Perfect Murder, Perfect Town - Lawrence Schiller [132]
The family has…allowed pediatrician Dr. Francesco Beuf and his nurses to speak with investigators.
—Clay Evans
Daily Camera, March 16, 1997
JONBENÉT RAMSEY INFORMATION UPDATE
Date: March 19, 1997
To: Reporters covering the Ramsey case
Fr: Pat Korten
News leaks appearing to come from law enforcement sources over the past few days have suggested, that there are some similarities between Patsy Ramsey’s handwriting and that found on the ransom note left in the Ramseys’ house on December 26.
Handwriting experts retained by the Ramseys, among the most highly regarded in the field, have concluded that neither John nor Patsy Ramsey wrote the note. While they noted some similarity between a few of Patsy Ramsey’s letters and those found on the note, there were dramatic differences between her handwriting and the note in many other areas.
Now that the Globe had blown Jeff Shapiro’s cover, he knew he would have to use his real name, but part of his cover story—that he was a student—was still intact. Joe Mullins had suggested to him before he left Florida that he visit the Ramseys’ church and say he was interested in converting to Christianity. Perhaps he could discuss the Jews for Jesus movement. It might help him gain credibility among the parishioners. Shapiro considered the ethics of using religion to get close to someone and eventually decided he didn’t care.
“When you’re working undercover,” Shapiro often said, “whether you’re an investigative reporter, a detective, or an FBI agent, you don’t have ordinary morals. You do whatever you have to do to accomplish your mission. And you don’t let anything get personal.”
On Friday, March 20, Shapiro visited St. John’s for the first time and asked to see Rev. Hoverstock. On the door of his office hung a sign: NO MEDIA. THANK YOU.
Shapiro told Hoverstock he wanted to become a Christian. He was truthful with Hoverstock about his upbringing and told him how frustrating it was to graduate from college and be unable to find the right job. He said his parents were wealthy and that a lot of his friends were Christians. He was undercover, Shapiro told himself, and his ultimate goal was more important than these trivial white lies. He was in Boulder to find the truth, and he began to feel that God wanted him to help.
He mentioned his interest in the Simpson case and told the minister that the LAPD had framed OJ.
Hoverstock replied, “You’ve come at an interesting time.”
Jeff nodded.
“We’ll get to know one another, have some conversations,” Hoverstock told Shapiro. “I’ll learn more about you.” Hoverstock invited Shapiro to services and seminars, to become more informed about Christianity.
From then on, Shapiro attended services every Sunday, and prayer classes, which he enjoyed. In some ways he felt more of a bond with the people at St. John’s than with his fellow Jews. He felt good about what he was doing. He felt that he belonged. He purchased a Book of Common Prayer and a Bible.
Later Shapiro would tell his editor that he was getting two for the price of one—he was doing his job and acquiring spirituality.
My father always reminded me of Hal Holbrook in the movie Wall Street. He’s rational and likes to disarm people, doesn’t like to provoke them. I’m sure he worked for the CIA when I was a kid. He’d leave in the middle of the night for places like Iran, the Middle East, and Europe. I think he helped build a power plant for the CIA out there and had some run-ins with terrorist organizations. Later he helped design the launchpad for the Saturn Five rocket.
I was brought up in Boca Raton and attended Florida State University as a political science major. I wrote stories on Jim Garrison, the O. J. Simpson case, and John DeLorean for local publications.
When I was fifteen I started to go out alone. I saw homeless people in places my parents had never taken me. The contrast of people in limousines and people lying on the street starving affected me. That’s when I decided I wanted to talk to President Reagan and find out why there