What were you doing...

[Zoe Bogart]

Yep, one of the first forums on this case was the BoulderNews forum.

The comments on here really show how much the world has changed in 15 years. The first time I heard about Caylee, Haleigh, Kyron, Baby Lisa, and many other recent cases was right here on WS. But the first time most posters heard about JBR, in December 1996 or January 1997, was on TV. It's interesting that so many here have pretty vivid memories of this and what they were thinking, because I honestly don't remember my first thoughts when I first heard about cases like Kyron or Baby Lisa, right here on WS. I wonder if that has to do with reading about them first on a forum, instead of turning on the TV and seeing it with your own eyes?

I first heard about Caylee and HaLeigh on my local TV news. I heard a mother had been arrested and her young daughter had been missing 31 days and was not reported "missing". A short time later I began reading about the case on WS, and eventually joined the group.

I heard about HaLeigh the night of Caylee's memorial, and at first I thought they were saying "Caylee", but the story wasn't quite right, which made me pay attention to HaLeigh's story. So naturally, I checked up on the case at WS right away.

The rest of the children you mentioned, I probably heard about them on WS.

Looks like I'm not so "modern" after all.

Even though I had a computer back when JBR died, I didn't follow the case online. Interestingly though, I used that computer to write my son's obituary and his memorial booklet which was handed out at his funeral.

My sympathies go to others who lost loved ones at the time of JBR's death and at any time. It's never easy. Thanks to all who offered condolences to us. Your thoughts are appreciated.

As an aside, I knew people who moved to Boulder just two years prior to JBR's death. They were quite wealthy.

 

[Maikai]

As an aside, I knew people who moved to Boulder just two years prior to JBR's death. They were quite wealthy.

Did you keep in touch with them after JBR's murder? I found that the Boulderites really didn't have that much interest one way or another, but were mostly irritated with the media hanging around.

 

[BBB167893]

I find it interesting in the same year Osama bin Laden became a household name, suddenly a young girl is 'kidnapped' by a 'foreign faction'. Makes me wonder if the real perps hadn't read one too many newspapers about bin Laden and decided to pin the crime on a foreign terrorist group. Sort of the way the Anthrax Killer tried to pretend he was a Muslim.

You noticed that too, eh, mtwentz? Here I was, hoping I wasn't the only one.

 

[BBB167893]

I can't see a parent such as the Ramseys killing her in the method she was murdered...

Yeah, I've run into quite a few people who have that problem. That's one of the major reasons why this case is in the damn lousy shape it's in.

 

[arielilane]

I was studying for an advanced degree in California and rolled my eyes when I first heard of this, thinking here we go again, another scandal to distract from serious issues. My mother followed it obsessively but I paid this case little attention. Over the years, though, the mystery of it has nagged me. I find it interesting in the same year Osama bin Laden became a household name, suddenly a young girl is 'kidnapped' by a 'foreign faction'. Makes me wonder if the real perps hadn't read one too many newspapers about bin Laden and decided to pin the crime on a foreign terrorist group. Sort of the way the Anthrax Killer tried to pretend he was a Muslim.

My sentiments, too. I may be wrong, but, I don't ever recall this being mentioned in any of the news media/reporting, investigation, etc. I think it's key, because it shows staging. It's so taboo, I suppose. lol :crazy:

 

[arielilane]

I remember seeing cute little, JonBenet and all her pageant pictures being shown all over TV, with the announcement of her being murdered. My thoughts besides the obvious of how horrible, were why a parent would put a child through make-up, hair, and clothes on such a young child.

Then I started seeing the Ramseys on TV and got major red flags about them. I have been interested in the case since.

 

[EastCoast]

Yeah, I've run into quite a few people who have that problem. That's one of the major reasons why this case is in the damn lousy shape it's in.

