Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

JonBenet Flimsy (CO Professor fingered false suspects in the past)
Broward-Palm Beach New Times ^ | Aug 17, 2006 | TONY ORTEGA

Posted on 08/23/2006 9:01:19 AM PDT by The KG9 Kid

As the case against John Mark Karr disintegrates, attention turns to CU prof Michael Tracey, who's fingered false suspects in the past.

While the case against John Mark Karr disintegrates by the minute, New Times has learned that this isn't the first time Colorado University Professor Michael Tracey has caused a stir by fingering a "prime suspect" in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case — only to be proved wrong.

In 2004, Tracey, a British expatriate journalism professor and documentarian, produced a film about the Ramsey murder that aired on British television but not in the United States. By then, however, Tracey was already considered a notorious developer of false leads by a large group of Internet sleuths who congregated at Forums for Justice, a website started by a radio disc jockey named Tricia Griffith.

"If you know the case and you watch Tracey's documentaries, they're filled with blatant lies. It's so easily proven," Griffith says from Park City, Utah, where she does radio and voiceover work. In Tracey's 2004 documentary, Who Killed the Pageant Queen?, the professor claimed to have stunning new evidence that was leading police to a previously unidentified "prime suspect." The documentary claimed that police were trying unsuccessfully to track down the man because he had gone "underground." Tracey's film didn't name the man, but a document was shown onscreen that purported to be a police record of the suspect, with the suspect's name and address blacked out.

Griffith says an alert viewer in Scotland recorded the show and was able to do a screen capture of the police report. The image included a document number, enough information for Griffith to track down her own copy of the document.

Tracey's "prime suspect" turned out to be John Steven Gigax, who was, in fact, an acquaintance of Michael Helgoth's, who, in "intruder" theories about the murder of JonBenet, was long considered a possible suspect.

However, contrary to Tracey's claim that Gigax was underground and untraceable, Griffith found him in ten minutes with a simple Google search. "He was selling jewelry on the Internet," Griffith says.

Griffith says Gigax immediately contacted Boulder police to see if they were really looking for him.

They weren't.

"I talked to [Boulder District Attorney Investigator] Tom Bennett myself, and he said Gigax was never a suspect. Gigax can prove he was in Indiana on the day of the murder."

That sounds familiar. Two years later, Tracey has electrified the world with his fingering of another suspect who, it's looking likely, will turn out to have been in another state when JonBenet Ramsey was killed in the early hours of December 26, 1996. New Times tried to contact Tracey but was unable to do so.

After debunking Tracey's documentary, Griffith put out a news release (you can still find it at forumsforjustice.org), but she says she got no media interest from it.

In fact, when New Times phoned her this morning to ask about the Tracey documentary, she said she was getting no other inquiries from reporters.

As the rest of the media feed on the inconsistencies of John Mark Karr's confessions, they may soon turn their attention to the Colorado professor who has apparently yelled "Fire!" in this case before.


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: jonbenet; karr; ramsey
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 last
To: The KG9 Kid

JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case Suspect
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


41 posted on 08/23/2006 8:09:41 PM PDT by Rte66
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ableLight


Is that right?


42 posted on 08/23/2006 8:11:31 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: The KG9 Kid
This Karr thing is turning into a fiasco. Not surprised actually, since I have my own opinion about the murder. The facts this guy supposedly knew could easily have come from the leaking the DA Alex Hunter did to the tabloids. That is if he has any facts. Seems like maybe a lot of what we have heard about him are turning out to be untrue.
43 posted on 08/23/2006 8:13:38 PM PDT by ladyinred (Leftists, the enemy within.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Valpal1; Halls; hoosiermama; stlnative


Over here. We were just discussing the unreliability of the professor.


44 posted on 08/23/2006 8:14:05 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: onyx

Yep. Of course, in this climate, you'll have to verify. Nothing in this case is clear-cut, but that is what I read. There's been little if any talk of the left hand sample she gave.


45 posted on 08/23/2006 8:23:24 PM PDT by ableLight
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: onyx
Did you hear the innuendo today that Boulder has had a problem with child porn for years and every time someone's want to look into it, there told not to?

....I think it was an X official from the DA's office that mentioned it on FOX today. Said he hoped the case open the door so that the current DA could go after it.
46 posted on 08/23/2006 8:25:28 PM PDT by hoosiermama
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: onyx; ableLight

I see ableLight is still kicking Patsy around, without providing links.

Lots of self proclaimed experts out there, yet the grand jury declined to do anything.


47 posted on 08/23/2006 8:25:35 PM PDT by Valpal1 (Big Media is like Barney Fife with a gun.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: ableLight


I love to see that verified in print.
I'm sure you would too.


48 posted on 08/23/2006 8:28:25 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: hoosiermama


NO, I missed it. I couldn't watch TV this afternoon.


49 posted on 08/23/2006 8:29:09 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: Valpal1; ableLight

That's a fact --- the GJ did not indict.

The left handed sample might be a myth and it's best omitted from the threads without a sourced link. Maybe now, with mention of it, someone can find a sourced link.


50 posted on 08/23/2006 8:31:49 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: ableLight
His entire research career has been built on the topic of the MSM's unethical pursuit of information which prematurely convict's innocent people in the public eye.

It is remarkably ironic that that is exactly what the MSM does.

51 posted on 08/23/2006 8:32:31 PM PDT by Valpal1 (Big Media is like Barney Fife with a gun.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Valpal1

I'll let the reader judge if I'm discussing the evidence without investing in any one theory or the other. I'm confident of the result.


52 posted on 08/23/2006 8:34:31 PM PDT by ableLight
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: onyx

The link is in the forum


53 posted on 08/23/2006 8:46:19 PM PDT by ableLight
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: ableLight


Can you direct me to the posting number?


54 posted on 08/23/2006 8:47:29 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Conservative Texan Mom


Have a look at this. We were discussing the unreliability of this professor on the thread earlier today.


55 posted on 08/23/2006 8:54:04 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: edcoil

It's over edcoil.


56 posted on 08/28/2006 2:31:23 PM PDT by The KG9 Kid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: The KG9 Kid

Seems like it, he was in Asia for a sex change, do we know if that changes DNA? Could this cause the mis-match?


57 posted on 08/29/2006 9:25:58 AM PDT by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: edcoil

You may be right, edcoil. I think a sex change operation does in fact change the patient's DNA.


58 posted on 08/29/2006 9:30:50 AM PDT by The KG9 Kid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson