New Grand Jury?

Discussion in 'Justice for JonBenet Discussion - Public Forum' started by RiverRat, Jun 3, 2004.

  1. RiverRat

    RiverRat FFJ Sr. Member Extraordinaire (Pictured at Lef

    http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_2934486,00.html


    Jury cloaked in secrecy
    Panel has been meeting in Boulder, but target a mystery

    By Charlie Brennan, Rocky Mountain News
    June 3, 2004

    Grand juries typically operate behind closed doors, but one that has met several times over the past four months in Boulder County is particularly shrouded by secrecy.

    The criminal matter being investigated is unknown even to Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner and Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle, the county's two top law officers.

    The use of grand juries in Boulder County is particularly unusual. One has not met on a criminal investigation in Boulder since the grand jury hearing the JonBenet Ramsey murder case disbanded in October 1999 after serving 13 months without returning an indictment.

    JonBenet, 6, was found slain in her home on Dec. 26, 1996. The case remains unsolved.

    "Usually, grand juries are never used" in Boulder County, said Pat Wittreich, county jury commissioner. But she confirmed a grand jury of 12 men and women, plus four alternates, was empaneled Feb. 9.

    Citing grand jury secrecy rules, Wittreich would not identify the case Wednesday or reveal how many times the panel has met.

    Wittreich said the prosecutor leading the grand jury is Chief Trial Deputy Bryan Quiram. Quiram was not involved in the Ramsey grand jury.

    "I can't confirm or deny" that a grand jury is meeting, said Boulder District Attorney Mary Keenan.

    "I can't tell you anything about it. It's an area we have to be very careful about," she said.

    Bill Wise, assistant Boulder district attorney for 28 years until retiring in January 2001, said, "I can't recall the last time that a grand jury met on a criminal matter (in Boulder), other than Ramsey."

    Colorado judicial districts typically have a grand jury sworn in and available for potential service at all times, but they are ordinarily convened on an as-needed basis.

    The largest ongoing crime story in Boulder County in recent months has been the allegation that, since 1997, nine women were sexually assaulted by University of Colorado football players or recruits.

    Although Attorney General Ken Salazar announced May 11 that his special prosecutor's investigation into the CU scandal would produce no sexual assault charges, it was disclosed May 20 that a state grand jury would investigate other potential wrongdoing stemming from that probe.

    That grand jury is meeting in Denver. It is scheduled to reconvene on June 11.

    Another high-profile case from Boulder that remains unsolved is the Dec. 21, 1997, slaying of 23-year-old CU student Susannah Chase.

    Boulder police announced in January of this year that new DNA technology that can point to a suspect's ethnicity told them that Chase's killer was likely a Hispanic or American Indian.

    Police Chief Beckner said Wednesday he did not know what matter was before the grand jury. He said even if it did involve the Ramsey case, he would not necessarily know about it.

    Beckner's department has not had control of the Ramsey case since December 2002. He agreed to Keenan's office taking charge at that time because JonBenet's parents had said publicly they had lost faith in the Boulder department's competence and objectivity, and would not cooperate any further as long as it remained under Beckner's control.

    Three more key developments in the Ramsey case came in quick succession the following spring:

    • On March 31, 2003, in Atlanta, U.S. District Judge Julie Carnes dismissed a civil case brought against the Ramseys by Boulder journalist Chris Wolf, who claimed they had libeled him for stating in their book The Death of Innocence that Wolf was a suspect in their daughter's death.

    Based on the evidence she reviewed - which was limited to those documents and exhibits submitted by attorneys in the libel case, and not the entire 40,000-plus pages of the criminal investigative file - Carnes ruled, "There is virtually no evidence to support (the theory) that they murdered their child, but abundant evidence to support their belief that an intruder entered their home . . . and killed their daughter."

    • One week later, April 7, 2003, Keenan issued a statement supporting Carnes' decision.

    "I agree with the court's conclusion that 'the weight of the evidence is more consistent with a theory that an intruder murdered JonBenet than it is with a theory that Mrs. Ramsey did so,' " Keenan said at that time.

    ". . . Since Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey have not even been charged, much less convicted, they must be presumed innocent and must be treated accordingly."

    • Then, in June 2003, Keenan announced the hiring of Tom Bennett, who had retired as a detective from the Arvada Police Department two years earlier, to work exclusively on the Ramsey case 20 to 30 hours a week.

    At that time, Keenan said that Bennett and other personnel in her office were collectively devoting 70 to 100 hours per week on solving JonBenet's murder.

    John and Patsy Ramsey, with their now 17-year-old son Burke, left Colorado in 1997 and now live in Charlevoix, Mich.
     
  2. Jayelles

    Jayelles Alert Viewer in Scotland

    Yes

    I noticed that Mame (aka Maddie) posted this over at Purgatory earlier today (beating Candy by about an hour)......

    Seriously, what are the implications of this? If a Grand Jury are convening, does that mean something big is afoot? Could it mean nothing at all?
     
  3. Watching You

    Watching You Superior Bee Admin

    Typical Boulder. Everything is shrouded in darkness. It's one thing to guard the secrecy of the GJ proceedings; but is it normal to keep secret the reason for the GJ convenement? This had better not be some attempt to place the blame for JB's death on a dead man - Helgoth. But, you know what? Putting two and two together and with all that's happened in the past few months, I'll bet it is. That would explain why the information about Helgoth was leaked, or given, to the ENQUIRER. Start softening the public up for the post-mortem indictment of a dead man.

    I think I'm going to be sick.
     
  4. Tez

    Tez Member

    I can't believe this...

    If it is enpaneled to investigate the JBR case, does that mean Keenan can decide not to prosecute?

    I'm with WY, I am going to be sick.
     
