New Prosecutor Takes Fresh Look at JonBenet Ramsey Case

[Texas53]

New Prosecutor Takes Fresh Look at JonBenet Ramsey Case

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,473097,00.html

Maybe this case will be solved one day. I've heard of lots of old cases being solved, so there is still hope for this one.

[Trailblazer]

Boy I sure hope so...I followed this case when Jon Benet first died...It's been a mystery for too long.

[KittyMom]

This was one of those cases where the victim was lost in all the drama of those around this case. Too bad this much time has passed without justice to a little 6 yr old.

[Pandabear]

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/National/JonBenet_Ramsey.html

Boulder police take back JonBenet investigation

BOULDER, Colo. — The slaying of JonBenet Ramsey will be investigated as a cold case with all evidence and actions taken 12 years ago reviewed anew, the police chief said Monday as the department resumed a probe for which it had long been criticized.

Chief Mark Beckner said new technology gives investigators tools they didn't have a decade ago; the 6-year-old beauty pageant contestant was found bludgeoned and strangled in the basement of her Boulder home in 1996.

Police had transferred the probe to the district attorney's office six years ago amid criticism of how the case was handled.

"We'd love to solve this case for JonBenet so she can rest in peace," Beckner said at a news conference announcing the shift.

Police will handle the investigation as a cold case, "reviewing everything that's been done, the evidence that's been collected, trying to determine where do we go from here," he said.

As a cold case, the investigation won't have a full team of detectives working around-the-clock, the chief said.

"It's going to be an as-we-can type of thing, or as needed," he said.

L. Lin Wood, an attorney for JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, called the announcement a "positive sign in terms of my hope that the Boulder Police Department will take not only a new review in terms of a cold case review, but that it will go in this time with an objective review."

Wood and Ramsey have been critical of previous police efforts, saying they unfairly focused on the family and ignored other evidence.

Patsy Ramsey, JonBenet's mother and John Ramsey's wife, died in 2006 after a long battle with cancer.

Beckner said he and newly elected District Attorney Stan Garnett agreed that police should lead the investigation again.

Beckner said he has invited veteran investigators from state and federal agencies to form an advisory task force on the case.

"We're bringing in people on this task force that are going to have a fresh perspective," he said. "(They're going to) look at this case, tell us what they think, challenge us, give us ideas."

The group will meet in the next few weeks to review the evidence and identify additional testing that might be done.

At the news conference, Beckner said more than 140 people had already been investigated as potential suspects, but none could be definitively linked to the crime.

Garnett's predecessor, Mary Lacy, last year cleared Jonbenet's family in the slaying, saying male DNA found on the girl's clothing almost certainly came from her killer, and that it didn't match anyone in the family.

Beckner informed John Ramsey of the change in the investigation in a letter. Wood said the letter gave no hint that police would back away from Lacy's decision to clear the family.

Lacy did not run for re-election because of term limits. She told The Associated Press that returning the investigation to police was "a great idea."

"I think that time has resolved any issues that might have lingered, but also I think that Mark Beckner has done a very good job," she said.

Lacy said the reason her office took over the case in 2002 was that the Ramsey family had no confidence in the police. "It wasn't that they were incompetent," she said of the officers.

Lacy said she is "absolutely" hopeful the case will one day be resolved.

"I believe the DNA (that cleared the Ramsey family) is the most significant piece of evidence, and hopefully, as with some cold cases, there will eventually be a hit on it," she said.

Beckner said "that unknown DNA" will be a big part of the investigation.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I would love to see this case solved and that beautiful little girl be able to rest in peace.

[wheezer]

I do hope they can finally solve this one. I do have my doubts. I think the biggest problem is how the whole thing was handled from the start. The Boulder Police just had no experience with homicides. Which hey, that is great, but when one does occur, it makes for some pretty elementary mistakes. I just wish from the minute they were called onto the scene they would have brought in LE from the Denver or Colorado Springs area. No, they had no way of knowing that this was anything more than a kidnapping at that moment, but even with that type of crime they had no real experience. Let me be clear, I am not in anyway condemning them. I think they truly did things the best way they knew how, they just didn't realize how to operate a major crime scene.

