The ransom note & Patsy Ramsey, letter by letter.

[BBB167893]

In addition to my previous post, I should add that Patsy did an adaptation of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in her pageant days and some say that it might explain two things in the ransom note.
Misspelling the word “possession.”
Use of the word "attaché."
"My talent is a dramatic interpretation that I wrote based on a portion of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. I play two characters — Miss Mackay, the stern head mistress, and Jean Brodie, the eccentric, vivacious school teacher. When I won second place in the National Forensic Tournament in Philadelphia the interpretation was 10 minutes long. For the talent competition it had to be cut to two minutes and 50 seconds. It's very difficult to establish character and build to a dramatic climax in less than three minutes."
Beautiful Case of Determination, The Charleston Gazette, June 22, 1977

Monica, whose face was becoming very red, swung the attaché case, which held her books so that it hit the girls who stood in its path and made them stand back from her.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark

“Oh dear.” said Rose out loud one day when they were settled to essay writing. “ I can’t remember how you spell “possession.” Are there two s’s or …?”
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark

cynic, would you mind if I showed this to some old friends of ours?

 

[cynic]

cynic, would you mind if I showed this to some old friends of ours?

You don't even have to ask, Dave.
Let me guess, HOTYH and a certain poster whose name begins with V?

 

[joeskidbeck]

You don't even have to ask, Dave.
Let me guess, HOTYH and a certain poster whose name begins with V?

Unstoppable Force meets Immovable Object (my money goes on the unstoppable force!)

 

[BBB167893]

You don't even have to ask, Dave.

Thanks, but yes I do. I don't want to get in trouble for stealing material.

Let me guess, HOTYH and a certain poster whose name begins with V?

HOW DID YOU KNOW??

 

[BBB167893]

Unstoppable Force meets Immovable Object (my money goes on the unstoppable force!)

Thanks, Beck. But I'd prefer not to dwell upon it too much.

Still, SD also stands for Son of the Dragon, and this dragon is breathing fire!

 

[cynic]

HOW DID YOU KNOW??

Every once in a while I like to surprise you. LOL
Seriously though, you can tell SQ and SL that their words gave them away quickly, much like Patsy’s words gave her away, and so many people including myself see everything but her actual signature in the ransom note.

 

[BBB167893]

Every once in a while I like to surprise you. LOLSeriously though, you can tell SQ and SL that their words gave them away quickly,

Yeah, it didn't take long! (What I'd like to know is, why were you slumming it?)

much like Patsy’s words gave her away, and so many people including myself see everything but her actual signature in the ransom note.

It's not too difficult, is it?

 

[cynic]

What I'd like to know is, why were you slumming it?

There is an element of shame, although, I do like to see how the other half lives from time to time.
Occasionally, I find the “dearly departed,” and it seems that though the names have changed, the song, sadly, remains the same.

 

[azwriter]

I have always been fascinated that the note writer used the word attache case.
As someone who would never hear or use that word... I wondered what part of the US uses that word the most for bag, tote, briefcase, etc....

To me that one word eliminated a lot of people as the writer of the note.

Do you use that word and if so, what part of the US are you from or where did you learn to use it as opposed to another word. If you were writing a ransom note would you use the word bag, case, ....

Sorry if this has already been discussed somewhere. I am new.

Welcome newbie Fortress. Glad to have you here. Yes, the word attache is unusual and the ransom writer also used the accent marks too in the spelling.
I don't think it's so much an area of the country that signifies who would use that word instead of briefcase. Rather, I suspect it would be the social economic status of the person.
To me - a less financial stable person, with a lower ranking job would carry a briefcase. A CEO with a six figure salary would use an attache. jmo

 

[DeeDee249]

Welcome newbie Fortress. Glad to have you here. Yes, the word attache is unusual and the ransom writer also used the accent marks too in the spelling.
I don't think it's so much an area of the country that signifies who would use that word instead of briefcase. Rather, I suspect it would be the social economic status of the person.
To me - a less financial stable person, with a lower ranking job would carry a briefcase. A CEO with a six figure salary would use an attache. jmo

So would the WIFE of a 6-figure salary exec with a penchant for all things French use attache' instead of the more plebeian "briefcase".

 

[joeskidbeck]

So would the WIFE of a 6-figure salary exec with a penchant for all things French use attache' instead of the more plebeian "briefcase".

In all the questions surrounding this case, this is one thing that I am fairly certain of.

 

[wonderllama]

Hey, I'm still reading Steve Thomas' book and came across a part where he mentions someone gave a report saying that PR had admitted to a pageant mum (or something) that she wrote the practice ransom note....

Whatever came of this or was it dismissed?

 

[joeskidbeck]

Hey, I'm still reading Steve Thomas' book and came across a part where he mentions someone gave a report saying that PR had admitted to a pageant mum (or something) that she wrote the practice ransom note....

Whatever came of this or was it dismissed?

Hi wl. I believe she said she had written (what we know as the practice rn) but it was a note or invitation (something like that anyway). She wasn't admitting to writing a practice rn, just "Dear Mr. and Mrs. R" I'm sure that made it as clear as mud. I hope it helps, anyway!

 

[wonderllama]

That was clear Beck, all good.

So the fact it matches the other writing isn't important cos why?
;oP

 

[cynic]

So the fact it matches the other writing isn't important cos why?
;oP

Pam Griffin mentioned this to Frank Coffman who in turn mentioned it to Steve Thomas. Pam Griffin did not repeat this to police directly, and without her direct testimony, Frank Coffman’s information is classic hearsay.

 

[wonderllama]

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

[Agatha_C]

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

You made me smile!

 

[joeskidbeck]

It seems to me that the Ramseys had nothing but good luck and rainbows when it came to escaping justice. It's like I've always thought; even if one of them confessed there would be some reason that it could not be accepted. These guys almost have more rights than the Kennedys.

 

[Toltec]

Pam Griffin mentioned this to Frank Coffman who in turn mentioned it to Steve Thomas. Pam Griffin did not repeat this to police directly, and without her direct testimony, Frank Coffman’s information is classic hearsay.

Actually what happened was that Frank Coffman told Steve what Pam said, so Steve contacted Pam. Pam told Steve Thomas that it was DA Alex Hunter who told her that the practice note was written by Patsy.

 

[DeeDee249]

Hi wl. I believe she said she had written (what we know as the practice rn) but it was a note or invitation (something like that anyway). She wasn't admitting to writing a practice rn, just "Dear Mr. and Mrs. R" I'm sure that made it as clear as mud. I hope it helps, anyway!

It was Patsy's sister who said that the "practice note" was the beginning of a party invitation. Of course, she was never asked why the practice note handwriting was identical to the ransom note.
If Patsy wrote the practice note and that handwriting matches the RN, doesn't it follow that she wrote the RN? :banghead: