Death of a Beauty
Queen: The
Murder of
JonBenet Ramsey
Katie Peppers and Kenita Jackson
Forensic Chemistry: Spring 2009
Background
• JonBenet Ramsey was found
dead at age 6 in her Colorado
home on Dec. 26, 1996
• Parents were John and Patsy
Ramsey
• Older brother Burke Ramsey age
9
JonBenet Ramsey
http://caosblog.com/wpcontent/uploads/2008/08/pl_jonbenet_060817_ssv
.jpg
Ramsey Family
i.cdn.turner.com/.../family-gallery-081806.jpg
Background
• Parents testified that JonBenet was
in bed at 9:30 pm on December 25
• Patsy Ramsey awoke at 5:00 am
– Found a ransom note
– JonBenet is not in bedroom
• Police are called at 5:25 am
– Arrive 7 minutes later and no search of
the premises is conducted at this time
– Do not secure home as crime scene
• Friends and family allowed to enter
to be with the Ramseys
Background
• John Ramsey and detectives
eventually conduct search of
home and find JonBenet in
basement at 1:05 pm
• Daughter had been strangled and
beaten
• John Ramsey removes daughter
from basement
• The question becomes:
Who Killed JonBenet?
Case History
• John and Patsy Ramsey were suspects
from the beginning
• Media speculation begins immediately
as details are leaked to press
• Boulder police department under fire
for improper processing of a crime
scene
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/02/03/article1134823-053413B10000044D-519_468x286.jpg
Case history
• Cause of Death
– Asphyxiation due to strangulation
– Blunt force trauma to the skull
• Time of death
– Indicated using 3 common methods
Case History
•
Time of death determined by:
– The rate of advancement of rigor mortis (stiffening of
muscles caused by chemical changes in muscle tissue after death)
• Onset usually begins 2 to 4 hours after death.
• Takes 6 to 12 hours to set in for entire body.
• Dissipates after 24-36 hours
– The rate of cooling
• Normal body temp. is 96-degrees F and gradually decreases
after death at approx. 1.5-degrees per hour (varies with room
temperature, age and gender)
• Determined by ambient temp. around the body and body size
and clothing.
– The odor of decomposition
• Depends on room temperature and levels of bacteria and
enzyme activity
• For every 10 degree increase in room temp. the rate of
decomposition doubles
Case History
• Time of death
– Last seen at 10 pm on 12/25/1996
– Body found approx. 1:05 pm on 12/26/1996
– Advanced rigor mortis was already present
when body was found
– Time of death between 10pm on Dec. 25 and
6am on Dec. 26.
– Based on the odor of decomposition, death
probably occurred at the beginning of this
time frame
Case History
• John, Patsy and Burke Ramsey
– Media began circulating reports that the family was
responsible for the death beginning as early as
December 28, 1996
– Media lambasted Ramseys for “exploiting” daughter
in beauty pageants
• Parents maintained innocence and suggested the
presence of intruder
– 2000 released book “The Death of Innocence”
– Libel suits brought against Fox Network for saying no
evidence suggested intruder in a 2002 broadcast
Evidence
• Two theories
– Intruder committed murder
– Family committed murder
• Evidence to support both
Evidence
• Ransom note
• DNA trace on body and under fingernails
• White synthetic cord and paint stick used as
murder weapon
• Broken/open basement window
• Palm print found outside basement window
• Baseball bat found with carpet fibers present
• Abrasions from stun gun?
• Footprint in basement
• Pubic hair
Evidence
• Ransom note analysis
– Handwriting analysis
– Use comparison microscope
• Need examples from suspects
– Visual
• Letter – curves, slants, size
• Line –smooth, dark lines
• Formatting - spacing
– Individualizing evidence
http://www.miami-criminal-defense.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/2008/12/jonbenet_ramsey_ran
som_note.jpg
• If too many differences exist between the
samples and ransom note than it is not a
match
Evidence
• Many investigators believed that the
Ramseys were responsible
– Paper/pen found in Ramsey home
– Wording indicated a “female” voice
– $118,000 demand unusual
• Amount of John Ramsey’s bonus
– 3 pages in Length
– Signed S.B.T.C?
