Globe and Linda Arndt/FFJ Article

Ohhhh, I love FFJ and the article!

 

Thanks guys

I'm just connecting the dots--that's all. Those of us who read True Crime understand things like palm prints on paper, hand-writing analysis, DNA, fibers ect--but someoene like Patsy, at the time of the murder, was probably pretty clueless. I think it's very possible that JR directed a lot of the clean-up, making sure Patsy handled all the items that might leave forensic evidence behind. That way if the two of them started to turn on each other, JR could say "it's not my fibers on the duct tape" or "it's not my hand-writing on the ransom note." John Ramsey read spy novels and True Crime so he'd be informed about such things.

It always stuck out in my mind that John Ramsey was so quick to hand investigators Patsy's pad of paper that morning, the exact one she wrote the note from. I think he was getting really nervous and thought the cops were getting suspicious so he'd make sure they had Patsy's pad firmly in hand...

You know that first CNN thing they did? I watched that--didn't even know who they were or what had happened--I just came upon it while flipping channels. I remember to this day seeing Patsy glance over at JR and I picked up a sense that she hated his guts. It was just a gut feeling on my part--hrd to explain really. I believe Patsy hated his guts, at least for a while, for being able to play his role so well, so coldly, while she was feeling like death walking.

Could be wrong.

 

Calmly read his mail, after his daughter's body was found?

WOW! This is definitely a behavioral eye opener. Someone who could "compartmentalize" this quickly has got something going on!

The only thing I could say about the carrying her upstairs is, she WAS in full rigor by then right? It MIGHT have been more difficult to carry her any other way, and get her up the various stairwells & the turns.

But you have to ask yourself, WHY did he carry her upstairs? Why not call the cops, everyone, to WHERE he found her?

 

On top of that, Tricia--remember that to even carry a child by her UPPER LEGS, the body itself would have to be stiff as a board. This means rigor mortis had long before set in, obviously. But John Ramsey asked Linda Arndt "is she dead?"

That's when they made eye contact and LA felt scared.

 

Bobc, your theories regarding JR orchestrating the entire cover-up using PR so that the forensic evidence in the staging aspect would be hers and not his is what I have always suspected. I remember the first gut impression I had when first hearing on the news of this case, and it was echoed by my son. The father did it. When I began studying the evidence, and it clearly led to PR, and then I began to "get to know" the Rs' personalities, it became even more clear who was in charge. Then when I heard/read that JR at one point that morning stated to LE, "It's an inside job" I thought, what in the hell is this man saying that for?

As for their animosity toward each other, it has always been obvious no matter how much they try to stage that too. There is a real power struggle going on in their relationship for control, even while PR feigns the dutiful and submissive Christian wife. What Nedra Paugh said is all-telling to me, "As long as Mr. Ramsey keeps making the money, we'll keep spending it."

JR's sudden wealth was exactly what Patsy Paugh was looking for in life. A true "gold digger" personality hungry for the lap-of-luxury lifestyle and public notoriety she failed to get through the pageants. JR spoon-fed it to her, but was, by all reports, an absentee husband and father, which of course, any wife/mother would grow to resent. In John's absence, Patsy ran the family and the home, doing all the work, making all the decisions, taking all the blame, but JR was still very much in control via the money to do all that, putting PR on a "budget" which, by all accounts, was not very generous. She probably had to get JR's permission to spend beyond her budget and argue to get his approval for any additional expenditures. Ruthless CEOs run their homes and families with the same skills they run their businesses. JR issues the orders, PR is supposed to carry them out. But with her narcissist personality, I have no doubt she is not the kind of woman to subject herself to such a powerless role and take orders.

With PR's obsession for spending gobs of money, a controlling, stingy husband would undoubtedly resent her for it. That creates the perfect scenario for subliminal duels for power and control. It's a marriage made in hell, even if there isn't violence and fighting, and the kids are always caught in the middle.

