Back to Theories of the Case Overview How Would Stranger Know JonBenet Ramsey? Stranger Intruders Apparently Ignored by Law Enforcement Sexual Predator Serial Killer BTK-style Serial Killer Gary McGreen Foreign Political Faction A Kidnapping Gone Wrong The Kidnapping Gone Wrong Theory Evidence For Kidnapping Gone Wrong Theory Evidence Against Kidnapping Gone Wrong Theory A Message to FBI Profilers The Message to FBI Profilers Theory Evidence For Message to FBI Profilers Theory Evidence Against Message to FBI Profilers Theory Attempt to Frame Theory Phone Phreakers The Phone Phreakers Theory Incriminating Evidence Against the Phone Phreakers Exculpatory Evidence Favoring the Phone Phreakers

 

Back to Theories of the Case

 

Overview

How Would Stranger Know JonBenet Ramsey?

• With a stranger intruder, there is always the question of motivation. How would a stranger even have become aware of JBR?
• "Detective Smit opined that there were several factors that could have motivated an intruder to commit this horrific crime. First, defendants were prominent in the community and had thrown several large events at their home, thereby providing a large number of people the opportunity to learn the house's floor plan. Second, Mr. Ramsey received considerable attention due to the financial success of his company. In fact, news articles were published that detailed the company's financial success and mentioned Mr. Ramsey in great detail. (SMF P 121; PSMF P 121.) In the weeks leading up to the murder, Detective Smit notes that defendants had a large party at their home in which they entertained hundreds of people from their church. Also, Mr. Ramsey had spoken at his company's Christmas party and praised the employees for passing the one billion dollar mark in sales. (Smit Dep. at 148.) Third, Detective Smit states that JonBenet was a "pedophile's dream come true." (SMF P 122; PSMF P 122.) JonBenet received considerable public attention as "Little Miss Colorado" and through several beauty pageants in which she participated. (SMF P 121; PSMF P 121.) On December 6, 1996, three 102 weeks before the murder, she was in the Lights of December Parade, an event thousands of people attended. (Smit. Dep. at 147.)" (Carnes 2003:101).
• Boulder Cold Cases. Internet poster Mikie has provided a summary of three Boulder cold cases involving murdered children.

 

Stranger Intruders Apparently Ignored by Law Enforcement

• Party Near Ramsey House on Christmas Night. Internet poster JT Colfax claims there was "wild party" a "few doors away" from the Ramseys that began around 2:00 and went until 6:00 AM, involving at least two individuals who subsequently were jailed (which is where Colfax got his information). One of the partygoers left by cab and later was told that police were obtaining information on all cab riders at that time of the morning. Colfax claims law enforcement never contacted this individual or anyone else present at the party even though police observed them leaving early in the morning.
• Numerous Local Burglaries. In 2005, 48 Hours reported: that private detectives John San Augustin and Ollie Gray had learned "that in the months before JonBenet's murder, there were more than 100 burglaries in her neighborhood." In particular, 14 "Midnight Burglaries" occurred during the period December 12 and December 25, 1996 Boulder Press Release posted at Webbsleuths.com.

 

Sexual Predator

 

Serial Killer

BTK-style Serial Killer

The BTK-style Serial Killer Theory

• Serial Killers in General. A general profile of male serial killers is here.
• Serial Killers in the JBR Case. A good discussion of a killer who planned this in advance (and for whom selection of JBR was mostly happenstance) is here.

 

Evidence For BTK-style Serial Killer Theory

• BTK Killer Comparisons. Specific comparisons of the JBR evidence and how it compares to the homicides known to be committed by the BTK killer are here.

 

Evidence Against BTK-style Serial Killer Theory

• Serial Killer Does Not Fit Profile.

