Monday, October 18, 1999 11:57 AM

Written and Researched By Evelyn M. Van Horn

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JonBenet’s Story

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I have stayed away from the investigation of JonBenet Ramsey’s death, because it had so much media coverage. However, after so much time has passed there is still no answer to who killed her.

So I sat down and asked JonBenet herself. No, I can not speak to the dead, but I can use deductive reasoning. I have drawn from my years of experience raising my own and caring for others children to understand the thoughts and actions of a child.

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THE PLAN

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Some say JonBenet was different than most other girls her age. She was rich and a beauty queen, so what else was different? She had more power and worldlier knowledge. So let us say that JonBenet was unhappy in her life. She made money off her pageants; she wanted control of it. Most of it in her pink little hands to do with as she pleased. Since six-year-old children are not good money managers her parents told her they had to stay in control. In fact banks will not allow children that age to even have an account without an adults supervision.

JonBenet also had access to people, people who were fans of her. Some who may have seen her as a little pink Goddess. As time went on she decided to plan her own kidnapping. She figured out what money she felt her parents owed her, what amount was the most easily accessible, and What would get at them the most. She came up with $118,000.00. The number 118 had special meaning to the family. It was the amount of Johns Bonus, and Psalms 118 was the Psalms that her mother took to hart.

If an adult was going to kidnap JonBenet they would see her family as wealthy and ask for more money. They may ask for five million dollars apposed to $118,000.00.

JonBenet needed help with her plan. At six we are small and not too strong; this makes it difficult to do some things. She also needed a place to hide while she waited for the money. After she received the money she planed to go back home as if the kidnappers had set her free.

Let us say there was a boy about 11-years-old. We will call him "Kevin". He was a social out cast and lonely. He always treated JonBenet like a little queen, so she knew she could count on him to help her. She spent months in the planning, which involved becoming "Kevin’s" girlfriend of sorts. The Christmas Bear was a gift from "Kevin". It would have been kept secret because her relationship with "Kevin" was kept secret.

When JonBenet was found she had her hair in a double ponytail, was warring jewelry, was covered with her own blanket, and had a red hart drawn on her hand. I bet "Kevin" had one on his hand too.

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THE NOTE

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I believe the two of them spent a great deal of time writing the ransom note. There was a first draft copy found in the house as well as the tablet and pen used to write both notes. As I have gone though it I have found many phrases used by parents to children. Phrases like "listen carefully" "follow our instructions to the letter" and provoke as used in "don’t provoke me young lady". There are phrases used by children like "Watching over", "monitor" as in class monitor, to "pick-up" kids and the real seller, "don’t grow a brain". Some phrases have little relevance to the crime such as "make sure that you bring an adequate size attaché to the bank" (an adults instruction to a child) and "scanned for electric devices". This is a money drop not a person to person trade. Some phrases do not fit the other language of the letter such as "small foreign fraction" and "counter measures and tactics". These seem to be straight from TV. Others suggest that the writer feels compassion for John, yet a few lines later anger and resentment are evident. These are the confused feelings of a child.

When I first started to read through this letter, I could see that a child had written it. I have received many letters from my children when they have gone to visit; I recognized the child’s wording and thinking. I also can see where they made corrections in spelling. A father may say things at home like: I closed the deal using my "good southern common sense". This is something an adult may not think much about but a child is constantly learning from people and would notice. I believe the "Victory!" at the end simply means I won. I got my way. The "S.B.T.C." I believe is a symbol of a pact the two children made. Perhaps "Some Body To Care".

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THE CRIME

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The crime could have started with an argument JonBenet had with her mother about her money. This could have been as early as September. Maybe she had gone to her father who usually took her side in arguments. However, this time he agreed with her mother. From time to time she could have asked him again about it and he would still say no. I think toward the end of November or first of December was when she hatched her plan. She could have just bugged her father so much about the decision that he was firm with her and told her in a mean sounding voice "no". He was never gruff with her and her feelings were hurt so she was going to get her way at his expense.

Since "Kevin" was a groupie, he was always around somewhere if she wanted to find him. She played on his emotional needs and cemented their relationship. They had secrets that would send him to jail; he knew that and she used them to control him.

I know from living through many Christmases it is very easy for children to slip away while parents are distracted by company. I think "Kevin" may have come into the house that day. The two went up into her room where they wrote the ransom note, and went over the plan for her to be kidnapped by herself.

At the set time she got her things and a flashlight, then went down stairs to get a suitcase to put the money in. This could be where the flashing light that was reported by neighbors came from. This is the light that some have tried to link to the stun gun. I have seen demonstrations of a stun gun and I do not think you could see it that clearly from outside the house. From there she had planed to go out side where "Kevin" was waiting for her.

For some reason her mother caught her down stairs. She was very enraged when she saw JonBenet. She grabbed her and intended to punish her in a way she had done before.

John Ramsey was very tired that night, and was sleeping very soundly. He did not hear the noise made by his wife and daughter. However, Burke did and was standing on the stairs and saw what his mother did to his sister. He was frightened and turned around and went back to his bed. This is when he dropped his knife. Now he feels responsible for her death because he did not try to help her. This is why the FBI agents thought he was confessing.

