RDI Theorists

Malice aforethought or accidental killing with cover-up?

  • One of the Ramseys killed Jonbenet with malice aforethought

    Votes: 15 8.3%
  • One of the Ramseys killed Jonbenet accidentally and then tried to cover it up

    Votes: 136 75.6%
  • None of the above - please explain

    Votes: 29 16.1%

  • Total voters
    180
  • #141
"I don't think that's what the experts said."

it isn't. What they said was they couldn't say with courtroom certainty she wrote it.

"Most judges have very little experince working as detectives. I don't put much stock in her opinion."

She saw none of the police evidence, Chris. Most people don't put much stock in her opinion.

"None of the six consulted experts identified Mrs. Ramsey as the author of the Ransom Note. (SMF P 195; PSMF P 195.)"

Not on the record. But they all said it wasn't probable anyone else could have.

"Rather, the experts' consensus was that she "probably did not" write the Ransom Note. (SMF P 196; PSMF P 196.)"

That's her interpretation. There is much that could challenge that.

"On a scale of one to five, with five being elimination as the author of the Ransom Note, the experts placed Mrs. Ramsey at a 4.5 or a 4.0. (SMF P 203; PSMF P 203.)"

That scale was dreamed up by two "experts" working on the Ramseys' behalf. I've talked to several handwriting analysts, and they've never heard of such a thing.

"The experts described the chance of Mrs. Ramsey being the author of the Ransom Note as "very low." (SMF P 204; PSMF P 204.)"

Even if that were true, and it isn't, the odds on it being someone else were remote, to say the least.

"The two experts hired by defendants both assert that this evidence strongly suggests that Mrs. Ramsey did not write the Note. (SMF P 254.)" (Carnes 2003:26). "Defendants' experts base their conclusion that Mrs. Ramsey is not the author of the Ransom Note on the "numerous significant dissimilarities" between the individual characteristics of Mrs. Ramsey's handprinting and of that used in the Ransom Note. (SMF P 247.) For example, defendants asserts Mrs. Ramsey's written letter "u" consistently differs from the way the same letter is written throughout the Ransom Note. (SMF P 248.)" (Carnes 2003:27)."

Notice it says "defendants" experts. And even THEY couldn't rule her out!

"Richard Dusick of the U.S. Secret Service concluded that there was "no evidence to indicate that Patsy Ramsey executed any of the questioned material appearing on the Ransom Note." (SMF P 200; PSMF P 200.)"

He didn't say she didn't write it.

""Chet Ubowski of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation concluded that the evidence fell short of that needed to support a conclusion that Mrs. Ramsey wrote the note. (SMF P 197; PSMF P 197.)" (Carnes 2003:26, note 14)."

IOWs, she wrote it, I just can't say so in court.

However, it has also been reported that "Chet Ubowski of CBI wrote of one of her samples that "This handwriting showed indications that the writer was Patsy Ramsey. Ubowski told investigators that the samples she gave "do not suggest the full range of her handwriting. Likewise, according to Internet poster The Punisher, Carol McKinley stated in the Fox News story that Ramseys sued over: "Many forensic document examiners have given their opinions as to who wrote the note. But the only one to testify before a grand jury in the case was Chet Ubowski, forensic document examiner for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Out of 100 people he analyzed for the Boulder Police Department, he found ONLY ONE person whom he thought may have authored the document, Patsy Ramsey. Investigative sources tell Fox News that the disguised letters and bleeding ink from the felt tipped pen used to write the note kept him from 100 percent ID of Mrs. Ramsey."
"Leonard Speckin, a private forensic document examiner, concluded that differences between the writing of Mrs. Ramsey's handwriting and the author of the Ransom Note prevented him from identifying Mrs. Ramsey as the author of the Ransom Note, but he was unable to eliminate her. (SMF P 198; PSMF P 198.)"

IOWs, she wrote it, I just can't say so in court. Speckin said, off the record, that the disguised writing tripped him up, but that he would testify that it wasn't likely anyone else wrote it.

"Edwin Alford, a private forensic document examiner, states the evidence fell short of that needed to support a conclusion that Mrs. Ramsey wrote the note. (SMF P 197; PSMF P 197.)"

IOWs, she wrote it, I just can't say so in court.

"Lloyd Cunningham, a private forensic document examiner hired by defendants, concluded that there were no significant similar individual characteristics shared by the handwriting of Mrs. Ramsey and the author of the Ransom Note, but there were many significant differences between the handwritings. (SMF P 201; PSMF P 201.)" (Carnes 2003:26, note 14).
"Howard Rile concluded that Mrs. Ramsey was between "probably not" and "elimination," on a scale of whether she wrote the Ransom Note. (SMF P 202; PSMF P 202.)" (Carnes 2003:26, note 14).

Cunningham and Rile were hired by the Ramseys to clear her, and they couldn't do it!

