the lights were on and he could see some papers lying on the wooden floor. They were not facing him, but from where he stood, he could read the first few lines of one page. That was all he needed. He understood immediately that JonBenét had been kidnapped. Once inside the house, he read the entire ransom note. At first he thought it was bizarre, then later he saw it as perverse.
A few minutes later, John Ramsey tried to phone his pilot, Mike Archuleta, to tell him what had happened and learned that the pilot was already on his way to the airport for the Ramseys’ scheduled flight to Michigan. When Archuleta returned Ramsey’s call, Patsy answered. Archuleta told the police that Patsy had been hysterical, barely coherent. She was now being consoled by her friends when a second officer, Karl Veitch, arrived. The police then paged Mary Lou Jedamus, a victim advocate.
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Lawrence Schiller, page 78

John Fernie: "I drove my car into the -- up the alley and parked in the back of your house, and went around to the patio door, which was a glass door leading into the kitchen and back of the house, and didn't see anybody, but saw a piece of paper laying on the floor. Looked at that. It was facing the other direction. Read it. And after the first few lines realized something very strange was happening. And so I ran around to the front of the house and knocked on the door and was let in."
John Fernie: "I didn't pick it up. It was inside the door and I was outside. The door was locked. I read it through the door."
John Fernie: "Fleet and Priscilla White were there when I arrived. And my wife came shortly thereafter. And our -- Haverstock, our priest, came afterwards as well."
John Fernie: "My recollection is that later in the day, when we were waiting for phone calls from the supposed kidnappers, we were sitting in the back room with a detective and trying to figure out what the note meant. And there was a copy of the note. I don't know if it was the note, or a copy of the note, actually."
Deposition of John Fernie, Colorado v Miller, June 13, 2001

• By the way, who was there first, JF or FW?

At 6:00 A.M. the telephone awakened Cliff Gaston. It was Patsy Ramsey. Priscilla took the call, and within minutes the Whites were dressed and on their way to the Ramseys’ house. When they arrived, the police and John Fernie were already there.
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Lawrence Schiller, page 30

• With respect to the location of the RN when the police arrived, there are conflicting stories. In the 1998 interview, JR claims he handed the RN to Officer French, however the account in ST’s book and in the Bonita Papers indicates that the RN was left on the floor where JR initially read it.

LOU SMIT: Just try to take it in slow steps. You know what you did with the officer and how you proceeded then; (INAUDIBLE)?
JOHN RAMSEY: We were standing in the hallway. We were handing him the note trying to explain and convince him that we had a problem. And at some point he asked us all to go into this room here and stay there.
LOU SMIT: That's the solarium?
JOHN RAMSEY: Right. The Fernies and the Whites were arriving at sometime between - I think he got there first. But at some point he kind of shepherded us all in there and asked us all to stay there. (INAUDIBLE)
LOU SMIT: What did you do with the note?
JOHN RAMSEY: I gave it to him. I think at that point he kept it. I mean I don't remember him giving it back to me. I do remember later we had, I think they made copies but we had it spread out on the table back here just trying to figure out what we could figure out.
1998 LE interview

"Another tech saw the ransom note on the bottom step of the spiral staircase and photographed it there. But the photograph lied. The note had traveled from the stairs, possibly into Patsy's hands, then had been spread out on the hallway floor where John Ramsey and the police had read it, and French had put it back on the stairs. The photograph, which was supposed to show exactly where evidence had been discovered, was inaccurate."
JonBenet: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation, Steve Thomas, page 20

Officer Rick French was dispatched to 755 15th Street in Boulder at approximately 5:52 a.m. on the report of a possible kidnapping. He was met at the door by the distraught Patsy and by John who told him that their six-year-old daughter was missing and their nine-year-old son was asleep upstairs. Patsy, hysterical and apparently confused about the sequence of the mornings events, told officer French that she went into JonBenet’s bedroom at approximately 5:45 a.m. that morning to wake her up for the trip and saw that she was not in bed. As she was coming down the spiral staircase she found the note stating that her daughter had been kidnapped. John then led French through the house and pointed out a three page handwritten note which still lay on the hallway floor next to the kitchen.
-Bonita Papers

Just a quick pause to ponder the BBM above. "YOUR HOUSE" ??? who was JF talking directly to at the time of this interview or deposition? Anyone know where this quote comes from?

