JonBenet

Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation

By: Steve Thomas, Donald A. Davis

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Perhaps the most compelling murder case of our day, the death of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey galvanized the nation - and years after it occurred, the mystery still endures. Who killed the young beauty queen and why? Who is covering up for whom, and who is simply lying? In JonBenet, the most authoritative and comprehensive study of the Ramsey murder, a former lead Boulder Police detective, Steve Thomas, explores the case in vivid and fascinating detail - pointing the way toward an analysis of the evidence some deem too shocking to consider.

Here, Thomas raises these and many other provocative questions:

How was the investigation botched from the beginning, and why did police so carelessly allow the crime scene to be tampered with?

Why were John and Patsy Ramsey protected from early questioning and any lie-detector tests, even though their stories and behavior were erratic, suspicious, and inconsistent?

Why was crucial evidence ignored, why were certain key witnesses unquestioned by detectives, and why were the Ramseys privy to sensitive information about the case and even police reports?

©2000 Steve Thomas and Don Davis (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"From my investigation of the Ramsey murder, Steve Thomas was the lead detective on the case from the beginning and may know what happened better than anyone." (Lawrence Schiller, New York Times best-selling author)

Excellent true crime expose

This book is by far one of the best books on the subject. Steve Thomas deserves a medal for his desperate but ultimately doomed attempt to find justice for Jonbenet Ramsey.

Former district attorney Alex Hunter should have been charged with obstruction of justice, especially now that it has come out that he was handed a grand jury report recommending indictment of the Ramseys but he craftily worded his statement to the press in such a way that it *appeared* the grand jury was inconclusive. I hope the man spends the afterlife staring into the eyes of that little girl begging for forgiveness for stealing justice from her out of some strange mixture of incompetence and political ambition. The same goes for the rest of his merry band of morons in the Boulder DA.

Great narration and very informative.

Great narration and very informative. I feel Mr. Thomas’s frustrations. I highly recommend this book to any crime junkie.

Someone Knows

Excellent first hand account of a tragedy that still frustrates true crime investigators and armchair detectives. Concise and clear narration.

Narration is awful.

It is impossible to actually enjoy this audiobook because of the robotic narration. Would not recommend.

An often unheard point-of-view

I know that in all things you have 3 possible stories: one side, the other side, and somewhere in the middle you find the truth. This being said, if even half of this autho's story is true, the mishandling and political posturing by the DA and the Ramseys is disgusting. I was a teenager when this crime occurred and even then with my limited experience I thought that the Ramseys we're behaving strangely. Now, as and adult and with a child of my own, I find their behavior incriminating and subversive. Hearing how they endlessly ducked opportunities to help and have pandered to the media constantly ( even now, 20 years later, they continue to do so), I can't help but think they are covering up for either themselves or their son and the DA helped them do it. I t breaks my heart to think JonBenet might never have justice, but I am glad some brave souls are willing to come forward and she'd what light they can.

An in the trench pov

Definitely some coverups happening. It will never be solved unless there is a deathbed confession (and the main suspect in most eyes has already passed away). Too much tampering with evidence has occurred for any cold case investigators to straighten it .

Detailed investigative account

I never realized how the sparse amount of evidence could reveal sound facts that tell a story. A botched beginning and aggressive defense lawyers almost wiped away the truth...if not for the devoted and skillful work of a handful of detectives.

Such a bewildering case

This book is 90% a cop complaining about everything that prevented him from doing his job. While all or most of those things may be true, 10 hours of it can get old.

The other book on this case is much better.

This case is so upsetting. The Ramsey family is like the OJ that was never punished.

Questions…..

After listening to this book, it was obvious from the very beginning that the Ramsey’s are hiding the truth. What mother leaves her 9 year old son, alone in his room till sometime after the police arrived? Most parents would keep that child right next to them till police arrived. Seems to me the narrative that Burke was asleep needed to stay in play. The loosely tied wrist knots on JonBenet were obviously tied by someone other than an adult because it was noted that her wrists could easily slid out. As I began to read up and find out more about Burke, it is very apparent the parents were protecting someone…. I could go on and on.

Just wow

I knew that this case was convoluted, but didn’t know how messed up it really was! Here it is 26 years and a month later and there still is no justice for JonBenet…