The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey
In the wake of such docu-series as "The Jinx" and "Making a Murderer" the American appetite for true crime, while always present, seems to be growing. But the trend seems to be specifically fixated on cases that are unsolved, or at the very least unsatisfactorily solved. Both of the aforementioned shows led to new developments in their respective cases - in the case of "The Jinx" in the form of the arrest of Robert Durst, and "Making a Murderer" has led to an outpouring of sympathy for Steven Avery and an overturned conviction for Brendan Dassey. It's in this atmosphere that the JonBenet Ramsey murder case is once again receiving national attention. The case is probably one of the most intriguing cold cases of the modern era, complete with a cryptic ransom note, an inept initial investigation, and a child beauty pageant contestant as a victim.
"The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey" is not the only TV show released this year to reexamine the infamous cold case, but it is the one that has gotten the most attention. Airing on CBS over the course of two two-hour installments (on the perhaps ill-advised dates of September 18th and 19th, meaning it competed with the Emmy Awards on Sunday and season premieres of The Voice and Gotham on Monday), several criminal investigators (some who worked on the case when it happened in 1996) go over evidence and try to reconstruct what happened that night. Admittedly, as a bit of a true crime enthusiast who has an interest in the case, it's something I had looked forward to, and I just wish that it had been a little more satisfying.
Which is not to say that it wasn't interesting. The investigative team went to impressive lengths, including building life-size replicas of the rooms of the Ramsey house which were pertinent to the crime....which appeared to be something of a gimmick, because they didn't really seem to make much use of the set. The ransom note was read in it's entirety and dissected by the team, although not much new came of it, at least to someone already versed in the case. They didn't even make mention of what is to me the most intriguing part of the note - the cryptic signature reading "Victory! S.B.T.C." The 911 call made by Patricia Ramsey was analyzed at length (and when I say length, I mean they spent a loooong fucking time on it) during which they painstakingly (and excruciatingly) tried to make out a few seconds of inaudible dialogue at the end, before Pat hung up the receiver. The conclusions they came to as to what was said were, to say the least, unconvincing. More convincing (and way more creepy) was when they brought in a ten year old boy and had him bash in a fake skull, to determine if JonBenet's brother Burke could have delivered the killing blow (turns out he could have, and I hope that kid they used on the show gets the therapy he will surely need after that experience).
The producers of the show said at the beginning that they would name a suspect at the conclusion of the series, and it became obvious pretty quickly that they seemed to be leaning toward Burke. Over the course of the series they rule out the outside intruder theory, show that grand jury indictments for the parents had been made (for covering up the crime, not actually committing it), but not acted on by the district attorney, and most chilling moments of the series featured interview footage of Burke himself - laughing and acting playfully with the therapist speaking with him, not acting in any way like a child whose sibling had been murdered just days before.
In the last moments of the program, the experts outline the course of events that they think likely unfolded: Burke, who harbored resentment for his sister (who he ostensibly felt to be the favorite sibling), got into an argument or a fight with JonBenet, lost his temper, hit her with a flashlight, and tragically, not knowing his own strength or simply hitting just the wrong spot, killed her. Afterwards, not wanting to risk losing both children, the parents covered up the crime to protect Burke and their lack of cooperation with the police led to the murder, in time, fading away.
It's plausible enough, I suppose...as plausible as any theory in such a muddled case. But it left me feeling empty. Perhaps because even if it is true, no justice is likely to come of it. By Colorado law, Burke can't be tried for the crime, being so young at the time. And even if John Ramsey was charged with the cover-up (Patricia having died in 2006), at 72 years old he would serve a fraction of what he might end up getting sentenced with. While "The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey" was done competently enough (although not without it's flaws) it appears doubtful that any justice will come of it. Instead, it just serves as a reminder of our flawed justice system, a system that failed a six year old girl twenty years ago.
