JonBenét Patricia Ramsey

JonBenét Patricia Ramsey

August 6, 1990 - December 26, 1996

JonBenét Ramsey was born on August 6, 1990. Her parents were John Bennett Ramsey and Patricia (Patsy) Ramsey. JonBenét was her father's first and middle name combined. Her middle name was her mother's first name. She had one older brother (Burke) and many step-siblings. JonBenét was a happy little girl who liked pageants, riding her bicycle, and rock climbing. She loved performing and was very outgoing.

On the morning of December 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey woke up to find a two page ransom note on her staircase. The note was directed toward John Ramsey. It stated "At this time, we have your daughter in possession. She is safe and unharmed, but if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter." The note demanded "withdraw $118,000.00 from your account. $100,000 will be in $100 bills and the remaining $18,000 in $20 bills. Make sure that you bring an adequate size attache to the bank. When you get home you will put the money in a brown paper bag. I will call you between 8 and 10 am tomorrow to instruct you on delivery. The delivery will be exhausting so I advise you to be rested."

To view the original text of the ransom note: Original text 

Patsy went to her daughter's room and discovered that she wasn't in her bed. The note specifically instructed JonBenét's parents not to contact the police, but they did so anyway. The police conducted a search of the house, but didn't find any obvious signs of a break-in. Later that same day, a detective asked one of John Ramsey's friends to take John to search the house for 'anything unusual'. John Ramsey, along with two of his friends started to search their basement. They searched the bathroom and the 'train room' before they reached the wine cellar. This is where John Ramsey discovered the body of his six year old daughter. She was wrapped in her 'special' white blanket.

A nylon cord was wrapped around JonBenét's neck, and her wrists were tied above her head. Duct tape had been placed over her mouth. To this day, JonBenét's killer still hasn't been found. Her parents and brother have been ruled out in her death.

One of the last photos taken on JonBenét (taken on the morning before her death)

Facts About JonBenét

• In 1995, JonBenét entered a bicycle contest and won. Her bicycle had an Olympic theme and she made Olympic rings for it out of colored aluminum foil.
• When JonBenét's mother went into labor, JonBenét was born so fast, she was almost born in the car! 
• One day, when JonBenét's mother was ill, a friend of the family took JonBenét and her daughter to see the play 'Disney's Snow White'. Both of the children were three years old at the time. JonBenét and the woman's daughter were scared of the wicked witch, so they sat in their caregiver's lap the whole time.
• Melinda, JonBenét’s step-sister and the eldest of John’s two daughters from his first marriage, and JonBenét liked to paint together or play dress up. Each year they colored Easter Eggs and they had a Christmas tradition of baking cookies together.

 

• One cold winter day, Melinda and JonBenét went out to ‘build a snowman.’ Melinda soon realized that it would be almost impossible to do with the little bit of snow that was left. But JonBenét was determined. “I know we can do it!” And so, of course, they worked and worked until they had a two-foot high snowman. Melinda would do anything to make JonBenét happy.
• One of Melinda’s strongest memories is how JonBenét always ran to greet her. Her pigtails were flying, her arms were outstretched and she screamed, “Be-winda, Be-winda!” That is the memory that Melinda cherished the most.
• John Andrew, her step brother and John's only son from his first marriage, and JonBenét always made lemonade together.
• In November 1996, JonBenét had gone to New York with her Mom and sisters, Pam and Polly. JonBenét had seen a couple of Broadway shows, ice skated at Rockefeller Center and ate a $125 lobster dinner. But the highlight for JonBenét was when she saw the the Christmas Spectacular and the Rockettes at Radio city Music hall. She told Patsy she wanted to be a Rockette when she grew up.
• During the summer reunion off 1995, JonBenét and her cousin did a little song and dance number for the Family talent show. JonBenét had also learned the Macarena and loved to do that dance—over and over again. Just ask them—or they would show you anyway!
•  In the summer of 1996, they celebrated the annual family reunion in Michigan. The reunion was held that year in August. At that time, they celebrated JonBenét’s 6th Birthday. That year, the main thing JonBenét wanted was an American Girl doll named Samantha. When she opened the box, with Burke’s help, she said, “Oh, my doll!” and hugged and hugged her new baby.
• JonBenét on her sixth Birthday was an ordinary and wonderful little girl dressed in blue jean shorts, sandals, a T-shirt and a ponytail with her favorite doll, her puppy Jacques, and her loving family.

