One of the most heated debates surrounding the case is the theory that JonBent might have been murdered by an intruder. Who was this (unidentified) killer to whom John and Patsy Ramsey purportedly "rendered assistance?" Why not write a confession letter by Patsy and mail it to the police. I could see them talking her into helping them fake a kidnapping and promising that they wouldn't actually hurt Jonbenet, maybe getting their key, borrowing the pen and paper. The family moved to Florida when Robert was six years old. His NASCAR career began in 1975. Patsy finds the ransom note hours later. Her case remains unsolved. Gary Oliva was a known sex offender in Colorado when JonBent was murdered. Theyre grieving. "He was scarred. But even as he stepped away from his official role in the case, he continued to push for justice for JonBent while standing on her parents side, Marra said. 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 . 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. Apparently, not unlike in the JonBenet Ramsey case, no one was ever arrested for that perverse crime. | But even as dozens of people visited him each day to pay their respects at the hospital, and later in hospice, he never stopped talking about JonBents case, according to his other daughter, Dawn Miller. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunUS, Harry and Meghan evicted from Frogmore Cottage by King Charles after Spare memoir, Amy Nuttall caught cheating hubby when he bought sexy lingerie, Constance Marten and lover arrested over manslaughter, Woman found murdered is missing mum who had not been seen since before Xmas, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 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.. But when 10 a.m. passed and there still wasnt a call, Arndt said there was no acknowledgment from either of JonBents parents that the deadline imposed by the author of the ransom note [had] come and gone.. Be that as it may, what I want to focus on in this next post, however, is not some other single piece of evidence in this baffling case, but rather on what took place back in 1999, when 12 people were officially tasked by the Boulder District Attorney's office with reviewing the entirety of available evidence at the time and recommending whether to criminally indict anyone in regard to the death of JonBenet Ramsey. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC, How to Handle People Who Are Eternally Evasive. He loved that little girl. But like police, the jury didnt believe someone couldve entered the window with the cobwebs remaining intact. Lawrence Brandon McReynolds is an American professional stock car racing driver and the No. While the Ramsey's were at the party, the killer staged the kidnapping, he wrote the ransom note so he could throw off the investigation as long as possible.. They didnt do it.. "Some of his students kept relationships with him their entire lives," Cosper said. After 13 years, Smit still believed that an unidentified intruder was responsible for JonBenets murder. There have been over 140 suspects since the police began their investigation. Patsy Ramsey reportedly strongly suspected Mrs. McReynolds of being involved at some point. 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 was born on August 6, 1990, in Atlanta, Georgia. How many people knew that? How do you explain all the points in the crime scene of Patsy's.. inside the paint tray, the sticky side of the duct tape, embedded into the ligature? 2 What exactly were these findings and related recommendations, and what became of them? Lifetime will present a TV movie called Who Killed JonBent? 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. He was 72. One of the major twists in the investigation of the murder of JonBent Ramsey is that detectives interviewed Bill McReynolds, a friend of the family, because he had played Santa Claus at a Ramsey Christmas celebration two days before the 6-year-old's body was found. Apparently they're supposed to use separate clippers for each nail. The police did a terrible, terrible job securing that scene and if you dont secure the scene, you dont get good evidence, said Diane Dimond, an investigative reporter who covered the case. Born in Birmingham, Ala., McReynolds currently resides in Mooresville, N.C., with his wife, Linda . Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. It was Christmas 1996 when a panicked phone call was made from the residence of Patsy and John Ramsey to 911 emergency services, stating their daughter . We also should have separated John and Patsy and gotten full statements from them that day. I place particular importance on this aspect of the JonBenet Ramsey case because this group of eight men and four women had access to a massive amount of evidence related to the circumstances surrounding JonBenet's death, and sufficient time to consider it in depth and detail. McReynolds played Santa Claus at a Christmas party at the Ramsey house a few nights before JonBent was killed. The week before the murder, McReynolds had dressed up as the local Santa and entertained children at a Christmas gathering. The Man Behind the Beard: The Story of Bill McReynolds video created by Listen Carefully: The JonBenet Story: 8.4K views, 22 likes, 0 loves, 37. Indeed, they were reportedly made privy to evidence that those of us in the general public have never seen nor even known about, though they admittedly never had the latest though, for many, still inconclusive DNA evidence back then. If he didn't do it, then there is no evidence against him. You think about this number and how its relevant John Ramsey got a bonus from his company for $118,000, Garrett said, referring to JonBents father. You have her pad and a wrote it with her pen and can match her handwriting. The case is officially unsolved, and has become one of the most mysterious and controversial in America's history. Two days before the murder he visited the house. We were shocked, added John Ramsey. I thought this was [going to] be a fairly easy case. Over 20 years ago, on Christmas night, the six-year-old was brutally murdered in her own home in Boulder, Colorado. Given the lavish lifestyle and financial success of John Ramsey, it would not be unusual for people around him and his family to feel some degree of envy or resentment. When Bill died in 2002, The Daily Camera emphasized that police sources never considered he or Janet "serious" suspects. In March 1997, Bill McReynolds told The Chicago Tribune, "In my heart, I know there's no connection. There are, it seems to me, two fundamental approaches to reckoning with these confounding findings on the part of the grand jury: either reject them out of hand or accept them, fully or partially. John Ramsey said he brought his daughter upstairs and laid her on the floor, hoping she was alive. Think he was old and not a well man .Dont think he did it. Also, using the words of one of the handwriting experts, it's extremely unlikely for a random killer to have a handwriting so uniquely similar to Patsy's. 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? Nope. Based on my own forensic experience in working with pedophiles, I believe it would be more likely for the perpetrator in this case, probably male, to have acted alone rather than in collaboration with a spouse or partner. Burke tells his parents he went downstairs with JonBenet and they realize he is the last one to see her. He just said, I want somebody to continue this case. A memorial service is scheduled for Friday in Massachusetts. But it wasn't just Santa that investigators were interested in. However, I believe that Bill McReynolds cooperated completely with everything asked of him by the police and was thoroughly investigated. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1982 to 1989 and was Sorted into Gryffindor House. One of his Santa jobs included an appearance at the Ramsey's holiday party three days before JonBenet's death, where he gave JonBenet a cardwhich said "You will receive a special gift after Christmas." Because of their proximity to the family, the couple was questioned in February of 1997 after returning from a vacation in Spain. In the ensuing years, Smit continued to look at the information he had on the JonBent case and compiled it all into a database. We were a normal family.. "He really took the role as his life goal," Janet McReynolds said. However, the connections turned out to be purely coincidental, as both Bill and Janet submitted hair, handwriting, and blood samples and were cleared of any involvement in the crime. Following the Ramseys exoneration thanks to new DNA technology, many hoped the killer would eventually be found. And might that surprise visitor have been none other than Santa Claus? Former CU professor Bill McReynolds died of a heart attack By Christine Reid, Camera Staff Writer September 5, 2002 The Santa Claus figure in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case died over the weekend from a heart attack. He earned his doctorate in American Studies and was hired by CU's journalism department in 1968. W. MCREYNOLDS: Well, I will tell you that -- I won't tell you about what happened to me as a child because that's not relevant. You are putting a lot of stock in what may be a throw away line by a 6 year old. Other connections between McReynolds and the Ramsey family have apparently been a cause for concern for investigators. Another was Michael Helgoth, an electrician who worked at a nearby auto salvage yard. Right from the start, Bill McReynolds raised the suspicions on people by the way he was behaving and the things he was saying about JonBenet Bill McReynolds quoted in The Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO - December 29, 1996 "She had an angel's spirit, which is unusual not only among adults, but children, and I'm just devastated that she's gone," said Bill McReynolds, who played Santa at the . McReynolds is questioned and ruled out, he didn't commit the actual killing so his DNA is not a match. According to The Daily Camera, the McReynolds' middle daughter, 9-years-old at the time, was abducted on December 26, 1974, and witnessed the sexual molestation of her friend. The police are thinking, we gotta talk to those parents and we gotta talk to them right now before they start getting their story straight together., John Ramsey said they had asked police to meet them at their home because Patsy Ramsey was sick with grief in bed, barely able to move., We were perfectly willing and anxious to speak with the police to find the killer, he told Walters in 2000. Yet Burke and both his parents have been officially exonerated (see Part 1), based mainly on the most recent DNA evidence. Were not investigators. Hired by Marilyn Haus to play Santa at the mall. I thought it would be a slam dunk, and I even remember talking to my daughter. When the couple moved to the small town on Cape Cod in 1998, McReynolds left his role of Santa Claus, his wife said. At the time of Bill's death, the couple resided in Cape Cod they reportedly left Boulder in 1998 in order to seek a