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| S P E C I A L | JonBenet Ramsey Case |
Suspicion but no solution a year after JonBenet's murder
December 22, 1997
The Ramseys, less than a week after the murder
Web posted at: 8:28 p.m. EST (0128 GMT)From Correspondent Brian Cabell
BOULDER, Colorado (CNN) -- On the day after Christmas 1996, a child beauty queen named JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her Boulder home.
"We have to find out who did this," the mother, Patsy Ramsey, told CNN less than a week later.
But a year has passed, and no one has been charged with the murder of the 6-year-old girl. There has, however, been widespread speculation that one or both parents were involved, and authorities say the Ramseys are under suspicion.
JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, tried to dispel the rumors last May when he said, "Let me address this very directly: I didn't kill my daughter JonBenet."
CNN's Brian Cabell reports
His pronouncement did no good, and the Ramseys have spent much of the past year not only trying to clear their names, but also trying to reclaim their privacy. They stayed with friends in the beginning, but eventually packed up and moved to Georgia where they had met and married years before.
They found a new home in Vinings, a comfortable Atlanta suburb, and enrolled their son Burke in a private school not far from home. But the suspicions continued.
"These tabloid photographers have ruined our lives," Patsy Ramsey said during a telephone conversation on CNN's "Larry King Live." "They are printing false information, they stalk us, they stalk my child. It is just unbelievable."
John Ramsey loses his job
Things got worse when the company where John Ramsey was president, Access Graphics, was sold by its parent company. Ramsey lost his job and is now doing consulting work.
JonBenet Ramsey's grave Despite the difficulties, the Ramseys appear to have found comfort in Atlanta, where they have friends and family. Patsy Ramsey's parents live 10 miles away, and John Ramsey's oldest daughter by a previous marriage is also nearby. And their home is not far from JonBenet's grave.
John Ramsey's oldest son, who was an early suspect in the murder but was later cleared, remains in Colorado where he is attending college.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues, and police say they want to talk to the Ramseys again.
"We've uncovered a lot of new information," says Cmdr. Mark Beckner of the Boulder Police Department. "We have a lot of new questions."
Last year at this time, the Ramseys had to contend with the loss of their daughter and the sudden and uncomfortable glare of public scrutiny. Suspicion hounds them, and until there is an arrest, or arrests, there can be no peace of mind.
Related stories:
- Was a stun gun used in JonBenet's murder? - December 20, 1997
- Police: Ramseys remain under 'umbrella of suspicion' - December 5, 1997
- Report: Boulder DA looks at grand jury in Ramsey case - November 30, 1997
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