Family Secrets

When you hear the name, JonBenét Ramsey some picture the six year old beauty queen performing in a pageant or the photos of the bright eyed little girl that flooded the media since December of 1996.

You probably even know the story, (or at least the part that you believe to be the truth) of how a six year old little girl was killed in her own home in Boulder Colorado the day after Christmas. You know that her killer was never found even though many believe that all of the evidence points to her own family member as her killer.

You may even remember the photos of her home nearly two weeks after Christmas, the lawn in front of the elegant, red-brick Tudor mansion still decorated for the holidays. A small Santa in a red-and-green sleigh sat under a giant evergreen tree by the driveway. And striped candy canes line the path to the front door.

Your mind may even wander to the headlines that showed the entire property bordered by bright yellow crime-scene tape, like a package no one wanted to open.

But what we do remember is the presumption of guilt that confronted John and Patricia Ramsey on the day after Christmas, when their 6-year-old daughter, JonBenét, a lovely child who had won the local Little Miss Christmas beauty pageant, was discovered dead in the basement of their home, with duct tape over her mouth and a cord twisted around her neck.

The ripples of shock quickly spread from Boulder across the nation, in the wake of a crime as brutal as it was baffling. A ransom note left in the house demanded the oddly precise sum of $118,000, but there was no sign of a break-in. Although JonBenét’s half-brother John, 20, had been with the family Christmas Day, the only people known to have been in the Ramsey home that night are JonBenét, her nine year old brother, Burke and her parents, Patricia (Patsy) and John, who found his daughter’s body.

The local authorities later determined that JonBenét had been sexually assaulted. If we don’t have the full resources of all the law-enforcement community on this case, an emotional John Ramsey said a few days later, I am going to be very upset.

But given the strange circumstances of the crime, it would be unusual, to say the least, for kidnappers to kill their victim, stash the body in her home and leave a ransom note behind.

Speculation in the media immediately arose that someone close to JonBenét, perhaps a family member, was involved. Nor did the Ramseys help dispel such suspicions. Four days after the murder, John and Patsy each hired their own criminal lawyer. Many believed that this was a sign of guilt and a way to protect themselves from any forthcoming criminal charges.

They soon added a private investigator and a high-powered public-relations consultant. Even stranger, they had refused a formal, taped interview with investigators about the murder.

Instead they went on CNN on New Year’s Day to deny they had anything to hide. Asked about conjecture that he or his wife might be involved, John Ramsey said he found it nauseating beyond belief. The next day, though, Boulder mayor Leslie Durgin pointedly told the press, There isn’t a crazed killer on the loose.

Many believe that what he was saying was that they knew who the killer was and that they lived inside the Ramsey home.

Authorities insisted that no one had been ruled in or out as a suspect and refused to divulge any details of their investigation. But they confirmed that they had obtained search warrants for the Ramseys’ home in Boulder and their vacation home in northern Michigan.

There are certain facts in this case that only the killer and the police are aware of, said Boulder Police spokeswoman Leslie Aaholm, and it is vital to our investigation that the integrity of the information remain intact.

Over the first few months since the killing a few details have emerged. Police sources told reporters that JonBenét had suffered a skull fracture before she was strangled, and investigators reportedly concluded that the paper used for the ransom note had been taken from a legal pad that had been found in the house. It was also reported that police had recovered a second note from the house, which may have been a partial rough draft of the final ransom note.

Many friends and associates of the Ramseys however, believe that the suggestion that someone in the Ramsey family might be responsible seemed incredible.

There was never any indication of anything wrong in that home, says businessman Joe Saportas, who lived next door to the Ramseys in Atlanta, where they resided until 1991.

I’d leave my kids with them anytime. Shirley Brady, who worked as a nanny for the Ramseys in Atlanta from 1986 to 1989, said. Anybody who thinks that this family could have committed this atrocious thing is insane, Brady told The Denver Post. Nothing bothers John more than anybody being mean to his children. He adored his children.

Many took the praises of the Ramseys with a grain of salt. It appeared as being family friends trying to defend them no matter what the public believed.

