Slain girl's family asks that fresh tips be given to another police
agency

By Matt Sebastian, Camera Staff Writer
October 29, 2002

John and Patsy Ramsey have asked the Boulder County district attorney to find
another police agency to investigate fresh leads into their daughter JonBenet's
Christmas 1996 slaying.

If that doesn't happen, the Ramseys may sue to force the Boulder Police Department
to turn its case over to another agency, L. Lin Wood, the family's attorney, said
Monday.

"The Ramseys want this case investigated," Wood said in a telephone interview.
"They cannot sit back and see that nothing is being done to find out who killed their
daughter."

Wood, who first made his threat Monday morning on NBC's "Today Show," said he'd
like to see the case in the hands of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, "where there
are competent and experienced homicide investigators on staff."

Sheriff George Epp acknowledged that his department could claim jurisdiction over the
crime, because it occurred within county limits. But Epp said he has no plans or desire
to do so.

"The way we work is that if another police agency asks for mutual aid, we try to help
them out," Epp said. "We are not generally in the habit of taking an investigation over
because a lawyer for the victim's family is not happy with how the case is being
investigated."

Wood issued his request to District Attorney Mary Keenan in a letter several weeks
ago. He said he has not received a response from the prosecutor.

Keenan could not be reached for comment Monday. Epp confirmed that he received a
copy of Wood's letter to the district attorney. He declined to provide a copy.

Boulder police Chief Mark Beckner said he would not discuss the Ramsey case or his
department's handling of the investigation.

The Ramseys, who remain under suspicion in their daughter's death, have long
accused Boulder police of not investigating other suspects. JonBenet, 6, was found
beaten and strangled in the basement of the family's 15th Street home Dec. 26, 1996.

Wood said he has tried unsuccessfully to persuade Boulder police to investigate fresh
leads generated by Lou Smit, a homicide investigator who quit the Ramsey
investigation after concluding that police were targeting the victim's parents.

"We're simply looking for some agency to start over again and give this case a full and
complete investigation," Wood said.

Contact Matt Sebastian at (303) 473-1498 or sebastianm@dailycamera.com.

http://www1.dailycamera.com/bdc/county_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2423_1509667,00.html

So the paperwork started a couple weeks ago.

It seems to me that the people in Boulder all feel that they have to work "together" tomorrow and next week and being comfortable with their neighbors is more important that doing what is best for the fight for real justice here.

I hope Sheriff Epp reconsiders his position and decides to be the one who will speak for JonBenét. Someone has to.

The BPD has had the case for nearly 6 years - - I think that is long enough.

DA Keenan won't deal with anything Ramsey. She lied when she was making campaign promises - - she said she would seek justice but has done nothing as far as I can tell.

If Sheriff Epp refuses, I hope Lin Wood and the Ramseys continue to fight for a special investigator. It is the right thing to do.

Epp's department has helped the BPD with this case off and on and they KNOW what happened there. They have stuff in their own files that might relate to the Ramsey case. I think that is is a logical progression.

The BPD has had nearly 6 years to not solve this. There was no indictment even after 18 months of a grand jury. District Attorney Alex Hunter was not convinced it was Patsy and he didn't indict her.

The depositions comoing out now indicate that Police Chief Beckner is not sure who did this - - he is NOT convinced it is Patsy.

Thomas' theory was assinine - - the evidence didn't support it and his book - - the libel lawsuit was settled out of court - - Thomas and the publisher did NOT defend the theory in court.

There IS evidence of an intruder. Smit showed it to all of us. Watch the show on Court TV on Nov 8th to see it again.

I think Epp should take it on - - and I think he should have his lead investigator spend some time in Colorado Springs. Lots to be learned there.

Sheriff George Epp acknowledged that his department could claim jurisdiction over the
crime, because it occurred within county limits. But Epp said he has no plans or desire
to do so.

"The way we work is that if another police agency asks for mutual aid, we try to help
them out," Epp said. "We are not generally in the habit of taking an investigation over
because a lawyer for the victim's family is not happy with how the case is being
investigated."

<b>Doesn't anyone in that town/county have any balls? It sounds like they're more interested in keeping the good ol' boy system going, then trying to solve this crime.</b>

I think it is important to keep in mind that Epps and Beckner have overlapping jurisdictions and have to work together. It would be very unusual for Epps to have said anything other than what he was quoted as saying. Who knows, Sheriff Epps may want a crack at the case. Then again, he may not. Investigations cost money, and in this case, the money comes from taxes.

This is all moot, anyway. I don't think there is even a small possibility that Chief Beckner would give the case to the Sheriff. For him and the BPD, it would be a lose-lose situation, IMO. Beckner would lose face by giving up the case, and his job would be in jeopardy if the Sheriff's Dept. made significant progress or solved the case.

Hopefully, Lin Wood has the ammunition to force the issue. If not, the only way to get the case moving would be for the Ramseys to comply with Beckner's wish that they take an FBI polygraph. That would give him the opportunity to say to the public, "See, they should have done this a long time ago", and would give him the evidence and the political capital to start investigating other leads. Whether he would do that is another matter altogether.

I can't blame Sheriff Epp and the Boulder County Sheriff's Department for not wanting to inherit the blame for the incompetency and ineptitude of the investigation.

I can wish that Boulder city LE would ask Boulder County LE to take over the case, investigate, solve, charge and prosecute! It could still happen.