JonBenet Ramsey Murder | Ransom Note Analysis | Mental Health & Personality

welcome to my scientifically informed insider look at mental health topics if you find this video to be interesting or helpful please like it and subscribe to my channel this is dr. grande today's question asks if I can analyze the mental health and personality factors that may be at work in the JonBenet Ramsey case this 1996 murder case became popular because of the odd circumstances surrounding the death of a six-year-old beauty pageant participant JonBenet Ramsey including a two and a half page handwritten ransom note just a reminder I'm not diagnosing anybody in this video only speculating about what could be happening a situation like this first I'll take a look at the crime and then I'll examine the mental health and personality factors including looking at the evidence that points toward the guilt and innocence of different people that may be involved in this murder so starting with the crime this takes us to December 26 1996 in Boulder Colorado Patricia Ramsey also known as Patsy calls 911 one at 5:52 a.m. to report that she has found a ransom note and her daughter JonBenet Ramsey is missing Patricia also called family and friends informing them that JonBenet Ramsey was missing the ransom note specifically cautioned against contacting anyone the police arrived three minutes after the 911 call the three people in the home were Patsy her husband John and their nine-year-old son Burke the ransom note was written to John Ramsey and has specified that the kidnappers would be calling between 8 and 10 a.m. in pursuit of their demand 118 thousand dollars that call never came the police cordoned off JonBenet Ramsey's bedroom but they did not search the house it wasn't until over seven hours later that the police would ask John Ramsey and one of his neighbors that came over to search the house and look for anything that was out of place John Ramsey went directly to the basement and came up from the basement carrying Jon Benet saying that he found her behind a latch door going to a room that was rarely used JonBenet's body was covered with a white blanket there was a cord wrapped around her wrists and her neck and it appeared that she had been strangled with a garrote there was duct tape over a mouth which John removed before coming up the steps then he covered her body with a throw blanket John Ramsey had been instructed prior to this to leave everything where it was right not to disturb anything at this point the crime scene was contaminated now moving to January 1997 we see at this point it was determined that Jon Benet died from a skull fracture and strangulation in April of 97 we see the police interview John and Patsy in December of 1997 the police indicate that they are highly suspicious of the couple January 1998 the couple refuses to be interviewed by the police a second time so we see kind of a foolish mistake here by the police they let their suspicions about the couple be known so it kind of makes sense that the couple would not want to cooperate from this point on the police looked at a number of suspects not only the people in the home but they also looked at neighbors and other people they thought may have committed similar crimes moving to October 1999 we see that the district attorney announces that there will be no indictments in this case this takes us all the way to June 2006 Patsey dies of ovarian cancer in August 2006 a former schoolteacher named John Mark Karr is arrested after confessing to the crime he was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing so it appears like he was just looking for fame 2008 we see John Patsy and Burke are exonerated based on the results of testing for touch DNA many people have disagreed with this exoneration October 2010 the police conduct a new round of interviews then in January 2013 we see a report indicating the 1999 grand jury had voted to indict John and Patsy in connection with the death of John Binet but the DA believed that there was not enough evidence and they would not sign the indictment as of the time of making this video this case is still unsolved so now moving to this question who is responsible and looking at the mental health and personality factors so I don't know who did this this is really just all speculation like I always say I'm just waiting about a situation like this I'll take a look at the evidence that points toward the idea that somebody in the house committed the crime and then I'll look at the evidence that points against that so that would point toward an intruder so pointing toward people in the house evidence of a break-in was restricted to just one area there's a broken window in the basement there's a hard suitcase that was pushed flush against that same wall and there's a scuff mark on that wall in the opening there was an undisturbed spiderweb although John said that he broke that window months before after he locked himself out of the house right so by what he's saying that broken window was not tied to the crime we also see this unusual ransom note it came from one of Patsy's notepads and was written with a sharpie similar to one that Patsy owned we see the $118,000 referenced in that note was almost identical to the amount that John had recently received as a bonus they're also apparent references to Dirty Harry and a movie speed and there were movie posters in the house so it makes it look like the people in the house like movies and then they use those references this is really one of the most fascinating pieces of evidence and one of the few items in this case that really gives us any type of look into possible mental health and personality factors now it's possible this was a legitimate ransom