The outlet also reported that Janet had penned a play with a few eery similarities to the case the plot revolved around a girl who was molested and murdered in her basement. I was in my final semester in college at the time and my professor the head of the criminal justice department was absolutely sure the Ramsey did it. The family friend, who died in 2002, was considered in JonBent's murder. Hired by Marilyn Haus to play Santa at the mall. However, physical evidence suggested that those details were part of a set-up. Again, he is an individual who was involved with her, had an interest in her, was seen with her, shortly before the murder," original prosecutor Trip DeMuth told CNN. McReynolds got angry, and that only fed the paranoia of the DAs people. Unless Burke had a behavior disorder, why would they even think that anyone would consider him a suspect? McReynoldss own daughter had been kidnapped 22 years before. were officially cleared of any involvement in the murder, JonBenet Ramsey's murder, including Bill McReynolds, the man hired by Patsy to play Santa Claus at the Ramsey family's Christmas parties, McReynolds and his wife, Janet, were initially questioned, police sources never considered he or Janet "serious" suspects. I believe the killer was someone McReynolds knew and was possibly a relative of his. Here are just a few of the stranger ones. How about Jesse though? Tracey reported Karr to the police who arrested him in Bangkok. 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. | Courtesy of Previously.TV Bill McReynolds was one of the prime suspects due to the connection he had with the Ramsey family. Why not take JBR from the home and to a secluded place where they could do a lot more than just take a few pictures. Was their DNA tested? A little boy who was a special friend had been murdered several years previously (Thomas). ), Janets daughter and a friend were taken to an unknown location, where Janets daughter was forced to watch her friend being sexually molested. John and other family members were cleared of suspicion through a handwriting test, but police couldnt conclusively determine if Patsy wrote the letter. 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 to be found. The Ramseys finally went on CNN or some news show with a small poster offering a $100,000 Reward if JonBenet's killer was caught. McReynolds also stated that JonBent had given him a vial of gold glitter at both the 1995 and 1996 Christmas parties. When I die, I'm going to be cremated. I'm wondering if those fragments could be the same glitter that Crying Santa Bill wanted mixed with his ashes upon his death. 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. Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212 416 4552. You are putting a lot of stock in what may be a throw away line by a 6 year old. We also should have separated John and Patsy and gotten full statements from them that day. Another was Michael Helgoth, an electrician who worked at a nearby auto salvage yard. Following the Ramseys exoneration thanks to new DNA technology, many hoped the killer would eventually be found. Why? Many sleuths believe that Helgoth had heard he was a suspect in the case, with a popular theory believing that it was his footprint at the crime scene. Many sleuths believe that Helgoth had heard he was a suspect in the case, with a popular theory believing that it was his footprint at the crime scene. Both children were then released. Why not? I wish we would have done a better job of securing and controlling the crime scene on day one, said Beckner. OK. The 26-year-old committed suicide two days after a 1997 press conference where the Boulder DA announced that they were looking at a new suspect. Patsy Ramsey places a 911 call to the Boulder Police Department explaining that her daughter, JonBenet, is not in her room and that a ransom note was left behind. JonBent had led McReynolds by the hand on a tour of the house during the 1995 Christmas party, including her bedroom and the basement to see where the Christmas trees were kept, and had given him a vial of glittery stardust to sprinkle in his beard. McReynolds and her husband, a journalism professor at the University of Colorado at the time of JonBent's murder, were at the Ramsey home on December 23, 1996, playing Mr. and Mrs. Claus for the kids. He knew they were at the party and he knew how to get into the Ramsey's home because McReynolds told him. However, it was revealed two weeks later that his DNA did not match the evidence found on JonBents clothing and he was released. Two years later, Janet McReynolds wrote a book that became a play in which a girl is sexually assaulted and tortured in a basement. See Page 1. According to Ollie Gray, a private investigator hired by the Ramseys, "Helgothand his accomplices committed the crime. I'm Gina, the night editor here at Cosmopolitan.com! Yet, when the case was reopened in 2009, the intruder theory was brought once again as a possible option. The McReynolds said at the time that the coincidences between their daughter's abduction, the play, and JonBent's death were all just coincidence. For years, JonBent's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey were blamed for possibly having some involvement in their daughters murder. Other suspects included neighbor Bill McReynolds, a local Santa Claus who visited the Ramseys a few days before the girls death. The correspondence took a disturbing turn, with Karr talking about his sexual fascination with JonBent. Hey u/Comicalacimoc, I just posted a podcast interview with Jill McReynolds, but I thought I should put it here too, https://rss.com/podcasts/listencarefully/142330/. The idea that a parents first thought upon finding their child murdered is to start a coverup out of pure survival instinct is fantastical. When you do though, the intruder theory makes the most sense and has the better scientific evidence. web pages The world also blames the Ramsey's for the murder, Santa Bill has been cleared so many time and youre still dragging his name through the mud. Police investigated a wide variety of individuals in relation to JonBenet Ramsey's murder, including Bill McReynolds, though McReynolds (who died in 2002) also maintained his innocence and was cleared of any involvement in her death. "Statements like that led me to have some sort of suspicion: What was going on between Santa Bill and JonBent? It was later revealed that the note was written on stationery found in the familys home. 