Perfect Murder, Perfect Town - Lawrence Schiller [201]
The public also learned that the possible murder weapon was something like a garrote made from a stick “irregularly broken at both ends and there are several colors of paint and apparent glistening varnish on the surface…Printed in gold letters on one end of the wooden stick is the word ‘Korea.’”
Hal Haddon, one of John Ramsey’s attorneys, told the Daily Camera, “The autopsy details released [Wednesday] confirm what we have known for some time—that this vicious murder was well-planned. The person who prepared the ligature and the garrote obviously put a lot of thought into this murder.”
After the release of the autopsy report, Bryan Morgan, another of John Ramsey’s attorneys, sat down with Ramsey to explain its contents. Throughout his professional life, Morgan had done this with many of his clients, most of them guilty of the crimes they were charged with. The attorney went through every detail of the coroner’s findings with Ramsey, who became despondent and broke down. Morgan, who was likely to have had his doubts about Ramsey’s innocence, watched his client closely. That was when the attorney discovered that Ramsey did not even know how JonBenét had died. What Morgan observed told him that John Ramsey had not killed his daughter.
In fact, the Ramseys’ attorneys had, from the beginning, treated their clients as if they were guilty. It wasn’t until one journalist confronted Hal Haddon and told him so that the attorneys started to think differently. Keeping the Ramseys isolated did not help, the reporter told Haddon. Also, adding Lee Foreman to the team—an attorney who more often than not defended guilty clients—sent the wrong message to the police and Alex Hunter.
Meanwhile, Ann Bardach of Vanity Fair continued to call Alex Hunter, who was still refusing to grant her a second interview. Bardach told Suzanne Laurion that according to her sources, the DA’s office had stepped across the prosecutorial line and damaged the case irreparably. The word malfeasance had been used, she added.
Laurion once again tried to get Bardach to submit her questions in writing but to no avail. On August 16, the fact checkers for Vanity Fair called Laurion, which meant that Bardach had turned in her article. While Alex Hunter and his staff waited for the worst, Laurion sent Bardach a fax.
Annie…
Alex was very appreciative of this opportunity to comment on the Olbright and Sid Wells cases….
In both these cases it was the District Attorney’s decision, after careful consideration, that there was insufficient evidence to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that a named defendant(s) committed the crime. Under Colorado law, any citizen can challenge the decision of the District Attorney in a particular case by filing with a court a motion to compel prosecution. In both these cases, no such motion was filed.
Thanks, Annie for working so hard to let us have our say, even though we declined that follow-up interview. I thought it was really cool that you even called me from the plane Friday night just to respond to my question. I will miss you when this is all over.
Suzanne
That same day, Dick Woodbury of Time magazine put some questions to Hunter in writing. Laurion suggested how he might respond.
Q. What is Hunter’s reaction to the escalation of the Ramseys’ own investigation?
A. Whether the Ramseys’ motivation is to uncover evidence or to enhance their public image, or a combination of both, it is their prerogative to take the actions they are taking.
Q. Haddon says he wants to publish the ransom note but Hunter’s office doesn’t want it released.
A. It’s true that my investigators do not want the ransom note