Ramseys’ Book Contends Man Crept In, Hid, Killed JonBenet

The parents of slain child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey said in a book published this week that their daughter’s killer is probably a young man who had crept into the family home while everyone was away at a Christmas party.

In the book, John and Patsy Ramsey speculate that the man entered the house planning to kidnap 6-year-old JonBenet but that the plan went awry and he ended up killing her.

The book, called “The Death of Innocence: The Untold Story of JonBenet’s Murder and How Its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth,” has a chapter listing seven clues the Ramseys feel may eventually lead to the killer--including a footprint, a palm print and a hair found on JonBenet’s blanket.

The Ramseys blame Boulder police for not finding the killer and said JonBenet’s death has been exploited as entertainment by the media. The couple also contend that the media and police think one or both of them did it.

But according to the Ramseys, the killer is a young man who owns a stun gun. He is a psychopath who is “either an ex-con or has been around people who are hardened criminals.”

The book, published by Thomas Nelson, a book publisher in Nashville, Tenn., does not present any new evidence in the case but instead offers the parents’ perspective on the events of the day and the subsequent investigation.

JonBenet’s body was found in the basement of the family’s home in Boulder, Colo., on Dec. 26, 1996. No arrests have been made, although police have said the parents remain under an “umbrella of suspicion.”

The parents have steadfastly maintained their innocence and have gone on a media blitz to promote the book.

A Boulder grand jury examined the case in 1999 but did not hand down any indictments. According to Boulder County Dist. Atty. Alex Hunter, the case remains open.