Sunday, March 1, 2020

The JonBenet Chronicles: Chapter 5: The Murder Of A Housekeeper's Daughter, Mistaken 911 Call And JonBenet Goes Missing.

Besides bonding over the pageant scene, Patsy and JonBenet liked to do crafts together. In 1996, for Valentines day they made puffy paint sweatshirt dresses.

In April of 1996, Woman's Magazine profiled Patsy and included a lot of information about her and her family.
Woman’s Magazine - April 1996 'Profile: Patsy Ramsey'(by Deborah Rosenberger)

"Ramsey moved to Atlanta (GA) soon after her graduation from West Virginia University. With her bachelor's degree in advertising and marketing, Ramsey began her career with McCann- Ericson Advertising Agency , where she focused on doing promotional marketing for Coca-Cola USA. Later she joined Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc., as Director of Marketing Services, and worked there for five years developing user-friendly product instruction manuals. One of the software manuals Ramsey was responsible for won first place in an international technical writing competition. Her job with Hayes also put her in charge of special events, trade shows, and in-house advertising."
"Ramsey never forgets how fortunate she is - not only to have fought the illness but also to have the opportunity to live the life she has chosen. Many of us today do not have the option to choose between a career and a family. For Ramsey, the privilege of such a choice is clearly one she revels in. "I get up early every morning to get my children ready for school," she says. "I pack their lunches and set them off - then I have from 9:00 to 3:00 to participate in my own interests."

"Ramsey has always been involved in her community and believes that volunteer work is an important contribution. Ramsey's skills and professional acumen serve her well as she writes business plans for fund raising projects and job descriptions for committee workers and meets with area professionals and corporate executives to solicit sponsorships to benefit local causes. From her efforts with the Eggleston Children's Hospital that raises over $1,000,000 annually to her work locally on such illustrious projects as the "Toast to the Artists" opening night event for the Colorado Dance Festival that will honor Mikhail Baryshnikov, Ramsey has impressed all around her."

"Though she takes much-deserved pride in these labors, most of her volunteer work is centered around her children. This spring, for example, she was chairperson of the science fair at High Peaks, a Core Knowledge School. Ramsey found the entire experience to be very rewarding, and she enjoyed encouraging the young people's talent. Ramsey has also co-chaired a successful fund-raising effort through the school known as the "Good Fairy Project," which she helped create from its inception four years ago"

In July of 1996, JonBenet won America's Royal Tiny Miss.

On August 13th, 1996, JonBenet won 2nd place Sunburst National Pageant.
In November of 1996, JonBenet saw the musical "Cats". Her favorite animal were cats.

On November 30th, 1996,  Patsy's 40th birthday celebration was held at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver. Non of her Atlanta women friends responded to their invitations. A comic was dressed up like the woman who beat Patsy for Miss America did a spoof from material supplied by Nedra.


Lorraine Florence Lawrence, whose mother was Geraldine Vodicka and a former Ramsey housekeeper, was found by a Twin Peaks Excavating foreman face down in the hole near the Boulder Housing Authority's apartment complex in the 3100 block of Broadway about 7:50 a.m. Wednesday December 4th, 1996.  The neighbor saw her the night before at 9 p.m. sitting on the ice in her underwear, with a black eye and blood dripping from her eye and there was a ... guy walking near her. The neighbor made her go inside, but he never called anyone about the incident. 

Geraldine claimed that Patsy Ramsey was paranoid that her husband "would be tempted by any pretty young girls he came in contact with." Therefore, women hired for the household staff had to be "heavier, older and less attractive" than Mrs. Ramsey.

On December 6th, 1996, JonBenet was in the local Christmas Parade where she sung the song "The Good ship Lollipop". Her name was on the side of the float she was riding on. Burke was also in the parade.

On December 10th, The Ramsey family used large wooden candy canes to decorate the yard during the holidays, and Brian Scott  noticed that they hadn’t been arranged properly. They needed deeper holes, which he dug before pounding them into the ground. While Scott adjusted the candy canes along the front walk, he saw a blue Chevy Suburban pull up. JonBenet came out of the house. She was wearing a pair of blue overalls and was being bratty about something.

“I think she might have been giving orders,” Scott said, “like, “you get in the back, you do this.” Something like that.”
A moment later the car was gone. That was the last time he saw JonBenet.

Scott was the Ramsey's gardener and started working for them in June 1995. He had graduated from the University of Colorado the year before JonBenet went missing.

On December 13th, 1996, there was a church party at the Ramsey's home that was attended by more than 150 friends from church.

On December 17th, 1996, a competition took place at the Southwest Plaza in Denver, JonBenét was crowned "Little Miss Christmas."


