Ramsey case Santa Claus figure dead at 72

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.

Bill McReynolds was found dead in his Mashpee, Mass., home Monday by his wife,
Janet, when she returned from a weekend trip. He was 72.

McReynolds, a former University of Colorado journalism professor, portrayed Santa
Claus at the Ramseys' home for the third consecutive year in 1996 — two nights
before the 6-year-old was found slain.

JonBenet's death, in some respects, paralleled the plot of a play McReynolds' wife
had written before the killing.

Authorities collected hair and handwriting samples from the couple in the first few
months following the killing, but police sources said they did not consider the
McReynolds serious suspects.

The Ramseys, however, called McReynolds a suspect in their book "Death of
Innocence: The Untold Story of JonBenet's Murder and How its Exploitation
Compromised the Pursuit of Truth."

Janet McReynolds said Wednesday that her husband's involvement in the infamous
case was "the greatest trial of his life."

"He was scarred. He was just so devastated by the mere idea anyone would suspect
him of a crime," she said.

McReynolds' death was sudden, his wife said, although he had undergone a bypass
operation and replacement of aorta valve in 1996.

He was born in Donna, Texas, in 1930, and received his degree in journalism from the
University of Texas. 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 earned his doctorate in American Studies and was hired by CU's
journalism department in 1968.

The couple spent the next 30 years in Boulder, raising three children.

After his retirement from CU in 1992, the couple moved to Rollinsville. That is when
McReynolds' fascination with Santa Claus began, said his wife.

"He really took the role as his life goal," Janet McReynolds said. "He loved being Santa,
he loved little children, and then the Ramsey case destroyed that career and just
devastated him. He loved that little girl. It was a very sad thing in his life because he
genuinely loved children, and it was the happiest part of his life."

McReynolds' big heart made him a popular instructor, said Doug Cosper, who taught
with him at CU.

"Some of his students kept relationships with him their entire lives," Cosper said.

"When the Ramsey story happened, he was hurt very badly, and that's why they had
to leave Colorado," he said. "They felt they couldn't live here anymore."

When the couple moved to the small town on Cape Cod in 1998, McReynolds left his
role of Santa Claus, his wife said. Instead, the grandfather of six filled his time helping
the elderly at the local senior center.

"He made a new start. He was beloved by many people here," said Janet
McReynolds. "Of course, he would never get over what happened to him. He would
never fully recover from that kind of suspicion."

A memorial service is scheduled for Friday in Massachusetts. A service in Boulder
will take place later this month, and his ashes will be scattered in one of his favorite
Colorado mountain getaways, his wife said.

The couple's 40th wedding anniversary was Sunday.

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