Summary Findings. All told, 10 professional experts have formally analyzed the RN and concluded Patsy is the author.

BPD hired Seraph to do an analysis of the RN; Dale Yeager, executive director of Seraph, has stated Patsy Ramsey was the RN writer.

"Gideon Epstein, a forensic document examiner hired by Darnay Hoffman, asserted that he was "100 percent certain" Mrs. Ramsey wrote the Ransom Note. (SMF P 256; PSMF P 256; PSDMF PP 1-2.)" (Carnes 2003:27).
Qualifications: "Mr. Epstein is a forensic document examiner who served as the past president of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners, is a registered member of the ABFDE, and has authored several authoritative texts in the field. (PSDMF {88} P 1; Epstein Aff. PP 12-15.) He has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska, a Masters of Forensic Science from Antioch School of Law, successfully completed a two-year resident training program in the forensic science of Questioned Document Examination at the U.S. Army Crime Laboratory *1345 in Fort Gordon, Georgia, and has trained with the Post Office Identification Laboratory. (Id. P 2.) Plaintiff notes that Mr. Epstein has "appeared in 200 cases over a thirty year period, having examined thousands of documents ... {, has} established questioned document laboratories for not only the U.S. government, but for those of Eastern Europe and the Philippines as well, while teaching hundreds of government document examiners their professions." (Pl.'s Br. In Opp. To Defs.' Mot. In Limine {87} at 8.) In addition, Epstein has taught Forensic Document Examination at the George Washington Graduate School of Forensic Sciences, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and in programs offered to the United States Army Criminal Investigators. (Epstein Aff. PP 6-7.) The Court concludes that Mr. Epstein's background constitutes sufficient qualifications to allow him to testify in the field of forensic documents' examination. See, e.g., United States v. Paul, 175 F.3d at 911 (finding handwriting expert with fourteen years of experience should be admissible); United States v. Velasquez, 33 V.I. 265, 64 F.3d 844, 846 (3rd Cir. 1999) (finding same) United States v. Gricco, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7564, 2002 WL 746037, *2 (E.D. Pa. April 26, 2002)(finding forensic document analyst with similar extensive qualifications to be qualified as an expert)." (Carnes 2003:57-59)

David Liebman, a certified document examiner, has a complete analysis on-line. He concludes: "Patsy Ramsey is the ransom note writer."

Tom Miller, a graphological expert, has a complete analysis on-line, including Patsy Ramsey exemplars. He concludes in his affidavit in the Chris Wolf case that "the handwriting is probably that of Patsy Ramsey."

Remember, John Ramsey had his PIs digging up dirt on Miller to use against him at a trial!
 
  • #142
TexMex said:
Hi Chrishope

The experts described the chance of Mrs. Ramsey being the author of the Ransom Note as "very low." The two experts hired by defendants both assert that this evidence strongly suggests that Mrs. Ramsey did not write the Note. (SMF P 254.)" (Carnes 2003:26). "Defendants' experts base their conclusion that Mrs. Ramsey is not the author of the Ransom Note on the "numerous significant dissimilarities" between the individual characteristics of Mrs. Ramsey's handprinting and of that used in the Ransom Note

"Richard Dusick of the U.S. Secret Service concluded that there was "no evidence to indicate that Patsy Ramsey executed any of the questioned material appearing on the Ransom Note."


"Chet Ubowski of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation concluded that the evidence fell short of that needed to support a conclusion that Mrs. Ramsey wrote the note.


"Leonard Speckin, a private forensic document examiner, concluded that differences between the writing of Mrs. Ramsey's handwriting and the author of the Ransom Note prevented him from identifying Mrs. Ramsey as the author of the Ransom Note, but he was unable to eliminate her.

"Edwin Alford, a private forensic document examiner, states the evidence fell short of that needed to support a conclusion that Mrs. Ramsey wrote the note.


Darnay Hoffman, an attorney for Chris Wolf, who sought to prove that Patsy Ramsey was the note writer, in a fax to Tom Miller, a handwriting expert he had hired : "I spoke with handwriting expert Paul A. Osborn...He refuses to touch the Ramsey case with a ten foot pole. His reasons: he knows the handwriting experts who gave their reports to the defense team and to C.B.I.--four in all. According to Osborn these experts are supposedly top of their field (he won't give me their names) with impeccable ethical credentials. Their verdict: the similarities between Patsy and the ransom note writers handwriting is at the very lowest end of the spectrum, i.e., there is little or no basis for match."


"Lloyd Cunningham, a private forensic document examiner hired by defendants, concluded that there were no significant similar individual characteristics shared by the handwriting of Mrs. Ramsey and the author of the Ransom Note, but there were many significant differences between the handwritings.


"Howard Rile concluded that Mrs. Ramsey was between "probably not" and "elimination," on a scale of whether she wrote the Ransom Note.

http://jonbenetramsey.pbwiki.com/The Ransom Note

So basically you've got Dusick, Cunningham, Rile, and Osborn saying no,

Ubowski, Speckin, Alford saying she can't be eliminated.

I'm splitting hairs here a bit, but this isn't quite the same as all of them saying she isn't the author.
 
  • #143
The court also found

Methodology: Epstein's analysis has been criticized on grounds that he did not have original samples of either the RN or exemplars, nor did he offer a methodology that would sustain a finding of 100% certainty in his conclusion. "In contrast to the experts relied upon by defendants and by the Boulder Police Department, however, neither of these experts {Epstein and Wong} have ever seen or examined the original Ransom Note. (SMF P 256; PSMF P 256.) In fact, Mr. Epstein and Ms. Wong do not know what "generation" copy of the Ransom Note they examined. (SMF P 257; PSMF P 257.)" (Carnes 2003:27). [/B]Epstein "did not consult the original Ransom Note, original handwriting exemplars of Mrs. Ramsey, nor original course-of-business writings of Mrs. Ramsey.[/B] (Defs.' Mot. In Limine 68 at 8.)" (Carnes 2003:61). "It is undisputed that a number of subtle and critical handprinting features observable on examination of the original Ransom Note cannot be observed from an examination of a machine copy of the Ransom Note. (SMF P 245; PSMF P 245.)" (Carnes 2003:63).

"Nowhere in the submissions provided by plaintiffs is there any attempt to show by what methodology Mr. Epstein reaches a conclusion of absolute certainty that a given person is, in fact, the writer of a questioned document. n26 Defendants persuasively argue that Epstein was unable to identify any unique characteristics of Mrs. Ramsey's handwriting that were mimicked in the Ransom Note. (Def.'s Mtn. in Lim. 68 at 9). Instead, Epstein bases his conclusion on perceived similarities between the two. Id. Yet, as noted by defendants, Epstein never indicates how many similarities or what kind of similarities are required before he can reach absolute certainty, 50% certainty, or no certainty, at all. Further, as defendants also note, whenever encountering any differences between the known writing of Mrs. Ramsey and the Ransom Note, Epstein finds refuge in the explanation that Mrs. Ramsey must have been trying to disguise her handwriting. (See id.) While it is, of course, possible that differences between known writing and questioned documents are the result of a known writer's efforts to disguise her handwriting, it is just as plausible that the differences can occur because the known writer is not the author of the questioned matter. On that issue, Epstein offers no hint of the methodology that he employs to distinguish between disguised writing and writing that is simply being provided by two different people." (Carnes 2003:64-66).
 
  • #144
Chrishope said:
So basically you've got Dusick, Cunningham, Rile, and Osborn saying no,

Ubowski, Speckin, Alford saying she can't be eliminated.

I'm splitting hairs here a bit, but this isn't quite the same as all of them saying she isn't the author.

All of them said the probability was at the low end of the spectrum....shows there is much doubt that Patsy ramsey wrote that note.
 
  • #145
Dottierainbow

Thanks for the link. Yes, I've looked at some of Smits theory - but on different sites than the one you linked. I think he's probably wrong, but I still have respect for his opinion.
 
  • #146
"Nowhere in the submissions provided by plaintiffs is there any attempt to show by what methodology Mr. Epstein reaches a conclusion of absolute certainty that a given person is, in fact, the writer of a questioned document."

He was never asked! That was the problem. Not his fault.

"Epstein "did not consult the original Ransom Note, original handwriting exemplars of Mrs. Ramsey, nor original course-of-business writings of Mrs. Ramsey."

Tom Miller did. He got them from Judith Phillips. He helped Epstein out for about fifty hours.

"I'm splitting hairs here a bit, but this isn't quite the same as all of them saying she isn't the author."

RIGHT! And like I said, when you factor in all of the other factors, it becomes clear that she's the only one who COULD have written it.
 
  • #147
Tom Miller, a graphological expert hired by Darnay Hoffman, has a complete analysis on-line, including Patsy Ramsey exemplars. A more detailed side-by-side comparison of Miller's is contained in Exhibits B and C of an affidavit filed in the Chris Wolf civil case. He concludes in his affidavit in the Chris Wolf case that "the handwriting is probably that of Patsy Ramsey."

"Probably" :confused:

That is hardly conclusive...
 
  • #148
"That is hardly conclusive..."

it's not an exact science, TexMex.
 
  • #149
SuperDave said:
"That is hardly conclusive..."

it's not an exact science, TexMex.


LOL...now THAT we can agree on.
Thanks for your polite replies and willingness to discuss.
 
  • #150
TexMex said:
LOL...now THAT we can agree on.
Thanks for your polite replies and willingness to discuss.

Tex, when I say I don't come looking for a fight, I mean it. No sense in it. I've heard it all in this case.
 