 

[CorallaroC]

Its' kind of ironic, since Shapiro once worked for the Globe tabloid, but I have found his opinions to be well reasoned and they have always made sense to me. It is my understanding that it was his opinion, as stated above, that Patsy was the killer, but I also understood that be felt some measure of pity for her. That she was tortured the rest of her life by what she had done.

Although I never read his full theory of the killing, just that he had ultimately decided Patsy was respohsible. I would like to know if he has a full theory.

Chlban, good posit. I've wondered about Shapiro too, especially in recent years when he first began writing about his own personal feelings about the case.

I cannot remember which one of the fake-u-mentaries depicted Shapiro as some bumbling, immature goofball, but it has taken me years to get that depiction out of my mind. (no offense to the actor hired, but really, was it necessary to make the rest of the world believe that this guy was totally not credible?. Ok, I guess so, for the ones who were hired or needed to spin. Here we are, almost 20 year later, we (public) has learned a lot, in spite of the fact that many crime cases are manipulated in the media. We refuse to forget the crime, we follow it to conclusion, we often see thru the shenanigans. If the JBR murder had happened in more recent years, there would have NEVER been such controversy and easy coverups. It just never would fly. I mean really, in 1996 most people could not even IMAGINE the possibility of a mother killing her child. Or any family member for that matter. Sadly, these days it is far too commonplace, but IMO these crimes have existed since so long ago, it's Biblical in its reporting of it. ~~~ I wish Shapiro would come forward, do a video interview, say at least a portion of what he thinks, and give the public a NEW image of himself that contradicts the fake-u-mentary of his being a silly greedy gumshoe. geesh. JMO

 

[CorallaroC]

The Ramsey Christmas Letters 1995 & 1996

In accordance with Patsy's Christmas Traditions, she annually mailed Christmas Letters to their friends. Use your auditory, visual and kinesthetic skills with them if you like. I shall eagerly anticipate your thoughts.



John and Patsy Ramsey 1995 Christmas Newsletter

Twas a week before Christmas with a million things to do, And wouldn't you know it, Mom came down with the flu. Fortunately the gifts were all gotten and under the tree, But the Christmas cards didn't make it - as you can well see! So we'll take this opportunity to extend the Holiday Cheer. And be the first to wish you a Healthy & Happy New Year!

We've finally given in to the computerized form letter! What better way to keep the high-tech industry in business!? Speaking of business, John and Access are going great guns. Europe has been successfully conquered with offices in every country except Norway! Mexico & Canada opened too. (Can you believe this grew out of our garage on Northridge?) Anyway, John was rewarded by parent company, Lockheed-Martin, by being elected an office of the company.

All work and no play make John a dull boy, so he leaves plenty of time for the latter. This year John, John Andrew, and Melinda took the crew of the Miss America (our sailing sloop) to victories in the NOOD Races in Chicago and a 4th place division finish of the Chicago-Mackinac Island Race. Seventy-knot winds in the Mac race really made the finish line look pretty good! John Andrew is a freshman at CU here in Boulder, and Melinda is due to complete her Nursing Degree from MCG [Medical College of Georgia] in Augusta next June.

Burke is busy in his third grade year at a new school named High Peaks. It is a Core Knowledge school which accesses high academics and personal achievement. He loves it! He continues with Boy Scouting and the piano. This winter he is the tallest guy on his basketball team. Summer on Charlevoix was spent taking golf and sailing lessons each day. Burke is quite the sailor!