And I was one of those people. I was busy rearing my children and paid not much attention at first, then when I started studying up on what was being reported, it took a very real far stretch of the mind to ever suspect the parents could be responsible for such a terrible crime and coverup. But then, the logical side of my brain took over and I had to delve deeper and find more of the facts and then had to accept that this was all clearly a family matter. I had to work hard at letting go of the motherly thinking that no mom or dad could ever do this in that manner which it was done, but everything else pointed to me being wrong about that. So had to do a 360 and realize that sometimes these things just force us to think outside of our comfortable box, as painful as that may be. I think it stretched alot of people outside of their comfort zone, and that is why this is so captivating.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I didn't hear about the murder right away. It was about 3-4 years after it happened and I was in mississippi around '99. Probably because I was also 6 when she died. Kept seeing it on tv. My family and i were in denver about a year before it happened though. I still find this case very confusing, but am convinced patsy is responsible.

O/T...But, Oh My Gosh, Weeble!
Your avatar is one of the most unsettling and hysterically funny ones I have seen in a while..and these sleuthers are pretty clever with coming up with creative ones! :floorlaugh::floorlaugh::floorlaugh:

 

[tezi]

I wonder how many that think the Ramseys did it are familiar with Boulder? Even Darnay Hoffman (may he RIP) never once went to Boulder. I knew Boulder was a town of those that have, and those that don't...and it was home to a variety of people. I was still in Denver when the articles appeared in the paper about the Boulder police screwing up the crime scene, and the "no footprints in the snow" comment....and after that it was all about ego on the part of Ellers and saving face. At the time the first newscast was shown, there were 3 different opinions with the people I was with. I said it was an intruder on drugs.....a relative that got his PHD at the university there, who was uninterested said the Boulder Police will screw it up---their specialty is giving out tickets for carrying alcohol...and a retired cop said, the parents did it. I wanted to go to Boulder in the morning, and see what was going on, but the retired cop would have no part of it...he said they'll be watching who's hanging around the house. I never thought the murder would reach the proportions it did. I figured there'd be some news for a few days, and that would be it....and they'd find the murderer quickly.

I lived there (I just moved to Arkansas, five months to the day before the murder), so I can say that when I heard about this, immediately, I thought that the parents had something to do with it, however, I also knew that they would "lawyer up" and the worse thing they would ever be charged with was abuse of a corpse or something minor like that. I KNEW that they would NEVER see the inside of a jail cell let alone a prison cell.

 

[tezi]

You noticed that too, eh, mtwentz? Here I was, hoping I wasn't the only one.

Waving hand in air!!! I noticed too!!!! I guess I'm in great company!:great:

 

[BBB167893]

And I was one of those people.

You and me both!

I was busy rearing my children and paid not much attention at first, then when I started studying up on what was being reported, it took a very real far stretch of the mind to ever suspect the parents could be responsible for such a terrible crime and coverup. But then, the logical side of my brain took over and I had to delve deeper and find more of the facts and then had to accept that this was all clearly a family matter. I had to work hard at letting go of the motherly thinking that no mom or dad could ever do this in that manner which it was done, but everything else pointed to me being wrong about that. So had to do a 180 and realize that sometimes these things just force us to think outside of our comfortable box, as painful as that may be. I think it stretched alot of people outside of their comfort zone, and that is why this is so captivating.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[boro]

I was spending Christmas with my family in Louisiana, I was 8 or 9 at the time. I remember finding the whole thing pretty scary and not understanding why anyone would kill her. I also remember being on guard and hesitant to go to sleep for the next few nights.
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[SheRa]

I was in 5th or 6th grade when it happened, and I remember being roughly the same height as the magazine racks in the checkout at the grocery store, and for a while ALL of them were all about JonBenet. I remember the over-the-top headlines + pageant photos kinda freaked me out a little; I couldn't understand why a little girl looked "sexy" and it disturbed me.

 

[icedtea4me]

I remember seeing footage of her body being wheeled out on a stretcher the night of Dec 26 when I watched NBC Nightly News on Dec 27.

 

[Limaes]

I heard it on the radio news. I remember them saying how the father found her body in the basement and came running up the stairs with her in his arms. When I watched it on the TV, the main thing I remember is the candy canes out the front of their house.

 

[arielilane]

I heard it on the radio news. I remember them saying how the father found her body in the basement and came running up the stairs with her in his arms. When I watched it on the TV, the main thing I remember is the candy canes out the front of their house.

Oddly, the candy canes stuck out for me as well. I had a lot of initial thoughts about their whole set-up. For someone from Parkersburg, WV (not meant to insult) PR had come a long way.