  • #151
Your welcome Chrishope.
Amy
Chrishope said:
Dottierainbow

Thanks for the link. Yes, I've looked at some of Smits theory - but on different sites than the one you linked. I think he's probably wrong, but I still have respect for his opinion.
 
  • #152
tamfish said:
icedtea --- in your scenario, wouldn't it make more sense that Patsy would have attacked John? And why would they work together for a cover up? Most mothers who stumble upon their husband sexually assaulting their child would happily hand him over to the cops -- or worse. :)


Question -- it keeps being mentioned that JB was "manually strangled". Does this mean strangled with hands around her neck? And, if so, can someone link to where that is reported as evident?

I'm not icedtea, but my thoughts are they would work together for the cover-up because even though PR was the killer, ( in the stated scenario, which, incidentally is what I've believed from the beginning.) John, because he was doing the molesting, was also culpable.
 
  • #153
I wasn't going to vote pro-malice aforethought, but putting a cord around someones neck and strangling them is pretty much a planned event.

It's very possible of course, that the killer didn't realize that JBR was still alive after the head blow, but the act of strangling is so deliberate, I don't think you can rule out murder.

When I first started posting and reading, I thought that the killer didn't realize she was still alive, but now I am moving to the other side. I still think PR is the killer, and considering how depraved she was(I believe she was the sexual abuser), I don't have a problem with Patsy, upon seeing that she had caused serious injury with the head blow, decided to finish the child off. I don't think JBR was much fun for her anymore, with the daily peeing and pooping.
 
  • #154
I wasn't going to vote pro-malice aforethought, but putting a cord around someones neck and strangling them is pretty much a planned event.

It's very possible of course, that the killer didn't realize that JBR was still alive after the head blow, but the act of strangling is so deliberate, I don't think you can rule out murder.

When I first started posting and reading, I thought that the killer didn't realize she was still alive, but now I am moving to the other side. I still think PR is the killer, and considering how depraved she was (I believe she was the sexual abuser), I don't have a problem with Patsy, upon seeing that she had caused serious injury with the head blow, decided to finish the child off. I don't think JBR was much fun for her anymore, with the daily peeing and pooping.

Alix, are you familiar with what Mkie Kane said, about how Patsy loved to be known as the mother of a famous dead beauty queen?
 
  • #155
Alix, are you familiar with what Mkie Kane said, about how Patsy loved to be known as the mother of a famous dead beauty queen?

No, I sure don't. Who is he? (I just started my first JBR book last night, the one written by the detective)
 
  • #156
No, I sure don't. Who is he? (I just started my first JBR book last night, the one written by the detective)

You'll find out more about him towards the end of the book. But in a nutshell, Kane was the lead specialist called on by the DA's office to run the Grand Jury proceedings. His record speaks for itself as a prosecutor. He probably knows the case better than anyone else.

Well, about ten years ago, he did an interview about the case in which he revealed some very interesting things.

Firstly, he said that it was unlikely that Patsy would ever confess because he own narcissism would not allow it.

Secondly, he said that he and his two fellows, Morrissey and Levin, were essentially window-dressing for the DA's office to make it look like they were really pursuing a Grand Jury case, and that it was clear to him from early on that the DA's office was firmly entrenched in the intruder theory. Kane did his job, even though it was clear that no one wanted him to do it too well.

But thirdly, and what we concern ourselves with for now, he said that Patsy loved the attention that being the mother of a famous dead beauty queen brought her.

It's a well-known historical fact, Alix, that some people are more useful dead than they were alive. I don't think Kane was trying to suggest that Patsy deliberately killed her daughter in order to get fame and sympathy, but he DID seem to suggest that Patsy's theatrical nature compelled her to make the best of a bad situation once she was convinced that JB could not be saved.
 
  • #157
No, I sure don't. Who is he? (I just started my first JBR book last night, the one written by the detective)


That really is a horrible signature you have there Alix blood makes me queasy:-(
 
  • #158
I think that when Patsy was staging the crime scene, she was just thinking about how it would look to family and friends, but not to the entire country. The R's had a big social circle, and Patsy may have expected to be the sympathetic, grieving mother of a murdered child. I honestly don't think she could've had any idea how huge the case would become; especially when you consider this was 1996. Nowadays, it's not hard to see what cases get media attention, but IDK if it would be the same back then.
 
  • #159
That really is a horrible signature you have there Alix blood makes me queasy:-(

I didn't want to say anything, but yeah, I have to force myself not to look at it. (Not that I haven't felt that way a few times!) Maybe that's why: it hits too close to home for me.

Sorry, Alix. Didn't mean to butt into your business. It's a free country. I just thought you should know.
 
  • #160
That really is a horrible signature you have there Alix blood makes me queasy:-(

Then don't look at it.:Bananasnap:
 

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