The outlet also reported that Janet had penned a play with a few eery similarities to the case the plot revolved around a girl who was molested and murdered in her basement. It feels like you came up with a narrative first and then tried to adjust it to some of the evidence. You could arguably do this whole thing again if JBR doesn't say anything. Moreover, both he, as a retired journalism professor, and his wife, an award-winning playwright, clearly had the creativity, literary skills, knowledge, and background needed to construct the so-called ransom note (see Part 2), either together or individually, including the ability to make it sound as though it was written by someone else, in part through the deliberate and deceptive inclusion of misspellings and grammatical errors. The Colorado detective who died from cancer in 2010 had investigated over 200 cases over the course of his career and every one of them had led to a conviction, according to his granddaughter Jessa van der Woerd. The 6-year-old girl was found dead on the morning after Christmas 1996. "Of course, he would never get over what happened to him. Why murder her? Two days prior to JonBent's murder, former University of Colorado professor. As of 2022, Brandon is also available on the official page of Wikipedia. The Ramsey familys private investigator, Ollie Gray blasted the Boulder Police Department for not considering Oliva a credible suspect. Were not interrogating possible suspects. Indeed, despite their apparently good friendship, Bill McReynolds was cited by John Ramsey himself during a taped interview after JonBenet's gruesome death as being suspect in his own mind. JonBent Ramsey's 1996 murder case remains unsolved. The amount demanded was identical to Johns Christmas bonus the year before, which suggested that whoever had that information might have been involved in the crime. He was very strange, in the way that when he went into heart surgery he brought a vile of glitter . "He made a new start. She had dressed up as Mrs. Claus at the Christmas party and way back in 1976, Janet McReynolds wrote a play about a young girl who was abducted, molested, and found dead in a basement. Burke is woken up and questioned. Unless, of course, the investigators still working this cold case are willing to critically reevaluate the various questionable criteria used at that time to rule out potential suspects e.g., weak alibis, inconclusive handwriting analysis, dubious DNA evidence, etc. We went through the people of interest and came up with our top 20. He had been living in the area on and off and when police allegedly found a magazine with pictures of the girl in his backpack. Fascinating. It also said that JonBents parents would receive a call from the supposed kidnapper tomorrow between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. It was awful, John Ramsey told ABC News Barbara Walters in 2000. Why not take JBR from the home and to a secluded place where they could do a lot more than just take a few pictures. It strikes me that the McReynolds, but certainly Bill McReynolds himself, had the necessary knowledge of the Ramsey family, their home, dynamics and habits, and, in all likelihood, of John's business, his financial status, lifestyle, and possibly even the rough amount of John's Christmas bonus that year ($118,000.00) as conspicuously found in the ransom note. She was found with duct tape over her mouth and a smooth cord around her . Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter, however, wasn't convinced of their guilt and wanted to explore other theories. Published 02/22/21 08. But they also know that he couldn't have written the note and they know that neither one of them wrote it or did anything wrong because they were together the entire time. Bill McReynolds, a man who dressed up as Santa Claus for Christmas parties at the Ramseys home for three years, was also investigated but ultimately cleared when his DNA did not match that found by investigators. You are putting a lot of stock in what may be a throw away line by a 6 year old. He has been cleared and my humble opinion is that he was a fall guy. (See Part 2.) Theory 3; Bill McReynolds. After several hours, the police began to leave the Ramsey home. Kolar scoured through lab and police reports, witness statements and other information when he took over the case. The Santa Claus figure in the JonBent Ramsey murder case died over the weekend from a heart attack. After a stint in the Army, McReynolds returned to his alma mater and taught for five years before moving to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota. Were not investigators. What would possibly motivate people like Bill or Janet McReynolds, for example, to kidnap and kill JonBenet Ramsey? So how could there be dna from this accomplice? But another less obvious and commonly unconscious aspect of this abusive behavior toward others by trauma victims is related to repressed feelings of rage and resentment regarding what was unfairly done to them by others, and an unrelenting need for revenge or retaliation against the perpetrators specifically or perceived stand-ins for the original perpetrator, or against society in general, and, sometimes, against God for allowing this traumatic experience to have happened to them. Apparently they're supposed to use separate clippers for each nail. