A child, a symbol of purity and innocence, murdered with a garotte and blunt force trauma on the night after Christmas.

The child wrapped in a pure white blanket on a moldy floor with black duct tape covering her mouth.

John Ramsey required to place his money in a common paper sack.

John Ramsey raising money for a ransom demand while his daughter lie dead in the house.

Was the offender speaking through symbolism? Irony?

Any other contrasts?

Type, irony, into a google search, and the first entry is for role playing games...coincidence?

One certain theme that is present in the case is 'futility'. An unused rope, a less than sturdy sack, a stun gun used but twice, a bondage set-up that wouldn't titillate a PG audience, a session by the phone when there will be no phone call, preparations for the ransom when there will be no delivery, resting for an ordeal when the real ordeal will begin upon discoveries to be made in the basement, a tape that offers hope but is in fact covering the mouth of a corpse. Futility. Hopelessness. I think every element of that night's activities was well planned in advance and therefore this crime was not about getting some perverted sex and then enjoying disposing of the witness. Anyone who is that complex about all the futility involved is not going to have simple motives like sex and sadism.

I think he had an image he wanted to create before he entered the home. Images revolving around themes of revenge, irony, contrasts between purity and defilement, etc. I think he is a more complex individual than I originally thought, and I think he was trying to convey the symbolism and irony, but wasn't entirely successful in doing so.

I think the perp was quite proud of the note----tying in all those movie lines and themes....with a crime perhaps based on Ransom and Ricochet. Role-playing is still a possibility, IMO....and don't forget some of the video games give points for killing with a garrote.

Simple. John Ramsey would not be particularly upset if he fails to see a roll of duct tape or if he does see a roll of duct tape, but that cord embedded so deeply into his daughter's tiny neck, now there is a sight! So why would he ruin that by taking the garrote with him?
That was a major part of the fun.

That's a good question. One of the hallmarks of a disorganized offender is to leave the murder weapons at the scene and on the body. In this instance, he left one. Was he being disorganized, or, did he pose the body in such a way to appear as if she were still alive, but once the blanket is pulled back, all hope is dashed?