After Patsy Ramsey made a frantic 911 call at 5:52 a.m. on December 26, 1996, to report the shocking kidnapping of her daughter, JonBenét Ramsey, she and her husband, John Ramsey, reached out to several close friends for immediate support during this harrowing time. Their friends quickly arrived at their home, providing emotional backing to the distressed couple as they faced the unimaginable.
Throughout the day, in addition to the responding officers, numerous individuals gathered at the Ramseys’ expansive 5,000-square-foot residence, which turned into a chaotic scene. Tragically, the atmosphere shifted significantly when John discovered JonBenét’s lifeless body in the basement shortly after 1:30 p.m., devastating the family and escalating the urgency of the situation.
Retired Boulder Police Detective Bob Whitson reflected on this critical moment in the Netflix docuseries Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, stating, “I should have removed all those people from the scene; that was a crime scene mistake.” Whitson explained that at the time, the situation appeared to be a legitimate kidnapping, leading him to believe that the friends were part of the essential support system for the Ramseys, which influenced his decision to allow them to remain on the premises.
Unaware of the tragic reality when he first encountered her, John recounted in the series that he initially attempted to untie the cord that bound JonBenét’s hands. He found the knots to be far too tight, but he did manage to remove a piece of duct tape covering her mouth, which he carelessly tossed onto a nearby blanket that was resting with her body.
John then carried JonBenét upstairs, an action that, according to investigators, seriously compromised the integrity of crucial evidence collected from her body, including the pajamas she wore and the tape. This misstep in protocol led to significant concerns regarding the contamination of vital forensic evidence.
Whitson mentioned in the series, “There may have been some evidence on the duct tape if that wasn’t removed,” highlighting the potential for critical clues that could have assisted in solving this heart-wrenching case.
