E-mail explains ransom amount

DAILY CAMERA Online ^ | August 23, 2006 | Todd Hartman and Lou Kilzer, Rocky Mountain News

[delacoert]

John Mark Karr reportedly wrote in a 2005 e-mail to University of Colorado professor Michael Tracey that a check stub on John Ramsey's desk included the figure of $118,000 — the amount included in the mysterious ransom note found at the Ramsey home.

If true, the development — reported in recent days by CBS News — could be significant. The check stub and its location, Ramsey's desk, appear to be specific references not commonly discussed in news coverage of the JonBenet Ramsey murder.

On the other hand, there has been frequent mention of the $118,000 figure in media stories, mainly the fact that it was a bonus John Ramsey received from his company, Access Graphics.

And in a 2000 book authored by the Ramseys titled "The Death of Innocence," about the investigation and its impact on their family, John Ramsey said that someone "nosing through our house could have found a pay stub."

Without a comprehensive review of a decade of news coverage and Internet speculation, however, it's difficult to know if there has ever been a specific mention of check stubs on Ramsey's desk. Even some investigators say they can't be sure the information hasn't already been in the public domain.

The upshot: So much information about the case is out there that it's hard to determine if this was a fact only the killer could know.

It does appear clear, however, that such a pay stub could have been discovered by someone inside the house.

That's because, according to John Ramsey in his book, the $118,117.50 was deferred compensation awarded in January 1996.

That means, Ramsey wrote, that the figure was printed on every pay stub issued him in 1996. Therefore, a December pay stub in the house would have contained the figure, even though it was awarded to him at the beginning of the year.

[delacoert]

...it's difficult to know if there has ever been a specific mention of check stubs on Ramsey's desk.

[mom4kittys]

Wow, this has been a real sticking point for me; the amount of the ransom. If this is true it explains that.

[sarasota]

This was nailed down last week on one of our threads.

[sarasota]

ping

[delacoert]

This was nailed down last week on one of our threads.

Well... I read some speculation regarding pay stubs in "your" threads a couple days ago, but I really don't recall information about Karr's email reference to a pay-stub on Ramsey's desk. Some people have been wondering what Karr may have said that the BDA may have thought was knowledge unique to the killer.

[sarasota]

That's true. It was purely our speculation and that's what leads most folks to believe that he's just had ten years to put all this information together to make it sound logical. Guess there's only DNA evidence left as actual proof.

[delacoert]

...that's what leads most folks to believe that he's just had ten years to put all this information together to make it sound logical.

Well golly, I'm just a bumpkin compared to y'all, but perhaps you will go back and notice that I highlighted certain text in the lead article.

The text that is highlighted says:



1. Karr's email reference to the check stub and its location, Ramsey's desk, appear to be specific references not commonly discussed in news coverage of the JonBenet Ramsey murder. (to the best of my knowledge your insightful speculations hadn't actually included a link to a report that Karr had actually written about that in an email that it is now in the hands of investigators.)

2. Investigators say they can't be sure the information hasn't already been in the public domain. (Just as you repeated in your post.)

What I submit, for anyone who cares (probably no one), is a link to an article that indicates the possibility that the check stub information in Karr's email may be part of what the BDA believes to be (albeit mistakenly perhaps) specific references not commonly discussed in news coverage.

There's nothing to see here, just move along.

[Rte66]

FR Thread Roundup
Free Republic ^ | August 16-22, 2006

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1686829/posts?page=2#2
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1686829/posts?page=460#460
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1686829/posts?page=648#648
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1686829/posts?page=1020#1020

[elli1]

That's because, according to John Ramsey in his book, the $118,117.50 was deferred compensation awarded in January 1996.

January 1996 is the interesting part. The $118k is almost always referred to as a 'Christmas' bonus--logical assumption being Christmas 1996, implying a tiny window of opportunity for someone outside the immediate family to discover it before JonBenet was murdered.

Christmas 1995 is a whole other story, esp. in consideration of John Ramsey being CEO & President of a wholly owned subsidary of Lockheed-Martin--wouldn't the am't of a bonus have been included in corporate new releases/ publications? That is, aside from the 'check stub on the desk' biz?

[commish]

Additional to what you have already said -- the check stub thing could just be reasonable deduction on Karr or anyones part. THink, where do you keep your check registers, pay stubs, check stubs etc... IN a file cabinet, in your desk, or on your desk. Where is the best place to go to find a pad to write on in a house -- On a desk.

So, Karr looks for pad, sees check stub, bingo he has his ransom amount. OR as has been said, he deduces that he WOULD have seen a check stub on the desk, Where he WOULD have gone to find a pad, and BINGO he has his "Information only the killer would know".