Evidence
• Fingernail scrapings
– Identified by Y-STR markers
• Y chromosome short tandem
repeats
– Difficult to separate epithelial
cells of males and females
• Ideal method when victim is
female and suspect is supposedly
male
– Use PCR to amplify and analyze
– Not individualizing because all
males of the same paternal line
would have matching results
• Same as mitochondrial analysis
http://www.forensicmag.com/articles.asp?pid=14
0
Evidence
• DNA found underneath JonBenet’s
fingernails was unidentified male DNA
– Did not match father or brother
• Pointed to possibility of intruder
theory
Evidence
• DNA was found on the victim’s underwear
• Analyzed by V-NTRs
– Use specific restriction enzyme sites to compare
suspects DNA to unknown sample from crime
scene
DNA must be isolated from matrix
Measure quantity of DNA from sample
Amplify with PCR
Gel Electrophoresis to compare with reference
samples
• Results can be inclusive, exclusive or
inconclusive
•
•
•
•
– 1997 results were inconclusive
Evidence
• Pubic hair samples
– Not individualizing
• Match color, length, diameter
• Use comparison microscope
• Pubic hair at crime scene did not
match any family members
Evidence
• Murder Weapon
– Synthetic white cord that was tightened with a
paint stick around child’s neck and wrists
• Korea printed on stick
• Several types of paint
– Duct tape found on mouth
• Removed by John Ramsey
• No photos taken
• Could not find any evidence that duct tape was from
home
– Need to have something to compare to under a microscope
» Analyze adhesive backing by FTIR
» Could have been useful if comparison sample was
available
Evidence
• Open basement
window
– Point of entry for
intruder?
• Unidentified palm
print found outside
basement window
– Did not match any
family members
• Stun gun marks?
• Foot print made by
Hi-tec stamped
hiking boot found
in dust in cellar
– Did not belong to
anyone in family
• Baseball bat found
outside with fibers
matching carpet
from basement
Basement window
i.cdn.turner.com/.../PG-Basementwindow.jpg
Boot
www.tripleblaze.com/.../2008/10/hi-tec-boot.jpg
Murder weapon
i.cdn.turner.com/.../Gallery/PG-Garrote.jpg
Stun gun
http://www.spycentre.com/images/Air_Taser_G
un_Style.jpg
Contamination of a
Crime Scene
• Police arrive around 5:40 am
– Do not search home or treat as active crime
scene
• Friends and family are allowed to enter the
home for hours until they find JonBenet
• John Ramsey finds daughter
– Removed from basement
– Removed tape
– Locard’s principle
• Lack of crime scene photos
• Only murder in Boulder for over a year
Ramseys : guilty
until Proven
Innocent?
• Media circus
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060624/060624_patsy_ramsey_hmed_8 a.h
medium.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10892646/&usg=__6M1eIuRPqlKTzKLSmZb3CuznW7Q=&h=273&w=375&sz=15&hl=en&st
art=1&um=1&tbnid=ZjFusNnEkgBCRM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djohn%2Band%2Bpatsy%2Bramsey%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3
D1T4ADBF_enUS315US315%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1
– Ridicule Ramseys for “exploiting” daughter
in beauty pageants
– Guilt indicated by “lawyering” up, not
“cooperating” with police, and hiring a PR
firm
• All leaks to media
– “staged” crime scene
– “intentional” contamination of crime scene
– No signs of forced entry
Vindication?
• 2003
– DNA profile of unknown male assailant
– No match in database
• 2004
– Patsy Ramsey dies from ovarian cancer
• 2006
– John Mark Karr admitted to killing JBR
• Was being held on child pornography charges
• DNA did not match profile
• Possible accomplice – handwriting possible match
for ransom note
• Charges eventually dropped
Current
• July 2008, Boulder District Attorney
office releases statement that Ramseys
are no longer suspects
• New DNA technique
– Touch DNA
– Based on skin cells (7-8 cells)
• Analyze what is left behind on victim or murder
weapon
• Use PCR
• Fluorescent compound mixed with 13 specific
locations on DNA
– Guess work : Where was a victim touched?
Current
• As of February 2009 the new district
attorney of Boulder, Colorado has
reopened the case based on touch DNA
evidence
Nancy Grace Clip: Reopening JonBenet Ramsey Case
Works Cited
• http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_mur
ders/famous/ramsey/evidence_2.html
• http://forensicscience.suite101.com/article.cfm/fore
nsic_evidence_in_the_ramsey_case
• http://edition.cnn.com/2006/LAW/08/18/ramsey.cri
mescene/index.html
• http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/famous_cri
me/121/the_investigation/1/JonBenet_Ramsey.htm
• www.dropshots.com/.../63223/20060816/173551.jpg