The JonBenet Ramsey Case in popular culture

[10ofRods]

I always think of her on December 26, remembering how it felt to hear the news at Christmas time. Today, the fact that this is a Christmas tragedy makes the case even more poignant. For her to die in such a way, at the time of year when children are supposed to be happy and full of wonder, is still tragic and one of our most heartbreaking unsolved cases.

 

[jaejae]

This thread is about of course about how the murder of a six year own child appears to have crossed over into popular culture or even into entertainment at times. This report is about True Crime in general and mentions other cases such as the West Memphis Three and the Golden State Killer case:

Just months after the book’s release, a suspect was arrested for the string of murders: Joseph James DeAngelo, a 74-year-old retired cop from California. (He has pleaded not guilty.) Retired detective Paul Holes had been on the GSK’s trail since the Nineties, and, thanks to new advances in the field of forensic genealogy — namely, searching public DNA databases for possible relatives of the murderer, then using genealogy techniques to figure out who might be a match — he and other law enforcement officials were able to track down a suspect.

The Murder Squad, in which they aim to continue McNamara’s mission and crack open still more cold cases with the help of eagle-eyed listeners. “I truly believe citizens . . . can help solve the backlog of unsolved murders, violent assaults, and missing persons,” Jensen wrote in his own book, Chase Darkness. There has also been a string of convictions — from a DJ who murder of a schoolteacher in 1992, to the killer of an 8-year-old girl in 1988 — for suspects who were identified using DNA and forensic genealogy. (This became so popular, in fact, that the Department of Justice had to write new rules for what law enforcement would be allowed to do.)' data-reactid="65">Since that arrest, Holes and Jensen have teamed up for a new podcast called The Murder Squad, in which they aim to continue McNamara’s mission and crack open still more cold cases with the help of eagle-eyed listeners. “I truly believe citizens . . . can help solve the backlog of unsolved murders, violent assaults, and missing persons,” Jensen wrote in his own book, Chase Darkness. There has also been a string of convictions — from a DJ who murder of a schoolteacher in 1992, to the killer of an 8-year-old girl in 1988 — for suspects who were identified using DNA and forensic genealogy. (This became so popular, in fact, that the Department of Justice had to write new rules for what law enforcement would be allowed to do.)

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark showed that armchair detectives could help solve a case. But since publication, it’s one of her hunches — that internet DNA databases could make solving some cold cases possible — that might have the biggest ramifications of all." data-reactid="66">With its publication, McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark showed that armchair detectives could help solve a case. But since publication, it’s one of her hunches — that internet DNA databases could make solving some cold cases possible — that might have the biggest ramifications of all.

5 Biggest Moments of 2010s’ True-Crime Boom

 

[UKGuy]

This thread is about of course about how the murder of a six year own child appears to have crossed over into popular culture or even into entertainment at times. This report is about True Crime in general and mentions other cases such as the West Memphis Three and the Golden State Killer case:

Just months after the book’s release, a suspect was arrested for the string of murders: Joseph James DeAngelo, a 74-year-old retired cop from California. (He has pleaded not guilty.) Retired detective Paul Holes had been on the GSK’s trail since the Nineties, and, thanks to new advances in the field of forensic genealogy — namely, searching public DNA databases for possible relatives of the murderer, then using genealogy techniques to figure out who might be a match — he and other law enforcement officials were able to track down a suspect.

The Murder Squad, in which they aim to continue McNamara’s mission and crack open still more cold cases with the help of eagle-eyed listeners. “I truly believe citizens . . . can help solve the backlog of unsolved murders, violent assaults, and missing persons,” Jensen wrote in his own book, Chase Darkness. There has also been a string of convictions — from a DJ who murder of a schoolteacher in 1992, to the killer of an 8-year-old girl in 1988 — for suspects who were identified using DNA and forensic genealogy. (This became so popular, in fact, that the Department of Justice had to write new rules for what law enforcement would be allowed to do.)' data-reactid="65">Since that arrest, Holes and Jensen have teamed up for a new podcast called The Murder Squad, in which they aim to continue McNamara’s mission and crack open still more cold cases with the help of eagle-eyed listeners. “I truly believe citizens . . . can help solve the backlog of unsolved murders, violent assaults, and missing persons,” Jensen wrote in his own book, Chase Darkness. There has also been a string of convictions — from a DJ who murder of a schoolteacher in 1992, to the killer of an 8-year-old girl in 1988 — for suspects who were identified using DNA and forensic genealogy. (This became so popular, in fact, that the Department of Justice had to write new rules for what law enforcement would be allowed to do.)

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark showed that armchair detectives could help solve a case. But since publication, it’s one of her hunches — that internet DNA databases could make solving some cold cases possible — that might have the biggest ramifications of all." data-reactid="66">With its publication, McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark showed that armchair detectives could help solve a case. But since publication, it’s one of her hunches — that internet DNA databases could make solving some cold cases possible — that might have the biggest ramifications of all.