The Ramseys are pro's at creating a public image that leaves them flawless to most who possess only superficial judgments or who have agendas of their own for befriending wealthy people like the Ramseys. The Ramseys seek out the small towns, the naive friends and neighbors because that genre is easily duped by their facade. It's only when they cross over into the more sophisticated streams of society that they are discovered for who they really are, and that's why they have worked so hard to put that shine back on their halos since JB's death and their scandal over it. Nothing the Rs have done since "finding" JB's body disclose much interest in anything else but restoring themselves to "golden child" status in the public eye. And it has not succeeded.

There is all kinds of justice in this world, not just in a court of law. OJ's greatest pride was his fame and fortune and, although he was not criminally accountable and punished for his crimes, he lost what was MOST precious to him, and sadly, that was not the mother of his children. The Ramseys have suffered the same kind of divine justice. Their pain is not from losing what should have been their most precious gift in life; their pain is from losing what they valued most--all that money and localized fame. Both OJ and the Ramseys are paying their dues where it counts, in their worlds, the most. Whether any of them are ever held responsible for the horrible crimes they committed against the precious innocents in their lives is more a statement of the justice system than justice itself.

 

Great Analysis

Many posters have asked over the years, "If John Ramsey molested and killed JonBenet, why would Patsy agree to help in the coverup? Why would she even stay with him?"

The answer--$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Patsy Ramsey has been a social climber since her West Virginny days. John became the longed-for "Johnny Paycheck" who would subsidize her fantasy social life.

To put money before the life of your beautiful child! How many mothers could or would do this? Patsy Ramsey is a venal, conniving, money-mad b!tch.

She'll go to her grave with the secret of who killed JonBenet and why.

 

Any thoughts on why Steve Thomas did not follow this line of thinking in his investigation & book? I'm sure he had access to this LA information at the beginning of the investigation. However, Steve doesn't go down this path.

Any thoughts?

 

Oh my goodness, where does this all leave us now, Tricia? Yes, there was no doubt about it, the way John Ramsey made a beeline for that basement troubled everyone, Arndt was right about John Ramsey carrying her at a distance. He couldn't have climbed the stairs any other way, but held up high, with JonBenét's body already in rigor mortis, and stiff as a board, and yet, John Ramsey had the audacity to feign not knowing she was dead.

For me it was Patsy who was the culprit, because of the fake garrote being a useless contraption for any sexual play according to Delmar, and of course I also have Patsy pegged as the author of the ransom note.

Linda Arndt must have had a change of heart, allowing her personal report to be in the Globe. I read all of what's in the Globe article before, but Arndt seemed to bond with the Ramseys in spite of her earlier thoughts about John Ramsey, and hoping she had enough bullets in her gun.

Even Steve Thomas found himself confused over Arndt's reactions. Keeping conversations with Patsy Ramsey to herself, and not telling Steve Thomas what was being discussed. Receiving roses from the Ramseys because she received a police award. This was a bit confusing for for allof us, as to just where did she stand with the Ramseys and her loyalty to the Boulder Police (?). It seems she has had a change of heart yet again.

Yes, she was left alone far too long by the BPD to handle all of those people in the Ramsey home. I personally thought she did get a raw deal.

Thank you WY, Deja, Tricia and anyone else responsible for having the article printed here.

What I'm wondering here is why didn't Linda Arndt bring this about much sooner, before the Michigan State Legislature election, when we were all concerned that John Ramsey may obtain a Seat. Repeat, what took her so long?

DocG must be feeling good about this news today.

 

Deja,

This is a very accurate analysis. Wonderful post! You've been away too long.

I don't care if I'm wrong and it is John Ramsey, It would be wonderful for this case to be solved.

 

Lurker, you and I think very alike!

Elle, please understand that, to the best of my knowledge, Linda Arndt had nothing to do with that article in the Globe or FFJ's efforts to obtain her deposition transcript for public education.

That deposition, not report, was taken in the discovery phase of Linda's suit against the City of Boulder after she quit. It has never been under a court ordered seal but remained with the Denver trial court and her attorney, who filed an appeal when her case was dismissed by the Denver trial court. The CO appellate court also declined to hear her appeal. That entire legal effort to get some court to grant Linda her "day in court" probably took at least 2 years, during which time, the depo transcript remained with her attorney for use in any appeal process while a copy sat in the court trial files.