[Tracian]

Something is very wrong with this case. I don't buy the 'random stranger theory' it makes no sense.

Hopefully this is not just a bunch of media baiting, and something will be discovered

[wheezer]

Something is very wrong with this case. I don't buy the 'random stranger theory' it makes no sense.

Hopefully this is not just a bunch of media baiting, and something will be discovered

I don't believe the parents were involved, but I also do not believe that this was just some random stranger off the street.
I think whoever did this knew that family and knew that house very well. Well enough to know that there was a wine cellar, well enough to know exactly where this child's bedroom was, well enough to roam it without being detected.

[Tracian]

I don't believe the parents were involved, but I also do not believe that this was just some random stranger off the street.
I think whoever did this knew that family and knew that house very well. Well enough to know that there was a wine cellar, well enough to know exactly where this child's bedroom was, well enough to roam it without being detected.


Well enough to be comfortable to sit down and write not one but two notes regarding ransom...then murderering her and hiding her inside the house.

Something is not right...Not saying I know exactly what it is...but something is not right.

[wheezer]

Well enough to be comfortable to sit down and write not one but two notes regarding ransom...then murderering her and hiding her inside the house.

Something is not right...Not saying I know exactly what it is...but something is not right.

I completely understand where you are coming from. I am open to the possibility that it was one of the three other people living in that house. To be honest in the very beginning I completely believed it was one or both of the parents. Right now I am drawing a blank on where I heard or read that the note did not match any of the handwriting of those living in the house. I also thought that either blood or another form of DNA ruled out everyone in the house as well. Right now that is the only thing keeping me from thinking the parents or son had anything to do with it. I did always wonder about the adult children the father had. I know his older daughter had passed in I think an auto accident, but again I am hazy, I thought there was another older child, a son. I am going to assume that they ran DNA on him as well. At least I hope they did.

Also let's face it, mistakes are made. The DNA might need to be run again.

[Tracian]

I completely understand where you are coming from. I am open to the possibility that it was one of the three other people living in that house. To be honest in the very beginning I completely believed it was one or both of the parents. Right now I am drawing a blank on where I heard or read that the note did not match any of the handwriting of those living in the house. I also thought that either blood or another form of DNA ruled out everyone in the house as well. Right now that is the only thing keeping me from thinking the parents or son had anything to do with it. I did always wonder about the adult children the father had. I know his older daughter had passed in I think an auto accident, but again I am hazy, I thought there was another older child, a son. I am going to assume that they ran DNA on him as well. At least I hope they did.

Also let's face it, mistakes are made. The DNA might need to be run again.


I honestly believe that something is being covered up by the family. I have heard the the writing on the note was a possible match to Pasty...then I have heard there was not a match. Unlike Florida, we are not privy to all the 'evidence' and because charges were not brought, there is a great deal of speculation.

I have to also admit, I don't like the way the Ramsey's lawyered up so fast, it is just my opinion that it seemed a bit counter productive, in regards to finding out what happened to their daughter.

[wheezer]

I honestly believe that something is being covered up by the family. I have heard the the writing on the note was a possible match to Pasty...then I have heard there was not a match. Unlike Florida, we are not privy to all the 'evidence' and because charges were not brought, there is a great deal of speculation.

I have to also admit, I don't like the way the Ramsey's lawyered up so fast, it is just my opinion that it seemed a bit counter productive, in regards to finding out what happened to their daughter.

I wish I could argue with you, but I agree. Many of the things they did were very suspect. Like I said, I am basing this on what little we know, and then only on the DNA.

The whole case is just so messed up. That is why I am so skeptical that it will ever be solved.