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. It's really blurry even when it's enlarged. They thought his standing up to DeMuth proved that the elderly man was not weak and frail after all, just as John Ramsey had said. I just wanted to add something that borders on ridiculous and that's probably being generous. She did as she was told. A window in the basement was broken and an unidentified footprint was found at the scene. He grew his long natural white beard when cast as a tavern owner in the play, "Les Miserables" for Unity of Boulder Church. Patsy Ramsey (JonBenets mom) finds a ransom note for her 6-year-old daughter on the stairs inside of her house. We are a true crime community dedicated to exploring case facts, evidence and theories surrounding the death of JonBent Ramsey. So who is Bill McReynolds? 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. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. (Thomas), Jesse McReynolds, now thirty-eight, had botched a $ 113 gas station robbery in Arizona during which he forced the clerk to move from Point A to Point B. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. JOHN RAMSEY: . We have some letters from him. An Associated Press report from March 1997 stated that McReynolds and his wife, Janet, were initially questioned less than six weeks after the murder. What were they planning to do with the body? Another eerie-sounding connection theory, is that Janet McReynolds had allegedly written a play about a young girl who had molested, tortured and killed in a basement in 1976. McReynolds played Santa Claus at a Christmas party at the Ramsey house a few nights before JonBent was killed. His DNA under JonBenets fingernails is the only trace of him left behind. )(Woodward), When his own daughter was ten years old, she and another girl were kidnapped, and the friend was molested before both girls were released. Perhaps the oddest conspiracy theory out there is thatnot only is JonBent still alive, but she's also secretly pop superstar Katy Perry. (Carnes 2003:37). Even more suspicious, McReynolds's middle daughter and her friend had been abducted 22 years prior to JonBent's death to the day. We're going to go up behind the cabin here and have it blow away in the wind." No Bill McReynolds dressed as Father Christmas to attend a party just days before the little girl was found murdered on Boxing Day 1996. Another mother also stated to BPD investigators that JonBent had told a playmate about a Secret Santa. Gosage was met by an irate Jesse McReynolds, who said he was sick of you guys trying to frame my dad. Bill McReynolds, distraught, weeping, and saying, I didnt do anything, refused to come to the door. We have a tape from him . . it was a tribute to JonBenet or something like that. "I didn't make the connection as much as I felt that this area should be investigated by the authorities because of the similarities between what I'd seen online [of child pornography] and the child's murder," he explained in .css-tjvzc4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;border-bottom:thin solid #6F6F6F;}.css-tjvzc4:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}an interview with the Computer Crime Research Center. And they didn't just lie that morning. Patsy was loopy on drugs. John Mark Karr confessed to murdering JonBent in 2006. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. She looked at it for about three seconds and agreed that it was not the same cord. Search the history of over 778 billion Was Jesse ever looked at as a serious suspect? Heres How to Shop for Them. And apparently it starts out nice and then it gets up into this you left Santa Claus and, you know, went to all those fancy things and you came back to Santa Claus. https://t.co/mbz7yh9Ug3, Larry McReynolds (@LarryMac28) January 18, 2021. ", The daughter: On December 26, 1974, twenty-two years before JonBent was reported kidnapped on December 26, 1996, the nine-year-old daughter of Janet McReynolds, the wife of Bill McReynolds, was kidnapped. The Ramsey familys private investigator, Ollie Gray blasted the Boulder Police Department for not considering Oliva a credible suspect. (SMF P 283; PSMF P 283.)" Two days prior to JonBent's murder, former University of Colorado professor Bill McReynolds dressed up as Santa Claus at the Ramsey household for the third year in a row. The South Carolina native got engaged over the weekend to Kendall McReynolds, daughter of two-time Daytona 500 winning-crew chief and NASCAR on FOX analyst Larry Helgoth was tied to a supposed property dispute with the Ramsey family, which many theorize could have been a motive for possibly kidnapping JonBent. He didnt remember, it was so long ago, about twenty-five years. (Steve Thomas in reference to Bill), Jessie McReynolds (the son): He had done two and a half years in an Arizona prison for conspiracy, aggravated robbery and kidnapping and had no corroborated alibi for Christmas night 1996. In early 1990s the Ramseys spent $700,000 just to build the third story master suite onto their mansion! In March 1997, Bill McReynolds told The Chicago Tribune, "In my heart, I know there's no connection. Where is this info coming from? The play, Hey Rube, was about the 1965 torture and murder of Sylvia Likens in Indiana. JonBent was a 6-year-old beauty queen who was found dead in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado in December of 1996. ), Janet McReynolds- wife, mother: Known to be a film critic and movie reviewer for many years and