The last time the Ramsey family went to Boulder was two years after the murder, when the grand jury was ready to announce its verdict. They had decided that if they were indicted they would turn themselves in, but the press got wind of their plan and they had to hide at the Archuleta’s inconspicuous ranch house.
"It was a real cloak and dagger operation," Pam recounts. "They were in Atlanta and they flew their plane not to Colorado but to Chattanooga, Tennessee and then to the tiny Erie Air Park outside Boulder. It was mainly for small private planes and when this big jet flew in, the mechanics couldn't believe it. I borrowed my friend's battered Volvo—the press would never guess they would be in there—and we speeded to my eye doctor's parking lot where I switched to my Audi. They lay down in the back seat. I was shaking the whole time I drove to my house."
John, and Patsy slept in a double bed squeezed into Mike's office and Burke slept with the Archuleta's son. "I was so nervous. I mean they were used to the highest luxury, double sinks, walk in closets, plasma TVs that dropped from the ceiling above their bed. But they were just so grateful and gracious about it."
The first night, Pam heard Patsy sobbing. "I went in and gathered her up in my arms. She had gotten so small and limp, like a rag doll.” Pam could see the toll the enduring trauma had taken on Patsy. "She seemed shriveled and pale and I knew then that the cancer was coming back."
The next day Patsy put up a brave front. "We even joked,” Pam remembers, and Patsy wished prison uniforms “had vertical stripes instead of horizontal so she wouldn’t look fat.”
"When we heard the verdict was coming in, we turned on the television and Patsy asked us all to hold hands and kneel down and pray. Then we heard "no indictment" and we jumped up and down and Patsy was shouting ‘Praise God, Praise God!’ And suddenly she wasn't this pathetic person but back to the strong friend I knew."
Still, the Ramseys were no longer welcome in Boulder, a quiet university community known for its relaxed, New Age flavor and progressive politics. They fled back to Atlanta, leaving behind a string of ruined friendships and damaged lives. Even a couple who had been among the Ramseys’ very best friends turned against them when the wife began to suspect Patsy. Local radio announcers broadcast virulent accusations. "If they could have lynched us, they would have," John says.
People lost jobs for coming to the Ramseys’ aid; two families went into seclusion; one woman seemed to simply disappear from sight. A famous restaurant owner went to jail for wielding a pipe at a reporter. Another couple quit their jobs and followed the Ramseys to Atlanta, only to end up unemployed when John Ramsey’s new business failed. As for Pam Archuleta, "I lost my marriage," she says, beginning to weep. "Michael would go off in his plane and leave me to deal with hiding the Ramseys. I couldn't take it."
In his campaign for a larger DNA database, John Ramsey points out that thousands of rapes and murders can be prevented, for such criminals often strike many times. “DNA can, of course, exonerate people as well," he says wryly.
Because the new, more sensitive, “touch" DNA test can recover tiny samples from surfaces that the old DNA could not,more and more states are requiring that samples be taken on arrest.
“The last hope I have,” he says, is that “one day I will get a call from somewhere in the country and a voice will say, 'We know who killed your daughter.'"
Alexandra Penney is an artist, best-selling author, former editor-in-chief of Self magazine, and originator, with Evelyn Lauder, of the Pink Ribbon for breast cancer awareness. She had a one-person show at Galerie in Berlin in April and her work was shown at Miami’s Art Basel. She lives in New York, has one treasured son in Los Angeles and more amazing friends than could ever be imagined.
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Steve Emerson is Executive Director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism and author of 5 books and countless articles on terrorism. His most recent book is Jihad Incorporated: A Guide to Militant Islam in the U.S.
Max Blumenthal is a senior writer for The Daily Beast and writing fellow at The Nation Institute, whose book, Republican Gomorrah (Basic/Nation Books), is forthcoming in Spring 2009. Contact him at maxblumenthal3000@yahoo.com.
David Blum, former editor-in-chief of The Village Voice and of The New York Press, teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. In 1992 he published Flash In The Pan: The Life and Death of an American Restaurant. Tick...Tick...Tick...: The Long Life & Turbulent Times of 60 Minutes followed in 2004.
Mansfield Frazier is a native Clevelander and former newspaper editor. A published author, he served as a contributing editor of the Cleveland Tab Newsmagazine, the editor of the Cleveland Call & Post, and managing editor of CityNews, and urban-focused weekly, before changing over to Internet journalism. His regular column can currently be seen on CoolCleveland.com. An avid gardener, he resides in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland with his wife Brenda and their two dogs, Gypsy and Ginger.
Lucinda Franks is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author who was on the staff of The New York Times and has written for several publications including The New Yorker and The New York Times Book Review and Magazine. Her latest book is My Father's Secret War, about her father, who was a spy for the OSS during World War II.
Heartbreak and lives lost due to the ghosts of evil still lurking in this world.