JonBenet too had a busy summer in Charlevoix. She was crowned Little Miss Charlevoix in a pageant in June and spent the rest of the summer riding in convertibles in various home-town parades throughout Michigan. She performed a patriotic tap & song for her talent. She and Burke both won ribbons in several decorated bicycle contests. In October, JonBenet become Little Miss Colorado, she rode on the "Good Ship Lollipop" float during the Boulder Christmas parade. (Grandpa Paugh built the float!) She waved and sang all along the parade route! She also takes piano, violin, and drama classes. Busy little Pre-kindergartener![sic] (Busy Mom hauling her around!)

I continue to have good check-ups at NIH in Bethesda, MD. God has surely blessed me with energy and the ability to return to raising a family. I thank Him every morning when I wake up and see the sunrise reflecting on the Flatirons over Boulder. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Hope your Christmas was merry and here's to 1996! By the time you read this we'll be cheering on the Buffs at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas and then on to the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix! Thanks to everyone who visited us in Colorado or Charlevoix this year. Please come see us in 1996! Love to you all!

The Ramseys


JOHN AND PATSY RAMSEY 1996 CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER


Dear Friends & Family,

It's been another busy year at the Ramsey household. Can't believe its almost over and time to start again!

Melinda (24) graduated from Medical College of Georgia and is working in Pediatric ICU at Kennestone Hospital in Atlanta. John Andrew (20) is a Sophomore at the University of Colorado.

Burke is a busy fourth grader where he really shines in math and spelling. He played flag football this fall and is currently on a basketball binge! His little league team was #1. He's lost just about all of his baby teeth, so I'm sure we'll be seeing the orthodontist in 1997!

JonBenet is enjoying her first year in 'real school.' Kindergarten in the Core Knowledge program is fast paced and five full days a week. She has already been moved ahead to first grade math. She continues to enjoy participating in talent and modeling pageants. She was named "America's Royale Tiny Miss" last summer and is Colorado's Little Miss Christmas. Her teacher says she is so outgoing that she will never have trouble delivering an oral book report!

John is always on the go travelling hither and yon. Access recently celebrated its one billion $$ mark in sales, so he's pretty happy! He and his crew were underway in the Port Huron to Mackinac Island yacht race in July, but had to pull out mid way due to lack of wind. (Can you believe that?) But, his real love is the new 'old looking' boat, Grand Season, which he spent months designing.

I spend most of my 'free time' working in the school and doing volunteer work. The Charlevoix house was on the home tour in July and will likely appear in one of the Better Homes & Gardens publications in 1997. On a recent trip to NYC, my friend and I appeared amid the throng of fans on the TODAY show. Al Roker & Bryant actually talked to us and we were on camera for a few fleeting moments!

We are all enjoying continued good health and look forward to seeing you in 1997! One final note ... thank you to all my 'friends' and my dear husband for surprising me with the biggest, most outrageous 40th birthday bash I've ever had! We'll be spending my actual birthday on the Disney Big Red Boat over the new year!

Merry Christmas and much love,
The Ramseys

http://thewebsafe.tripod.com/1995christmasnewsletter.htm

http://thewebsafe.tripod.com/1996christmasnewsletter.htm

I agree with DeeDee and Baleney - would be worthwhile to analyze the ransome note, holiday letters, any correspondence we know of, to get an idea of author's VISUAL - AUDITORY, Kinesthetic. Some people are ambidextrous, some are multi-sensory by nature. But maybe one of the WS'ers will find a pattern which no one else has noticed, or one that the so called "experts" have never revealed. JMO

 

[otg]

Something interesting (and something I wouldn’t have noticed were there not two different discussions going on) is the wording at the end of Patsy’s Christmas newsletters. Look at the end of the 1995 newsletter posted here (Post #1046) by DeDee:

Thanks to everyone who visited us in Colorado or Charlevoix this year. Please come see us in 1996! Love to you all!