When all appellate efforts were exhausted, the depo transcript which was part of the original trial case file was then archived with everything else in it by the court. This is where Tricia found it, available to the public, paid for a copy and secured it.

That being said, no consent or even knowledge from Linda was required to do what was done by FFJ or the Globe. According to PsychoCandy, she notified Linda's family with vile allegations against us and threats of all garden varieties but, nevertheless, the document is public and Linda Arndt had nothing to do with any of this. It's simply about Linda, or rather, about Linda's deposition testimony, not Linda herself.

Now, I do not recall Linda Arndt becoming cozy with John Ramsey. There were allegations that she was cozy with Barb Fernie and Patsy Ramsey (remember, this was the time frame when the Rs were living with the Fernies), and supposedly received congratulatory flowers from Patsy upon getting a BDA award for her work. Obviously, PR was making blatant efforts to schmooze the first (and most important) detective in the case to manipulate Arndt into favoring them. It's a common strategy and PR is a pro at manipulation. I cannot for one instant believe that Arndt, with her background and experience, would fall for that schmooze. Instead, I would expect her to play it for all it was worth to get additional incriminating evidence to use against the Rs. Perhaps Arndt thought as some of us do, that she could manipulate PR right back to rat out JR. But PR is smart enough to understand that as an accomplice (which is the only reason JR engaged PR's assistance in at least the staging), PR would be just as liable for the crimes as he would. That's where "partners in crime" came from. Yet another arrangement to enable a power struggle between the Ramseys. And it is a very common investigative strategy to play one spouse against the other.

Remember too that when Arndt contacted PR's attorney to have a meet with PR to ensure her health re PR's claims of cancer, Patrick Burke, PR's attorney, arranged for friendly witnesses, established tape recording of the meeting and confined Arndt to communications with PR regarding only her health, nothing on case. Clearly, PR's attorneys recognized that Arndt could have been playing a covert investigative role and moved to protect their client. Had the Ramseys, their friends or any of their attorneys, perceived Arndt as anything but an investigating police officer, or a "friendly" to their camp, no such efforts would have been made. That speaks volumes to me.

So I don't perceive that Arndt "flip-flopped" (even if she is a democrat LOL) on her position on the case. The depo transcript also describes Arndt's discomfort with Barb Fernie's pursuit of her long after Arndt broke off that weekly contact resource. Note that Arndt broke off her weekly contacts with Barb Fernie shortly after the Rs moved out of the Fernie home.

As to why ST didn't take the same angle of case theory as Arndt, there was clearly some major influence internally in the BPD at the time with "incestuous" relationships with some of the brass with members in the BDA's office who are socially and financially connected to Hal Haddon. ST got caught up in one camp while Arndt was in another. Had there not been "politics" at work in both the DA's office and the BPD, none of this would have happened. Arndt's depo testimony backs that up.

It is unfortunate that social and financial politics played an overwhelming part in this case because it obscured many fine professionals' skills and intuitions that are so critical to a homicide investigation.

I do not fault Arndt (except for allowing the body to be contaminated, participating in that even herself). That crime scene on Dec. 26, 1996 must have been utter chaos with so many people coming and going, cleaning, rearranging and whatnot, and those folks are not the kind who would submit to the control efforts of one lone cop. She deserved back-up, didn't get it, and that is the preponderance of fault for why the crime scene was contaminated.

I adore ST and am neck-in-neck with Freebird for his favor (LOL). I have never faulted Steve for his performance before, during or after even though I have always disagreed with his theory (and told him so often). Nevertheless, both Arndt and ST deserve the respect and recognition they both deserve in what was clearly an utterly impossible situation.

 

There is another factor, and Patsy herself said in DOI what it was. Remember, Patsy went out of her way to tell the world that her grandmother Janie told her "We don't divorce in this family." And Patsy made sure to emphasize her agreement with this. It is my firm opinion that if Patsy had divorced John, Nedra, Don, Pam and Polly would have disowned her. As much as we have often noted that Patsy and JonBenet were enmeshed, I tend to believe that Patsy was enmeshed with Nedra even more, certainly more than was ever healthy, and that, in many ways, Nedra would have served as the ultimate reason for Patsy to cover up even a hint of her involvement in JonBenet's murder. Patsy could not risk losing Nedra's love (and, for many reasons, could not risk losing Don's money should there be a need to financially prop up John yet again, as had happened several times in years past).

