Crime Central
July 23, 2020
Unsolved - JonBenet Ramsey
(August 6, 1990-December 26, 1996)
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I’d like to start by saying that this case is very tragic and while I cannot pinpoint the exact moment I first heard of this case I can say that I am as heartbroken now as I was at the beginning. That being said, let’s get started.
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JonBenet Patricia Ramsey was beauty queen who was murdered at the tender age of six years old. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia on August 6, 1990 to parents John and Patricia “Patsy” Ramsey. She had three half siblings as well as her biological brother Burke Ramsey.
When the murder took place the family was living in Boulder, Colorado. On December 26, 1996 Patsy Ramsey woke up in the early morning only to find that JonBenet was missing from her bedroom. Both the parents woke up early that morning to prepare for a trip. When Patsy noticed JonBenet missing she searched for her only to discover a ransom note on the stairs. The note demanded $118,000 which is a pretty exact number-which was the exact number of a bonus that John Ramsey had gotten from his company.
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Despite the letters warning to not involve the police the Ramsey’s called them and they arrived at 5:55 am. Once the police arrived they did a search of their own, but their seemed to be no forced entry. Even though the police did a search they never looked in the basement, where her body would later be discovered. Many mistakes were made when it came to the evidence. The way the evidence was handled was unfortunate.
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When the police decided to secure the scene only JonBenet’s room was closed off; which means friends and family were able to roam around freely around the house. Some picked up things which ultimately destroyed the evidence. The officers soon began interviewing the family and around 1:00 pm they asked Mr. Ramsey and a family friend to look around the house to see if anything was out of the ordinary.
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The first place they looked was the basement. (Now I’m not saying this is strange, but coincidence? Who knows.) There they found JonBenet’s body and Mr. Ramsey picked up his daughter and brought her upstairs. Again, destroying potential evidence. Crime scenes should never be disturbed.
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During her autopsy it was discovered that JonBenet was asphyxiated, that was the official cause of death. She had been strangled and she also had a fractured skull. Her wrists and neck were wrapped in a white cord while her mouth had been covered in duct tape. Her torso was also covered in a white blanket.
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There was no evidence to suggest rape because no semen was found on the body and her vagina appeared to be wiped clean. It was determined however, that a sexual assault did occur. At the time of the autopsy the coroner determined that there was pineapple in her stomach and in the kitchen police found a bowl of pineapple with her brother Burke’s fingerprints on it. Since the police could not determine the time frame in which the prints were left this meant little. They could have eaten pineapple before bed, although the parents do not remember giving it to her.
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The parents told police that Burke was asleep in his room all night and they didn’t have much evidence to prove otherwise.
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Unfortunately, we do not know much else about this case. There is a lot of speculation, but that is all it is. There are two theories surrounding this case - 1. The Intruder or 2. The Family.
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Let’s break down these theories:
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The Family
Police officers focused heavily on the family for a number of reasons. One of which was the ransom note. They felt like it had been staged. Another was the amount the individual or group was asking for. Only someone close to the family would have known about John’s bonus or the family themselves. It was the exact amount of the bonus as I mentioned before. The ransom note itself was unusually long. and written on paper from the Ramsey household. (Why would anyone take the time to write that in the house? Why not prepare it elsewhere if it was in fact an intruder?) Another thing that stood out was that the family did not seem to want to cooperate with police. One final aspect of the speculation behind the parents was the handwriting. They could not conclusively determine that it was not Patsy’s handwriting.
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The Intruder
So, even though there was evidence regarding the family an intruder was still likely. There was a lot of physical evidence. One major piece of evidence was a boot print found next to JonBenet’s body-which did not belong to anyone in the family. There was also a broken window in the basement (so much for no evidence of forced entry). Additionally, there was blood found on her underwear from an unknown male. The house was heavily carpeted, so it is plausible that an intruder carried JonBenet down into the basement without waking anyone.
A suspect actually came to light in 2006, John Karr had confessed to killing her after he drugged and sexually assaulted her. He was dismissed however, after they proved there were no drugs in her system. The police ran his DNA against the unknown subject’s but it was not a match.
The DNA profile was put into CODIS (national DNA database) in 2003, but there has ever been a match. In 2010, it was determined that the blood was actually from two individuals and not one like they originally suspected. D
Due to the graphic nature of the crime scene photos and the fact that this was a six year old girl I will not be putting them up. I did include however a basement tour. Linked below.
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Basement tour - Here
July 17, 2020
Unsolved - Girl Scout Murders
Year: 1977
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Victims: Lori Lee Farmer (Age 8), Michelle Heather Guse (Age 9), and Doris Denise Miller (Age 10)
Location: Mayes County, Oklahoma
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So, this case has always been an interesting one. I haven’t been able to get this out of mind since I heard about it. Maybe it’s because I myself was a girl scout or maybe it’s that I went to a camp just like this one. Either way, this case haunts me and always will.
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Let’s start this story right - In April of 1977 two months prior to the murders, a training session was held at Camp Scott (Mayes County, OK). The training session was unfortunately cut short due to a counselor’s cabin being ransacked. At this time they found a note; the note read “We are on a mission to kill three girls in tent one.” They also found an effigy which was hung from a tree. Because of these events the training was cut short, however the camp was not closed. The letter also mentioned other things like Martians, so although the letter was upsetting no one took it seriously. Administrators dismissed the letter.
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On June 13, 1977 Lori Lee Farmer (8), Michelle Heather Guse (9), and Doris Denise Miller (10) had met earlier when they arrived at Camp Scott and decided later that night, around 6 pm to seek shelter from a thunderstorm in tent #8. No one knows what exactly happened next. Only the girls and the killer that still remains at large.
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The next day at around 6 am, a counselor discovered the lifeless bodies of all three girls. All three girls were sexually assaulted and beaten. Two of the girls were raped, while the other was sodomized.
The police had one prime suspect, Gene Leroy Hart. He was arrested and in 1979 acquitted after facing a jury trial. Hart returned to prison on an unrelated charge. After his return, Hart escaped from jail and while police were searching for him he died of a heart attack.
The medical examiners office did try to link Hart to the killing go the three girls, but his DNA was inconclusive. People were divided; some thought that Gene Hart did commit the murder of the three girls while others did not. The case continued and investigators worked hundreds of leads.
Throughout the years evidence has been re-tested more than once. Sadly, with every year that passes the evidence is deteriorating and cannot continue to be tested. While this case is a very sad one, it still remains unsolved. My heart goes out to the families of the victims and I am hopeful that one day this will be solved.
aerial view of campsite
Gene Leroy Hart
message found in cave
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