JonBenét Ramsey Flashback

Broward criminal attorney finds it interesting how the media and the general public fixate on certain crimes, while many more go unnoticed and, in many cases, unsolved and unpunished. In the 1990s, several high-profile cases captured the attention of the masses, including the O.J. Simpson murder trial and the death of JonBenét Ramsey. Fort Lauderdale attorney Moore believes that those cases received the kind of media attention that Casey Anthony has been receiving over the past months.

JonBenét Ramsey was a little girl who lived with her family in Boulder, Colorado. Born in 1990, she became a star in the beauty pageants for her age group. JonBenét was reported missing on December 26, 1996, after her mother Patsy apparently found a ransom note in the family’s home. The note demanded $118,000 for the child’s safe return. The figure was the same amount as a bonus John Ramsey, JonBenét’s father, had received from his job. When police and family members were searching the home hours later, John Ramsey found his daughter’s body underneath a blanket in the basement.

The police allowed the Ramseys’ friends and family members in and out of the home for hours after it was determined to be the scene of a crime, a move that has earned the Boulder police department significant criticism about their failure to protect the integrity of any evidence. The investigation focused early on the Ramseys, which also possibly prevented the appropriate gathering of evidence at the time. At least some investigators believed from the beginning that the Ramseys were responsible for their daughter’s murder, even developing the theory that her mother had killed her after becoming enraged that the little girl had wet the bed.

Years later, the Ramseys are no longer suspects. Patsy Ramsey has died and the District Attorney notified John Ramsey last year that she was “deeply sorry” for the scrutiny and harm they had endured. New evidence, particularly DNA found on JonBenét’s clothing items years after the initial crime, has completely cleared the Ramseys and they are no longer considered to be suspects in the murder.

Unfortunately, Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney Moore says that many crimes are never solved. The shoddy police work that occurred in the Ramsey case can happen when investigators prematurely hone in on a potential perpetrator, which can lead to the failure to observe or preserve contrary evidence – evidence which could not only lead to the real perpetrator, but also exonerate another suspect.

Broward criminal lawyer William Moore has experience in all kinds of criminal defense, including sex crimes and DUI. A conviction for a felony or misdemeanor can have consequences on your freedom, your employment, and your personal life. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in the south Florida area, contact William Moore, P.A., which has offices in Fort Lauderdale-Dade, Broward, and Fort Lauderdale Counties.

Article contributed by Mallory Shipman, Esq.