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride and new circuit court Judge Dana McReynolds enter the courtroom for a swearing-in ceremony Wednesday morning at the Henry County . In his video diaries, Smit pointed out that whoever wrote the ransom note included language that was drawn from several movies. We are just trying to eliminate people from that list and we just figure, if we keep at it, hopefully, well finally whittle it down to one person remaining on that list, said Marra. The Guardian reported that McReynolds had allegedly given JonBent a Christmas card which reportedly stated that the 6-year-old would be receiving a "special present" after Christmas. Think he was old and not a well man .Dont think he did it. For years, JonBent's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey were blamed for possibly having some involvement in their daughters murder. Privacy Policy. Born in Birmingham, Ala., McReynolds currently resides in Mooresville, N.C., with his wife, Linda . Cold case investigator Lou Smit talks about the case of confessed serial killer Robert Charles Browne at the El Paso County Sheriff's Department in Colorado Springs, Colo., Aug. 4, 2006. JonBenet remembering that Santa is suppose to visit her wakes up sometime after midnight. This extraordinary statement begs the crucial question: Who then could have committed the heinous crime to which the Ramseys were mere "accessories" according to the grand jury? Another eerie-sounding connection theory, is that Janet McReynolds had allegedly written a play about a young girl who had molested, tortured and killed in a basement in 1976. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. Why write a ransom note? JonBent Ramsey was an American child beauty queen. In March 1997, Bill McReynolds told The Chicago Tribune, "In my heart, I know there's no connection. And he asked me to write down a name, and I did. According to The Spokesman-Review, Cosby became the man of . Another suspect was Bill McReynolds. By itself, it's not a crime. The three-page ransom note, for example, was written on Patsy Ramseys notepad with a pen that had come from the house. Just because he saw JonBenet last? YouTube Yes. Marra said that before his death, while he was still in the hospital, he told her that he wanted someone to keep investigating the case. That's where the $118,000 demand comes from. Mr. McReynolds died in 2002 of a heart attack at the age of 72, six years after the death of JonBenet. Marra said that after his death, her family teamed up with some of Smits former homicide partners to keep investigating the case. Then, the next day, her parents appeared on CNN for an interview in which they pleaded for the public to help them find their daughters killer. If its not a stun gun, what is it? The week before the murder, McReynolds had dressed up as the local Santa and entertained children at a Christmas gathering. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. He knew they were at the party and he knew how to get into the Ramsey's home because McReynolds told him. I think its that devotion, that respect, that love for Lou, [that] is what keeps our team moving forward.. 8.4K views, 22 likes, 0 loves, 37 comments, 17 shares. Brandon is currently 30 years old. First of all, we didnt know whether the kidnapper was going to call that day because the note said, I will call you tomorrow. In 1976, Janet McReynolds had written an award-winning play about the sexual assault, torture and murder of a girl whose body was found in a basement. Staying Single: What Most People Do If They Divorce After 50, A Psychological Diagnosis for People Who Lie About Everything. PostedApril 10, 2017 Now, in the house, the ransom note is written on a pad that belongs to Patsy., He said police began to suspect that maybe the Ramseys had harmed their child in some way, then panicked and tried to create basically a kidnapping scenario.. A federal court ruled that it was unlikely that Patsy wrote the note and cited six certified handwriting experts. (See, for example, my previous post.). | Topics | Links. Its also believed that because of the initial belief that the Ramseys had something to do with JonBents murder, other leads were neglected by authorities. And Burke. To this day, questions around the note still arise. He was just so devastated by the mere idea anyone would suspect him of a crime," she said, according to Bill's obituary in The Daily Camera. KEVIN E. SCHMIDT. Was this ever investigated or evaluated? McReynolds claimed he was innocent and died in 2002. On the very same day