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| S P E C I A L | JonBenet Ramsey Case |
DA releases JonBenet ransom note
Author may be woman or 'genteel' man
September 8, 1997
Web posted at: 10:35 p.m. EDT (0235 GMT)BOULDER, Colorado (CNN) -- District Attorney Alex Hunter on Monday released a photocopy of the ransom note found in the home of JonBenet Ramsey eight hours before her body was discovered last December 26.
Hunter released the photocopy after the latest issue of Newsweek hit the newsstands with a leaked copy of the note. The monthly magazine, Vanity Fair, has also reported its contents.
"Anyone recognizing the handwriting, phrasing or any other aspect of the note should contact Boulder police at 303-441-3330 to assist in identifying the writer of the note and to advance the investigation," Hunter said.
He said that even though his office had declined earlier requests from news organizations to release the ransom note, "We have known that publication could enlist the public in helping identify who wrote the note."
Investigators initially expressed the belief that the note was bogus since the girl's body was found in the house where she was last seen, strongly suggesting she had not been kidnapped.
Two former FBI experts who examined the note agreed it has all the earmarks of a ruse intended to mislead authorities.
Author may be woman or 'genteel' man
According to Vanity Fair, authorities either tested or considered testing the handwriting of as many as 74 people to determine who wrote the note, but the handwriting of the victim's mother, Patsy Ramsey, "was the only one that set off alarm bells."
Mrs. Ramsey submitted six handwriting samples and investigators said they were inconclusive. Her husband, John Ramsey, was ruled out as the author after submitting his handwriting sample.
No suspects have been named in the case, but Hunter has called the Ramseys a "focus" of investigators.
Clinton Van Zandt, a former investigator with the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit, said that although the writer threatened violence if his or her demands were not met, the tone of the note suggests that the author was a woman or "genteel" man who is an acquaintance of John Ramsey's.
Investigators from Hunter's office began two days of meetings Monday with agents from the FBI's Child Abduction and Serial Crimes Unit in Quantico, Virginia.
Asked how the specialists might help the investigators, FBI spokesman Kurt Crawford said:
"They would look at all of the case-related material and come up with a profile or criminal investigative analysis ... that would help the law enforcement agency narrow the focus of their investigation to maybe a few suspects."
Related stories:
- Newsweek publishes copy of JonBenet ransom note - September 7, 1997
- Boulder police deny leaking information to magazine - September 4, 1997
- Full JonBenet Ramsey ransom note no longer a secret - September 3, 1997
- Police: End of Ramsey investigation 'months away' - August 26, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- Rocky Mountain News - JonBenet Ramsey Story Archive
- Ramsey Family Statements - site established as a tool for the media to obtain comments released by the Ramsey family and their attorneys
- Boulder Planet - The Ramsey Case: Index
- JonBenet Ramsey Case Chronology - compiled by Longmont FYI and the Longmont Daily Times-Call
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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