Any apologies?
Comments (12)
Thursday, August 17, 2006 | 09:03 AM ET
By Henry Champ
Chances are, 24 hours ago, if you asked Americans who killed JonBenet Ramsey, the majority would reply her mother, Patsy, or her father, John, or perhaps both.
For 10 years, the murder of the six-year-old beauty queen has dogged her Boulder, Colo., family.
At one point, Colorado investigators said JonBenet's parents were under a "cloud of suspicion," a claim that was repeated thousands of times by a breathless media covering the case.
The Ramsey killing was a staple of all-news networks. A regular feature on the front pages of the nation. Stories appeared confirming the mother had written the ransom note found at the scene, that the father had interfered with the murder scene. There were stories that their arrests were imminent.
The charges didn't stop with the parents. As late as four years ago, the Rocky Mountain News reported that investigators believed that a footprint of a Hi-Tec shoe found at the scene was that of JonBenet's older brother, Burke.
It didn't matter what the credentials were for anyone making claims in the case; what they said got published or aired.
A Boulder police detective, Steve Thomas, who until the Ramsey murder had never investigated a homicide, found a publisher for his book, Mind Hunter, which claimed the Ramseys were guilty. Thomas was taken off the case for incompetence.
The images of the tiny, blond child in beauty pageant outfits were everywhere as opportunists fed out a host of theories about the sensational unsolved murder. These theorists always found an outlet that connected them to an audience, some notoriety or some money.
There were doubters.
Lou Smit was an experienced homicide detective, hired by the Boulder district attorney to help the investigation.
Smit quit in disgust, saying, "They hired me as a detective to look at this case. They may not like what I say but I'm gonna say it. I don't think the Ramseys did it. And I think they ought to start looking for people that did." Smit charged the local police investigation was biased.
In 2003, a federal judge reviewing the case concluded available evidence suggested an intruder killed JonBenet.
Neither event served to clear the Ramseys in the public eye.
Wednesday night, John Mark Karr, a 41-year-old former teacher, was arrested in Bangkok in connection with JonBenet's murder. The news led the major television evening newscasts and is dominating the nation's front pages this morning.
And the circus is starting again.
Reports say Karr has confessed to "certain elements" of the crime. A lawyer is reporting Karr knew the Ramseys. Another version says Karr was under suspicion for months. An unnamed federal official says Karr was tracked down over the internet and a guy who wrote a book about the case years ago was on television saying Karr has been on a list of sex offenders who have been suspects for a long time.
None of those statements has been issued by or confirmed by investigating authorities yet.
There is one thing, however, about the flood of coverage over the past 24 hours. I haven't seen or heard an apology.
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Henry Champ is CBC Newsworld's correspondent in Washington, D.C., delivering Canadian viewers the latest developments in the U.S. political arena. Recently, he has been a leading Canadian voice on coverage of the war on terrorism, the war in Iraq and the growing concerns over the Canada-U.S. relationship.
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Comments (12)
Mark
Saskatoon
Henry, there is a strong possibility that you are mistaken in your defense of the Ramseys. The ransom note states the exact amount of John Ramsey's annual bonus --isn't that odd? How would Mark Karr know that? According to media reports, the adhesive tape on the victim had fibres stuck to it (on the sticky side) that came from the mother's sweater. Mark Karr's ex-wife, who is no fan of the guy, says he spent Christmas that year with her and their three kids -- will that alibi hold water? Keep in mind that years ago, during the initial investigation, the city's police department wanted to arrest the parents but were blocked by the prosecutor's office, where John Ramsey had social ties. These are just a few of the reasons for doubting the veracity of Mark Karr's confession.
Posted August 20, 2006 12:02 AM
Dietrich Pankatz
Toronto
Another nail in the coffin for our national CBC, a downward slide I much regret.
If anyone wants to listen to radio programs which are based on a modicum of intelligence, switch to BBC or NPR AM970.
Why can't we, up here, prove that we deserve a place on the world stage, and have to offer more than adventure white-water travel tours?
Posted August 18, 2006 12:04 PM
Greg
Ottawa
Love it. All of it. The disgusting, relentlessly self-promotional, morality-free, shamelessly sensational free-for-all that everybody says they don't like but no one can resist wallowing in. Don't be too quick to pronounce on this one Henry. Don't you get the feeling this one isn't over yet?
