The Ramsey Paradox: When 'Unfair' Means Not Playing Along
Whether you think John Ramsey is guilty or innocent, he bears tremendous responsibility for why JonBenét's killer(s) have escaped justice. The Ramseys delayed formal police interviews for nearly four months—a baffling choice for a grieving family desperate for justice. They lawyered up and brought in PR speciali. . . er, um, people to field phone calls. This didn't just protect themselves; It completely derailed the investigation. The Boulder Police Department was left without early, critical information, sent on wild goose chases over explainable evidence, and wasted time investigating pointless leads while the family was negotiating the terms of their cooperation.
Here's the revealing part: John Ramsey has repeatedly criticized the BPD for being unfair to his family. But the public—and even case experts—believe the opposite. They think the BPD was too fair. The scene was not secured. They allowed friends and clergy to roam the house, contaminating evidence. There was a lack of personnel to control the group. Formal interviews were not conducted that day after JonBenét's body was found in deference to a grieving family. This leniency isn't what you'd expect from a police department hellbent on targeting the Ramseys. The real frustration seems to be that the BPD didn't fully adopt the intruder theory, championed by Lou Smit and supported by the DA's office. So, while John claimed 'unfair treatment,' it wasn't about police bias or inappropriate focus on his family—it was about the police not playing along with his preferred narrative.
The 'Ramsey Paradox' is one of the biggest reasons JonBenét's case remains unsolved. By portraying himself as a victim of police bias, John effectively discredited the BPD while aligning with a more favorable narrative from the DA's office. The result? A fractured investigation, with police and prosecutors working against each other instead of solving the case. Whether he's guilty or innocent, John's actions shaped the investigation in ways that made justice for JonBenét even harder to achieve.
The fractured dynamic between the Boulder Police Department and the DA's office becomes even clearer when considering one crucial difference: the DA is elected, while the police are not. The DA is accountable to public opinion and political pressures. They might lean toward avoiding the fallout from targeting a prominent family. They also require support from wealthy families to run for office, get reelected, and keep their jobs. The police, on the other hand, answer to procedure and evidence, not voters. They don't take contributions. So when the DA's office backed the Ramseys with the intruder theory while the BPD remained skeptical, it wasn't just a difference in opinion—it was a difference in accountability.
