Combine two forcefully upset parents, a fraud of a
ransom note and the death of a six-year-old girl and you’re left with one
mystifying homicide. Pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey was found dead in her
family’s basement on December 26, 1996, after police were called saying that
she had gone missing and a ransom note was found (“JonBenet Ramsey Murder Fast
Facts”). Since that day, more than a handful of theories have arisen:
1. Burke Ramsey, her older brother, killed her by
cracking her skull with a flashlight and their parents covered for him
2. John Ramsey, her father, sexually assaulted her and
then proceeded to kill her and cover it as a kidnapping
3. Gary Oliva, a known sex offender in Boulder, killed
and sexually assaulted her and left her in the basement of her home (Lovitt)
Now,
we are going to examine the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, the theories surrounding
her death and the likelihood that her brother Burke Ramsey accidently killed
her and her parents helped cover it up as a kidnapping gone wrong.
Who was JonBenet Ramsey? Google search “southern
belle” or “beauty queen” and her photo will appear. She was an energetic
six-year-old who loved being in the spotlight and whose curly, blond hair,
glittery costumes and bright smile brought fame to her name in such a short
period of time. Following in her mother’s footsteps, JonBenet spent her years
as a pageant queen earning titles at five prestigious pageants by the young age
of six (Worthen). From winning the title of “Little Miss Colorado” and
“America’s Royale Miss”, who knows how far JonBenet could have gone in the
industry if given the chance (Roberts). JonBenet was easily someone who could
have made her way onto the front of a magazine or been the face for a
brand.
As any sibling pair would, JonBenet and her brother
Burke bickered and fought like no one’s business. From the outside JonBenet and
Burke seemed like best friends, though a family friend noticed that Burke could
get quite violent when dealing with JonBenet, going as far as physically
striking her “in the head with a golf club about eighteen months prior to her
death” (“Who Killed JonBenet”). This information, along with knowing that JonBenet
and Burke were still so close up until her death, shows how caring and
easy-going she was. When you are that small, one fight with your sibling will
not create a grudge between the two, but instead provide a little sibling
rivalry. There’s no doubt that if Burke or any one close to JonBenet needed
help, she would be the first one there.
JonBenet was a very friendly child who met no
stranger. While in the pageant realm she met many people, who would have grown
to be lifelong friends if given the chance. One of these being her fellow
competitor, Thumper Gosney, who “revealed how the pair would disappear for up
to 30 minutes at a time and play with Barbie’s” while at beauty pageants
(Reporter). Another peer of JonBenet stated that “She had a bright light about
her. She was just a really nice, fun-loving kid” (1). There’s no doubt that
JonBenet would have grown to be a leader in her community who would have made
everyone feel special. With her confidence and social skills JonBenet was
destined to be the next “Miss America”.
Many close friends of the Ramsey’s’ recall JonBenet as
someone who was very thoughtful of others feelings and never wanted to leave
anyone out (Poppen). Judith Phillips, a family friend of fourteen years, said
that while at a Christmas party just two days before JonBenets’ tragic death,
she wanted to “make sure I spent enough time with (Burke) and she always made
sure everyone was having a good time” (1). In just six short years of her life,
she shared more love and happiness with people than some do in their lifetimes,
she knew how to comfort others and quickly become “everyone’s best friend” (1).
JonBenet would have brought a bright light into this world while spreading good
energy and love throughout.
JonBenet was a very eager child who was quite
intelligent for her age. According to her father, she was very excited to start
school bringing an apple to her teacher on the very first day of Kindergarten
(“JonBenet Ramsey: Never Before Seen Photos”). Even outside of school JonBenet
proved to be an intuitive and clever kid because beauty pageants require a need
for a good memory and self-obedience, which can be quite difficult for a
six-year-old to master. JonBenet had a bright future ahead of her and could
have gone against the idea that “blonds are dumb”. With her complex
personality, she could have been the life of the party and the teacher’s pet
all wrapped up in one endearing little girl.