wrote plays as well. The DAs office called in a specialist from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and a convoy of police cars headed up the mountain to Santa Bills house. Why not just take some photos of her and be gone. Those speculated to be involved range from Santa Claus to Katy Perry. @mkmcreynolds1 I never knew I could feel so much love for someone until I met you. He went through the Ramsey's mail and saw Johns pay-stubs. He wrote me a letter saying that he carved JonBenet's name in a harp, it had the name of three other little girls that died early. By Christine Reid, Camera Staff Writer. She was abused, tortured, and finally killed. Kolar scoured through lab and police reports, witness statements and other information when he took over the case. Police chief Mark Beckner has also said that the crime scene wasnt properly sealed off after police arrived. Kolar scoured through lab and police reports, witness statements and other information when he took over the case. The killer lay in weight until the Ramsey's came home. Letting them go was a big mistake, as they soon layered up and did not get to formally interview them again until May of 1997, five months after their daughter was murdered., The case was then passed to the DAs office in 2002 after the Ramseys said they had no confidence in the police.. I never saw her that way, said Irene Wills, whose daughter Lucinda was John Ramseys first wife. He had been living in the area on and off and when police allegedly found a magazine with pictures of the girl in his backpack. Bill and Janet McReynolds say the only significance of their daughter's abduction to the Ramsey case, regardless of the dates, is that it underscores the compassion they feel for John and Patsy Ramsey. Following the Ramseys exoneration thanks to new DNA technology, many hoped the killer would eventually be found. There's no doubt about it. According to a 1999 New York Post article, McReynolds was a retired journalism professor and a close friend of the Ramseys. Burke denies any wrongdoing and they believe him, but they also realize the situation makes Burke look really guilty and he will be blamed and taken from them. 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. JonBent's mother, Patsy, called police initially believing that her daughter was missing after a ransom note was found on the staircase. Not only was Helgoth seen wearing shoes similar to those ina footprint found in the Ramseys'basement, but one of Helgoth's former coworkers also claimed that he'd been acting incredibly suspiciously around the time of the murder. John had a very cold, often contemptuous gleam in his eyes when he occasionally glanced at his drugged-up wife slurring her words. She said yes!!! I've asked my wife to mix the star dust JonBent gave me with my ashes. What about chronic sexual abuse of JonBenet? The Ramseys protested their innocence for years, appearing on national television to tell their story. All in the Ramsey's home in such a short time span? We are here to discuss all aspects of the case and remember JonBent Patricia Ramsey. Thanks for putting that link up. Too convoluted. The Ramseys refused to cooperate with police. The note read that if the Ramseys had contacted the police, or told anyone of JonBents disappearance, she would be murdered. They parked at a gas station down the road and sent my old partner, Detective Ron Gosage, up to talk because he was the only one with whom McReynolds would speak. And if there were other reasons for them to worry about it, then it's far more logical to think that Burke indeed killed JonBenet. Access Graphics had passed $1 Billion Sales mark. In a very special episode of Listen Carefully, Sam and Lindsey welcome their first guest, Jill McReynolds, daughter of suspect Bill McReynolds. Doesnt hold up to Occams Razor. The Best Valentines Day TV Episodes For Kids, Chrissy Teigen & John Legend Have Welcomed Their New Baby, Prince Harry Says Hes Worried One Of Prince Williams Kids Will End Up As The Spare, By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Its also believed that because of the initial belief that the Ramseys had something to do with JonBents murder, other leads were neglected by authorities. Particularly older people who were around in the mid nineties. I thought there was no dna found under her fingertips? I felt very close to that little girl. 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. So how could there be dna from this accomplice? Can I ask you Ivy, did you live through the whole JonBenet murder saga as an adult while it was unfolding? JonBenet remembering that Santa is suppose to visit her wakes up sometime after midnight. CNN writes: Investigators were intrigued by the fact the McReynolds' daughter had been abducted 22 years before JonBenet's death to the day. The 2 1/2-page letter demanded that John withdraw $118,000 and wait for further instructions. Ramsey Home Walkthrough - 3D Computer Model. It is ridiculous! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The woman said that on Christmas Eve day in 1996, JonBent said Santa had told her he was going to make a secret visit to her after Christmas. Thankful that God blessed me with such an amazing woman in my life that not only loves the Lord, but challenges me to be a better man. They know someone outside the family has murdered their daughter, but they know no one will believe they're all innocent, so in order to protect Burke and themselves they call the police and report the kidnapping in the hopes that if they play along, the real killer will be caught eventually. If he didn't do it, then there is no evidence against him. No one was ever arrested for the crime. DNA has since cleared Helgoth of any involvement. They didn't follow procedure with the nail clippers. Another eerie Mattie Moore McReynolds Knoxville - Mattie Moore McReynolds, age 103, long time resident of the Bluegrass Community, passed away October 18, 2021. 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