note but that seems unlikely there are several important aspects of this note I'm gonna go through many of these in detail so first here why on earth would somebody write a note this long as they're in the commission of a crime because it came from Patsy's note bat it's theorized that whoever wrote it did not write it in advance if there really was a kidnapper they certainly would have brought the note with them the timing doesn't make sense either with this note were to believe that the alleged kidnapper wrote the note prior to attempting the crime we know that John Binet was eventually killed the intruder certainly didn't write the letter afterward that window made me sense the fact that it was handwritten in the moment also makes me wonder how that person stayed so calm like their hands should have been shaking of course this would be the case whether this was a family member or an intruder whoever wrote the note would have had to stay calm long enough to complete it if the motive really was to kidnap JonBenet why did the kidnapper leave the body behind that way the Ramseys wouldn't have known if JonBenet was dead or not therefore they would have still paid the ransom why was the note addressed to mr. Ramsay this is a little formal for a ransom note we see they reference a small foreign faction I found this to be peculiar why would they use the word small someone representing a small foreign faction would not want to draw attention to the fact that it was not large it's just not the way one refers to a small for infection it's like whoever wrote this really didn't understand small foreign factions at all how did the writer know about John Ramsay's bonus write only a few people would have had this information there's a lot of unnecessary language in the letter it has kind of an artistic feel to it for example it says we have your daughter in our possession kind of legal sounding it also says if we monitor you getting the money early monitor seems like a strange choice of words the ransom note talks about deviating from instructions it warns that you will be denied her remains for proper burial for most people contemplating paying a ransom would this be a deal-breaker would they think to themselves I would really like her back but I don't want to spend the money and then they read the note a little further and they see the part about not getting the body back and they say oh that does it I'm convinced let's pay the ransom I think if somebody's engaging in a kidnapping they would know that the victims safe return is the key item that they are selling there's no need to try to create an additional incentive for somebody to follow the instructions they're already properly incentivized the note also seems to give a lot of advice make sure you bring an adequate sized attache to the bank the delivery will be exhausting so I advise you to be rested as I was reading this I was expecting the writers say don't forget to grab your comfortable shoes brush your teeth before you leave the house and please don't forget your seat belt the letter demonstrates an unusual degree of concern for the details of the Ramsay's experience as they try to deliver the Ransom like paying the ransom really isn't good enough they want the Ramseys to have a good customer experience they want them to be satisfied with everything that happened like we would expect that after the victim was returned there's a customer survey that comes along with it right rate one to five how did you like this kidnapping it's just not something that a kidnapper would do they're not concerned with the feelings of any of the victims the entire letter is just disconnected from the brutality of kidnapping and of course disconnected from the brutality of the murder that actually occurred it demonstrates far too much sensitivity for the Ramseys point of view I think this ransom note is one of the best indications pointing toward the involvement of the Ramseys I know there have been all these handwriting experts that say that Patsy didn't write the letter but it really seems unlikely that anyone else did write the letter I have a real difficulty believing the intruder would have written this now of course it's possible that John wrote it but again I think Patsy would be the more obvious suspect in this case so that covers the ransom notes now moving along with the evidence we see Patsy's paintbrush was used as the murder weapon right so we have the paper written in the note potentially the Sharpie used to write the note and now the paintbrush used as a garrote a flashlight or a baseball bat may have been the murder weapon we see the couple denies owning a flashlight that was found on the scene this seems unusual like they're trying to keep a distance from anything that could implicate them even something that would not have prompted suspicion so many people own a flashlight again it's like they're pushing every possible connection away there's this inaudible portion of Patsy's 9-1-1 call it does make it seem like something's being covered up right there's just parts where you can't hear it and it makes people wonder what was being discussed there are many disagreements about what was being said in that portion John and Patsy called family and friends immediately after calling the police this makes no sense as if they're trying to deliberately contaminate the crime scene John Ramsey failed to follow the police instructions and did in fact contaminate the crime scene we see the two hours from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. passed and there was no call from the kidnapper when that time asked neither John nor Patsy said anything like they didn't expect there to be a call in the first place now there's been lot