Replies

Okay, don't laugh because I realize that I'm probabliy just getting carried away with speculation. However,I think we all can agree that the wording in the ransom note is just downright bizarre. The following is just a possible explanation for some of the note's more conspicuous oddities.

I approached this research with the assumption that the author of the ransom note was an admirer, and student of crimes similar to the JonBenet Ramsey case.

Mr. Ramsey.
Listen carefully! We are a group of individuals that represent a small foreign faction. We xx respect your bussiness but not the country that it serves. At this time we have your daughter in our posession. She is safe and unharmed and if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter. You will withdraw $118,000.00 from your account. $100,000 will be in $100 bills and the remaining $18,000 in $20 bills. Make sure that you bring an (1)*adequate size attache* to the bank. When you get home you will put the money in a (2?)*brown paper bag*. I will call you between (3?)*8 and 10* am tomorrow to instruct you on delivery. The delivery will be (4)*exhausting so I advise you to be rested*. If we monitor you getting the money early, we might call you early to arrange an earlier delivery of the money and hence a earlier delivery (delivery is crossed out, but this feature doesn't show on a copy paste)(5) *pickup* of your daughter. Any deviation of my instructions will result in the immediate execution of your daughter. You will also be (6)*denied her remains for proper burial*.(7) *The two gentlemen* watching over your daughter do not particularly like you so I advise you not to provoke them. Speaking to anyone about your situation, such as Police, F.B.I.,etc., will result in your daughter being (8)*beheaded*. If we catch you talking to a stray(9)*dog*, she dies. If you alert bank authorities, she dies. If the money is in any way marked or tampered with, she dies. You will be scanned for electronic devices and if any are found, she dies. You can try to deceive us but be warned that we are familiar with Law enforcement countermeasures and tactics. You stand a 99% chance of killing your daughter if you try to out smart us. Follow our instructions and you stand a 100% chance of getting her back. You and your family are under constant scrutiny as well as the authorities. (10)*Don't try to grow a brain* John. You are not the only fat cat around so don't think that killing will be difficult. Don't underestimate us John. Use that good (11?)*southern* common sense of yours. It is up to you now John!
Victory!
S.B.T.C."

I have put()around numbers followed by ** around the words in question for those that I have found a possible correlation.

(1)*attaché case* Westley Allan Dodd molested and murdered three boys in 1989. He kept underwear from a victim, photos, and journals detailing his crimes and fantasies in an attaché case underneath his bed. This was compelling evidence in his conviction.

(2?) brown *paper* bag – Iffy, but Wesley Allan Dodd also worked at a paper plant. It was near this location that he dumped the body of his third victim, a little four year old boy named Lee Iseli.

(3?)*8 and 10* Pretty iffy, but the timeframe between the time when the Lindbergh was put to bed and went missing is 8 to 10. It was pm though, and the note is referring to am. What makes this stand out to me though is that ransom notes generally don’t give such a broad time frame in which the abuctor will make contact. The ones that give a time frame are usually pretty specific.

(4?)*exhausting so I advise you to be rested* A strong hint suggesting sleep…very odd? Perhaps a reference to the slumber party from which Polly Klaas was abducted? Pretty iffy, but it it’s such a weird statement that I think something is up with it. *Rest*, sleep and *slumber* are all synonyms. For some reason the perpetrator wants the reader to think of sleep.

(5)Crossed out word *delivery* and *pick-up* is used in place. Why? Maybe, it's just a more appropriate word, but it is interesting that the only clue of significance in the Amber Hagerman case is the she was taken by a man in a black pickup truck. The most notable thing to come out of this case is the Amber Alert system, which focuses on vehicles suspected of being involved in child abductions.

(6)*denied her remains for a proper burial* There are several high profile abduction cases where bodies have not been found. Most notably is the Walsh case, where only Adam Walsh's head was recovered.

(7)*two men watching over her* Could just be pulled out of the air, but Jesse Timmendequas, the murderer of Megan Kanka also had two men, both convicted child molesters, living as roommates with him. The most notable thing to come out of this case is Megan’s Law, which is responsible for the creation of the database which parents can use to learn about convicted sex offenders living in their area.

(8)*beheaded* also a possible reference to the Walsh case, as this was done to Adam Walsh.

(9)*dog* There are several cases I came across in which the victim was lured by a promise to see a puppy, including Megan Kanka’s. This is a common tactic used by predators. There were also at least two cases in which the bodies of victims were discovered by owners out walking their dogs. The most obvious in my research was that Amber Hagerman. I do not know if the dog was instrumental in leading the owner to the body. This could just be a coincidence.

(10?)*don't try to grow a brain* Could just be a condescending remark. There is the case of Jammu Siltavuori who murdered two 8 year olds that he picked up for a car ride in his neighborhood. This case was in Finland. I don’t believe it was widely publicized in the U.S., however if the perp was an avid studier of these types of crimes there is a good chance that he was aware of it. It was controversial because Siltavuori was determined to be mentally retarded.

(11?)*southern* Wayne Williams was convicted for the Atlanta Child Murders in 1982. However, the murders did not stop after his arrest and conviction. There was a large variation in the M.O.’s of these murders. The ranges in age, genders, and methods of killing all differed greatly. The only thing they had in common was geography. It is now widely believed that there were several perpetrators responsible for these murders. The only murder attributed to the Atlanta Child Murders that demanded a ransom was the murder of Earl Terrell. This ransom was the miniscule amount of $200 dollars, and it was demanded by phone. The abductor claimed to have taken Earl to Alabama. According to Earl’s aunt, the voice on the phone sounded like a white southerner. Personally, I think the phone call and demand of such a small amount was meant as a ridicule and racial insult.

12. This is not in the ransom letter, however, it is interesting to note that the Bobby Franks case from 1924 also included a bogus ransom note. The killing was done by two wealthy and highly intelligent young men by the names of Nathan Leopold, and Richard Loeb. It’s purpose was solely for the thrill of publicity.

13. It is also interesting to note that Megan Kanka was also strangled and struck on the head. I found no other cases that included this combination, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that this is uncommon in these types of cases.

http://www.answers.com/topic/infamous-cases-of-child-murder-after-1900

http://www.crimelibrary.com

My parameters were high profile child abduction murders before December 1996 that were not committed by family members or peers, and not a consequence of chronic abuse by a close relative. I also did not include deaths by shooting.