As so much of human experience has already revealed, a person can go to his or her grave bearing the worst of secrets if it means protecting themselves from the loss of another's love, and I believe Patsy is no less capable of that. (But Nedra has been dead these almost three years, you say. Why not confess now? I say, because Don is not dead. And he still has pockets from which money flows, as John's campaign showed.)

 

"It is my firm opinion that if Patsy had divorced John, Nedra, Don, Pam and Polly would have disowned her."

Wny_Nut, considering that all of the Paughs were leeching off JR's sudden financial windfall (especially after years of funding his failed business efforts), you are absolutely right. The Paughs are not about loyalty, even to family. They're all about, and exclusively about, money. PR participated at JR's behest in whatever happened that night to secure her financial interests in JR's wealth. Had John and Patsy divorced, it's certain with JR's legal connections, Patsy wouldn't have ended up with even the farm. And we don't know that there wasn't a Pre-Nup as well. The entire Paugh family would've been back at square one...middleclass nobodies and that just wouldn't do!

As Nedra said, "As long as Mr. Ramsey keeps making the money, we'll keep spending it." JR was the Paugh family's gravy train. As I've always said, follow the money trail and you'll find the culprits.

 

Back Off I say!

<img src="http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/205/205230/folders/158854/1336547sam.JPG" width="300" height="226">

 

Freebird, LOL Why don't we share???? :hiya:

Lawdy, he gives me the vaypahs!

 

Yes, Deja, I hear what you're saying, and believe you, but I feel Linda Arndt could have contributed in some form , or another, to the Michigan public and told them what she really knew about that fateful day on the 26 December, when John Ramsey discovered the body. This would have told them something about the man they may have voted for.

This is true, Linda Arndt was more cozy with Patsy Ramsey; therefore I felt she had gone over to their side, when I read Steve Thomas' account, verbatim - page 157 PB "JonBenét" ... he said The detectives were concerned about one of their own, Linda Arndt who had been a good cop, and was now unhappy. withdrawn or outright hostile. It looked as if the problems she had encountered as the first detective at the Ramsey home were eating her up inside.

On early March Arndt had a private meeting with Patsy. She drove to the home of a Patsy friend where Patsy greeted her with a hug. Arndt reported that she took off her blazer and even lifted her sweater to prove to lawyer Patrick Burke that she wore no recording device and carried no police equipment whatsoever, not even a gun. We were enraged about the unauthorized visit, which Arndt termed "personal."

Since we had been trying for so long without success to get formal interviews, any information would have been welcome, but when I asked her what they had talked about during the hour-long chat, she looked me in the eye: "I told Patsy our conversation would be in confidence. I can't tell you."

"You're a detective, Arndt!" I protested. "You have a duty to give us that information."

"I can't tell you, " she repeated, and she never did.

Only four days later I drove Arndt to a repair shop to pick up her car and used the private moment to ask where her head was at. Tears welled up in her eyes as she confided her concern that she was about to be kicked off the team. I suggested that she become more of a team player and got the cold reply that she preferred to work alone.

She raised a finger to her forehead, thumb back like a cocked pistol, and told me, "If I get kicked off this thing, I'm going to take out myself and everyone else."

Linda Arndt was a very troubled woman, Deja. What do you see stemming from this article in the Globe. Another lawsuit by Lin Wood?

Yes, I agree with you here, Deja. She really forgot it was a crime scene, when she moved JonBenét's body close to the tree, but the scene was well contaminated by Patsy and her contamination group beforehand, and it was
so unfair of the BPD to leave her alone with so many people under devastating circumstances.

I'm wondering if she was actually afraid of John Ramsey and what he could do to her, if she really went after him (?).

 

This is a real nice one of Steve, Deja. He sure is a very handsome young man.