Perfect Murder, Perfect Town - Lawrence Schiller [281]
Haney spent a week talking to the detectives. He knew Wickman and Gosage from the period when they had worked at the Denver PD; he’d played softball against Gosage over the years. Haney also spent time with Thomas and Trujillo, who had conducted Patsy’s first police interview. Thomas’s insights were particularly informative. Like Patsy, he came from down South, and that gave him an insider’s understanding of her. Haney was also impressed with Thomas’s thoroughness and enthusiasm despite eighteen months on the case.
Lou Smit, who was intimately familiar with the case, still thought it was solvable, though he admitted it was the most difficult one he’d ever investigated. “Look how much evidence was left behind,” Smit said to Wise. “The ransom note, the garrote, the tape.” What he found most disturbing was that the police had never taken the time to develop suspects, as he had been taught to do. These detectives had asked people a series of questions—such as “Where were you on Christmas?” “What’s your mother’s phone number?” “Was your friend with you?” Then, often after making a few phone calls and visits, they’d said thank-you and good-bye. He would have spent time finding out about the behavior of the suspect—even about the behavior of the suspects’ alibi witnesses—how they related to children JonBenét’s age, for example. The detectives had done that type of work on John Andrew and a few people close to the Ramseys, but once they locked onto their target, they stopped developing other suspects. Yet Smit had to admit that he didn’t have a gut feeling about anyone.
In their preparation, Kane and DeMuth sought advice from Henry Lee, Steve Pitt, the FBI, and the police. As they finalized their plan, Hofstrom and Kane decided that the detectives should screen videotapes of each two hours of questioning daily and make suggestions to the interrogators before the next day’s session began.
On Sunday, June 21, Steve Thomas and his wife and sisters spent Father’s Day with his dad, who was in failing health. Driving home, he was troubled. He knew the Ramseys’ interviews were imminent and that he would not be involved. For the first time in eighteen months, he had no goals to work toward. He felt alone and adrift, no longer involved in the battle to get justice for JonBenét.
That evening, Thomas learned that the interviews were about to begin. He didn’t even know where they were being held. The next day, Monday, he went to see Lou Smit. They met in the parking lot of the Justice Center. Thomas wanted to know why the police hadn’t been included in the planning. It was their case, he told Smit again and again. The investigator had to remind him that on June 2 it had become the DA’s case.
“But not to let us know when and where is an insult,” Thomas fumed.
“Hunter’s office thinks you guys will leak it,” Smit replied.
“The leaks are over at the Justice Center,” Thomas protested.
“You’re right. Alex Hunter is the worst,” Smit answered. “I feel bad that you guys get blamed for all the leaks.”
This made Thomas take a step back. “You have to go after them with hard questions,” he said. “Don’t softball them.”
Smit said he would try.
Now Steve Thomas was certain he would no longer be consulted. Beckner had told him that he wasn’t going to be sworn in as a grand jury investigator. Hunter, he was sure, would fold under pressure from the Ramseys’ attorneys and use the grand jury as a device to let the Ramseys off. He could see that the case was moving away from an indictment.
Thomas was tired of hitting his head against a brick wall. He was a bundle of nerves. The twenty-seven pounds he’d lost over the last year were starting to show. He had no energy. His medication was making him sick to his stomach. That afternoon, June 22, Thomas went to see Tom Koby, who was still acting chief, and told him about his illness. He requested some vacation time. Koby suggested