The Ramseys
​

(I won’t even mention the overuse of exclamation points.) “Love to you all!” How similar is that to the questioning about a phrase found on a torn card or piece of paper in the trash? “Love you all”. So much has been made of that torn card or paper -- suggestions that it was from some “secret Santa”, questions about why it was torn up, who wrote it, when was it written, etc. We’ve never seen a picture of the card in question and BPD didn’t take it into evidence (it only showed up in a CSI picture of the trash can). Maybe even the stenographer (June 23, 1998) got the exact phrase being repeated wrong. Maybe Patsy read the phrase as, “Love t’ you all” and the stenographer didn’t hear and record the word “to”. Another possibility is that Patsy did exactly as she suggested in her questioning that she might have done: She “goofed and threw it away or something.” Maybe the “goof” was that she left out the word “to” where she meant to write “Love to you all!” (as she had written in the previous year’s Christmas newsletter shown above).

Here’s the transcript of that line of questioning again for reference:

5 VOICE: Yes, does it look like it's
6 that portion of it, though?
7 VOICE: With the pen over
8 (INAUDIBLE).
9 TRIP DeMUTH: Kind of looks like
10 the writing goes through this little design.
11 PATSY RAMSEY: Yes.
12 TRIP DeMUTH: Which is a horn and
13 --
14 PATSY RAMSEY: Right.
15 TRIP DeMUTH: -- some --
16 PATSY RAMSEY: Yeah, could be, but
17 this type would be a lot bigger. I mean, see
18 that --
19 TRIP DeMUTH: That takes up most of
20 the gap between here and there.
21 PATSY RAMSEY: Yes. I did it with
22 special (INAUDIBLE) during the holidays at
23 Christmas and might (INAUDIBLE).
24 PATSY RAMSEY: I don't know.
25 TRIP DeMUTH: I don't know.
0560
1 PATSY RAMSEY: Hum? I can't -- I
2 can't tell.
3 TRIP DeMUTH: Okay.
4 PATSY RAMSEY: This looks to me
5 like a lot bigger than that. I mean if you had
6 the real thing, I could tell for sure.
7 TRIP DeMUTH: I don't think we
8 collected that.
9 PATSY RAMSEY: I know, yeah.
10 TRIP DeMUTH: So looking at that
11 though, it doesn't ring any bells, you don't --
12 the poems you wrote -- I mean you have referred
13 this now that's in this photograph, you read the
14 portion that you can see.
15 PATSY RAMSEY: Right.
16 TRIP DeMUTH: That doesn't jog your
17 memory as being part of the poem that you wrote?
18 PATSY RAMSEY: Well, it could be.
19 I mean, I don't know. I just can't see it well
20 enough.
21 TRIP DeMUTH: Right, okay.
22 TRIP DeMUTH: You know there is a C
23 at the end there you can see, Merry Christmas.
24 PATSY RAMSEY: Right.
25 TRIP DeMUTH: And also looks like
0561
1 it signed off there at the bottom.
2 PATSY RAMSEY: "Love you all".
3 TRIP DeMUTH: Love you all, Merry
4 Christmas.
5 PATSY RAMSEY: Maybe that's the
6 end.
7 TRIP DeMUTH: Did you do that at
8 the end of your poems, those Christmas poems?
9 PATSY RAMSEY: (INAUDIBLE). Was
10 the whole thing in that note, you know that
11 (INAUDIBLE) in the center there?
12 TRIP DeMUTH: Was --
13 PATSY RAMSEY: Was there more pages
14 than what was sort of just the picture, because
15 usually there was something about everybody's
16 party because I knew who was going to be there
17 so --
18 TRIP DeMUTH: We will look for that
19 stuff. What we wanted to do is just explore
20 your memory by showing you --
21 (MULTIPLE SPEAKERS.)
22 PATSY RAMSEY: It could be, but it
23 doesn't look proportionate, but if it is, maybe
24 it just a, you know, one that goofed and I threw
25 it away or something.
​

BTW, did everyone catch Patsy’s poem at the beginning of the 1995 newsletter? Here it is in verse form in case you didn’t notice it:

Twas a week before Christmas with a million things to do,
And wouldn't you know it, Mom came down with the flu.

