Back to Stranger Intruder Theories Overview Gary Oliva (The Saint) The Oliva Theory Incriminating Evidence Related to Oliva Exculpatory Evidence Related to Oliva Mike McElroy (The Prophet) The McElroy Theory Incriminating Evidence Related to McElroy Exculpatory Evidence Related to McElroy Matthew Falcon (The Falcon) The Falcon Theory The Warrior The Warrior Theory Incriminating Evidence Related to The Warrior Exculpatory Evidence Related to The Warrior Flippy Esso The Flippy Esso Theory

 

Back to Stranger Intruder Theories

 

Overview

• Theory. Many believe in an intruder motivated by sex who gained access to the house while the Ramseys were at the Christmas Party and had ample time to craft the RN while waiting.

1. Jeffrey Shapiro has fleshed out a version of this theory based on discussions with Lou Smit.
2. See Summergirl's post #18 for an adult version of such a perp and txsvicki's post #19 on the same thread for a similar version. Huff's Crime Blog (scroll to Joe and Boulder, Colorado… A Strange and Troubling Idea) describes in detail the possibility that a particular sexual predator, Joseph Edward Duncan, was connected to the JBR killing. Although the blog's author now discounts the possibility, and Internet poster One-Eyed Jack has reported that Duncan was at his sister's house several states away when JBR was killed, the blog has some interesting information on the MO of a predator of this type.
3. Jessica Butts, a 12 year old girl strangled by a telephone in Texas, had injuries remarkably similar to JBR's, i.e., petechiae from strangling, a contusion from a head blow and minor injuries to the vagina.

• Sexually Sadistic Serial Killers. While there appear to be some sadistic and sexual elements in JBR's killing, JonBenet's killer may or may not have been a sexually sadistic serial killer. A profile of such killers is here.
• 38 Sex Offenders Lived Nearby. In 2005, 48 Hours reported: "Within a two-mile radius of where the Ramseys once lived, 38 of their neighbors are registered sex offenders."

 

Gary Oliva (The Saint)

The Oliva Theory

• This is discussed in detail in (Shapiro 2001), here, and here.
• Photos. Two photos of Oliva are available at Webbsleuths here and here.

 

Incriminating Evidence Related to Oliva

• "Thomas Aquinas" was a transient paranoid schizophrenic who collected his mail at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church on 14th Street, only a block from the Ramsey home (Shapiro 2001).
• Oregon law enforcement authorities say he tried to strangle his mother (Shapiro 2001).
• He made Oregon's registered sex offender list in 1991 for molesting a young girl (Shapiro 2001).
• He later spent time in a mental health facility (Shapiro 2001).
• He fell under suspicion after Boulder police learned he had broken into a building at CU. Looking through the transient's backpack, police found a stun gun and a poem he'd written about JBR and Susannah Chase (another girl murdered in Boulder by a baseball bat roughly 1 year after JBR) (Shapiro 2001).
• At a one-year anniversary vigil for JBR, photographs taken by private investigators working for the Ramseys revealed that Aquinas was in the front row, holding a folder sealed tightly with a strip of smooth, black duct tape (Shapiro 2001).
• Some believe Oliva's handwriting samples are similar to those of the RN; comparisons are here.

 

Exculpatory Evidence Related to Oliva

• Authorities seem to have lost track of Aquinas (Shapiro 2001).
• However, because 48 Hours brought to light much of the evidence that should make authorities suspicious of Oliva, Internet poster Jameson has concluded "since there was no arrest, I believe his handwriting and DNA must not match."
• Similarly, Internet poster DonBradley suggests  "no one has ever acknowledged that Gary Oliva was excluded by dna tests as being the contributor of the rogue-dna found on JonBenet" but he assumes "that he was in fact excluded but this is based on several assumptions, such as that his 1991 arrest/conviction resulted in his dna being placed in a national database. Since often someone accused of these charges that involves a very young victim is allowed to plead to a lesser offense in order to avoid the vicitm having to relive the ordeal in a court room, it may be that Gary Oliva's dna is not now in any national database. This is also a result that might have taken place since his incarceration was in a mental facility and not a prison."
• Internet poster Dave has suggested that while Oliva should be "thoroughly investigated," he is not a very good suspect: "It's just difficult for me to believe that a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic could hold things together long enough to commit this somewhat complex crime AND keep his mouth shut for so long."

