How Touch DNA Was Used in the JonBenet Ramsey Case

A six year old Job Benet Ramsey was found murdered in the basement of her family home on Christmas day. The case has since remained unresolved, and this can be attributed to a number of mistakes that happened during the investigation process (CNN, 2019). One of the mistakes is that the police failed to shut down the crime scene was once the body was found out. The crime scene was at their home meant that the possibility of other people being at the place was minimal. This would have ensured that the crime scene is not tampered with and thus assist the investigators so finding the murderer. There were also those who alleged that the parents were not in good terms, and this may have contributed in one way to the crime. The police should, therefore, have tried as much as possible to question the parent and ascertain if any of them had any ill motive against the child. The police also did not have a full statement from the parents or any other family members immediately after the body was found out. The statement would have been critical in the days to come as the parents would have been pressurized and seen if they would be able to change what they had indicated. This would have at least provided some form of leads to the investigators. The mistakes that were done immediately after the murder and the subsequent days that followed affected the way the investigations went, and this resulted in no one being charged for the murder. The matter has remained unsolved up to date, and it is highly unlikely that the same will be solved as most of the crucial evidence was not picked at the earliest hours of the crime. The delay in securing the crime scene and the fizzling out of the determination to close the case, therefore, means that she will probably nerve get justice done unto her. An autopsy was conducted on the body of little Ramsey, and the report revealed a number of issues. One of the issues that could be seen from the report was the skull fracture. The girl had a fracture on the skull, which meant that she was hit by a blunt object by a force which resulted in the skull fracture occurring. There was an abrasion on the right cheek, and the same abrasion was also seen on the posterior right should (Denver Post, 2016). Another critical component that could be seen from the autopsy was the abrasion and vascular congestion of the vaginal mucosa. This could be related to a forced entry on her vagina and the scratching of her hymen and other parts. The indication from this pointed to sexual assault. The body also portrayed a linear and comminuted fracture of the right side of the skull and also ligature strangulation. There were abrasion and petechial hemorrhage on the neck, which signified that she was forcefully held around the neck area. The results of the autopsy led to the conclusion that the girl may have died as a result of strangulation and fracture to the skull. The injuries exhibited in the areas associated with this pointed out to this fact. In conclusion, the medical practitioner who performed the autopsy documented her “official cause of death as asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma” (Denver Post, 2016). The autopsy conducted indicated that the girl had died due to strangulation and skull fracture. It was evident from the report of the autopsy that she was strangled to death and also the fact that she had a fracture in the skull. The autopsy indicated that the “official cause of death was asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma,” (Denver Post, 2016). It is important to indicate that there was no evidence of conventional rape that was found in the autopsy report, although the issue of sexual assault could not be ruled out. The report revealed that there was evidence of abrasion and vascular congestion of the vaginal mucosa. This seems to suggest that the girl might have suffered sexual assault just before meeting her death (Denver Post, 2016). This meant that the mucus membrane of the vagina was inflamed, thus indicating the presence of activity before her death. Her hymen had been scratched, thus confirming the fact that there was an aggressive push in her vagina. This also points to sexual penetration and, thus, the conclusion that she was sexually assaulted. The inflammation of the mucus membrane and the scratching of the hymen are all pieces of evidence that could be presented to the prosecuting attorney for him or her to conduct investigations. They are an important piece of information that should be considered and which will be critical in identifying the killers of the girl. This could be done through analysis of DNA on her vagina that will be able to pick to traces of semen or any other substance that would provide credible information on her death. The parents of Jon Benet Ramsey were viewed as a suspect right after the murder was discovered. This is due to the fact that the incident occurred in their home, and there were no reports of a burglary prior to the murder. They were taken for questioning in order to establish their involvement in the crime. The tag suspect was later dropped after new DNA evidence pointed out to the presence of a male DNA on the clothes that the girl was wearing at the time of her murder (Vaughan, 2016). This made the investigators clear the parents of any wrongdoing and apologize to them. It is important to state that this was a premature move considering the fact that the prosecution had not arrested and charged anyone in connection with the murder. All the people that were suspected of having come into contact with her were still the main suspects until they could be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they were not the killers. The presence of a male DNA does not change the fact that the parent could indeed be the killers. In most murder cases, those who commit crime plant crucial evidence that would link other people and divert the heat of the fire from them. 

It is an act that has been used before, and thus the murder of Jon Benet Ramsey is not an exception. Either of the parents could have committed the murder and planted pieces of evidence that will be picked by the DNA analysis. This is a crafty method of avoiding justice. Also, there is the issue of cooperation or accomplices that arises in the murder case. The parent could not have committed the murder, but could have played a great part in it occurring. They could have assisted the killer in getting into the house and killing the girl. Therefore, it is premature to rule out the parents as suspects in the case considering the fact that there have been cases of children being murdered by their parents as a result of disputes between them. The investigators should have waited longer and continued to carry out investigations rather than refraining from investigating them. The best thing to have been done is to leave the investigations open and still consider them as suspects. The analysis undertaken on the ransom note provides a lot of insights as to the authenticity of the note, and it was really the intention of the killers to kidnap her. One thing that came out from the analysis is the fact that the note was a diversionary tactic meant to mislead the investigations on her murder. The people who killed her knew perfectly what they were doing and thus needed to come up with a plan that will distract the authorities. The analysis disputes the fact that the killer was a member of a small foreign faction. The members of such groups do not normally utilize those words when referring to themselves (Anderson, 2013). The manner in which he instructs the parents to withdraw money seems to suggest that he is a jealous business associate that wants to exact revenge on the family. The analysis points out critical matters when it comes to investigating murder and ransom notes that are formulated by kidnappers. Therefore, both of the analyses provide clear and reliable information that can be used in a court of law to dispute the notion that it was an act of kidnapping that eventually caused the death of the little girl. The court system believes in the admission of credible evidence that can be well supported and explained in court. The two analysts have taken time to carry out their analysis and record the little evidence that point to the fact that the ransom note was a diversionary tactic away from the real cause of death. The way in which they have suspected the analysis is sufficient enough to stand the tests of the law and thus ensure that the real motive of the killer is identified rather than hiding on the issue of kidnapping and ransom. 

References 

Anderson, B. (2013, July 19). Disguised Handwriting: Unmasking the Ramsey Ransom Note . Expert Hand Writing Analysis. http://www.experthandwritinganalysis.com/2013/07/19/unmasking-the-ramsey-ransom-note/ 

CNN. (2019, August 29). Jon Benet Ramsey Murder Facts . CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/29/us/jonbenet-ramsey-murder-fast-facts/index.html 

Vaughan, K. (2016, October 26). How Touch DNA was used in the Ramsey Case . 9News. https://www.9news.com/article/news/investigations/jonbenet-ramsey/how-touch-dna-was-used-in-the-ramsey-case/73-341826563 

Denver Post. (2016, September 30). Text of Jon Benet Autopsy Report . Denver Post https://www.denverpost.com/1996/08/13/text-of-jonbenet-autopsy-report/