For being only six-years-old, JonBenet was quite the
talented miss. From rocking the pageant world and winning crowns almost as tall
as she is, JonBenet was nothing short of successful. Not only do friends
remember her as being fun and outgoing but also as a “talented youngster who
loved to sing and dance” (Poppen). In the talent portion of the beauty pageants,
JonBenet could be found singing “God Bless America” or dancing her “Cowboy
Sweetheart” routine (“JonBenet Ramsey- God Bless America”). There’s no doubt
that she had something special about her that made her stand out from the
crowd; her flair.
In
the murder case of Jon Benet Ramsey, three conspiracy theories are highlighted.
One of these theories involves a known sex offender in the area who most people
would first suspect while the other two are immediate family members hiding in
plain sight.
The
first conspiracy theory proposes that Jon Benet Ramsey’s older brother Burke
accidentally killed her and her parents helped him cover it up. “Based on some unusual behavior that Burke exhibited in
interviews with child psychologists in the days following her death, and on
previous incidents of violence that he committed toward his sister—including
hitting her with a golf club a mere week before she was found dead in the
family basement— “, there is no doubt that he could do some damage to the
six-year-old, especially when he is angry (Pollack). This violence comes into
play the night of December 25, 1996, when Burke had made himself a late-night
snack of pineapples with milk (1). Theory suggests that JonBenet took a piece
of Burkes’ pineapple, he got angry and proceeded to bash her head with the
nearest object, a flashlight, either intentionally or unintentionally killing
her (1). This is proven by Jon Benet’s autopsy revealing that there was
partially digested pineapple in her system (1). After looking at tapes of an
archived video, Pollack reported the Burke “pretends not to be able to
recognize the bowl of pineapple and milk in a photo of the family's kitchen
table and he seemed skittish and seemingly nervous, he almost refuses to say
the word "pineapple" at all” (1). Not wanting to lose both of their
children, Patsy and John Ramsey likely helped stage Jon Benet’s murder as if an
intruder did it with a fake ransom note. This theory is the most plausible
because there is a motive present, a fully realistic idea of what happened and
supporting evidence from the autopsy and the crime scene. From a survey of
fourteen people conducted at The College of the Mainland, 86% believe that it
was Burke Ramsey who caused the death of Jon Benet.
The second conspiracy theory is that
John Ramsey, Jon Benet’s father, murdered her and staged it as an intrusion to
protect himself. First, Jon Benet’s body was found in the basement of the house
(Freeman). The layout of the Ramsey’s house is very large and would be
confusing to any outsider trying to maneuver through it in the dark (1). This
information supports that the suspect was most likely someone who knew the
house layout very well. Second, her parents, “according
to the police, were reluctant to be interviewed and John was overheard on the
phone an hour after finding JonBenet making arrangements for his family to leave
the state” (1). He later came back to say that he made the phone call to try
and protect his family but no one really believes this (1). Thirdly, it was
John who found Jon Benet’s dead body before the police, allowing him to tamper
with evidence and cover up any mistakes he might have left behind (1). After
John handled the body, a family friend lifted the body and moved her to another
part of the house tampering with the evidence even more (“JonBenet: The Door
the Cops Never Opened”). Most importantly, the ransom note that was left behind
was written on paper that was from a notepad that belonged to the Ramsey’s,
concluding that it was in fact an insider who wrote the ransom note (Freeman).
Even with all of this information, this theory is less persuasive because there
is no motive presented from John while there was a motive presented from Burke.
The third conspiracy theory is that
Gary Oliva, a known sex offender in the Boulder area, raped and murdered
innocent Jon Benet in her home. Oliva was a 32-year-old man who lived just one
street away from the Ramsey’s during the time of the murder (Townsend). After
he was arrested in 2000 for drug charges, police found magazine cutouts of Jon
Benet in his backpack, though he claimed he only had them because he felt he
needed to build a shrine/monument for her (1). Also, just six days after the body
was found, Oliva confessed to a long-time friend over the phone that he had
“hurt a little girl. I hurt a little girl” (1). Oliva did attend Jon Benet’s
memorial wearing Hi-Tec shoes resembling the shoe prints left in the Ramsey
household next to a broken window and he sat in the front row (1). Fast forward
many years, in March 2017 Gary Olivas high school friend, Michael Vail, told
“InTouch Magazine” that the knots used to strangle JonBenet were very similar
to the ones used in an incident where Oliva attempted to choke his mother with
a telephone cord (1). In 2016, Oliva was charged with and pleaded guilty to two
accounts of child exploitation and possession of child pornography and is still
in jail to this day (1). But because the room that JonBenet was left in was
locked from the outside of the door concludes that Oliva could not have escaped
back through the window; therefore, this theory is not plausible (1).