 

Mike McElroy (The Prophet)

The McElroy Theory

• Who is Mike McElroy? McElroy was a UC-Boulder student who hosted a website with pornographic articles about the murder and rape of young girls, photos of sexual bondage and a story about how to have violent sex with a Barbie doll (caution: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC). According to Internet posterjameson, McElroy also used the name Andy Savage. The Prophet theory is discussed in detail in (Shapiro 2001); further details are proviwwded at acandyrose.com

 

Incriminating Evidence Related to McElroy

• Obsession with Barbie Dolls and Serial Killers. McElroy appeared obsessed by Barbie dolls and serial killers, as reflected by his Website, old copies of which can be reached via http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://Wideawake.org (The Waybackmachine.org). Internet poster sissi summarizes The Prophet as follows: "Prophet was an interesting character in Boulder, he attended the college, was a local dj, and had a website depicting Barbie in various stages of bondage . He was considered on the net as the expert in the art of Japanese bondage knots. He in fact, wrote an ultraviolent short story entitled "Barbie the Ultimate F***". (see post Tue Aug 22, 2006 4:01 pm  here.
• Police confiscated a stun gun, sharpies and Hi-Tech boots (Shaprio 2001).
• The http://wideawake.org/TortureFAQ.html#Part4">following (caution: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC) is part of the now-defunct "WideAwake" Website maintained by McElroy and available only through the Waybackmachine.

Exculpatory Evidence Related to McElroy

• Cleared by Police.

1. Internet poster sissi has stated: "He was investigated in January of '98, the BPD took some samples of his writings, his stun gun, shoes, sharpies, a bit of dna, and subsequently cleared him. He sent out an email to friends, sharing his experiences with the BPD, telling of how , after taking his possessions ( which he spelled wrong), they took him shopping to replace "all items". They DID NOT take his hard drive which he found amazing!!" (see post Tue Aug 22, 2006 4:01 pm  here.
2. Internet poster Ivy has confirmed: "McElroy (a.k.a. The Prophet) gave a palm print (the fake ransom note contained a partial palm print) and a saliva sample to the BPD. Apparently his palm print didn't match the partial palm print on the note, or we'd know about it. Also, by this time, his DNA must have been compared to the DNA from the crime scene. If there was a match, we would know about that too."

 

Matthew Falcon (The Falcon)

The Falcon Theory

• Who is Matthew Falcon? "The Falcon" was a former CU student who confessed to attacking Jessica, a 22 year old psychology student, in December 1997. He also was investigated in connection with the Susannah Chase murder that occurred during that same month. Details are provided at acandyrose.com

 

The Warrior

The Warrior Theory

"The Warrior" was an American Indian who had studied political science at the University of Colorado at the time of the Susannah Chase murder 1 year after JBR (Shapiro 2001). This is discussed in detail in (Shapiro 2001).

Incriminating Evidence Related to The Warrior

• "The Warrior was a tall, violent young man who had nearly killed his mother in Virginia by striking her across the head with a shotgun" (Shapiro 2001).
• "Police became concerned when they went into the bedroom of his apartment and found it wallpapered with hundreds of news clippings from the Chase and Ramsey murders" (Shapiro 2001).
• "The Warrior's roommate had told investigators...that The Warrior had made a bumper sticker that stated: "I killed her." The roommate reportedly asked The Warrior, "Which one-Susannah Chase or JonBenet Ramsey?" The Warrior replied, "Either, or." (Shapiro 2001).

 

Exculpatory Evidence Related to The Warrior

• Police determined that The Warrior had an unshakeable alibi for the Chase murder.
• A judge issued an order to have DNA samples taken from The Warrior (Shapiro 2001). Presumably, if there had been a match, this would have been made public, so a reasonable assumption is that there is no match.

 

Flippy Esso

The Flippy Esso Theory

This has been discussed here.