On December 20th, was the Access Graphics luncheon, celebrating reach $1 billion in sales.

JonBenet appeared in Rock Around The Clock performance at High Peaks Elementary School.

On December 21st, A article is published, in the Boulder Daily Camera, about Access Graphics reaching $1 billion.

On December 22nd, was JonBenet's last pageant. She performed "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" and modeled a few outfits.
The Ramsey's also sent out their Christmas letter.
The letter reads,

"Dear Friends & Family,
It's been another busy year at the Ramsey household. Can't believe it's almost over and time to start again!
Melinda (24) graduated from Medical College of Georgia and is working in Pediatric ICU at Kennestone Hospital in Atlanta. John Andrew(20) is a sophomore at the University of Colorado.
Burke is a busy fourth grader where he really shines is math and spelling. He played flag football this fall and is currently on a basketball binge! His little league team was #1. He lost just about all of his baby teeth, so i'm sure we'll be seeing the orthodontist in 1997!
JonBenet is enjoying her first year in 'real' school. Kindergarten in the Core Knowledge program is face paced and five days a week. She has already been moved ahead to first grade math. She continues to enjoy participating in talent and modeling pageants. She was named 'America's Royale Tiny Miss' last summer and is 'Colorado's Little Miss Christmas'. Her teaching says that she is so outgoing that she will never have trouble delivering an oral book report!
John is always on the go, traveling hither and yon. Access recently celebrated its one billion $$ mark in sales, so he's pretty happy! He and his crew were underway in Port Huron to Mackinac Island Yaht race in July, but had to pull over midway due to lack of wind. (Can you believe that?) But, his real love is his new 'old looking' boat, Grand Season, which he spent months designing.
I spent most of my 'free time' working in the school and doing volunteer work. The Charlevoix house was on the home tour in July and will likely appear in one of the Better Home and Gardens publications in 1997. On a recent trip to NYC, my friend and i appeared among the throng of fans on the Today Show. Al Roker and Bryant actually talked to us and we were on camera for a few fleeting moments!
We are all enjoying continued good health and look forward to seeing you in 1997! One final note... thank you all my 'friends' and my dear husband for surprising me with the biggest, most outrageous 40th birthday bash I've ever had! We'll be spending my actual birthday on the Disney Big Red Boat over the New Year!
Merry Christmas and much love,
The Ramseys"

On December 23rd, was the Ramsey's Christmas party attended by 30 guests. Former journalism professor, Bill McReynolds, played Santa Claus. There are reports that McReynolds had given a note to JonBenet saying “something special will happen to you after Christmas”.


This was also the night of the allegedly "mistaken" 911 call made from the Ramsey's home at 6:47 p.m. and was answered by police dispatcher Therese Hilleary. The caller hung up without saying a word, so the police called back only to get the Ramsey's answering machine. An officer went to the home and left around shortly after 7 p.m. He did not enter the house and was told by Susan Stine that everything was fine. She claimed that someone was trying to order medicine for an ageing parent, who had not meant to use the emergency number. The person that allegedly made the oopsie was Fleet White, who was supposedly gathering supplies for his mother in the hospital. He allegedly collected the supplies and rushed to ship them off. There are claims that Fleet's mother wasn't sick and she was actually home cooking. There was no record found of her in the hospital around that time.
Going back to Susan Stine for a minute. She was a good friend and neighbor of he Ramsey family. She served with Tom Koby as President and Vice President of the Family Care Center in Boulder. Susan's husband, Glen Stine was also involved on the committee. 

On Christmas Eve, A article was published in the Boulder Daily Camera about the Ramsey party.

JonBenet played at her friend Megan Kostanick's house and told Megan's mother about a secret visit from Santa.

The family ate at Pasta Jay's and either before or after attended the twilight service at the St. John's Episcopal Church.

At 9 p.m., John retrieves JonBenet's silver Christmas bike from neighbor Joe Barnhill's garage and places it under the Christmas tree. Then John and Pasty get the Christmas presents they had stashed in the basement.
Joe Barnhill was the Ramsey's 70 year old neighbor who lived across the street. He also baby sat JonBenet from time to time. He was a U.S. Navy veteran. Joe was crippled badly with palsy. His wife, Betty, had Alzheimer's. JonBenet's dog lived at his house. 
Joe Barnhill  flew an airplane in WW11 called S. B. 2. C. It was known as the Victory plane. Joe claimed that he killed 1,000's in the war.

Glenn Meyers was renting out Joe's basement. Meyer turned up at the Ramsey house uninvited on the 23rd during the Christmas party. Meyer battled mental illness, was drowning in debt and had a history of violence. Meyer was arrested for a 1991 assault in a domestic violence case, and was ordered to attend anger counseling courses. People were afraid of him. He would stare at children in the neighborhood.