talk about Burks interview on phil mcgraw people have suggested because he was smiling during that interview he must have had something to do with the crime but the smiling part could have just been anxiety it's the uncomfortable topic all those cameras are pointed to him that interview really could be scary right so I don't really think that interview points toward guilt for Burke now pointing against guilt for the people in the house we see an absence of a motive for John and Patsy Ramsey and of course an absence of motive in the case of Burke they had no reason to commit the crime we see this footprint found outside the house there's a lot of disagreement about that I guess technically this points toward an intruder but anybody could have made that footprint a few windows in the house were open just a little it was Christmastime and they were running electrical cords outside for the lights so there is technically an alternative here other than that broken window in the basement someone could have approached one of those windows that were cracked open open to the rest away climbed in committed the murder and then left and then closed it on the way out it's not really likely but again technically possible we see these two marks that were found on JonBenet's body that seemed to be consistent with a stun gun there's no indication three mcs owned one of those but others disagree that a stun gun would make those marks so it may have been something else that caused those marks and then finally looking at the evidence against guilt for the Ramseys we see that DNA was found on JonBenet's body and that DNA did not belong to anybody in the house and of course this was the key piece of evidence that led to their exoneration so now weighing the evidence what are my thoughts in this case well I have selected five possible explanations to review I will start with the most unlikely explanation for the crime and then move to the most likely it's important to keep in mind I'm not sure about any of these this is all just my opinion including the one that I think has the highest probability of being true so starting with the least likely explanation Birk again nine years old the time accidentally strikes JonBenet with some sort of blunt object not intending to kill her and the Ramseys cover up the crime I have several problems with this theory there are very few 9 year olds that would commit murder if Burke did do it it would be surprising that he could have tolerated the police interrogations and not revealed anything to implicate himself another problem here is that at 9 years old he wouldn't have been charged as an adult and nobody would have believed that this was intentional homicide so there would be no reason to cover it up moving to the next explanation this is the intruder theory this explanation just doesn't make a lot of sense somebody breaks into the house they spend 10 to 15 minutes writing a note they leave no fingerprints on it only Patsy's fingerprints were found on the note then they killed the victim anyway and don't take the body with them guaranteeing that there will be no ransom at the same time if somebody were irrational enough to commit this crime it does stand the reason that their behavior across multiple domains would be disorganized as well so that kind of lends some credibility to this theory moving to the next explanation John and Patsy conspired to commit premeditated murder so the problem here is really the absence of a motive although it does explain how they were able to keep their story straight and why they retained counsel early now I think it was a good idea in their position to have an attorney but most people would not do that moving to the next explanation Patsy commits the crime in the heat of the moment then John covers for her this could be what happened but we had the same problem with the motive what would have caused Patsy to get so stressed or angry that she would have committed murder we see this theory that she was frustrated with bed wetting but it's really not a strong motive then the last explanation would be that John committed the crime in he at the moment and Patsy covered for him the only reason I put this one is slightly more probable than the last one was because John appeared to be eager to contaminate the crime scene if Patsy had committed the murder I would think that she would be the one who would want to contaminate the scene with her DNA hair clothing fibers and whatever else was on her person even still this theory really has the same problems as the previous theory so putting it all together like so many unsolved crimes this case starts with an unlikely event the fact that Jon Benet was murdered at all is unusual so every explanation is going to seem unlikely as well although there has to be some explanation somewhere for this crime just looking at the statistics and explanation involving Jon and/or Patsy in some way would be the most likely they had access Patsy's property was used in the commission of the crime and the person who wrote the note knew about Jon's bonus I certainly believe that there is reasonable doubt in this case so of the two had been charged with murder then I think they would have been not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt but when it comes down to actual innocence or guilt I think guilt appears more probable than innocence in this case there's just the sense that they knew more than they were revealing I know whenever I talk about controversial cases there will be a variety of opinions please put any opinions and thoughts in the comments section they always generate an interesting dialogue as always I hope you found my analysis of this topic to be interesting thanks for watching

