The JonBenet Ramsey Murder Investigation

The JonBenet Ramsey Murder Investigation On Dec. 26, 1996, JonBenet Ramseys 6-year-old body was found in the basement of her Boulder, Colorado home after a ransom note was found demanding money for her return. Family members came under suspicion in the investigation, although a strangers DNA was found on the girls clothing. No one has ever been officially charged with a crime in the case, which remains unsolved. Here are the latest developments in the JonBenet Ramsey murder investigation: Chief: Cops Botched JonBenet Crime Scene Feb. 25, 2015 - A former Boulder, Colorado police chief says his officers should have done a better job of securing the crime scene at the home where JonBenet Ramsey was found killed. Mark Beckner said a lack of manpower due to the Christmas holiday was partly to blame for the confusion at the scene. In an online question and answer session, Beckner said detectives should have separated the parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, and taken full statements from each of them on day one. Instead, when the couple lawyered up they were released and allowed to go home and were not formally interviewed again until five months later. Beckner called that decision a big mistake. During the online session, Beckner also criticized the Boulder district attorneys office for getting too involved in the investigation. Beckner said that he believes the DNA found on the 6-year-olds clothing is the key to finding a suspect in the case, but he also said he does not think anyone will ever be convicted of the 1996 murder, due mainly to mistakes his department made that first day. Previous Developments Jury Indicted JonBenets Parents, But D.A. Balked in 1999Jan. 28, 2013The grand jury investigating the death of JonBenet Ramsey indicted both her parents in 1999, but the district attorney refused to sign the indictment and prosecute the case. District Attorney Alex Hunter did not believe he had enough evidence to convict John and Patsy Ramsey for child abuse resulting in a death, according to an investigative report by a Boulder newspaper. Police Plan Interviews in JonBenet CaseOct. 4, 2010Investigators have planned a new series of interviews in the unsolved JonBenet Ramsey case, but it may not be new evidence that has prompted the activity. An advisory committee, made up of investigators from several state and federal agencies, recommended the new round of interviews after meeting in 2009. JonBenet Ramsey Case Returned to Boulder PoliceFeb. 3, 2009Saying they will use new technology, expertise, and an advisory task force to try to solve the crime, the Boulder Police Department has taken the reins again in the investigation of the JonBenet Ramsey murder. For the past six years, the investigation has been handled by the district attorneys office. Ramseys Cleared in JonBenet Murder CaseJuly 9, 2008The Boulder, Colorado district attorney has released a letter officially clearing members of the Ramsey family of any involvement in the December 1996 death of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey after newly discovered DNA evidence points to a male perpetrator not associated with the family or law enforcement. The DNA evidence, found on another piece of JonBenets clothing, matches previous evidence found on her panties in 1997. John Mark Karr Arrested in Domestic DisputeJuly 7, 2007The man who gained the national spotlight by confessing to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey has been arrested and jailed following a domestic dispute at his fathers house in Sandy Springs, Georgia, near Atlanta. Police said they arrested Karr after they received a 9-1-1 call reporting an argument between Karr, his girlfriend, and his father. John Mark Karr Now Free to RoamOct. 5, 2006John Mark Karr, the substitute elementary school teacher who falsely confessed to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey to get out of Thailand, is now a free man after child pornography charges were dismissed against him in California after prosecutors admitted they did not have enough evidence to go to trial. Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Rene Chouteau ordered Karr released immediately. Karr Turns Down Pornography Plea DealSept. 22, 2006John Mark Karr, who gave a false confession in the JonBenet Ramsey case, has rejected a plea deal from California prosecutors that would have allowed him to walk out of jail and serve a probation sentence on child pornography charges. His lawyer said Karr maintains his innocence and refuses to plead guilty to a crime that he did not commit. Charges Dropped in JonBenet Ramsey CaseAug. 28, 2006Colorado prosecutors have decided not to charge John Mark Karr with the murder of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey on December 26, 1996, after DNA tests failed to link the suspect to the crime scene evidence. The warrant on Mr. Karr has been dropped by the district attorney, public defender Seth Temin said. They are not proceeding with the case. Arrest of JonBenet Suspect Raises Many QuestionsAug. 17, 2006The arrest of 41-year-old John Mark Karr in Bangkok, Thailand for the murder of JonBenet Ramsey in 1996 and his statements to investigators have raised concerns about the validity of his confession. A news conference by Boulder, Colorado District Attorney Mary Lacy today revealed no insight into the investigation, as she refused to make any comments on evidence in the case. Teacher Arrested in JonBenet Ramsey CaseAug. 16, 2006A man currently being held in Thailand on unrelated sexual charges has been arrested in connection with the murder of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey in her Boulder, Colorado home almost ten years ago. The suspect, who authorities say has confessed to the murder, will be returned to the United States within the next week. JonBenet Ramsey Investigator Changes AgainMarch 20, 2006The lead investigator for the JonBenet Ramsey murder case is about to change again, but the new detective is one who once worked exclusively on the Christmas 1996 death of the six-year-old daughter of John and Patsy Ramsey. Tom Bennett, a retired detective from the Arvada Police Department, joined the Boulders prosecutors office in 2003 working exclusively on the Ramsey case, working 20 to 30 hours a week. JonBenets Killer Linked to Another Rape?Dec. 20, 2004Investigators in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case believe the intruder who killed the six-year-old may have struck again nine months later, sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl, who