Fortunately the gifts were all gotten and under the tree,
But the Christmas cards didn't make it - as you can well see!

So we'll take this opportunity to extend the Holiday Cheer.
And be the first to wish you a Healthy & Happy New Year!
​

(It’s a takeoff of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore.) I (otg) decided to try my hand at a little takeoff of the same poem. Maybe I’ll finish it by next Christmas. Here’s my first few stanzas (as spoken by John Ramsey):

‘Twas the day after Christmas, when all through my house
Not a person was rested, not even my spouse;

The staging was finished, it was all done with care,
In fear that the cops soon would be there;

Our last child was nestled all snug in his bed;
With the fear of prison that I put in his head;

And Pats in her “last nights” and I in my shorts,
Had just called the cops and made our reports,

In less than ten minutes there came such a crowd,
I couldn’t believe it -- that house got so loud!
​

 

[icedtea4me]

Something interesting (and something I wouldn’t have noticed were there not two different discussions going on) is the wording at the end of Patsy’s Christmas newsletters. Look at the end of the 1995 newsletter posted here (Post #1046) by DeDee:

Thanks to everyone who visited us in Colorado or Charlevoix this year. Please come see us in 1996! Love to you all!

The Ramseys
​

(I won’t even mention the overuse of exclamation points.) “Love to you all!” How similar is that to the questioning about a phrase found on a torn card or piece of paper in the trash? “Love you all”. So much has been made of that torn card or paper -- suggestions that it was from some “secret Santa”, questions about why it was torn up, who wrote it, when was it written, etc. We’ve never seen a picture of the card in question and BPD didn’t take it into evidence (it only showed up in a CSI picture of the trash can). Maybe even the stenographer (June 23, 1998) got the exact phrase being repeated wrong. Maybe Patsy read the phrase as, “Love t’ you all” and the stenographer didn’t hear and record the word “to”. Another possibility is that Patsy did exactly as she suggested in her questioning that she might have done: She “goofed and threw it away or something.” Maybe the “goof” was that she left out the word “to” where she meant to write “Love to you all!” (as she had written in the previous year’s Christmas newsletter shown above).

Here’s the transcript of that line of questioning again for reference:

5 VOICE: Yes, does it look like it's
6 that portion of it, though?
7 VOICE: With the pen over
8 (INAUDIBLE).
9 TRIP DeMUTH: Kind of looks like
10 the writing goes through this little design.
11 PATSY RAMSEY: Yes.
12 TRIP DeMUTH: Which is a horn and
13 --
14 PATSY RAMSEY: Right.
15 TRIP DeMUTH: -- some --
16 PATSY RAMSEY: Yeah, could be, but
17 this type would be a lot bigger. I mean, see
18 that --
19 TRIP DeMUTH: That takes up most of
20 the gap between here and there.
21 PATSY RAMSEY: Yes. I did it with
22 special (INAUDIBLE) during the holidays at
23 Christmas and might (INAUDIBLE).
24 PATSY RAMSEY: I don't know.
25 TRIP DeMUTH: I don't know.
0560
1 PATSY RAMSEY: Hum? I can't -- I
2 can't tell.
3 TRIP DeMUTH: Okay.
4 PATSY RAMSEY: This looks to me
5 like a lot bigger than that. I mean if you had
6 the real thing, I could tell for sure.
7 TRIP DeMUTH: I don't think we
8 collected that.
9 PATSY RAMSEY: I know, yeah.
10 TRIP DeMUTH: So looking at that
11 though, it doesn't ring any bells, you don't --
12 the poems you wrote -- I mean you have referred
13 this now that's in this photograph, you read the
14 portion that you can see.
15 PATSY RAMSEY: Right.
16 TRIP DeMUTH: That doesn't jog your
17 memory as being part of the poem that you wrote?
18 PATSY RAMSEY: Well, it could be.
19 I mean, I don't know. I just can't see it well
20 enough.
21 TRIP DeMUTH: Right, okay.
22 TRIP DeMUTH: You know there is a C
23 at the end there you can see, Merry Christmas.
24 PATSY RAMSEY: Right.
25 TRIP DeMUTH: And also looks like
0561
1 it signed off there at the bottom.
2 PATSY RAMSEY: "Love you all".
3 TRIP DeMUTH: Love you all, Merry
4 Christmas.
5 PATSY RAMSEY: Maybe that's the
6 end.
7 TRIP DeMUTH: Did you do that at
8 the end of your poems, those Christmas poems?
9 PATSY RAMSEY: (INAUDIBLE). Was
10 the whole thing in that note, you know that
11 (INAUDIBLE) in the center there?
12 TRIP DeMUTH: Was --
13 PATSY RAMSEY: Was there more pages
14 than what was sort of just the picture, because
15 usually there was something about everybody's
16 party because I knew who was going to be there
17 so --
18 TRIP DeMUTH: We will look for that
19 stuff. What we wanted to do is just explore
20 your memory by showing you --
21 (MULTIPLE SPEAKERS.)
22 PATSY RAMSEY: It could be, but it
23 doesn't look proportionate, but if it is, maybe
24 it just a, you know, one that goofed and I threw
25 it away or something.
​

BTW, did everyone catch Patsy’s poem at the beginning of the 1995 newsletter? Here it is in verse form in case you didn’t notice it:

Twas a week before Christmas with a million things to do,
And wouldn't you know it, Mom came down with the flu.

Fortunately the gifts were all gotten and under the tree,
But the Christmas cards didn't make it - as you can well see!

So we'll take this opportunity to extend the Holiday Cheer.
And be the first to wish you a Healthy & Happy New Year!
​

(It’s a takeoff of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore.) I (otg) decided to try my hand at a little takeoff of the same poem. Maybe I’ll finish it by next Christmas. Here’s my first few stanzas (as spoken by John Ramsey):

‘Twas the day after Christmas, when all through my house
Not a person was rested, not even my spouse;

The staging was finished, it was all done with care,
In fear that the cops soon would be there;

Our last child was nestled all snug in his bed;
With the fear of prison that I put in his head;

And Pats in her “last nights” and I in my shorts,
Had just called the cops and made our reports,

In less than ten minutes there came such a crowd,
I couldn’t believe it -- that house got so loud!
​

Great catch regarding the "Love to you all!"!

 

[icedtea4me]

The Ramsey Christmas Letters 1995 & 1996

In accordance with Patsy's Christmas Traditions, she annually mailed Christmas Letters to their friends. Use your auditory, visual and kinesthetic skills with them if you like. I shall eagerly anticipate your thoughts.



John and Patsy Ramsey 1995 Christmas Newsletter

Twas a week before Christmas with a million things to do, And wouldn't you know it, Mom came down with the flu. Fortunately the gifts were all gotten and under the tree, But the Christmas cards didn't make it - as you can well see! So we'll take this opportunity to extend the Holiday Cheer. And be the first to wish you a Healthy & Happy New Year!

We've finally given in to the computerized form letter! What better way to keep the high-tech industry in business!? Speaking of business, John and Access are going great guns. Europe has been successfully conquered with offices in every country except Norway! Mexico & Canada opened too. (Can you believe this grew out of our garage on Northridge?) Anyway, John was rewarded by parent company, Lockheed-Martin, by being elected an office of the company.