Channel: Dr. Todd Grande

Views: 842,577

Rating: 4.841032 out of 5

Keywords: JonBenet Ramsey, John Ramsey, Patricia Ramsey, Patsy Ramsey, murder, homicide, exoneration, beauty pageant, Little Miss Colorado, Little Miss Charlevoix, Colorado State All-Star Kids Cover Girl, America's Royale Miss, National Tiny Miss Beauty, impulsivity, aggression, sense of entitlement, narcissism, grandiose narcissism, narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, psychopathy, sociopathy, hypersensitivity to criticism, mental health, counseling

Id: iUEB9UOvLuA

Length: 16min 54sec (1014 seconds)

Published: Mon May 18 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/fight_to_write]

We have to remember though, it’s not a ransom note, it’s a rambling letter to cover up.

[u/poetic___justice]

Thank you for the link. Despite a few factual errors, this video is a fairly solid overview of the case.

The assessment of the ransom note as a strangely lengthy, awkwardly worded fake is the same basic conclusion arrived at by most other analysts. The critical observation made here is that the ransom note writer's steady hand does not betray any shaky nervousness or panic. The analyst points out that "whoever wrote the note would have to have stayed calm long enough to complete it."

This calm, cool calculated creation of fake evidence does not comport with the oft-repeated theory that -- following some sort of horrendous, deadly accident -- Patsy desperately set about composing the note as a diversion. Actually, the writer does not appear to have been desperate, nervous, panicky -- or even pressed for time.

Before throwing up his hands and citing reasonable doubt, the analyst mentions one obvious possible explanation: "John and Patsy conspired to commit premeditated murder." While observing that there is no known motive, he also correctly notes that this would explain "how they were able to keep their stories straight and why they retained counsel early."

[u/starryeyes11]

Thank you for posting. I really enjoyed this video. I think he did a pretty good job presenting his thoughts. I disagree with him on a couple of points but that doesn't take away from the video for me. I respect his thoughts.

I do think he dismisses the idea that Burke may have been involved much too easily. He doesn't touch on the idea that Burke might have committed both the head blow and the strangulation. I'm not sure if I believe that is what happened but I do not dismiss the possibility. He also seems to believe that the Ramseys would have called the police because Burke couldn't be charged. I can definitely see a situation where they wouldn't call.

He also doesn't mention the fact that, no matter who struck the head blow, the Ramseys might have believed that JonBenet was deceased. I believe that this is a possibility.

He didn't cover the fact that Patsy's jacket fibers were found on the neck ligature and on the duct tape and I think that is very important to consider.

Other than those things, for a video this short ,I think he did a very good job presenting the case. I really enjoyed what he had to say about the ransom note.

[u/ch4bb5]

I would like to know (and this may be very difficult near impossible) but I’d love to know the statistics in genuine ransom cases when the kidnappers say not to call the police how often the family actually do call the police/how long it takes them to call the police. I mean it says not to call the police first thing they do is call the cops and some friends while they were at it. Seems strange but if I were in a genuine situation and the note said no cops I don’t know what I’d do

[u/JaneDoe008]

I do not agree with his POV of Burke at all. I’d like to see a child psychologist that has dealt with young offenders for their perspective.

[u/NatashaSpeaks]

I've left comments on numerous videos asking him to do this! Can't wait to watch.

[u/robinmooon]

Thanks for posting this. I'd always love a new take on the RN.

[u/CleverCat57]

I love Dr. Grande!!

[u/paintedlion84]

Why do we assume the note was written after the crime? What if it was written while whoever did it was waiting in the house for the family to return? They were gone for hours, right? That’s plenty of time to write a rambling bunch of nonsense, maybe even over and over until they got it right. Also plenty of time to roam the house and find all kinds of ways to include tidbits of clues from around the house... movie posters, his bonus paystub or whatever, whatever else... if somebody snuck in while the family was home and maybe a door was left unlocked, they would have all kinds of time to get familiar with the family. And really, if it was just some lunatic with an obsession with her, why bother calling about the ransom trade? That wouldn’t be the point of any of it if they were just writing it to entertain themselves while they waited...

This was a great video though! Insightful for sure, and made me want to throw my current thoughts out there. 😎