In August 1995, he was sued for owing more than $24,000, and subpoenaed to appear in Boulder County court in October 1996. He was also violent with his wife's little girl.

On Christmas day 1996, around 6 a.m. the Ramsey family went down stairs and opened presents, which took about an hour. JonBenet asked for Burke's assistance with the name tags, since he could read and she couldn't.

Patsy rearranged the gifts in JonBenet's stack so that a very special box would be opened last. Inside was a My Twinn doll, fashioned to look like JonBenet from pictures Patsy had furnished the dollmaker, with a couple matching outfits so JonBenet and the doll would dress alike.

JonBenet gave her dad a gumball machine that dispensed jelly beans. Her grandmother gave JonBenet a real gold ring, her aunt Pam gave her a cross with gold chains and her aunt Polly gave her a jewelry making kit.


Santa Claus brought JonBenet a brand new bicycle. She and her father tried it out that afternoon before the family went to dinner at a close friend's home. Burke got a Nintendo 64 and a remote controlled car. Patsy received a new bike and a green paper ornament that JonBenet had made at school.

"When I had opened it on December 25, 1996, I saw her school picture with the message: 'your gift is ME.' How true, how very, very true," said Patsy.

John forgot to charge the batteries of the video camera the night before, so they used their regular camera to take a few pictures.

The Ramsey family then had pancakes for breakfast. "
JonBenet always loved to get into the act and was right under my elbows, standing on a stool by the stove, to help pour the pancake batter. She normally liked to make a Mickey Mouse shape and decorate it at the table with fruit and raisins to make the face come to life, but there wasn't time for that on this Christmas Day. Too many new things to play with. Burke came to the table just long enough to eat a bite. As far as he was concerned, eating got in the way of playing."

The kids were playing with their toys while Patsy and John were preparing for the family to go to a second home in Michigan for vacation the day after Christmas. A bunch of kids started to show up and wanted to know what everyone got for Christmas. Burke was up in his room playing video games.

About noon, John went to the hanger to check on the plane and returns around 2 hours later.


At 4 p.m., the Ramsey family arrived at the White's Christmas party that was six blocks away. Cocktails were served and JonBenet had some cracked crab. 
Fullscreen capture 20190413 194821
After dinner, JonBenet and Daphne got and, um. Fleet and John were down on the floor helping them make  little paper jewelry.

At 7:30 p.m., the movie "Nick of Time" aired on a Boulder cable channel. The story centers on an unarmed political faction that kidnaps a six-year-old girl. The victim is told, "Listen to me very carefully." Bill Cox, who was staying with Fleet and Priscilla White, told the police he remembered watching the movie that night.

Glenn Meyer said that he had been at home on Christmas night and had watched television in the den with the Joe and Beth Barnhill until 9:00 p.m. He then went downstairs to his basement room and spent the rest of the evening nursing a stomach flu.


At around 9:30 p.m., the Ramsey family had left the party, dropping off presents to some of their friends on the way home. The Stine house was the last place they stopped before arriving home.

Susan Stein: "They came to our house and I talked to Patsy for awhile maybe 10 or 15 minutes and they all seemed perfectly normal. They were all the same - bubbly about Christmas and about where they were going and we, my husband and I, waved good-bye to them as they were leaving and that was the last time we saw them as an intact family."

10 p.m. JonBenét had fallen asleep on the car ride home. John and Patsy Ramsey maintain they last saw their daughter alive when they put her to bed on Christmas night.

Patsy Ramsey: "By the time we got home, JonBenet had fallen asleep in the back seat."

John Ramsey: "I carried JonBenet upstairs and it was kind of a usual routine. I took her shoes off then Patsy would come in and get her ready for bed."

Patsy Ramsey: "So I undressed her down to her little knit top that she had on and put some long underwear bottoms on her and tucked her in real tight and kissed her goodnight."

John Ramsey: "Burke was downstairs trying to put together a model that he'd got for Christmas and I couldn't get him to go to bed. We were going to get up in the morning and leave to go to Michigan so I help him put it together so I could get him to go on to bed. So he went to bed and Patsy and I went to bed."


At 10:30 p.m., Scott went to the apartment of his girlfriend, Ann Preston, and stayed until just after midnight then went home alone. There was nobody to confirm his alibi for the rest of the night.
On December 26th at 12 a.m., the family’s neighbor, Scott Gibbons, remembers seeing a light on in the Ramsey's kitchen.

At 2 a.m., neighbor Melody Stanton allegedly heard a scream from the Ramsey's home. Her husband then reportedly heard the sound of metal on concrete “sometime after the scream.” Years later, Melody backtracked on her statements, stating she actually heard the noise two nights prior.

