A retired investigator who was involved in
the JonBenet Ramsey case presented photos on national television
Monday that he says support a theory that an intruder killed the
6-year-old.
The photos, including a picture of a white cord wrapped around
the child's wrist, were shown on NBC's "Today" show by retired
homicide Detective Lou Smit (pictured, left), who initiated the intruder theory.
Police have said the child's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey,
remain under an umbrella of suspicion, a claim they have repeatedly
denied. No one has been charged in the 1996 case.
In interviews on "Today," Smit re-emphasized that he believes
police focused on the parents and failed to examine Smit's theory.
Appearing with him were Boulder County sheriff's Detective Steve
Ainsworth and former Boulder County prosecutor Trip DeMuth.
"I have not seen any evidence that would be compelling to
suggest that John and Patsy did kill their daughter at this
point," Ainsworth said.
Smit recounted previously publicized clues that he believes to
point to an intruder, including an open basement window, an
unidentified footprint in the basement and a suitcase just under
the window that presumably could have been used to help the
intruder escape.
"JonBenet was a pedophile's dream come true," Smit (pictured, right) said.
The photos included a stick that police have said was used as a
garrotte to tighten the cord around the girl's neck and two small
red marks that Smit believes were caused by a stun gun.
In 1997, the Globe tabloid published similar photos. Two Boulder
men pleaded guilty to obstructing government operations for
stealing some of the photos and selling them to the Globe for
$5,200.
"We certainly do not know what Mr. Smit hopes to accomplish, but we do not wish to have public debate about what evidence we do and do not have," Boulder Police chief Mark Beckner said Monday. "We will simply continue to do the work we've been doing."
Attorney Lin Wood, who represents JonBenet's parents of Atlanta,
believes Smit's comments will get the investigation moving.
"There is no question in my mind that this series should in
fact force the public officials in Colorado to get this case into
the hands of a new investigative team so we can solve the murder of
JonBenet Ramsey," he said.
The child beauty queen was found beaten and strangled in her
family's upscale home on Dec. 26, 1996. A grand jury investigated
the case but disbanded in 1999. No indictments were issued.
Smit resigned in September 1998 after working on the official
investigation for 18 months. "I did not want to be part of perhaps
persecuting people that I believed, in fact, were innocent," he
said.
Smit is also participating in a documentary by University of Colorado professor Michael Tracey, who will air the presentation in the United Kingdom in July.
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