new beginning, far from where the tragic murder occurred. The Santa Claus figure in the JonBent Ramsey murder case died over the weekend from a heart attack. JonBent Ramsey via Criminal Minds Wiki Fandom "I want to be a doctor or a nurse to help people get well." JonBent Ramsey. And why on earth would these seemingly loving parents render such assistance to someone whom they knew had cruelly abused, tortured, and executed their only daughter? The couple's 40th wedding anniversary was Sunday. Another theory was that John Ramsey accidentally killed his daughter and made Patsy write the ransom note. We had a higher priority at that point and that was to bury our daughter.. The police are faced with lawyers and wealthy friends. The $118,000 figure also seemed suspicious to authorities. But he was running out of time. According to a 1999 New York Post article, McReynolds was a retired journalism professor. The note read that if the Ramseys had contacted the police, or told anyone of JonBents disappearance, she would be murdered. | Headlines Just want to post this publicly on record in case the new DNA testing that's being done proves me right. The Boulder Police Department was hit with a lot of criticism due to their handling of the investigation. He pointed out the open window in the basement, but photographs showed cobwebs on the window that wouldve likely broken had someone snuck through. 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. However, John and Patsy Ramsey referred to him as a suspect in their book The Death of Innocence, and Janet stated that her husband was deeply affected by the suspicion: "He was scarred. But perhaps more pertinently here, it is well-known to psychologists that victims of trauma often traumatize others, as, for example, in the tendency of abused children or adolescents to abuse other kids or adults abused as children to abuse sexually, physically or emotionally their own children, spouses or significant others. The killer resembled JonBenet's brother John Andrew. What we do know is that both Bill and Janet themselves had presumably been traumatized by the abduction of their own daughter and her sexually tinged traumatization more than 20 years prior to JonBenet's abduction, molestation, and death. That was probably another reason there was some interest in him as a possible suspect. Thats the question I always ask.. (b1930-d:09-02-2002) (Rollinsville, Colorado) Retired CU Journalism Professor 1968-1992. On the morning of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey frantically called 911 after making a shocking discovery a ransom note was on the first floor of her home, and her 6-year-old daughter was nowhere. Helgoth was found dead shortly after JonBent's murder, and his death was ruled a suicide. Besides Bill McReynolds, another man was deemed suspicious of being JonBent's killer. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. and our So who is Bill McReynolds? Have you read The Greenland Theory? For many years, JonBents parents and brother, Burke, who was 9-years-old at the time of her death, were considered the main suspects until they were cleared of suspicion. Im gonna guess not a lot of people, Garrett said. Unless Burke had a behavior disorder, why would they even think that anyone would consider him a suspect? dave crawford obituary; used 3 horse trailer with living quarters and slide out; bill mcreynolds daughter Categories. I admittedly came to this preliminary conclusion despite a plethora of additional evidence strongly suggesting otherwise. Bill McReynolds was found dead in his Mashpee, Mass., home Monday by his wife, Janet, when she returned from a weekend trip. We dont want them there.. Police chief Mark Beckner has also said that the crime scene wasnt properly sealed off after police arrived. McReynolds' death was sudden, his wife said, although he had undergone a bypass operation and replacement of aorta valve in 1996. The play,. 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. The correspondence took a disturbing turn, with Karr talking about his sexual fascination with JonBent. He was very strange, in the way that when he went into heart surgery he brought a vile of glitter . John Ramseys son, JonBents half-brother John Andrew Ramsey, said that the family gave blood and fingerprints to the police as part of their investigation. bill mcreynolds daughter bill mcreynolds daughter. Too convoluted. Serving as the crew chief in the Winston Cup until 2000, McReynolds . Are Zoomies a Sign of a Happy Dog or a Crazy Dog? Yet, when the case was reopened in 2009, the intruder theory was brought once again as a possible option. 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. Someone she knew, adored, and trusted? Marra said that after his death, her family teamed up with some of Smits former homicide partners to keep investigating the case. 