•  The Samantha doll that JonBenét had received for her 6th birthday, came with a book. That night, as she was getting ready for bed, her Aunt Debbie read the book the book to her. When they came to the part about the Samantha giving up her favorite doll to a sick child, Aunt Debbie cried, and JonBenét cried. JonBenét was a bright, loving and very giving child. She would understand a story like this, even at her age, and she seemed to want everyone to be happy. It’s hard to explain how extraordinary she was; you just had to know her.
• One night, JonBenét wanted to have a pajama party—so Grandma, Aunts, Mom and Cousins all gathered in the living room for the night. One of the games they played was something that JonBenét thought up. Each grown up pretended to be a different animal in a pet shop. Aunt Debbie was a parrot; Grandma was a dog; there was an alligator, a kitty cat and a rabbit. They giggled and laughed and they told funny stories in their animal voices and they made their animal sounds.
• JonBenét was special. She enjoyed her friends and toys, but she also enjoyed being with her mom and family. She never seemed to whine or want all of the attention like children of that age might do. She listened and even joined the conversation and seemed content just to be with the big girls and the adult women loved having her with them.
• JonBenet’s Aunt Debbie and her mom, Patsy have always looked remarkably alike. JonBenét once wrapped her arms around her Aunt Debbie’s leg and started talking to her and then realized, “You’re not my Mommy.” Debbie laughed. She always felt a special bond with JonBenét because she didn’t have a daughter. She called her “JonniB” as did most of the family. JonBenét called her ‘Aunt Debbie’ and Pam and Polly jokingly reminded her, “No, Debbie is your cousin, not your aunt.” But JonBenét told them what made logical sense to her, “Aunts are big and cousins are little, so Debbie must be my Aunt!”
• Linda, a friend of the Ramsey’s walked in the living room one day and saw JonBenét on Patsy’s lap. They were talking about a contest that JonBenét had been in and Linda asked her, “How did you do?” she didn’t answer her but looked shyly at her mom. Finally, when Patsy encouraged her to answer, she said simply, “I won,” and then hopped down and went outside to play. Later, Linda learned that JonBenét had won the Little Miss Colorado Pageant.

•   St. John's was indeed JonBenét’s church. She had been a spiritual person and understood God. Once she asked her mother, “How much do you love me, Mommy?” And Patsy answered, “I love you and Burke and Daddy more than anything else in this world.” JonBenét shook her head and said, “You’re not supposed to love anyone more than Jesus.” Patsy remembered another time when they were sitting in a pew of this church listening to a beautiful hymn, and when it was over, JonBenét announced in a very loud voice, “That was a nice song,” and the whole church chuckled.
• For JonBenét's funeral, Pam, her sister came in with three of JonBenét's dresses for Patsy to choose what JonBenét was going to wear. Patsy reached for the chiffon one because it looked so angelic. Patsy hugged the dress before she gave it back to Pam.
• In the parents bedroom, they had a curio cabinet of keepsakes from over the years. This included JonBenet’s first shoes, her Christening gown, JonBenet’s baby locks.
• When Pam went to the Ramsey home in Boulder to pick up some things that the Ramseys wanted, she walked into JonBenét’s room and was drawn to a seemingly significant gold medallion that JonBenét had won in the recent All-Stars Christmas Pageant, her last competition. The round medallion had been placed around her neck as the overall winner of the talent competition. Over the past two years, JonBenét had won a number of metals and trophies in her little pageants. She was always so proud to show them to her Daddy. John had told her many times that the most important part of these contests was not beauty or costumes, but talent. “Your talent is the most important thing,” John said. “And it doesn’t matter if you win or not, just that you do your best.” JonBenét would sing her heart out. Sometimes she might be slightly off key, but JonBenét always gave her best.
  “Dad, I really worked hard on my talent this time,.” she would say to her Daddy.
  “Good. That’s what counts,.” he always replied.
  When John sat down beside Patsy, JonBenét lit up like a Christmas tree. She took the little medallion from around her neck and placed it around John’s.

