When John Ramsey appeared on Dr Phil last month, he said it would be the final time he would speak to the media about his daughter’s infamous death.
But this morning, the 72-year-old broke his silence and opened up to KIIS FM radio host Meshel Laurie about what has become one of the world’s most famous cold cases — the murder of child beauty queen JonBénet Ramsey.
“I tell people that really was probably the worst moment of my life, in that my daughter was gone. My six-year-old child,” he told Laurie, speaking of the moment he realised his little girl was missing.
“As a parent, if you have been in a shopping mall or department store and you lose sight of your child for a minute, you just have this panic feeling. That’s the feeling I had, and it just didn’t go away.”
John discovered JonBenét's body in the basement of the family's Colorado home on Boxing Day 1996, just hours after his wife, Nancy, found a rambling ransom note from a "small European faction" that claimed to have kidnapped their daughter.
"Well, we'd gotten up early, and I was in the upstairs bathroom when I heard Patsy scream my name. I knew by the tone it was something serious," Ramsey told Laurie.
"She had found a ransom note on the stairway and had checked JonBenétt’s room. At the same time we immediately called the police."
When questioned by Laurie as to why they involved authorities, when the apparent kidnappers forbade them from doing so, Ramsey said there was "no question".
"I would have called the army if I could have. You want help, you want help now," he said.
"We thought the police knew what they were doing. My question was, 'Are we closing roads? Do we have people at the airport? What are we doing here?' But basically they weren't doing anything."
Ramsey described the moment he found his daughter, lying motionless in the empty wine cellar.
"It was a rush of relief. I thought, 'Thank God, I've got my child back.' But I quickly realised it wasn't good," he said.
The businessman carried the little girl's lifeless body upstairs and lay her on the ground in entry hallway.
"I couldn't say anything. I was just screaming. I guess din't want to admit that she wasn't alive. I hoped that I could revive her or get medical help, but I quickly realised that wasn't going to happen."
The interview, which will continue on KIIS 101.1's Matt and Meshel show over the next two days, adds to the flood of media coverage around the case this year to mark its 20th anniversary.
The renewed interest has spurned a number of high-profile interviews, movies and documentaries, including a controversial three-part programme that pointed to JonBenét's brother Burke as the likely culprit in her death.
The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey speculated that the then nine-year-old lashed out when his sister stole some of his late-night snack, and delivered fatal blow to her head with a torch, forcing their parents stage an elaborate cover-up. Burke has since denounced the documentary.
Top Comments
Patsy only read the first page of the Ransom Note. The part about not calling the Police doesn't show up until the Second page.
The question of the Ramsey's involving the police initially was never at issue. What became an issue was when they shut them out even after lawyering up. And lawyering up wasn't an issue either.
What doesn't tally up is John's statement,
"I would have called the army if I could have. You want help, you want help now,"
and then withdrawing from their initial pro-active approach.
I don't doubt, for even a moment, that this tragic event was heartwrenchingly devastating for the Ramseys and,
"that really was probably the worst moment of my life,"
I also think keeping secrets eats you up from the inside. I don't know if Patsy died with some peace. I hope so. And I hope John finds some peace. I hope Burke gets the help he so obviously needs.
That's right. Any adult with half a brain knows that the closest people are the initial suspects and need to be cleared first - the sooner the better. And they cooperate no matter how sad, how awful, how awkward, how insulted they may feel.
Tom Meagher knew this, and did just that; cooperated fully even thought he was aware the eyes of the media and public were on him at first. But he was quickly rightfully cleared. He was a man with a clear conscious and knew the police would find no answers about his wife with him.
I get a strong feeling from their conduct that the Ramsay's didn't have that confidence that comes with a clear conscience. If there's nothing to find, open all your curtains, drawers and doors and help the investigation. Don't just make a big initial show, point overly towards the diversion, answer the absolute minimum required and then shut down totally.
Nothing this man is going to say is going to change any minds.
He days "HELLO "... He looks guilty, why didn't he say "Good morning ".
His "hello " sounds rehearsed ".
Why would he say "Hello " and not "Hi "...
Just, please leave them alone and look at what the Police, Dectives and Prosecution did.
Look what they ALL did. They ALL failed JonBenet. What sort of parent REFUSES to be interviewed by police until 5 months after her murder - unless of course they have something to hide, whatever that may be??
What kind of "police officer " tells people to look around the house? TWICE!
What kind of DA leaks all this horrible information ( lies) about this family.
How come the CBI didn't analyze the stomach contents?....
I could go on and on.... But I doubt you want to hear it...