in 1974 - Boxing Day - McReynolds's nine-year-old daughter had been abducted with a friend, and had witnessed the sexual molestation of her friend. Among the names on the list were Gary Oliva, a homeless man who frequented a church less than two blocks from the Ramsey home and who had told a friend during a phone call right after JonBent was killed that he had just killed a little girl, McKinley said. Helgoth was found dead shortly after JonBent's murder, and his death was ruled a suicide. JonBenet may personally have even given her favorite "Santa" a guided tour of her sprawling home in 1995, a year before being found dead in that same home. | Photos I knew instantly what I found. Or perhaps the Ramseys felt that, with poor JonBenet already dead, they did not want to see their friend, Bill, who was already in poor health, die in prison. J. MCREYNOLDS: The basic thrust and the parallel that I am now seeing with the JonBenet case is that the victim, in my play, was a scapegoat for the sins of the community. Nonetheless, in retrospect, we must take into consideration these strange recommendations rendered by this grand jury and their possible significance. But like police, the jury didnt believe someone couldve entered the window with the cobwebs remaining intact. Unless Burke had a behavior disorder, why would they even think that anyone would consider him a suspect? JonBenet is alone when the killer emerges from his hiding place and strikes her with a heavy object (likely the flashlight) He takes her down to the basement where he ducktapes her mouth, sexually assaults her and strangles her with the garrote, snuff movie style. Larry McReynolds began his NASCAR career way back in 1975 and mustered his first crew chief job a decade later, in 1985. In a 911 call just before 6 a.m., her mother Patsy Ramsey was inconsolable as she told the dispatcher that her daughter was missing and that shed found a ransom note at the bottom of her stairs. Elections to select Councilmembers are held on the . Yet Burke and both his parents have been officially exonerated (see Part 1), based mainly on the most recent DNA evidence. The revelations prompted police to call. Wait, I meant, this is complete bullshit. She discusses her father's legacy of goodness while talking about how the JonBenet case affected her family and her father's well being. Other connections between McReynolds and the Ramsey family have apparently been a cause for concern for investigators. We are a true crime community dedicated to exploring case facts, evidence and theories surrounding the death of JonBent Ramsey. According to CNN, an original prosecutor on the Ramsey case claimed that Bill McReynolds had given JonBenet a greeting card, later found in the trash bin of the Ramsey home right after her death . Simson trial and quickly gained traction with news outlets around the world. So in this theory, did John lie about the chairs in the basement, or did the killer magically slip out among all the family and LE there? Choose Your Fighter: A Comprehensive Breakdown Of "The Grannies" On 'Bluey', Courteney Cox Just Responded To Prince Harrys Story About Doing Mushrooms At Her House, Daisy Jones & The Six Is A Nostalgic Series Based On A Best-Selling Book, I'm Happy To Report That Drew Barrymore's Bedroom Also Becomes A Chaotic Mess, What Parents Are Talking About Delivered Straight To Your Inbox, By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Jonathan Webb, one of the grand jurors, told 20/20 that Smits intruder theory didnt make sense. Waltrip joined the broadcast booth for FOX Sports in 2001, a year after he retired from NASCAR. "Wolf denies a report that he was a friend of another onetime suspect, longtime CU journalism professor Bill McReynolds, who played Santa Claus at the Ramseys' Christmas party two nights before the murder. However, Olivas DNA was cleared for the murder but was later arrested for possessing child pornography. Now, twenty-five years after the shocking discovering, there are still many unanswered questions about the case as experts and amateurs alike try to uncover what happened that night. I think the answer to that is maybe. But the other important point is how soon was this picture taken after JonBent was killed because spiders can replicate webs very fast.. "I spoke to Bill McReynolds once in my life, and that was during a class that he was teaching," Wolf said. There have been over 140 suspects since the police began their investigation. One of the most heated debates surrounding the case is the theory that JonBent might have been murdered by an intruder. It seemed as though the parents were probably involved, Smit said in video diaries that he began recording while investigating the case. His wife had written a play about a child getting molested and then murdered in a basement. Cobwebs remaining intact knew they were at the party and he asked me to write down a name, his. 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