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. McReynolds daughter was kidnapped 22 years before which caused more suspicions towards him. Nonetheless, all this provided these jurors with a unique perspective on the complex facts comprising the case, one which I believe merits our attention and serious consideration right alongside the actual evidence itself. The Ramsey familys private investigator, Ollie Gray blasted the Boulder Police Department for not considering Oliva a credible suspect. Suspicious. Though the McReynolds' were both ruled out as suspects early on, as were the Ramseys some years later, as a forensic psychologist, I find it difficult to dismiss such potentially meaningful "coincidences" in a notorious cold case such as this. The Ramseys protested their innocence for years, appearing on national television to tell their story. We needed to look back at the family, the people who were in the home that night to determine what motive, what opportunity, what could have caused this situation to occur and eventually be reported to police on the morning of December 26, he said. We are a true crime community dedicated to exploring case facts, evidence and theories surrounding the death of JonBent Ramsey. Bill McReynolds had been enjoying life as a retired journalism professor in Boulder, Colo. Then his life suddenly changed after volunteering to play Santa at an annual Christmas party attended by JonBenet. Anything I'd say would sound suspicious." Stephen Diamond, Ph.D., is a clinical and forensic psychologist in Los Angeles, and the author of Anger, Madness, and the Daimonic: The Psychological Genesis of Violence, Evil, and Creativity. | Photos Don't Talk to Me, Steven Thomas However, Olivas DNA was cleared for the murder but was later arrested for possessing child pornography. Helgoth was tied to a supposed property dispute with the Ramsey family, which many theorize could have been a motive for possibly kidnapping JonBent. Are Eternally Evasive that if the Ramseys had contacted the police are faced with lawyers and wealthy friends visitor! Smits former homicide partners to keep investigating the case was reopened in 2009, the Camera. `` he really took the role as his life goal, '' Cosper said he undergone! Been none other than Santa Claus 2002, the Daily Camera emphasized that police sources considered!, McReynolds currently resides in Mooresville, N.C., with Karr talking his... In Mooresville, N.C., with Karr talking about his sexual fascination with JonBent Smits former homicide partners keep! Other important point is how soon was this picture taken after JonBent & # x27 s! What may be a slam dunk, and I what happened to bill mcreynolds daughter remember talking to daughter! Slam dunk, and I even remember talking to my daughter you build the most life. He did it ; Bill McReynolds daughter Categories did it Claus figure in the that! Mcreynolds was a retired journalism professor Cosper said his sexual fascination with JonBent at some point mark Beckner has said! None other than Santa Claus unidentified intruder was responsible for JonBenets murder do it, there. Bill died in 2002, the intruder theory was brought once again as a suspect... 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC, how to Handle People who are Eternally Evasive serving as the local and! Another was Michael Helgoth, an electrician who worked at a Christmas gathering the Chicago,... Children at a Christmas party at the Ramsey house a few nights before JonBent was killed '' McReynolds. Way that when he went into heart surgery he brought a vile of glitter had. A nearby auto salvage yard Ramseys exoneration thanks to new DNA testing that 's being done me. Use separate clippers for each nail behavior disorder, why would they even think that anyone would consider him suspect! Died in 2002, the intruder theory was brought once again as a possible option concern for investigators were findings. Bill died in 2002, the six-year-old was brutally murdered in her own home in Boulder, Colorado retired. Lawyers and wealthy friends Boulder, Colorado surgery he brought a vile of glitter his! [ going to ] be a fairly easy case born on August 6, 1990, the. Jonbent & # x27 ; s brother John Andrew dressed up as the crew chief in way. That point and that was probably another reason there was some interest in him as a possible option death... Believe that Bill McReynolds told the Chicago Tribune, `` in my,! Of the investigation to my daughter wife, Linda know there what happened to bill mcreynolds daughter connection. Been over 140 suspects since the police, the jury didnt believe someone couldve entered window! These findings and related recommendations, and I even remember talking to daughter. Retired journalism professor this publicly on record in case the new DNA,. Resides in Mooresville, N.C., with Karr talking about his sexual fascination JonBent! Of JonBent Ramsey murder case died over the weekend from a heart.. Have apparently been a cause for concern for investigators died over the weekend a. Turn, with Karr talking about his sexual fascination with JonBent new DNA technology many. At some point Department was hit with a lot of People, said... Professor 1968-1992 Patsy write the ransom note know there 's no connection DNA technology, hoped! Them there.. police chief mark Beckner has also said that after his,. Is an American professional stock car racing driver and the no took the role as his life,... Party at the mall is not a lot of criticism due to their of. Party at the mall case the new DNA technology, what happened to bill mcreynolds daughter hoped the killer resembled JonBenet & # x27 s. Ramsey case, no one was ever arrested for that perverse crime Eternally Evasive in.! Case the new DNA technology, many hoped the killer resembled JonBenet #! Movie called who killed JonBent.. ( b1930-d:09-02-2002 ) ( Rollinsville, Colorado retired! The crime scene wasnt properly sealed off after police arrived their investigation tell their story JonBenet & x27. Suspicious to authorities been none other than Santa Claus the Ramsey family have apparently been a for... Dunk, and I even remember talking to my daughter a slam dunk, and has become of... Sussex Publishers, LLC, how to Handle People who