But the support of the Ramseys was echoed by those who also only had passing contact with the Ramseys. Photographer Randy Simons, who spent a day shooting a portfolio of JonBenét, recalls being struck by the uncommon devotion between Patsy and JonBenét. Patsy was your normal mom who absolutely loved her kid, says Simons. She had the opportunity to spend a huge amount of time with JonBenét, and they were just really close. In his eyes, they were the perfect mother and the perfect daughter.

But to the world it seemed as though the lifestyle of JonBenét was far from perfect. There was one video that showed JonBenét, who had won half-dozen pageants, including a 1995 Little Miss Colorado title and a 1996 America’s Royale Miss Title, dancing in flirtatious–even provocative–fashion. Photographs also surfaced of her in heavy makeup more suited to a woman at least three times her age.

It’s impossible to look at these photos and not see a terribly exploited little girl, Denver Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Steinhauser told reporters. You get this uncomfortable, sad feeling that she didn’t get the chance to be a normal 6-year-old kid.

Patsy’s friends insist that she was anything but a domineering stage mother. She was not like some of the mothers who are so competitive, says Diane Hayes, a Colorado Springs mother who met the Ramseys through pageants. Patsy really wanted JonBenét to have fun with it, and she did.

Some acquaintances even wonder if all the attention lavished on JonBenét, however innocent and well meaning, hadn’t left her brother Burke feeling slightly left out. One neighbor recalls that JonBenét seemed to get all the attention. Hers was the name one heard all the time, says the woman. I don’t think Burke ever got much of a reference. Simons recalls Patsy telling him of JonBenét, This is not just my daughter, this is my best friend.

JonBenét herself appeared to have a close and loving relationship with her brother. In fact it may have been difficult for anyone to resist her. A naturally attractive child, she was also an exceptionally bright little girl who was fond of dancing and singing. It was that spirit made her death all the more shattering to those who knew her. Meanwhile the Ramseys were left to cope with their nightmare as best they could. The burden of being the object of so much suspicion was slowly taking its toll.

Then the world would watch a tearful Patsy while being interviewed on CNN say in a whisper. There is a killer on the loose, through tears she continued, I don’t know if it’s a he or a she, but if I were a resident of Boulder, I would tell my friends to keep your babies close to you.

Some say that they witnessed the heartfelt sorrow of a grieving mother, while others claim it to be a world-class performance of a guilty person.

Over the years numerous books, movies and documentaries have been made about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey. And each one claimed to be the untold truth and promised a bombshell of a revelation into the real killer’s identity.

We will take the real facts of the case and put them together to look at the life, death and investigations into the tragic life of JonBenét Ramsey.

Let’s start at the beginning, before the nightmare of Christmas 1996.

John and Patsy

John Bennett Ramsey was born on December 7, 1943, the first of two sons, to James (Jay) and Mary Bennett Ramsey in Omaha, Nebraska. His brother, Jeffrey, was born five years later. A former Air Force pilot and decorated World War II veteran, Jay worked as a flight instructor in several private schools after leaving the military. Shortly after Kin's birth, Jay was appointed as the Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics. In 1957 Jay left his home state of Nebraska and this job to move his family to Okemos, Michigan, not far from Lansing, were he eventually became head of the Michigan Aeronautics Commission. It was rumored that during his career in Michigan he was twice considered for appointment as head of the Federal Aviation Administration once during President Kennedy's term in office and again after the election of Richard Nixon. But neither opportunity was ever offered to Jay, and he remained as Director of Michigan's Aeronautics Commission for 22 years until his retirement in 1979. Jay Ramsey had a reputation both in his professional and in his personal life of being reserved and authoritarian traits he would pass on to his eldest son.

The Ramsey sons were raised in a home environment dominated by their father that stressed responsibility and achievement. By all accounts John seemed to live up to his parents' expectations. There was a remarkable physical resemblance between John and his father, and John inherited many of his father's personality characteristics as well. Even in his teenage years John was considered intelligent, ambitious, focused and. above all, a very private person.

John's growing years were spent in Okemos and he graduated from Okemos High School. He was on the high school track team his freshman year, but that was the extent of his sports ambitions. John's interests leaned toward academic and leadership roles, and he was a member of the school's honor society. John did display some musical interest and played in the high school band fox two years. He was a very popular student throughout his school years many of his friends still fondly remember the private flights they shared with John in planes piloted by his father.