People outside the house heard the ruckus. Two people who lived near by heard sounds from the basement between 12am and 2am. "Kevin" who was waiting outside for JonBenet heard the screams and other noises too.

The mother and daughter struggled for some time. During this struggle JonBenet became beaten and hit her head on the door casing. When her mother left the basement room JonBenet was unconscious and tied up. Her hands were tied with rope above her head; the rope was then brought down into a ligature around her neck. "That girl is going to learn respect", she may have grumbled as she went back up stairs.

"Kevin" waited until he was sure her mother was gone. Then he came in through the broken window. This could have been when he left wet marks on the wall under the window and on the floor by her body. He tried to free her. He could see how badly she was hurt. When he tried speaking to her she was silent, "Kevin" thought she was dead. So he pulled the blanket her mother had thrown over her back up, and went home. This is when he would have touched to door to the wine cellar. He was shocked, and afraid, he may have steadied himself on the door as he went out.

He has never and will never come forward for two reasons: (1) He is afraid of being killed by Patsy, (2) He knows he will be sent to jail for having a sexual relationship with JonBenet. "Kevin" is the one who left the partial heel print, entered the broken the window, wrote the ransom note, left the handprints and unidentified DNA.

I think that they all knew JonBenet was dead before Patsy called 911. When John Waked up, Burke told him where JonBenet was and he went down to get her. That is why Burke is heard saying, "what did you find" on the 911 call. He knew his mother and how angry she got. He suspected she had killed his sister the night before. Patsy had found the note on JonBenet’s bed under the edge of her teddy. She took it and concocted a story to tell the police. She did not know Burke had seen her, and did not know he and John knew where JonBenet was. I think Patsy planed to tell them she was missing. The teddy bear was then kept from the police for a time as Patsy was hoping to find out where it had come from herself.

That morning John Ramsey was reported to be listless and distracted, often straying away from other people. When he was asked to search for his daughter, he went directly to where she was and got her. He may have cut the cord on her wrists earlier before he knew she was dead. I find it interesting that Fleet White a family friend had gone into the basement earlier to search and had looked into the wine cellar and seen nothing. He must not have known exactly where to look. Also it is reported that the Ramsey’s maid at the time has said the room was so hidden, she never even knew it existed.

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THE EVIDENCE

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I developed my theory going through the evidence. I have not paid much attention to the many hours of media coverage the case has gotten, so all I had to work with was the evidence. I did pay attention to some of the statements that came out of the grand jury testimony. I also could not help but read the article where the FBI explained how they were able to take simple answers that Burke gave under hours of torturous interrogation and convert them into a confession. I hate to have to say it, but that is FBI all the way.

The first point of evidence for this theory was the unidentified DNA. The second was the "digital Penetration" from the autopsy report. And third seminal fluid found on her legs. A grown mans digit, or finger is very close in size to a boys penis. Someone that age experimenting sexually may not complete the act. In such a case there would not be any actual seaman only the fluid. The irritation caused by a child sized penis would cause what appeared to be "digital penetration" in the vaginal area. I have seen written in some places that there was not seminal fluid found on her legs. But in the reports it is clearly written that with a black light those present saw seminal fluids on JonBenet’s body. The autopsy report also says her hymen was ruptured. This would explain the blood on her panties and pubic area.

In police reports, it is stated that one of the things she had with her was a Barbie nightgown that was said to be very special to her. If she was going somewhere to spend the night she would have taken it with her. It was cold out and she had a sweatshirt, and the blue suitcase under the window was to put the money in.

The handprint on the note would have gotten there when "Kevin" was holding the paper down while he wrote on it. The handprint on the wine cellar door would have gotten there when he leaned against it as he left grief stricken and most likely crying. He may have used the blue suitcase to get back out of the window. He would have not been thinking straight, as he was terrified, and the fastest way out was what he took.

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Psalm 118

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I found it rather interesting that Psalm 118 was so important to Patsy Ramsey. I read that she used it in her battle with cancer. Psalms 118 says a lot more than with the lord you can heal. Verse 6 says "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me?" Verse 11 and 12 say "They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them." "They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them." With dictionary explanations this can mean that those who closely surround her, she will destroy in the name of the Lord. Then we call upon verse 6 which has told us before hand that God is on our side in doing this. Men cannot hurt her because the Lord will not let them.

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The Conclusion

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There have been officers replaced, and fired, some have even quit over this investigation. No one seems to be able to agree on one set of circumstances. All the things they see are there. Each in his own right interrupts the evidence to fit his own reality. However this leaves the reality of the case rather misunderstood.

In all fairness to JonBenet, I do not think she wet herself that night. The autopsy said her bladder was empty at that time. I think it emptied when she died. So who killed JonBenet, she killed herself. When she regained conciseness, she was groggy and in pain. She began to panic and tried to release herself. The exertion caused her to black out again. When she did the weight of her body jerked down on the ligature and it strangled her. Dose this mean the person responsible for her being tied up and battered is responsible for her death? I think it dose. Dose this mean we should hunt down the boy who befriended her as a sexual predator? I think not, leave him be with his fear and anxiety. My favorite bible passage is "let he who has never sinned cast the first stone".