The media, the police, and undue judgement has not only murdered jonbenet, but her father and mother.
It's so sad. It makes my heart cry and want to reach out for John Ramsey.
What true vindication will he ever have?
Great story! John Ramsey is so different than he's been depicted over these long years. I'm so glad he chose to speak and share some of his pain. He is an example of dignity...showing class and grace while so broken hearted and traumatized from the loss of two children and a his beloved wife.
To investigate what happened to JonBenet you need to look at her aunt removing dolls from the crime scene. How ridiculous is at that anything was allowed to be removed. It's absurd the DA has never looked into the matter. The DA investiagated a pair of frozen underpants sent in by somebody living in a trailer yet this clue from a doll expert remains uninvestigated.
Fiber evidence doesn't lie. People do, and lawyers do.
The Daily Beast sends a reporter from New York to Michigan and Colorado, and this is all you get? What a sham.
Clearly your reporter does not know the facts of this case or its evidence, or else she wouldn't have swallowed the pap John Ramsey and his pal shoveled her way. And, by the way, this is hardly the first time the Archuletas have spoken; there's plenty of video of them protecting their friends in self-serving documentaries the Ramseys participated in.
If this is the sloppy way The Daily Beast will cover high-profile crime stories, I'll stop reading right now. You need coverage by professionals who know the territory and know when they're being lied to and why. You need reporters to ask the right questions and know the difference when they are given inadequate or absurd answers. The victims, including young JonBenet Ramsey, deserve better treatment that you have given here.
As for Lucinda Franks, why not go to California and interview Charlie Manson? He'll tell you he's falsely imprisoned. You can sell your big exclusive to some other uncritical editor!
The statement is made in this article that "As both a public service and a personal crusade, Ramsey now spends much of his time promoting state laws that mandate the lifting of a DNA sample from anyone accused of a felony, which would substantially expand the national DNA registry. (His website is DNAFINGERPRINTLAW.COM.)"
In fact, the site mentioned is registered to John and Bobbie Rathsgen, not John Ramsey. In addition, it directs people to a unspecified address for a non-existent company in Washington, DC, in the name of a foundation which does not exist. In most contexts, this information would be indicative of a scam of some sort.
This article states, "Since the murder, Ramsey has sold three big homes, in Atlanta, Boulder, and Charlevoix. He has shed his plane, his boats and his cars, stopped golfing, stopped sailing."
In fact, John Ramsey still owns his plane. He did sell one, but the author neglects to note that John then subsequently purchased a replacement plane, which he continues to fly even as recently as yesterday, October 13th. So he apparently is not as financially bad off as the author tries to convey.
The article states, "A famous restaurant owner went to jail for wielding a pipe at a reporter." In fact, the man involved wielded a baseball bat, but he was actually arrested for unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon when it was found that he had a loaded gun in his car nearby.
I have to whole heartedly agree with ellbee and jahazafat. This story reeks of an amateur salesman trying desperately to sell John Ramsey to the public at large and not a prize winning author who should check the facts BEFORE printing a story.
As of October 14, TODAY, John Ramsey continues to OWN AND FLY his own private plane.
The website that the author attributes to John Ramsey as his personal crusade for justice, dnafingerprintlaw.com has nothing at all to do with John Ramsey. It is owned and registered to people who are NOT Ramsey and have nothing to do with Ramsey. In fact, it is NOT his project at all and is a glorified search engine for OTHER websites dealing with this issue. So, like his campaign and other promises, John Ramsey speaks of his crusades, but actually has none. Why didn't the author ask about the foundations and charities that he and his wife set up, only to be outed as projects never started and funds that went to nobody other than the Ramseys themselves. Now THAT would have been an appropriate question.
Those who have never followed this case will swallow this up hook, line and sinker; Ramsey as a victim of the cruel world
How about getting a job John instead of complaining that you haven't worked in 12 years. With all your history, surely you could have opened your own business to make a living; still can. You were able to fund your campaign in Michigan when you ran for office, but can't afford to find a way to make a living without selling your plane, which you didn't have to do, either it seems
How about you stop pointing the finger at those you know damn well had nothing to do with this crime and start looking inward instead. It is there you will find the criminal/s you are looking for.
As for this author, her remarks leave me with the impression that she is courting him (although I understand she is married)
What's with the "hair the color of cornstalks in winter" remarks? Get a room! This is as biased an article as it gets, which by itself is acceptable, EXCEPT when the subject is a murdered six year old child who has never received justice and with Mary Lacy exonerating the prime suspects without legal nor scientific cause is just disgraceful!
Shame on you
But don't take my word for it anyone; check all the facts yourselves.
The article states, "After Geraldo Rivera broadcast a mock trial of the Ramseys, Patsy went to bed for two days. They took all of the TV sets out of the house and cancelled the newspapers."