John enrolled at Lansing's Michigan State University after graduating from high school. He became president of the Theta Chi fraternity and joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps. In 1966, John graduated with a degree in electrical engineering.

While in college he met his first wife, Lucinda von Pasch, also a student at Michigan State, and they were married in July, 1966 after graduation. Seen after their marriage, John enlisted with the U. S. Navy and was accepted into the Officer Candidate School in Rhode Island after completing officer training, he was transferred to California and eventually to the Philippines for two years of active duty at the Subic Bay Training Center (SBTC). While John was stationed at SBTC he received his pilot's wing". He continued to move up in the ranks of the military, and his record if filled with numerous commendations for his performance and character. John was noted as an outstanding officer, highly intelligent and well respected by his fellow officers. In 1971, John left active duty and went on reserve status in older to return to Michigan State to obtain his master's degree in marketing.

John's and Lucinda's first child, Elizabeth, was born on July 15, 1969, and on November 14, 1971, the second daughter, Melinda, was born. John moved his growing family to Atlanta, Georgia in 1973 where John started his career path in the computer industry. There his first son, John Andrew was born on July 24, 1976.

Soon after the arrival of the third child, the marriage began to unravel, and the Ramseys were divorced in 1978. Then a family of middle income means, Lucinda was awarded $800 a month in spousal and child support, the family station wagon, the modest family home and custody of the three children. It appeared that the divorce was cordial, and John and Lucinda remained on friendly terms. The children maintained a close relationship with their father and usually spent the weekends with him.

John admits that contributing to the marital problems was an affair he had with a secretary at his company in the late 1970’s. Although this was the only affair John would admit to during either of his marriages, other women would eventually confirm that they too had had sexual relationships with John.

No matter which friend or coworker you talk to, they all describe John as quiet, reserved, non-confrontational and slow to anger - some even called him cold. In spite of the reserved public appearance, John was known as a loving and devoted father.

Patricia Ana Paugh Ramsey was born on December 29th, 1956 to Donald and Nedra Paugh in Parkersburg, West Virginia where she resided until her graduation from high school.

Nedra and Donald Paugh, an engineer and a manager at Union Carbide, raised their daughters Patsy, Pamela and Paulette in a modest two-story brick house. At Parkersburg High School, Patsy excelled, winning many awards—three banquet tables full.

She also was active on the school's speech and debate team, and twice made the state championship as a member of this team. She also joined the drill team and was active in the school’s recycling program. Just a joy to have in class, recalls Andre Brown, her social studies teacher. She always seemed to know where she was going in life. Patsy has always been described as an outgoing and caring person.

One primary goal was Atlantic City, where Miss Americas are crowned. By high school Patsy had caught what she referred to as pageant fever. Patsy and her younger sister, Pam, were involved in the pageant circuit, winning at county fairs and other local beauty contests. Nedra had become a driving force behind the sisters' pageant participation, and both daughters always acquiesced to their domineering mother's wishes..

In 1977, while still a college student, Patsy entered the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City as Miss West Virginia. This was her third, and finally successful, attempt at the title of Miss West Virginia. Her sister, Pam, won the same title three years later. Although Patsy was not selected as a finalist in the Miss America competition, she did receive a talent – award for her dramatic reading of an essay she composed, Kiss of Death, and was awarded a $2,000 scholarship.

Patsy proved so good at ribbon cuttings, parades and such that she landed a summer public relations job with the state. She was just charming as all get-out, says Albert Cox, who headed the Miss West Virginia pageant. She commanded a lot of attention when she walked into a room.

Years after her competition in the Miss America pageant, Patsy stayed active in the organization and often served as a judge and worked on their fundraising campaigns. Her Miss West Virginia dress and sash were proudly put on display in her bedroom whenever the family home was opened for public tours. She once said that although people would forget her name or the state she represented, they would always remember her affiliation with the program and "hold it in the highest regard.''

After graduating magna cum laude in advertising from WVU’s School of Journalism in 1979, Patsy moved to Atlanta Georgia to take a job with McCann Erickson Advertising Agency. Still following Patsy's moves, the rest of Patsy's family left Charleston, West Virginia after Don Paugh's retirement from Union Carbide and also moved to Atlanta.

