Post by xiulan on Mar 2, 2014 23:29:37 GMT
There have been several grand jury hearings in this case. In 1999, the grand jury voted to indict the parents on charges of child abuse and being accessories to a crime, but the indictment never alleged an actual killer of JonBenet and did not charge the parents with that act. The DA at the time, Alex Hunter, did not proceed because the evidence did not support even that case against them. The Ramsey parents were exonerated partially in 2003 as a result of DNA testing and were completely cleared on 9 July 2008 of this murder. Boulder PD reopened the investigation in 2009. The entire investigation was a complete farce and media coverage, along with apparently irresponsible recent commentary by the FBI, have done nothing but perpetuate the myth of Patsy and John's "guilt".
Excerpt from the letter Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy gave to John Ramsey in 2008; Patsy had already been dead from cancer for two years:
This new scientific evidence convinces us...to state that we do not consider your immediate family, including you, your wife, Patsy, and your son, Burke, to be under any suspicion in the commission of this crime.
... The match of Male DNA on two separate items of clothing worn by the victim at the time of the murder makes it clear to us that an unknown male handled these items. There is no innocent explanation for its incriminating presence at three sites on these two different items of clothing that JonBenét was wearing at the time of her murder. ... To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you might have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry. No innocent person should have to endure such an extensive trial in the court of public opinion, especially when public officials have not had sufficient evidence to initiate a trial in a court of law. ... We intend in the future to treat you as the victims of this crime, with the sympathy due you because of the horrific loss you suffered. ... I am aware that there will be those who will choose to continue to differ with our conclusion. But DNA is very often the most reliable forensic evidence we can hope to find and we rely on it often to bring to justice those who have committed crimes. I am very comfortable that our conclusion that this evidence has vindicated your family is based firmly on all of the evidence.
JonBenet died of strangulation from a garrote made of tweed cord and a paintbrush handle. She also had suffered severe blunt trauma to the skull. She had eaten pineapple shortly before her death which she was not fed by her parents. The bowl containing the pineapple in the kitchen had Burke's fingerprints on it. He supposedly didn't awaken until several hours after the police had arrived. The bristle end of the paintbrush used in construction of the garrote was part of Patsy's art supplies. It is my opinion that Burke Ramsey at the very least knew something about his sister's death. It is possible he was simply present in some capacity as a witness to her murder. It is also possible that John and Patsy may have even mistakenly thought he was directly involved, leading to a clumsy cover-up attempt to protect him. Could very well be he had nothing to do with it, except maybe as a witness, but the parents were suspicious enough to circle the wagons, compounding the confusion. The killer masturbated on her clothing, but didn't rape her...a familial link would have been found when they tested the adults against that DNA if it had belonged to the brother. Someone else was in that house. That is an unavoidable fact of this case that many seem to like to ignore.
In December 2003, forensic investigators developed a DNA profile from the evidence which indicated an unknown male. It was entered into CODIS at that time and has never made a hit in the system. I would recommend a reading over of the chapter in SSA John Douglas' book The Cases That Haunt Us for a true picture of the behavior of the Ramsey parents at the time. There was no evidence of abuse, sexual or otherwise; there was no psychopathology associated with either parent at the time; and no behavior on either Patsy or John's part that in any way indicated they were doing anything other than sincerely grieving the sudden and unexpected loss of another child (an older daughter of John's had just died in a car accident in 1992).
DNA Rules Out Parents (48 Hours)
Boulder News on the 1999 Grand Jury
Excerpt from the letter Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy gave to John Ramsey in 2008; Patsy had already been dead from cancer for two years:
This new scientific evidence convinces us...to state that we do not consider your immediate family, including you, your wife, Patsy, and your son, Burke, to be under any suspicion in the commission of this crime.
... The match of Male DNA on two separate items of clothing worn by the victim at the time of the murder makes it clear to us that an unknown male handled these items. There is no innocent explanation for its incriminating presence at three sites on these two different items of clothing that JonBenét was wearing at the time of her murder. ... To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you might have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry. No innocent person should have to endure such an extensive trial in the court of public opinion, especially when public officials have not had sufficient evidence to initiate a trial in a court of law. ... We intend in the future to treat you as the victims of this crime, with the sympathy due you because of the horrific loss you suffered. ... I am aware that there will be those who will choose to continue to differ with our conclusion. But DNA is very often the most reliable forensic evidence we can hope to find and we rely on it often to bring to justice those who have committed crimes. I am very comfortable that our conclusion that this evidence has vindicated your family is based firmly on all of the evidence.
JonBenet died of strangulation from a garrote made of tweed cord and a paintbrush handle. She also had suffered severe blunt trauma to the skull. She had eaten pineapple shortly before her death which she was not fed by her parents. The bowl containing the pineapple in the kitchen had Burke's fingerprints on it. He supposedly didn't awaken until several hours after the police had arrived. The bristle end of the paintbrush used in construction of the garrote was part of Patsy's art supplies. It is my opinion that Burke Ramsey at the very least knew something about his sister's death. It is possible he was simply present in some capacity as a witness to her murder. It is also possible that John and Patsy may have even mistakenly thought he was directly involved, leading to a clumsy cover-up attempt to protect him. Could very well be he had nothing to do with it, except maybe as a witness, but the parents were suspicious enough to circle the wagons, compounding the confusion. The killer masturbated on her clothing, but didn't rape her...a familial link would have been found when they tested the adults against that DNA if it had belonged to the brother. Someone else was in that house. That is an unavoidable fact of this case that many seem to like to ignore.
In December 2003, forensic investigators developed a DNA profile from the evidence which indicated an unknown male. It was entered into CODIS at that time and has never made a hit in the system. I would recommend a reading over of the chapter in SSA John Douglas' book The Cases That Haunt Us for a true picture of the behavior of the Ramsey parents at the time. There was no evidence of abuse, sexual or otherwise; there was no psychopathology associated with either parent at the time; and no behavior on either Patsy or John's part that in any way indicated they were doing anything other than sincerely grieving the sudden and unexpected loss of another child (an older daughter of John's had just died in a car accident in 1992).
DNA Rules Out Parents (48 Hours)
Boulder News on the 1999 Grand Jury