The Grand Jury Indictments
Looking specifically at the Counts of the Grand Jury Indictment (copied below), then it incontrovertibly follows from Count VII, which references child abuse resulting in death, and covering up for a person committing murder in the first degree, that it cannot possibly be Burke, who was a minor, but instead one or both of the parents.
Turning to Count IV (a), it follows that even if only one parent was responsible for the dangerous situation, then the other parent was aware (if both parents weren’t equally responsible for the situation).
It further follows from Count IV (a) that the murder was the culmination of an endangering environment, and could not possibly have been a freak accident. Leaving aside the Count VII reference to first degree murder, this would also completely rule out the Burke annoyed at pineapple theft and lashing out hypothesis.
Given that the Grand Jurors were party to greater and more comprehensive information and evidence than any of us will ever see, there is little option but to accept their conclusions.
Therefore there are only two valid hypotheses left (still with plenty of gaps, otherwise it’d be case solved):
- Patsy was responsible for an emotionally/physically abusive environment (which JR was aware of), culminating in the killing of JBR;
- John was responsible for an emotionally/physically abusive environment (which PR was aware of), culminating in the killing of JBR.
It would also seem to follow from this Count that only one parent committed the actual crime of murder: the other parent was guilty only of aiding that person.
(Personally, given that the only forensic evidence on the body was Patsy coat fibres, the fake ransom letter written by Patsy, and her unconvincing 911 call, the first option is the only viable one for me.)
THE GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Count IV (a):
“On or between December 25, and December 26, 1996, in Boulder County, Colorado, John Bennett Ramsey did unlawfully, knowingly recklessly and feloniously permit a child to be unreasonably placed in a situation which posed a threat to the child’s life or health, which resulted in the death of JonBenet Ramsey, a child under the age of sixteen,.”
Count VII:
“On or about December 25, and December 26, 1996 in Boulder County, Colorado, John Bennett Ramsey did unlawfully, knowingly, and feloniously render assistance to a person, with intent to hinder, delay and prevent the discovery, detention, apprehension, prosecution, conviction and punishment of such person for the commission of a crime, knowing the person being assisted has committed and was suspected of the crime of murder in the first degree and child abuse resulting in death.”
The language is identical in the two recommended counts against Patricia Paugh Ramsey.