That is when she met John Ramsey, then a recently divorced father of three. They married at Atlanta’s Peachtree Presbyterian Church in 1980.

Some of John’s friends said that the two rushed into marriage. And many longtime friends of both John and Patsy thought the marriage between these two individuals was strange because of their opposite personalities. Patsy was extremely social and gregarious, while John was considered to be reserved and very quiet. He was never open with his affection even in the early dating stage of their relationship. When out with friends for an evening, John sat at the dinner table while Patsy danced with other males in the group.

After the marriage, Patsy worked with John at Microsouth a company owned by John and ran out of their home. John's business specialized in selling and setting up computers manufactured by other companies. Patsy gave up her career after the birth of her first child and concentrated on social and charitable work. She volunteered for fundraising for the local children's hospital, and was a member of Atlanta’s Garden Club and the local Junior league - a national charitable organization with local affiliations, the members of which are the wives of the affluent community leaders and businessmen.

John did not actively participate in the Atlanta social life, but he did become a deacon at the church the family attended.

Soon after Patsy gave up her working career, she and John's roles in the marriage became defined at that point.

Patsy took control of the household matters, including the raising of the children and John was free to pursue his rising career in the computer industry and frequent travel schedule. Although Patsy was in charge of the household, John still kept tight rein on the family's financial affairs. Patsy was given a checking account to pay household bills and personal expenses, but generally was not privy to information on John's income and investment matters.

If there were any problems in the marriage, it was handled in the typical Southern tradition of 'sweeping it under the rug by all outward appearances everything looked perfect on the surface. Some friends say the Ramsey family was too perfect almost make believe".

John maintained his reserve officer military career even though he owned his own business. In 1993 John was retired by statutory requirement although his official discharge would not come until 1995.

After his military retirement John formed a new company with partner, Tom Woolsey named Advanced Products Group. This company was one of three companies that merged in 1989 to create the existing entity of the Boulder based Access Graphics, a wholesale computer products distributor. Access Graphics occupied the tallest building on Boulder's quaint and colorful Pearl Street mall.

The majority of businesses on this pedestrian mall were art shops, coffee houses and boutique stores. John eventually became President and Chief Executive officer of Access Graphics, a company that employs over 500 people and has offices in Mexico City and Amsterdam. In 1989, Lockheed Martin, one of the nation's largest aerospace corporations, purchased 73 percent of the stock in Access Graphics, making John a director of Lockheed.

John eventually hired Don Paugh as vice president in charge of operations. When the company moved to Boulder, Paugh stayed in a Boulder apartment maintained by Access Graphics when it was necessary for him to be away from the family home in Roswell, Georgia. Paugh relished the life style afforded by Boulder and spent more time there than actually was necessary for company business.

Because of his frequency in town, he became one of the primary babysitters for the Ramseys' children. At one time, Nedra and Patsy's two sisters, Pam and Polly, were also put on the payrolls of Access Graphics. Nedra retired in 1993 because she disliked not only the town of Boulder, but the apartment provided by Access Graphics. In fact, she was not hesitant to tell anyone how much she disliked Boulder and everything about it. In spite of her attitude towards the town in which her daughter and son in law now lived, she continued to support the marriage.

She once remarked, 'As long as Mr. Ramsey brought in the money, we’ll spend it." She remained a very strong influence in Patsy’s life, either visiting her often in Boulder or through Patsy's many trips back to Georgia.

The formation of John's new company brought many changes in his and Patsy's life. In November of 1991 after two years of commuting between Atlanta and Boulder, John moved his family to Boulder the new headquarters of Access Graphics. A two story, red brick tutor style house, located at 711 15th Street in one of Boulder's older affluent neighborhoods, was selected for raising their family. However, major remodeling would have to be done prior to fitting the community image and life style required of the president of one of Boulder's fastest growing corporations and his socially prominent, Southern belle wife.

A third story was added to the home which contained a home office and a massive master bedroom, said to be 1,500 square feet. A spiral staircase was constructed to join this new third floor to the second level where the children's bedrooms were located. When completed the house contained 15 rooms, including a newly constructed catering kitchen for Patsy's many parties, four bedrooms and five full and three partial baths. Some of the