5 Biggest Moments of 2010s’ True-Crime Boom

jaejae,
The use of internet dna databases has been shown to work, so no doubt it will grow in scope. The more interesting angle is, especially in cold cases like JonBenet's, should the police put the evidence in the public domain for the armchair detectives to follow up?

Police in Sweden have done just this with a cold case, not much evidence, but they have made the case public and and after many years they have new leads.

Its really crowdsourcing focused on a topic. Some firms offer it as a commercial entertainment service, e.g. http://www.TheMurderTrialLive.co.uk where they mock up murder trials complete with judge, Prosecutor, Defense Attorney, you as the jury and all the evidence, including autopsy stand ins.

.

 

[jaejae]

jaejae,
The use of internet dna databases has been shown to work, so no doubt it will grow in scope. The more interesting angle is, especially in cold cases like JonBenet's, should the police put the evidence in the public domain for the armchair detectives to follow up?

Police in Sweden have done just this with a cold case, not much evidence, but they have made the case public and and after many years they have new leads.

Its really crowdsourcing focused on a topic. Some firms offer it as a commercial entertainment service, e.g. http://www.TheMurderTrialLive.co.uk where they mock up murder trials complete with judge, Prosecutor, Defense Attorney, you as the jury and all the evidence, including autopsy stand ins.

.

Happy New Year to you UK Guy. Thanks for the post. I do not think internet DNA databases have been shown to work and people might just be surprised how one little old person could be right when so many were wrong. Interesting post what Swedish case was it used in. Cheers.

 

[UKGuy]

Happy New Year to you UK Guy. Thanks for the post. I do not think internet DNA databases have been shown to work and people might just be surprised how one little old person could be right when so many were wrong. Interesting post what Swedish case was it used in. Cheers.

jaejae,
Well LEA in California used it to catch the Golden State Killer, and cases involving rapists and killers have been solved in multiple US states using the exact same dna method.

GEDmatch has banned LEA searches but other internet forums allow it, e.g. FamilyTreeDNA. Police in the UK use the same method to profile unmatched dna found at crime-scenes. What happens to dna samples taken inside the NHS, who gets to use those?

It was Denmark not Sweden who are asking the public to help solve a cold case, here is the link: Dutch detectives turn to power of podcast to solve 1991 murder case

I reckon this is the future for cold-cases, police will enlist the internet for help, and why not? It can only be a matter of time before Netflix becomes involved?

.

 

[jaejae]

jaejae,
Well LEA in California used it to catch the Golden State Killer, and cases involving rapists and killers have been solved in multiple US states using the exact same dna method.

GEDmatch has banned LEA searches but other internet forums allow it, e.g. FamilyTreeDNA. Police in the UK use the same method to profile unmatched dna found at crime-scenes. What happens to dna samples taken inside the NHS, who gets to use those?

It was Denmark not Sweden who are asking the public to help solve a cold case, here is the link: Dutch detectives turn to power of podcast to solve 1991 murder case

I reckon this is the future for cold-cases, police will enlist the internet for help, and why not? It can only be a matter of time before Netflix becomes involved?

.

Thanks for the information. Not being funny or being funny but the Dutch are usually from Holland or the Netherlands not Denmark unless I am Michael Van Gerwen Thanks for the info though.

 

[UKGuy]

Thanks for the information. Not being funny or being funny but the Dutch are usually from Holland or the Netherlands not Denmark unless I am Michael Van Gerwen Thanks for the info though.

jaejae,
LOL, sure my mistake, just having a bad geography day. It was the Danes from Denmark in the guise of Normans aka Norsemen or Vikings who eventually took over England, 1066 and all that.

.

 

[jaejae]

Here is some information on a play about Bible John:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/BIBLE-JOHN-Comes-to-2020-VAULT-Festival-20200109

 

[kay74]

I’m not asking you to bow on anything. It is however mind boggling that anyone who studies this case for a long time thinks there was an intruder. There was no forced entry, no intruder would have written the war and peace of ransom notes and no intruder would wait 45 minutes after the head blow to strangle JonBenet.

Of course there was no forced entry! There were 4 doors left UNLOCKED.

 

[10ofRods]

Of course there was no forced entry! There were 4 doors left UNLOCKED.

Where is that information coming from? JR tells 3 LEO's that he checked the doors in the evening of De 25 and again after the note was found.

Are you saying that he lied to the police and actually found 4 open doors?

 

[Cottonstar]

Of course there was no forced entry! There were 4 doors left UNLOCKED.

Actually, this is patently false.

 

[jaejae]

Of course there was no forced entry! There were 4 doors left UNLOCKED.

