JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case Essay Example

The Ramseys were a picture-perfect family. Their life was filled with joy, money, and beauty, but nothing wonderful lasts forever. On December 26, 1996, in Colorado, six-year-old pageant star JonBenet Patricia Ramsey was found gruesomely battered and killed in the basement of her own home. After two decades of searching for a suspect, the case remains a mystery to everyone. After watching the case spiral through the media, many started to develop their own theories on JonBenet’s murder. Although there are many assumptions regarding JonBenet Ramsey’s death, the most reliable theory is that she was killed by her brother, Burke Ramsey, while her parents maintain his innocence. 

First of all, Burke Ramsey was known to be a troubled kid. He struggled with many mental issues that could have easily influenced the murder of JonBenet. Growing up, Burke’s anger issues were a huge problem revolving around the family. FBI special agent Jim Clemente said, “Burke had a history of scatological problems” (“Burke’s Behavior – a Short Life in the Spotlight”)  He had also been known to act on his anger. For example, he once had gotten so angry that he “struck his little sister with a golf club after 'losing his temper' and left her with a scar on her face a year before her death” (By Khaleda Rahman For Dailymail.com). Also, according to Ramsey's former housekeeper, Linda Hoffman Pugh, “Burke was known to leave feces specifically in JonBenet’s bed and spread it on walls in the home” (“Burke’s Behavior – a Short Life in the Spotlight”). This is a clear example of Burke’s erratic behavior towards his sister. 

In addition to Burke’s mental episodes, there is also evidence of a quarrel that occurred between the two siblings. The night before Jonbenet’s murder, she and Burke were said to have had a heated argument over some fruit. Burke had gotten a bowl of pineapples from his mother, Patsy, that night, and JonBenet wanted some as it was her favorite snack. FBI agents suggest that “ If Burke was upset about circumstances or Christmas presents, he probably would have been upset about her trying to snag a piece of pineapple” (By Khaleda Rahman For Dailymail.com). Overall, there are many reasons to believe that the evidence points to Burke. 

Furthermore, the lack of evidence found around the home suggests that there was no outside intruder and instead claims that someone inside the home was responsible for the murder of JonBenet. As investigators searched around the home, many details struck out as odd. The night before JonBenet was killed, weather reports show that “it had snowed lightly several times between Dec. 23 and 26” (“No Fresh Tracks Outside Home after Jonbenet Reported Missing | the Spokesman-Review”).  However,  after hours of searching, no one could find any significant prints or indications of someone being at the home. Of course, this struck investigators as very unusual and they began to question what was going on inside the Ramsey’s home. Along with the footprints, investigators took note of the room that JonBenet was found in. The window in the basement where JonBenet was found was far too small for anyone to get in and out of. John had also claimed to have broken the window himself to get in the house when he had forgotten his keys. When asked if she ever recalled getting the window replaced, Patsy Ramsey stated, “ Yeah, uh, I can’t remember. I just can’t remember whether I got it replaced or not” (Docg).  John also could not recall if the window was ever fixed or left broken. Overall, every answer leads to more questions, just like so many other aspects of this event.

Subsequently, the evidence that was found inside the home better proves the family was involved. Not only did the entire situation seem very suspicious from the beginning, but the crime scene itself was also very messy and included many mistakes. One of the first pieces of evidence that led many to believe the Ramsey’s were involved was the questionable 911 phone call. Around the end of the call, one could hear Burke and his parents talking in the background “ Mr. Ramsey's voice saying 'we're not speaking to you' before Mrs. Ramsey allegedly asks: 'What did you do? Help me, Jesus'” (By Khaleda Rahman For Dailymail.com). Along with the 911 call, one of the first things police noticed was the long ransom note. Before finding JonBenet’s body, there was a ransom note left for Patsy and John. The note contained three full pages of information regarding JonBenet and how to get her back. The note did not appear to be authentic, according to investigators, who described it as “ essentially the longest ransom note in history” and was written on paper that was torn from a notebook, which was later found in Mrs. Ramsey’s bedroom.  (“What Did the JonBenét Ramsey Ransom Note Say? It’s Extremely Unusual”). Another red flag that agents found within the note was the amount of ransom money that was demanded. The note, “ asked for $118,000 for the safe return of JonBenet, which is almost the exact value of a bonus that her father John Ramsey had received earlier that year.”( Rahman). This proves that someone in the family could have written this note, knowing that he had that amount of money. All of these strange actions and coincidences point the finger at the Ramseys and suggest that they were the ones responsible for writing the note since no one else would have had knowledge of their financial information. 

Finally, the autopsy results suggested that Burke was responsible. Looking at JonBenet’s autopsy report, there was an, “ 8 1/2-inch fracture ran the length of the right side of her head and she also had bruises and abrasions on her shoulders, legs, and feet” (Mears). This supports that she was struck on the head by an object strong enough to kill her. A flashlight was found inside the home that matched the size of JonBenet’s injuries. Investigators believe that JonBenet and Burke could have gotten into a fight over pineapple that could have, “ prompted Burke to lash out and strike her with a flashlight, killing her” (Cheer). Also when JonBenet was examined, there was pineapple “ found in her stomach in the autopsy, meaning she ate some shortly before her death” (Stockton). This helps to confirm the investigators’ claim that Jonbenet did indeed eat Burke’s pineapple before her brutal murder. Given that his mental outbursts were not uncommon, this situation could have easily given Burke the motive to attack his sister. 

To conclude, the evidence provided from the case suggests that the most reliable theory is that Burke Ramsey is responsible for his younger sister's death. Over the course of his childhood, Burke has proven himself to be mentally capable of harming his sister. It is no mystery that the two children did not exactly get along with each other.  It is possible that when the parents realized what had taken place, they acted out in fear to save their remaining child. Although it may seem transparent as to who was responsible for this horrific tragedy, JonBenet’s case remains open. She may never get the justice that she deserves.