Posted August 18, 2006 11:54 AM
Phil
I really can't believe this is monopolising so much time, thought and effort on the CBC. Murder is always nasty business, naturally, but this murder case deserves no more attention – particularly from a public Canadian media outlet – than any other, and it certainly does _not_ deserve the top-story treatment it got on 17 August, not when there are more pressing issues critical to all people everwhere that deserve that sort of editorial treatment.
To echo the comment made by a reader in the Your Space section on this story: I really couldn't care less. Give us real, relevant news, please.
Posted August 18, 2006 11:46 AM
ALAN WEBSTER
HENRY,
Your comments are spot on, with regards to this murder investigation in the USA. But why does our Canadian CBC network appear to follow the mass media in the USa with their news items - all the time! Your
TV report on CBC TV Newsworld ,on the 911 recordings of calls made by the victims of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre - had to be the low point of CBC news coverage ! I cannot imagine that you covered this so called news item, without CBC Toronto news editors pressing you to cover this USA item . I am personally digusted that the CBc would not have the sense NOT to cover this at all - other than reporting that the courts in the USA had allowed the "press' to use these tapes - and they were used by the CBc UNEDITTED" - despite your report that the actual identtity , and voices of the victims would not be used !Sorry to see you abused by TO NEWS dept on this !
Disgusted in Vancouver !
Posted August 18, 2006 11:34 AM
Cheri
Canada
When I mentioned to a friend that they had arrested a suspect in the JonBenet case, he promptly replied, "Who? Her dad?" At that moment, I felt a deep sorrow for her parents, especially her mother who didn’t live to see the case solve. They spent years agonizing over the death of their child with watchful eyes everywhere around them. I initially drew the same conclusion; it made sense because the child was found in her own home and often people are murdered by someone they know. Without the media reporting any information that there was evidence of an intruder in the home, what else was the world to think? But I do want to say this - I would like to apologize for our suspicions and hope her family will soon find peace.
Posted August 18, 2006 09:35 AM
Gary Rodrigues
Toronto
Surely it was the news media that played the primary role in the trial and conviction of the Ramsey family in the news media. Shouldn't the news media apologize and pay substantial damages to everyone defamed in the process. Does Henry Champ lack the .... to clearly place the blame where it is due.
Posted August 17, 2006 08:10 PM
joe
Halifax
What is this story even doing on the CBC?
Isn't this what supermarket tabloids with tales of Aliens dating supermodels are for?
Posted August 17, 2006 05:23 PM
Kery
U.S.
Respectfully, Henry Champ, I have to say you are wrong. Any American would say "innocent until proven guilty". Yes, the Ramsey family sure did look suspicious, but the media circus does a good job of making Americans look like a bunch of looneys as well.
I'm not sure why this crime took a decade to solve, it appears to be another bad case of the wealthy getting away with not cooperating with police. If this had been a poor black or hispanic family, the parents would have been thrown in the slammer instantly.
Although parading a child around in a hooker outfit is shameful, less acceptable is the media using private citizens' lives to sell news stories and magazines. Especially the death of a child.
Posted August 17, 2006 03:29 PM
Sidney E. Mathious
I think that the newest suspect is suspicious with him giving so much damaging information voluntarily. He could be a nut looking for attention by doing this, but he was her teacher at one point and has a record of being a petifile so he could be the real thing.
I for one would love to see this case solved and the book closed on it. Most of the country would love to see the real criminal put behind bars for this murder. This little girl didn't deserve the violent death she got, and if it is proved that this man did it, I hope that he gets the the maximum sentence from the jury as he is like so many others out there who keep committing their crimes saying that they are sick and society won't do anything for them.
Posted August 17, 2006 11:07 AM
Louise Lauzon
An apology may be due to the family, but it will never come from the police or the media which seems to think the more sensational the story, the better, even if truth and unbiased reporting are ignored. The family's grief was made all the worse by a population that seems to relish in other people's misery. What happened to looking for the truth?
Posted August 17, 2006 11:06 AM
T Nicholson
Toronto
I think what led a majority of people to believe that the family had some involvement in this crime was the lack of cooperation the police rec'd from The Ramseys. It was months before they were able to interview them about JonBenet. Theres no way to say how anyone would react in a similar situation, but the reluctance to talk to the police in itself was odd. Also the whole beauty pageant thing is bizarre, that poor child was dressed up and paraded around looking like an adult. That doesnt excuse or explain the actions of a sick man however. Are they due an apology for all the accusations and the publics perception of guilt? Yes they are, of course they are. I cant imagine the devastation you would feel and then having to deal with the aftermath. The whole case was bungled from the beginning.
Posted August 17, 2006 10:13 AM