1. Serial Killer Expert Ressler View. Robert Ressler, a leading authority on serial killers, did an interview in June 1997, argues based on publicly available evidence (he did not have access to police files) that it was unlikely that a serial killer was involved.
2. RN Was Staging. Specifically, believes that no kidnapping was intended and the RN was staging intended as a diversion and that JBR probably knew her killer.
3. Case Extremely Unusual. He indicated the killing was the most unusual he has seen in his career in terms of both police investigative errors and the evidence itself.
4. Entering House Unusual. Kidnappers of children typically do not enter a residence since it escalates risk 10-fold; the exceptions are sexual predators who abduct a child and take them from the home to assault them.
5. Writing a RN Risky. Moreover, writing a note simply gives LE more evidence with which to find killer.
6. Crime Does Not Fit Serial Killer or Sexual Predator Profile. He doesn't think crime was committed by either a serial killer or sexual predator.

 

Gary McGreen

The Gary McGreen Theory

• Internet poster Dan in Detroit claims that Gary McGreen is the killer, in collaboration with Fleet White. Gary's known m.o. (redressing his child victims) was seen in JBR's case. Dan in  Detroit claims that because the newspaper containing John Ramsey's circled face was 14 months old, the killing was planned at least a year in advance.
• Murder Planned at Least One Year in Advance. "Gary told me that they were planning the murder the year before at Christmas but that Fleet had to do something go somewhere. Gary got the dog hair 18 months before killing."
• How Crime Was Committed. Dan  in Detroit provides the following details of how the crime was committed (post #501):

1. "He was in the house at 8. He went directly to the cellar room. Fleet had told him where the light switch was. He looked the house over. Was planning to be in the guest room but Patsy was packing in there, so he waited downstairs in basement."
2. "About 11 he`d just come upstairs to 1st floor grabbed the Maglite, heard noise, hid. There came Jonbenet downstairs from 2nd to 1st floor.(She ate pineapple)"
3. "He grabbed her wearing brown gloves, took her down to basement, stunned her, as he fondles her she awoke and screamed, he kneed her in head, lay there waiting to see if anyone heard, when police didn`t show in time it would take(he knew time because Fleet called 911) he garotted her in boiler room."
4. "She had messed pants. They said Friday. That wouldn`t do, this was a Wed murder. He`s killed lots on wed-sun. 2nd kid with same name had to be killed wed- sun. He`d already killed Ramsay in MT in 1996. Things had gone well, he had time. Went to 2nd floor. Parents slept on 3rd floor. Couldn`t find underpants, searched drawers, ripped open package, took out WED, didm`t know were too big, took blanket, etc. Heard noise. Went back downstairs."
5. "Jonbenet partly loose, paintbrush broken. Hit her in head with flashlight. Changed underwear, not shirt, tightened garotte, stuck something in her, went and put note on steps and johns picture, returned flashlight, returned, wiped her out, wiped off crusty spot blood with finger, put her in cellar, inspected blanket, ripped fibre 4 pieces, used tweezers put piece in garotte and put piece under tape, left through window, slipped on suitcase. etc..."

 

Evidence for the The Gary McGreen Theory

 

Evidence Against the The Gary McGreen Theory

 

Foreign Political Faction

 

A Kidnapping Gone Wrong

The Kidnapping Gone Wrong Theory

Several theories have been advanced, with perps ranging from bungling adolescents or inexperienced kidnappers to more experienced kidnappers taken by surprise by JBR's scream. See evidence related to was this a kidnapping for ransom?