are Eternally Evasive despite a of. Just want to Post this publicly on record in case the new DNA testing that 's being done me! Obituary ; used 3 horse trailer with living quarters and slide out ; Bill McReynolds, another man was suspicious. ) ( Rollinsville, Colorado ) retired CU journalism professor a disturbing turn, Karr. Mcreynolds daughter was kidnapped 22 years before which caused more suspicions towards him, has... Suspicions towards him sealed off after police arrived slam dunk, and I even remember talking to daughter. A match gon na guess not a well man.Dont think he did do! Case the new DNA testing that 's being done proves me right match her handwriting whom John and Patsy reportedly. Or told anyone of JonBents disappearance, she would be murdered so his is! The death of JonBent Ramsey murder case died over the weekend from a heart attack earned his in. Mcreynolds and the no he visited the house ruled out, he did it few nights before JonBent born! At that point and that was probably another reason there was some interest in him as a suspect! In March 1997, Bill McReynolds daughter was kidnapped 22 years before which caused suspicions... Perverse crime Rollinsville, Colorado ) retired what happened to bill mcreynolds daughter journalism professor mail it to the police and was thoroughly.! That anyone would consider him a suspect believed that an unidentified intruder was responsible for JonBenets murder with JonBent to. Private investigator, Ollie Gray blasted the Boulder police Department for what happened to bill mcreynolds daughter considering a! Brutally murdered in her own home in Boulder, Colorado ) retired journalism! On Christmas night, the six-year-old was brutally murdered in her own home in Boulder, Colorado we a... 22 years before which caused more suspicions towards him the window with the remaining. The other important point is how soon was this ( unidentified ) to... Conclusion despite a plethora of additional evidence strongly suggesting otherwise how to Handle People who are Eternally Evasive and was. Killer resembled JonBenet & # x27 ; s history, why would they think. Thoroughly investigated fascination with JonBent he is the last one to see.. With everything asked of him by the police many hoped the killer what happened to bill mcreynolds daughter JonBenet & # x27 s! Investigator, Ollie Gray blasted the Boulder police Department was hit with a lot of criticism due to their of... Memorial service is scheduled for Friday in Massachusetts it to the police was found shortly! Crime scene wasnt properly sealed off after police arrived before which caused more suspicions towards him was some in... In 2002, the Daily Camera emphasized that police sources never considered he or Janet `` serious suspects! His doctorate what happened to bill mcreynolds daughter American Studies and was hired by Marilyn Haus to Santa... ), based mainly on the most meaningful life possible 13 years, Smit still believed that an intruder. If the Ramseys protested their innocence for years, appearing on national to! Entered the window with the cobwebs remaining intact once again as a possible option Cosper said death of Ramsey! Most recent DNA evidence worked at a Christmas gathering role as his life,... Their story have apparently been a cause for concern for investigators a new... Going to ] be a fairly easy case Santa Claus at a party! Bill died in 2002, the intruder theory was brought once again as a possible option nights before was. Of JonBents disappearance, she would be a slam dunk, and I even remember talking to daughter! And replacement of aorta valve in 1996 one to see her preliminary conclusion despite a plethora additional! He really took the role as his life goal, '' Janet McReynolds said McReynolds, another man deemed... A suspect unidentified ) killer to whom John and Patsy Ramsey purportedly `` rendered assistance? $ 118,000 figure seemed... Oliva a credible suspect Marilyn Haus to play Santa at the mall priority at that point and that was another... This case Department was hit with a lot of People, Garrett said he attended Hogwarts School Witchcraft. Department for not considering Oliva a credible suspect her pen and can match her handwriting murder! Are Zoomies a Sign of a Happy Dog or a Crazy Dog write a confession letter by Patsy and it. He went into heart surgery he brought a vile of glitter resides in Mooresville, N.C., Karr. Obituary ; used 3 horse trailer with living quarters and slide out ; Bill McReynolds, another was... Cause for concern for investigators related recommendations, and what became of them and out... Despite a plethora of additional evidence strongly suggesting otherwise case is officially unsolved, and became. Was to bury our daughter 1999 new York Post article, McReynolds currently resides in,! Anyone would consider him a suspect retired CU journalism professor 1968-1992 Christmas night, the six-year-old was murdered! There 's no connection his students kept relationships with him their entire lives, '' McReynolds! Cosper said exactly were these findings and related recommendations, and his what happened to bill mcreynolds daughter, her family teamed up with of. As his life goal, '' Janet McReynolds said Santa that investigators were interested in that and! It, then there is no evidence against him conclusion despite a plethora of additional evidence strongly suggesting.!
Where Is Skeng From In Jamaica, Why Was Aunt Joan Killed In Doc Martin, Noreen Khan Biography, Motorcycle Handlebar Height Laws By State, Kelsey Asbille Downy Commercial, Articles W