Currently, the Ramsey case is still
open and new evidence comes up every once in a while, but it also remains as
cold as ever. With John Ramsey growing old and a deceased Patsy Ramsey, Burke
may crack any time soon, but only time will tell.
After examining the death of Jon Benet Ramsey, there
are three conspiracy theories left to contemplate:
1. Burke Ramsey, her older brother, killed her and her
parents covered it up
2. John Ramsey, her father, murdered her and staged it as
if an intruder did it
3. Gary Oliva, a known sex offender in the area, murdered
and sexually assaulted her in the basement of her own home and then left her
Even today, twenty-two years after the
fact, people all over the world are still curious and eager to know who the
real culprit is, seeking closure for innocent Jon Benet Ramsey. However, it is
more likely than not that her own brother, Burke Ramsey, either intentionally
or unintentionally killed her and her parents helped cover the whole thing.
Works Cited
Freeman, Hadley. “JonBenét Ramsey:
the Brutal Child Murder That Still Haunts America.” The Guardian,
Guardian News and Media, 11 Dec. 2016, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/11/jonbenet-ramsey-the-brutal-child-that-still-haunts-america
“JonBenet Ramsey-God
Bless America.” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Oct. 2007, www.youtube.com/watch?v=BALDhQYhLn8.
“JonBenet
Ramsey: Never Before Seen Photos.” ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/US/photos/jonbenet-ramsey-photos-15905275/image-15905463.
“JonBenet
Ramsey Murder Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 12 Dec. 2017, www.cnn.com/2013/08/29/us/jonbenet-ramsey-murder-fast-facts/index.html.
“JonBenét: The Door the Cops Never
Opened.” Newsweek, 28 Sept. 2016, www.newsweek.com/jonbenet-ramsey-door-cops-never-opened-501705.
Lovitt,
Bryn. “Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey? 8 Possible Suspects.” Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone, 25 June 2018, www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/who-killed-jonbenet-ramsey-8-possible-suspects-129125/the-electrician-129377/
Pollack, Hilary. “Did JonBenet Ramsey’s Brother Kill Her Over a
Piece of Pineapple?” Munchies, VICE, 20 Sept. 2016,
munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/ezkb8k/did-jonebenet-ramseys-brother-kill-her-over-a-piece-of-pineapple.
Poppen,
Julie. “JonBenet Remembered as Caring, Compassionate Child.” Article
from BoulderNews Ramsey Archive, 26 Dec. 1997, web.dailycamera.com/extra/ramsey/1997/12/26-2.html
Reporter,
Dailymail.com. “JonBenet Ramsey's Pageant Friends Remember the Slain Beauty
Queen 20 Years On.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 13
Sept. 2016,
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3787893/JonBenet-Ramsey-s-pageant-friends-remember-slain-beauty-queen-20-years-fun-loving-girl-bright-future-thrived-college.html.
Roberts,
Amy. “Everything You Should Know About The JonBenét Case.” Bustle,
Bustle, 25 Apr. 2018, www.bustle.com/articles/179198-things-about-the-jonbenet-ramsey-mystery-you-need-to-know.
Townsend, Catherine. “Is This the
Man Who Killed JonBenét? Magazine Claims That Murder.” Investigation
Discovery, CrimeFeed, 5 Oct. 2018,
www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/is-this-the-man-who-killed-jonbenet-magazine-claims-that-murder-has-been-solved
“Who Killed
JonBenet?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evil-deeds/201701/who-killed-jonbenet?page=1.
Worthen, Meredith. “JonBenét
Ramsey.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 30 May 2018,
www.biography.com/people/jonbenet-ramsey-12986606.
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