The Failue Of The Jon Benet Ramsey Case

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1. Introduction The JonBenet Ramsey murder case was an example of sensationalism and media excesses gone to the extreme. JonBenet was a six year old beauty pageant contestant who came from a privileged suburban home. Her parents John and Patricia (Patsy) were pillars of their community, wealthy and well respected. John had made a fortune from his computer company, was an avid pilot and known to be a dedicated family man. Patsy was a former beauty queen herself who entered JohnBenet into the child pageants, doing all she could to help this little girl win titles and trophies. The case would open the eyes of the world on these child pageants (which many considered reprehensible in perception that they sexualized children), the power of privilege and the media, as well as the ability of a small insular town to investigate a major crime while under the microscope of the national and international press. 2. Case History Early on the morning of December 26, 1996 a frantic phone call was placed to the Boulder Colorado Police Department. The caller, Patricia “Patsy” Ramsey indicated that her six year old daughter JonBenet had been kidnapped, a ransom note left behind. The note indicated that the child would be executed should police or the FBI be informed of the crime and that a ransom of $118,000 was required for her return. (Bardsley, 2010) However, when police did in fact arrive, the Ramsey’s had already called several family friends as well as their priest to the home. Upon first inspection, there were no signs of intrusion or break in to the home. There was a light snow outside on that cold morning but no footprints could be seen on the freshly covered ground. And the police were generally dismayed that so many new individuals were at the scene of the crime, potentially ruining or at the very least contaminating any evidence that may be within the house. An

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