 

• The gold medallion was the one item of JonBenet’s that John wanted for himself as a keepsake, because of the way JonBenét had given it to him. No one had known of the significance of that metal except JonBenét. When Pam gave John the medal, he was overwhelmed. He felt as if JonBenét had spoken to him through Pam’s bringing him of this metal. JonBenét reached across eternity and gave him this gift that touched his heart as nothing else in the world could. He placed the medallion around his neck and continually wears it everyday since. He knew from then on that JonBenét was all right.

 

•   JonBenét and her mother enjoyed singing a song from “Gypsy” especially the verses, “Wherever we go, whatever we do, we’re gonna go through it together.”

• During JonBenet’s funeral home viewing, JonBenét had been given some final gifts before she was buried.
  JonBenet’s grandmother had a special gold bracelet that she had saved to give to JonBenét when she was older. She reached down and slipped it over JonBenet’s wrist.
  Aunt Polly put a large gold cross in JonBenet’s hands. During the time Patsy had cancer, a pastor had given Patsy a cross. Later, Patsy found gold crosses similar to that of the one the pastor had given her. Patsy bought the crosses for her mother and sisters. Polly had worn the cross through some difficult times; JonBenét would wear it forever. Pam had brought JonBenet’s Little Miss Christmas tiara, which she had won during December’s pageant competition in Denver. Now Pam bent over and lovingly placed the crown on JonBenet’s head.
  Then, it was John’s turn. He had recently purchased a beautiful silk scarf, and he tucked it around JonBenét as if surrounding her with a final blanket of love.
  Suddenly, Fleet and Priscilla White rushed in. She and Fleet had found Sister Socks, a stuffed kitten that was so dear to JonBenét. Patsy had asked to have that stuffed kitten brought over by Pam, but it was the wrong one. Priscilla knew about that, and somehow she had gotten hold of the right Sister Socks, the one with the red ribbon around its neck. I tucked Sister Socks under JonBenet’s right arm.
  “Don't you think you should keep Sister Socks?” Priscilla asked. “You'll need it more than JonBenét.” “No. Sister Socks belongs with her,” Patsy whispered.
  • Ever since that day, Patsy had tried and tried to find another gray-and-white kitten just like that one, because the story of Sister Socks was so special to them.
    The story began the first summer we stayed in Charlevoix in 1993, when a gray-and -white stray cat turned up at their house. Her paws looked like they had white athletic socks on them, so the kids named her Sister Socks. They set out a bowl of milk in the mornings, and the forlorn cat became a family friend. Burke and JonBenét would look forward to the cat’s visit each day and play with her.
    Then, Sister Socks disappeared for several days. The children were really disappointed, but they all assumed she’s found a new home. One morning, John was working in the garage when he saw Sister Socks gingerly walking toward him with a tiny kitten in her mouth. She laid the kitten down at his feet and stood back, as if to say, “Here’s my baby. Could you help me take care of it?”
    John made a box, lined with a blanket, to put the little kitten in. Soon Sister Socks came back with another kitten—and another one. John is not particularly a cat person, but he and Sister Socks were now bonded. Patsy knew John would have taken her and her three kittens back to Boulder at the end of the summer, but she was afraid to ask him—and he wasn’t about to volunteer. Eventually, Sister Socks and her kittens moved in with their neighbors, the Witthoefts, for the winter. Sister Socks was a wonderful part of the Ramsey’s first summer in Charlevoix.
    Months later, JonBenét and Patsy were shopping at the Pearl Street Mall when they looked into the window of the Printed Page Bookstore. Sitting there on the shelf was a stuffed cat.
    “Mommy, that kitty looks like Sister Socks!” JonBenét cried out.
    “Maybe a little,” Patsy replied. “But Sister Socks was gray, not brown like this cat. Wasn’t she? That one is the wrong color.”
    “I know, but she had stripes like that cat. Please, Mommy!” JonBenét begged. “I want a Sister Socks cat. I bet they have the right color one somewhere in there.”
    “Okay,” Patsy acquiesced. “I’ll check and see.”
    Patsy could tell that the stuff animal was important to JonBenét. It was on the top of her list to Santa that year
    Later, Patsy called the bookstore and asked if they could find a gray cat. Eventually they did, so her father arranged to pick up the stuffed animal, just in time for our Christmas party. The highlight of the evening was when Santa Claus pulled a gray-and-white Sister Socks out of his sack. JonBenét loved her kitty—and the real Sister Socks who still roams the narrow streets of Charlevoix.
    
    
    
     
    Clip of JonBenét performing: