of Investigation. While Boulder detectives assem-
bled a case against Patsy Ramsey, Hunter’s office
hired its own investigators, allowed the Ramsey at-
torneys to review police files and physical evidence,
and insisted detectives treat the Ramseys as victims
rather than suspects.
Ramsey supporters argued that an intruder had
entered the Ramsey home through a broken base-
ment window. The layout of the home was complex;
Boulder detectives argued that an intruder could
not have maneuvered through the mansion in the
dark to locate JonBenét’s bedroom or the basement
room where her body was found. Hunter’s investiga-
tors believed JonBenét could have been killed by
anyone already familiar with the home. Neither the
duct tape on JonBenét’s mouth nor the cord used to
strangle her could be matched to anything belong-
ing to the Ramseys.
In 1998, Boulder County convened a grand jury
to decide if there was sufficient evidence to support
any indictment. After thirteen months, the grand
jury ruled no charges could be filed based upon the
evidence.
Impact The Ramsey case generated intense public
scrutiny and tabloid coverage. The Ramseys were
unable to counter images of Patsy as a stage mother
and JonBenét as an oddly mature-looking child
beauty queen. Boulder’s legal officials could not
collaborate to solve a murder among the city’s elite.
Detailed in countless media out-
lets, their failure contributed to the
American public’s growing concern
about the effectiveness of the Ameri-
can justice system.
Subsequent Events Patsy Ramsey
died of ovarian cancer on June 24,- In August, 2006, an American
substitute teacher named John Mark
Karr confessed to killing JonBenét.
Witnesses placed him in Alabama at
the time of the murder, however, and
Boulder authorities announced that
he would not be charged. In July,
2008, the Boulder district attorney’s
office announced that new deoxyri-
bonucleic acid (DNA) sampling and
testing techniques had cleared all
members of the Ramsey family.
Further Reading
Bardach, A. L. “Missing Innocence: The JonBenét
Ramsey Case.” Vanity Fair, no. 446 (October,
1997): 322. Bardach’s frequently cited overview
of problems within the investigation and relevant
political connections in the Boulder district attor-
ney’s office.
Douglas, John E., and Mark Olshaker. “The JonBenét
Ramsey Murder.” InThe Cases That Haunt Us.New
York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2000. Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation profiler once employed by
the Ramseys argues that an intruder killed
JonBenét.
Gentile, Don, and David Wright, eds.JonBenét: The
Police Files.Boca Raton, Fla.: American Media, - Includes transcripts of police interviews
with the Ramseys.
Ramsey, John, and Patsy Ramsey.The Death of Inno-
cence: The Untold Stor y of JonBenét’s Murder and How
Its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000. The Ramseys’
account of their loss and their struggles with the
media and Boulder police.
Schiller, Lawrence.Perfect Murder, Perfect Town. New
York: HarperCollins, 1999. Often cited as a defini-
tive account in spite of occasional inaccuracies
and the author’s decision to draw no conclusions;
later editions include index.
Thomas, Steve, with Don Davis.JonBenét: Inside the
Ramsey Murder Investigation. New York: St. Mar-
702 Ramsey murder case The Nineties in America
The adorned gravesite of JonBenét Ramsey.(AP/Wide World Photos)