Thanks for the post. I still yhink the intruder likely went through the broken window despite Laura Richards saying this never happened. It was a big house where an intruder could hide for days. If a door was unlocked any intruder could have entered through that also. To me the Ransom Note was a joke written by a madman hence it makes me smile in The Case Of JonBenet Ramsey those self proclaimed great minds are analysing in my opinion the words of a lunatics warped and evil sense of humour. Cheers

 

[kay74]

Where is that information coming from? JR tells 3 LEO's that he checked the doors in the evening of De 25 and again after the note was found.

Are you saying that he lied to the police and actually found 4 open doors?

No. John R said they had 7 doors and only 3 were locked. He said very despondently "we should have locked them but we didn't". I heard this on one of his televised interviews.

 

[kay74]

Actually, this is patently false.

How so? Were you there?

 

[kay74]

Thanks for the post. I still yhink the intruder likely went through the broken window despite Laura Richards saying this never happened. It was a big house where an intruder could hide for days. If a door was unlocked any intruder could have entered through that also. To me the Ransom Note was a joke written by a madman hence it makes me smile in The Case Of JonBenet Ramsey those self proclaimed great minds are analysing in my opinion the words of a lunatics warped and evil sense of humour. Cheers

I sooo agree!

 

[jaejae]

Here is a report about this case that mentions how it has become part of popular culture:

The murder of Ramsey is one of the most infamous cold cases in the U.S., and has featured heavily in pop culture. To this day, people gather in forums, subreddits, social media and podcasts to postulate about who might have murdered the little girl.


There are also many documentaries going over the evidence in the Ramsey story, including The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey, a 2016 docuseries by CBS and Who Killed JonBenet? a scripted film, both of which are available on Amazon Prime Video. In 2017, Netflix released Casting JonBenet, a more cerebral look at the effect the murder has had on the Boulder community.

JonBenet Ramsey Photographer Currently Jailed on Child Charges

Another report:

John Ramsey, Father of JonBenét Ramsey, Gives Heartbreaking Confession About Daughter's Death

 

[jaejae]

Here is the synopsis of the Podcast series:

For 22 years, the JonBenét case has gripped the world, leaving everyone asking the same question: Who killed JonBenét Ramsey? The six year old's death shocked the nation. The circumstances surrounding her murder, horrific. Now, for the first time ever, JonBenét Ramsey's father and brother are armed with the original suspect list from Lou Smit, the late lead investigator on the case. Will they finally track down JonBenét's killer to solve one of the nation's most infamous crimes?

‎The Killing of JonBenet: The Final Suspects on Apple Podcasts

Here is a report about when JonBenet's Ramsey's other brother found out about her death:


JonBenét Ramsey’s half-brother, John Andrew Ramsey, remembers the exact moment he found out about her death in December 1996.

“It was the day after Christmas, and I had spent Christmas with my sister Melinda and mother in Atlanta. And the day after Christmas, we were flying to meet my dad and Patsy and family,” John Andrew, 43, recalls in the “Killing of JonBenét: The Final Suspects” podcast. “The plan was to meet in Minneapolis. So we were flying to Minneapolis, got off the airplane and — I can’t remember if someone handed me a note, you know, a flight attendant or somebody, [but] they pulled me aside and said, ‘You need to call home,’ essentially. I got a pay phone and called my dad, and he told me that JonBenét had been kidnapped.”

JonBenet Ramsey’s Half-Brother Recalls Finding Out About Her Death

 

[jaejae]

The Tricycle

I am not sure if this is true but this story about the Tricycle shows up some you get in this case:

JonBenét Ramsey Memorabilia Collector Selling Tricycle To Highest Bidder

 

[kay74]

LE in my opinion maliciously accused the Ramseys. Instead of doing an inverstigation they pointed only at the Ramseys. Such a travesty, it's a sin.

 

[jaejae]

LE in my opinion maliciously accused the Ramseys. Instead of doing an inverstigation they pointed only at the Ramseys. Such a travesty, it's a sin.

Good post and you stick to your beliefs and not be put off by people who may not know as much about the case as they think they do. If you look at The Case Of JonBenet Ramsey in my opinion it was a 'revenge' job by former FBI Agents who thought the Ramsey's had got one over on them when I think there was an intruder <modsnip> Others are entitled to their opinions but I think John and Patsy loved JonBenet very much and Burke Ramsey has suffered a great deal of collateral damage because his sister was the victim of a terrible crime and deserves our sympathy as much as others in similar circumstances in other cases like the Golden State Killer case and Colonial Parkway Murders cases etc etc. With The Case Of JonBenet Ramsey I can understand those who in my opinion do not understand the case getting it wrong and thinking it was John or Patsy but to accuse a child of the crime in my opinion is wrong. Cheers