  5. Watching You

    Watching You Superior Bee Admin

    Well, I'm jumping to conclusions, Tez, but I can't help thinking the worst and I can't help not trusting Mary Keenan and her RST investigators. It could be something else, but, what? The athletes at CSU?

    I just smell a big stinky rat.
     
  6. Greenleaf

    Greenleaf FFJ Senior Member

    My thoughts...

    All my instincts tell me that this is about the Ram case.

    If we review the history of the Ram’s behavior, we will see patterns emerge. They have a distinct propensity to rush before the media, just PRIOR to even a hint that some aspect of the case is being revisited by the Justice System.

    From the get go, when they made that rushed appearance on CNN, the day after the funeral, to John’s current big (pseudo) push for being elected into the Michigan State Legislature, we can see this pattern emerge again and again.

    This, however, is the REALLY BIG PUSH.

    NOTE: Recent headlines in the NATIONAL ENQUIRER, announcing their “innocence†and recent appearances on LARRY KING DEAD. Whatever does it all mean?

    Well, IMHO, it means that (finally) the sweet arm of lady justice is stirring up this wasteland of lies, and digging up hidden truths, buried with the remains of a little girl in the cold, clay soil of Georgia.

    Mary Keenan, IMHO, is preparing to use Judge Carnes’ irrational ruling as rationalization for her complicity.

    And, who knows what our little group from FFJ actually accomplished? Did the Grand Jurors read the articles in the Boulder Press about their appeal to the Governor? Surely, they did.

    I hope and pray that this is the beginning of the end for the Ram case. Our little voices, in this internet wilderness, reverberates among all who seek truth and justice.
    And, another thing: Perhaps Tricia and the others didn't get much help from the Governor's office because of the Grand Jury's secrecy.

    Peace.
    GL
     
  7. "J_R"

    "J_R" Shutter Bug Bee

    http://www.forumsforjustice.org/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=58874



    Trying to not jump to conclusions either. :censored:
     
  8. Watching You

    Watching You Superior Bee Admin

    It's all just been so surreal, JR, sneaky little statements, the article by the ENQUIRER. Like Greenie says, every time something is about to happen in the Ramsey case, the Ramseys go on a PR frenzy, the latest, of course, JR's entry into the political arena.

    This statement has my hinky meter on full tilt. With RST investigators leading the show in Boulder, would anyone be surprised that Ramsey has inside information from his praying buddy and is making a prediction of sorts? If Lou Smit gives testimony in front of a GJ to the exclusion of everyone else, testimony of his totally wrong theories on a dead man's involvement in JBR's murder, what does anyone think would come from that? Keenan has gotten away with the most blatantly biased "investigation" I have ever heard of, nothing else could shock me.

    I don't trust any of them, and neither should anyone else trust them, IMO.
     
  9. Tricia

    Tricia Administrator Staff Member

    OMG

    I don't trust Keenan. She was convinced it was Santa Bill. Now the Enquirer says it was Helgoth.

    I see this as a big CYA. And yes a dead person will be implicated I bet.

    Mover over ladies. I am going to be sick too.
     
  10. Tez

    Tez Member

    Tricia...

    I don't trust Keenan as far as I can see her. And since I am about 1100 miles away, well, I can't see her....

    I really don't think this GJ has anything to do with the football scandal nor the Chase murder, so the only big case pending in Boulder is the JB case. Unless there is another unsolved murder or something that no one knows about. Plus, Keenan's comments are just hinky....Well, she is hinky, but you get my drift.
     
  11. Tez

    Tez Member

    I just had a thought!!!!!

    You don't think that Wood would be so bold as to threaten the honorable DA to enpanel another GJ do you? One that finds that Helgoth was responsible? Good Gawd! :verdict:
     
  12. Watching You

    Watching You Superior Bee Admin

    That's exactly what I think, Tez.

    I also have some other thoughts about what is going on, but I'm not revealing them. Yet.
     
  13. Bobby1st

    Bobby1st Member

    A Grand Jury should have been convened long ago but away from Keenan's reach. Independent of Boulder politics. If the Governor doesn't see to it JBR is given real justice than he is not going to become more powerful on the national political stage. Hope he doesn't discount the petition signers and has moved forward to appoint independent GJ. :kilroy:
     
  14. Tez

    Tez Member

    Well...

    I wonder just how involved Haddon and CO are with this???????
     
  15. BobC

    BobC Poster of the EON - Fabulous Inimitable Transcript

    My guess is this is CU rape scandal-related.
     
  16. Tricia

    Tricia Administrator Staff Member

    But Bob there is a Grand Jury already sitting in Denver concerning the CU scandal. Do you think Keenan would call a Grand Jury to investigate the same thing another GJ is investigating?
     
  17. Watching You

    Watching You Superior Bee Admin

    I thought they said there would be no charges against anyone in those rape allegations.
     
  18. zoomama

    zoomama Active Member

    As long as some of you are guessing,

    I'd like to guess too! Perhaps the Gov. has moved a little toward doing something aobut the JBR case. Maybe our trip to his office and the petition has done some good after all. Don't forget that those of us who met with Cynthia his chief legal council felt that she knew more than she could say at that meeting. Tricia? Right? We did feel that she was with us but couldn't say that. And that she didn't feel any particular love towards Keenan either.

    Well just my guess!
     
  19. Watching You

    Watching You Superior Bee Admin

    I will hop on a plane and come to your house to kiss you if you're right, zoomama.
     
  20. LurkerXIV

    LurkerXIV Moderator

    I haven't a clue...

    but could it have something to do with mame's dear friend Lee Hill? Hill is a fugitive from justice. Why did he find it necessary to do a disappearing act after the brouhaha wih his wife, who eventually dropped charges?

    Or is Hill implicated in something more sinister?

    Susannah Chase--American Indian DNA--Lee Hill???
     
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