In fact, the statement about the "TV sets" is not necessarily true, as video of John and Patsy (shot for the first Michael Tracey documentary) taken in the same house claimed as having had its TV sets removed shows them relaxing calmly in their living room, watching their TV set. This footage was filmed just shortly after the "mock trial."
The article states, " 'A Japanese camera crew even broke into Burke's school,' John says."
In fact, the camera crew did not break into the school. They were caught filming on the playground outside of the school, which is an act of trespass but far from "breaking in."
Oh brother. What a mess this article is. You didn't think you could fool us with a Ramsey press release, did you? Lucinda Franks is married to a prosecutor too, the top dog in Manhattan. You'd think she'd know something about crime, but nope. She didn't display one ounce of research or critical thinking here. She should know that John's "wheat colored" locks are as phony as the story he told her.
Come on, Daily Beast. Leave the crime stories alone if you don't know what you're doing. You wouldn't give science stories to a cartoonist, would you? We crime fans are a huge audience, don't insult us with garbage.
Why did the Ramsey's obtain services of separate lawyers immediately post murder? What explains the handwriting in the ransom note that was virtually identical to Patsy Ramsey's? Why invite friends over to your home that was assumed at the time to be a virgin crime scene of their daughter's kidnapping? Answer these hard questions first, Mr. Ramsey, before boring us with bemoaning the loss of multiple houses and rich man's play things.
This would be a good time for Ms. Franks to sit down with her husband, actually review this case with a prosecutor who would only be ashamed of his counterparts in Boulder.
I would ask that you do your homework Ms. Franks and read up on this case, consult your husband, and then come back and write an article about this case if you dare and if you aren't afraid of Lin Wood's threats.
I think those who follow crime and follow this case particularly would have a great deal more respect for you if you checked your facts first and then wrote a proper story based on the realities, not John Ramsey's fantasies about himself
I have alway believed that John and Patsy are innocent. Police were totally inept. Somebody killed their beautiful little girl and it is a sin that this case has never been solved.
How could unidentified DNA eliminate the Ramseys (or anyone) as suspects?
Why would JR not be able to bear hearing a child cry?
Why does he keep lying all the time?
Stay out of Vegas John
I only read the piece because Lucinda Franks wrote it. I had no interest in J Ramsey, but now I feel that Franks is on to one of the great American tragedies of the last century. As far as I can see, there's no proof, no motive, and nothing to gain for Ramsey. You can believe what you want, but what Franks does superbly is to present the man as he is now, after an endless investigation that has set him wandering from place to place, left him friendless, jobless, and nearly destroyed.
People are so judgmental until the tragedy becomes theirs. Then they want the sympathy and understanding of the world. Until then then are cruel and heartless. John Ramsey has been through his hell here on earth and I pray for him. Those that think otherwise I'm sure don't have true facts or knowledge on which to base their opinion. People gather their prejudices along with their ignorance. Dasl929
To all the New Yorkers who don't know anything about the Ramsey case. Here it is, in a nutshell, the special treatment afforded ONLY to the Ramseys by the Boulder DA's office, from a police detective who resigned over the DA's office being "hopelessly compromised", and sold out to the Ramseys:
crimeADM: How different would this case have been handled if this had been a normal, middle-class family?
stevethomas: imho, drastically and completely different. the Ramseys were afforded opportunities, concessions, and privileges that i had never seen any other suspect afforded in any criminal investigation, ever. we could go on for hours on this topic alone.
http://jfjbr.tripod.com/truth/stchat.html
One of the new DA's top advisors just happens to be a former prosecutor under Robert Morganthau. The kid gloves treatment and one sided piece by Morganthau's wife stinks. It is offensive to everyone who knows ALL the facts about the Ramsey case, and John Ramsey, that she deliberately avoids.
For all of you know-it-alls out there, did you know that there was an exact duplicate crime of this nature in the Boulder area approximately one year after the Ramsey case. A person broke into and hid in a house and when the mother and 12 year old daughter returned home (the father was out of town) and went to bed, the stranger crept into the daughter's room and tried to quiet her and carry her out of the room and down the stairs. The girl did not stay quiet but she let out a tremendous scream that brought her mother running. The creep then ran down the hall and actually crashed through a second story window out of the house and escaped. I suppose that was Burke or John Ramsey too? Who cares about his plane and/or boat.. the real truth is that this family had a terrible crime happen to them and then was crucufued by an inept government entity (is that redundant?)
Mr. Ramsey,
I am so sorry for the hell that you and your family has gone through. It is indeed a haunting life story. I find it hard to believe that your daughter's killer will not be found out eventually...forensics should find the answer. Have you ever considered contacting Dr Henry Lee the forensic expert? He's quite amazing forensically.
May you find some peace in your life for the rest of your life. My heartfelt condolences.