was in the same dance class with JonBenet, in her Boulder, Colorado bedroom. A CBS 48 Hours Mystery report also says DNA evidence in the JonBenet case points to a male not associated with the Ramsey family. For most of the eight years since the murder, the investigation was focused almost exclusively on members of the Ramsey family. The JonBenet Ramsey Murder Investigation Around 5:30 a.m. the morning after Christmas Day, 1996, Patsy Ramsey found a ransom note on the familys back staircase demanding $118,000 for her six-year-old daughter, JonBenet, and called 911. Later that day, John Ramsey discovered JonBenets body in a spare room in the basement. She had been strangled with a garrote, and her mouth had been bound with duct tape. John Ramsey removed the duct tape and carried her body upstairs. The Early Investigation From the very beginning, the investigation into the death of JonBenet Ramsey focused on members of the family. Boulder, Colorado investigators went to the Atlanta home of the Ramseys to search for a clue and served a search warrant on their summer home in Michigan. Police took hair and blood samples from members of the Ramsey family. The Ramseys tell the press there is a killer on the loose, but Boulder officials downplay the prospect that a killer is threatening city residents. The Ransom Note The investigation into the murder of JonBenet Ramsey focused on the three-page ransom note, which was apparently written on a notepad found in the house. Handwriting samples were taken from the Ramseys, and John Ramsey was ruled out as the author of the note, but police could not eliminate Patsy Ramsey as the writer. District Attorney Alex Hunter tells the media that the parents are obviously the focus of the investigation. Expert Prosecution Task Force District attorney Hunter forms an Expert Prosecution Task Force, including forensic expert Henry Lee and DNA expert Barry Scheck. In March 1997 retired homicide detective Lou Smit, who solved the Heather Dawn Church murder in Colorado Spring, is hired to head the investigation team. Smits investigation would eventually point to an intruder as the perpetrator, which conflicted with the DAs theory that someone in the family was responsible for JonBenets death. Conflicting Theories From the beginning of the case, there was a disagreement between investigators and the DAs office about the focus of the investigation. In August 1997, Detective Steve Thomas resigns, saying the DAs office is thoroughly compromised. In September, Lou Smit also resigns saying he, cannot in good conscience be a part of the persecution of innocent people. Lawrence Schillers book, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, describes the feud between police and prosecutors. Burke Ramsey After 15 months of investigation, the Boulder police decide the best way to solve the murder is a grand-jury investigation. In March 1998, police interview John and Patsy Ramsey a second time and do an extensive interview with their 11-year-old son Burke, who was reported as a possible suspect by some in the press. A leak to the news media indicates that Burkes voice could be heard in the background of the 911 call Patsy made, although she said he was asleep until after police arrived. Grand Jury Convenes On Sept. 16, 1998, five months after they were chosen, Boulder County grand jurors began their investigation. They heard forensic evidence, analysis of handwriting, DNA evidence, and hair and fiber evidence. They visited the Ramseys former Boulder home in October 1998. In December of 1998, the grand jury recesses for four months while DNA evidence from other members of the Ramsey family, who were not suspects, can be compared to that found at the scene. Hunter and Smit Clash In February 1999, District Attorney Alex Hunter demanded that detective Lou Smit return evidence that he collected while he worked on the case, including crime scene photographs. Smit refuses even if I have to go to jail because he believed the evidence would be destroyed if returned because it supported the intruder theory. Hunter filed a restraining order and got a court injunction demanding the evidence. Hunter also refused to allow Smit to testify before the grand jury. Smit Seeks Court Order Detective Lou Smit filed a motion asking Judge Roxanne Bailin to allow him to address the grand jury. It is not clear if Judge Bailin granted his motion, but on March 11, 1999, Smit testified before the jury. Later that same month, district attorney Alex Hunter signed an agreement allowing Smit to keep the evidence he had collected in the case but prohibited Smit from relaying prior conversations with Ramsey prosecutors and not interfere with the on-going investigation. No Indictments Returned After a year-long grand jury investigation, DS Alex Hunter announces that no charges will be filed and no one will be indicted for the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. At the time, several media reports suggested that it was Smits testimony that swayed the grand jury to not return an indictment. The Suspicions Continue In spite of the grand jury decision, members of the Ramsey family continued to remain under suspicion in the media. The Ramseys adamantly proclaimed their innocence from the very beginning. John Ramsey said he thought that someone in the family could be responsible for JonBenets murder was nauseating beyond belief. But those denials did not keep the press from speculating that either Patsy, Burke or John himself were involved. Burke Not a Suspect In May 1999, Burke Ramsey was secretly questioned by the grand jury. The following day, authorities finally said that Burke was not a suspect, only a witness. As the grand jury began to wind down its investigation, John and Patsy Ramsey are forced to move from their Atlanta-area home avoid the onslaught of media attention. Ramseys Fight Back In March 2002, the Ramseys released their book, The Death of Innocence, about the battle they have fought to reclaim their innocence. The Ramseys filed a series of libel lawsuits against media outlets, including the Star, the New York Post, Time Warner, the Globe and the publishers of the book A Little Girls Dream? A JonBenet Ramsey Story. Federal Judge Clears Ramseys In May 2003, an Atlanta federal judge dismissed a civil lawsuit against John and Patsy Ramsey saying there was no evidence showing the parents killed JonBenet and abundant evidence that an intruder killed the child. The judge criticized the police and the FBI for creating a media campaign designed to make the family look guilty.