By Colleen Long, Associated Press November 3, 2002 DENVER — Former JonBenet Ramsey detective Lou Smit's resume reads like a true crime bestseller list. Now, he's been fictionalized. Author Robert L. Wise used the retired police detective as inspiration for a Christian detective named Sam Sloan in a set of mystery novels. "Lou is a very interesting guy. He looks so plain, like the guy you'd meet in line at a grocery store," Wise said. "But he's really shrewd and observant." Smit, 67, says he's not as thrilling as the character. "You look at yourself and think 'Well I'm really not that good or really not that exciting,'" he said. "Most detective work is paperwork and reports, it's not all solving crime. The books make the business glamorous." Smit has more than 20 years' experience as a police detective, but he is best known as the consultant hired by then-District Attorney Alex Hunter to work on the Dec. 26, 1996, slaying of JonBenet Ramsey. Smit resigned from the investigation in 1998 because he thought Boulder police were erroneously targeting JonBenet's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey. He says an intruder killed the former beauty queen. The case remains open and there have been no arrests. In 1995, Smit was credited with playing a major role in solving the 31/2-year-old, high-profile murder of a 13-year-old girl. As El Paso County's chief sheriff's investigator, Smit sent fingerprints from the crime scene to 92 law enforcement agencies. That led to the arrest of Robert Browne, who is serving a sentence of life without parole for the 1991 murder of Heather Dawn Church. Before joining the sheriff's office, Smit served five years as an investigator for the district attorney's office in Colorado Springs for five years and worked for the Colorado Springs Police Department for 24 years. Wise, a minister-turned-author, met Smit in Atlanta while he was working as ghost writer for the Ramseys' book, "The Death of Innocence." He modeled his character after Smit because of the Colorado Springs detective's pre-case practice of praying for the victim and asking God for help in solving the crime. Smit prayed with the Ramseys during his time on the case to help establish a relationship with the family, although he was criticized for it. He said he still occasionally prays with them. "Just out of curiosity, I asked Lou what he did when he started a case," said Wise, 63. "After I learned that he prayed, it hit me to write about a Christian detective." The three-book series called "The Sam and Vera Sloan Mysteries," follows the adventures of Colorado Springs detective Sloan and his wife, Vera, also an investigator. The couple tracks criminals, solves murders and squabbles over everyday life, with God playing a prominent role. The first novel, "The Empty Coffin," was published in June 2001, and the second, "The Dead Detective," was released June 4. The third is due out in March. The novels were published by Nashville, Tenn.-based Thomas Nelson Inc., which specializes in Christian books. The books are sold mostly in Christian fiction or religious sections at mainstream bookstores across the United States. Thomas Nelson wouldn't say how many copies had been sold. "In these books, the religious experiences are sort of a subcurrent," Wise said. "They are an underlying theme that has its own direct and indirect motivation for characters. But I hope it's not preaching." Smit thinks he is more religious than the characters. "It's important to me," he said. "Everyone has their thing they do before a crime. Mine is praying." He currently volunteers and works on cold homicide cases in El Paso County and keeps his eyes open for any clues in the Ramsey slaying. He has a photo of the child in his wallet. He also has appeared on national television news shows to discuss his intruder theory. "I stepped up and have been controversial because I believe the Ramseys are innocent, and there's a wolf out there that's eating our children," Smit said. "I feel my responsibility is to speak up."
I think Smit's a flat-out liar Inside the Ramseys' Boulder house, he shows the imperfect hang of the bed ruffle around the bottom of JB's bed to imply an intruder COULD have hidden under the bed Christmas night and says no one will ever know for sure. What we do know for sure is that John Ramsey himself moved that dust ruffle to look under the bed while a Boulder cop looked on. How misleading is that? I saw this on ET last evening and thought, is he really that stupid or is he an outright liar? The second crockumentary, the one that aired in Britain and is going to be shown on Court TV tonight, was filmed in the Boulder house - when? I would like to know precisely when Smit was filmed walking through that house and especially when the filming in JBR's bedroom was done. Was is after Smit left the employ of Boulder DA's office? It must have been. Isn't it true that the Ramseys were living in Atlanta then? Something does not fit, here. How could Smit be filmed in JBR's bedroom, showing the bed ruffle on JBR's bed, or anyone's bed for that matter, when there was no furniture in the house when that crock was filmed? That is false and misleading then, the bed has to be a prop, the dust ruffle mussed the way Smit wanted it to be shown. There is something wrong with this picture. Why is Smit trying to pass off set-up props as being real?
Tonight's Dog and Pony Show..... is one that I am going to miss. If that makes me an uninformed jerk, well, so be it. There just aren't enough barf buckets or bags in my house for me to even attempt to watch it. I am being totally serious. I would have to bill Court TV for some new barf buckets, it I was to sit down and try to watch it. Wrestling, anyone? Mindless, yet entertaining in a sick sort of way. But, at least the people on wrestling know the difference between fact and fiction....Unlike some delusional old detective and the people he says are innocent. I am with ST, "She is GOOD FOR IT!!!!"
Lou is senile 'there's a wolf out there eating our children?" Jonebenet was eaten? I thought she was pretty much intact when she was found. So is Lou saying that there are numerous cases of beaten and garroted six year old girls, where the killer concocts a false ransom note but never bothers collecting? I didn't realize! Lou, Patsy clearly said in the ransom note that the killers were a GROUP, not a single "wolf." Are you senile, in a religious stupor, or just lying?
Always Pray Before A Crime! Is that the Eleventh Commandment, or what? Quoth the "World's Leading Defective": "It's important to me," he said. "Everyone has their thing they do before a crime. Mine is praying." Does he pray before making these Crocumentaries, which are a crime against human reason, good taste, and English grammar?
Well I'm still waiting for the "wolf who is eating our children" to strike again. I mean it's been six years. When is this wolf going to spring into action? I'm growing old.
I'm with you on that one Bob. And I'm going older than you. I want to know what happened that night in this lifetime.