The Ramsey family were scheduled to fly aboard one of their private airplanes to meet with extended members of the family in Michigan.

At 5:30 a.m., John got up first, took a shower and got dressed. 
Then Patsy got and put on the same outfit she had the night before and reapplied her makeup. She then stopped off at the 2nd floor to wash JonBenet's jumpsuit. Patsy then went to the kitchen to make coffee before getting her family ready for their trip to their summer home in Charleviox. From Charlevoix they were suppose to go to Florida for a cruise on Disney's "Big Red Boat."
While heading downstairs, Patsy said she found a two-page note on the back spiral staircase stating that JonBenét had been kidnapped. 
The note was addressed to "Mr. Ramsey" and claimed to be from “a small foreign faction” demanding a ransom of $118,000 in cash. While this was happening, John was shaving. Patsy screamed and headed to JonBenet's room. Hearing the screams, John met Patsy on the stairs.
Patsy went up to JonBenet's room to find it empty.
Together John and Patsy check on Burke, who appeared to be in his room asleep.

At 5:45 a.m., shortly after finding the note, Patsy called family friends Fleet and Priscilla White, John and Barbara Fernie and Reverend Roland Overstock from her bedroom while John went down stairs to look at the ransom note.
He went west to the University of Colorado for college and then spent time with an AmeriCorps VISTA program in Florida trying to fight poverty. Then he moved back to Colorado, got married and opened a bike shop in downtown Boulder. He became a minister while still running his shop, which was called The Spoke.

He was the pastor of the St. John's Episcopal Church in Boulder, which was the church the Ramsey family attended prior to JonBenet's death. 

At 5:52 a.m., a frantic Patsy finally called the police, detailing the supposed kidnapping and the demands on the ransom note.

Patsy Ramsey: Police?

911: What's going on ma'am?

Patsy Ramsey: 755 15th street.


911: What's going on there ma'am?

Patsy Ramsey: We have a kidnapping. Hurry, please!

911: Explain to me what's going on. Ok?

Patsy Ramsey: There. We have a, there's a note left and our daughter's gone.


911: A note was left and your daughter's gone?

Patsy Ramsey: Yes!

911: How old is your daughter?

Patsy Ramsey: She's 6 years old. She's blonde, 6 years old.


911: How long ago was this?

Patsy Ramsey: I don't know. I just got the note, and my daughter's gone.

911: Does it say who took her?

Patsy Ramsey: What?

911: Does it say who took her?

Patsy Ramsey: No! I don't know. There's a, there's a ransom note here.

911: It’s a ransom note?

Patsy Ramsey: It says SBTC. Victory! Please!

911: Okay, what's your name? Are you Kath...?

Patsy Ramsey: Patsy Ramsey, I'm the mother. Oh my God! Please!

911: Okay, I’m sending an officer over, OK?

Patsy Ramsey: Please!

911: Do you know how long she's been gone?

Patsy Ramsey: No I don't! Please, we just got up and she's not here. Oh my god! Please!

911: Okay, Cal....

Patsy Ramsey: Please send somebody.


911: I am honey.

Patsy Ramsey: Please.

911: Take a deep breath and...

Patsy Ramsey: Hurry, hurry, hurry!

911: Patsy? Patsy? Patsy? Patsy?


Some people including the the 911 operator that took the call, Kim Archuleta, think that Patsy forgot to hang up when she thought she had and the fuzzy audio and the end of recording was Patsy having a conversation with two additional people in her home.

Kim has stated that she felt like the call was rehearsed. She believes that Patsy thought she hung up the phone, but didn't and that Patsy's tone changed from panicked to calm and collected.

The 9-1-1 call has been examined by many people and organizations, all with differing opinions. Even though the FBI and the secret service did an analysis coming to the conclusion that no further conversation is audible, it is a highly debated subject. Some audio engineers and investigators think that this is what is at the end of the call.

John: "We are not speaking to you."


Patsy: "What did you do?
Help me Jesus."

Burke: "What did you find?"


At 5:59 a.m., officer French arrived on the scene. When Patsy greeted the officer, she was wearing the same clothes that she had wore the night before.

6-8 a.m., four more officers arrived at the Ramsey residence: policemen Veitch, Weiss, and Barcklow, and their supervisor, Reichenbach. JonBenét’s parents had friends come to help search the home, including the aforementioned Fleet and Priscilla White, Barabara and John Fernie, and Reverend Hoverstock. Victim advocates and crime scene investigators were also present in the house.

A cursory search of the house is conducted but did not find any forced entry. Officer French went to the basement and came to a wooden door that was secured by a wooden latch. He paused for a moment in front of the door, then walked away without opening it.

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