 

Evidence For Kidnapping Gone Wrong Theory

• Smit Theory. Detective Lou Smit, who had access to all the case materials up until his resignation, has stated: "I believe that the killer had started out with a kidnapping in mind...." "I believe that he was going to take her out of house. There is some evidence to suggest that he did perhaps try to put her in a suitcase. Perhaps he couldn't get the suitcase in the window and then get out of the window himself. Perhaps he got into the window and couldn't pull the suitcase out after him. So, I don't know why he suddenly went to that basement room, fashioned a garrote from something that was right there in plain sight and brutally murdered JonBenet. Perhaps she knew him. Perhaps she screamed. Something triggered this man to kill JonBenet in a very brutal fashion" (Larry King Live, May 28, 2001; quote and source provided by Internet poster Margoo.
• One argues that this is the work of adolescents who mistakenly thought they could make some easy money. The language of the RN and numerous references to movie lines are used to support this claim. * Another  argues that this is the work of an inexperienced perp (not necessarily adolescent). The detailed instructions in the RN and presumption that the note was written in advance of the killing (since the killer(s) would have been too agitated to write such a lengthy note after the fact) are used in support of this claim.
• Internet poster JusticeSeeker has offered an elaborate scenario involving 2 kidnappers whose plans are thwarted by JBR's scream.

 

Evidence Against Kidnapping Gone Wrong Theory

• FBI Profiler Ressler View. Former FBI profiler Robert Ressler, in a June 1997 interview, argues based on publicly available evidence (he did not have access to police files) that it was unlikely that a kidnapper was involved as it is extremely rare for a kidnapper to take a child from their own house (this greatly elevates risk of detection or leaving behind incriminating evidence).
• Some arguments against the kidnapping-gone-wrong scenario are here.
• Internet poster Anti-K has offered reasons why a kidnapping gone wrong scenario is inconsistent with the available forensic evidence, hence there was no plan or effort to get JBR out of the house.

 

A Message to FBI Profilers

The Message to FBI Profilers Theory

• Some believe the perp was taunting the profilers and showing s/he could "get away" with a heinous crime without getting caught.
• Motivation. The principal motivation for the murder is to taunt the profilers and perhaps in some fashion "get even" with them. The perp may have had John Douglas in mind.

 

Evidence For Message to FBI Profilers Theory

• There are several "clues" in the Ransom Note that potentially have a connection to John Douglas, probably the nation's most visible and publicly recognizable profiler.

1. SBTC. In John Douglas's Mindhunter pages 137 -166 four killers are discussed in succession and in this order: Son of sam; BTK; Trailside killer; Carmine calabro; i.e., S.B.T.C (observed by Internet poster AntiK).
2. 118 may be based on number of victims in Sexual Homicides: Patterns and Motives "the" profiling handbook authored by John Douglas (observed by Internet poster Rainsong). This number is also mentioned in Mindhunter (observed by Internet poster AntiK).
3. But it may also refer to the length of Silence of the Lambs (118 minutes); John Douglas was the model for profiler Jack Crawford in this movie (observed by Internet poster Rainsong).
4. The writer of the ransom note switches from Mr. Ramsey to John, tells John "not to grow a brain" and that "it's up to you, John," messages that arguably could have been aimed at Douglas rather than Ramsey.

 

Evidence Against Message to FBI Profilers Theory

 

Attempt to Frame Theory

The Attempt To Frame (ATF) theory addresses the premise: if the Ramseys didn’t commit this murder then maybe someone wanted us to think that they did. The theory can be found here.

 

Phone Phreakers

The Phone Phreakers Theory

• Internet poster Lighthouse claims to have solved the killing years ago but has been repeatedly rebuffed in his efforts to take his theory seriously. His alleged perp is someone called Netmask but he was assisted by two others who were unaware that Netmask would do what he did. A brief scenario of the crime is laid out here.

 

Incriminating Evidence Against the Phone Phreakers

• BNF Disruption. These particular perps disrupted the Boulder News Forum and Lighthouse views this as suspicious behavior. He believes they were trying to throw Internet sleuthers off track by this activity.

 

Exculpatory Evidence Favoring the Phone Phreakers

• Lighthouse is a Fiction Writer. Lighthouse is a self-proclaimed fiction  writer among other things.
• Inaccurate Lighthouse Prediction. On March 7, 2005, Lighthouse predicted "It'll be over within the year" meaning the case will be solved.