All work and no play make John a dull boy, so he leaves plenty of time for the latter. This year John, John Andrew, and Melinda took the crew of the Miss America (our sailing sloop) to victories in the NOOD Races in Chicago and a 4th place division finish of the Chicago-Mackinac Island Race. Seventy-knot winds in the Mac race really made the finish line look pretty good! John Andrew is a freshman at CU here in Boulder, and Melinda is due to complete her Nursing Degree from MCG [Medical College of Georgia] in Augusta next June.

Burke is busy in his third grade year at a new school named High Peaks. It is a Core Knowledge school which accesses high academics and personal achievement. He loves it! He continues with Boy Scouting and the piano. This winter he is the tallest guy on his basketball team. Summer on Charlevoix was spent taking golf and sailing lessons each day. Burke is quite the sailor!

JonBenet too had a busy summer in Charlevoix. She was crowned Little Miss Charlevoix in a pageant in June and spent the rest of the summer riding in convertibles in various home-town parades throughout Michigan. She performed a patriotic tap & song for her talent. She and Burke both won ribbons in several decorated bicycle contests. In October, JonBenet become Little Miss Colorado, she rode on the "Good Ship Lollipop" float during the Boulder Christmas parade. (Grandpa Paugh built the float!) She waved and sang all along the parade route! She also takes piano, violin, and drama classes. Busy little Pre-kindergartener![sic] (Busy Mom hauling her around!)

I continue to have good check-ups at NIH in Bethesda, MD. God has surely blessed me with energy and the ability to return to raising a family. I thank Him every morning when I wake up and see the sunrise reflecting on the Flatirons over Boulder. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Hope your Christmas was merry and here's to 1996! By the time you read this we'll be cheering on the Buffs at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas and then on to the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix! Thanks to everyone who visited us in Colorado or Charlevoix this year. Please come see us in 1996! Love to you all!

The Ramseys


JOHN AND PATSY RAMSEY 1996 CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER


Dear Friends & Family,

It's been another busy year at the Ramsey household. Can't believe its almost over and time to start again!

Melinda (24) graduated from Medical College of Georgia and is working in Pediatric ICU at Kennestone Hospital in Atlanta. John Andrew (20) is a Sophomore at the University of Colorado.

Burke is a busy fourth grader where he really shines in math and spelling. He played flag football this fall and is currently on a basketball binge! His little league team was #1. He's lost just about all of his baby teeth, so I'm sure we'll be seeing the orthodontist in 1997!

JonBenet is enjoying her first year in 'real school.' Kindergarten in the Core Knowledge program is fast paced and five full days a week. She has already been moved ahead to first grade math. She continues to enjoy participating in talent and modeling pageants. She was named "America's Royale Tiny Miss" last summer and is Colorado's Little Miss Christmas. Her teacher says she is so outgoing that she will never have trouble delivering an oral book report!

John is always on the go travelling hither and yon. Access recently celebrated its one billion $$ mark in sales, so he's pretty happy! He and his crew were underway in the Port Huron to Mackinac Island yacht race in July, but had to pull out mid way due to lack of wind. (Can you believe that?) But, his real love is the new 'old looking' boat, Grand Season, which he spent months designing.

I spend most of my 'free time' working in the school and doing volunteer work. The Charlevoix house was on the home tour in July and will likely appear in one of the Better Homes & Gardens publications in 1997. On a recent trip to NYC, my friend and I appeared amid the throng of fans on the TODAY show. Al Roker & Bryant actually talked to us and we were on camera for a few fleeting moments!

We are all enjoying continued good health and look forward to seeing you in 1997! One final note ... thank you to all my 'friends' and my dear husband for surprising me with the biggest, most outrageous 40th birthday bash I've ever had! We'll be spending my actual birthday on the Disney Big Red Boat over the new year!

Merry Christmas and much love,
The Ramseys

http://thewebsafe.tripod.com/1995christmasnewsletter.htm

http://thewebsafe.tripod.com/1996christmasnewsletter.htm

That's been edited. In her actual letter she wrote 'We'll be spending my acutual birthday...'