A child has been mysteriously killed. The parents look suspicious, but there’s a possibility that someone outside of the home could have done it. There’s a darker, more sinister truth, however.

In 1996, on a gloomy, cold Christmas Day morning in Boulder, Colorado,, a six-year-old child beauty queen named JonBenét Ramsey was reported missing. Her mother, Mrs. Ramsey, found a ransom note on their stairs. Mrs. Ramsey told authorities she read the note right there on the stairs. I know for sure if I found a piece of paper on my steps that early in the morning, I would definitely not bother to read it.

After the investigators took a look at the note, there was a couple of odd things about it. First of all, some very easy words like “possession” were misspelled, while a couple of difficult words like “attaché” were spelled right. Secondly, the paper and pen used were from inside the house. Both of  these facts lead police to believe   the parents tried faking the note raising the question of why they would do such a thing.

Several hours after the child was reported missing, her father was told to search for any stolen items. He was specifically told to search the house from top to bottom. Instead, he went directly to the basement, where he “found” the body of his daughter. With the directness of his search, it was obvious he was looking for something he knew was there. John Ramsey carried his daughter’s body upstairs immediately after finding her, which ultimately comprised the crime scene.

JonBenét had died from blunt force trauma to the head but had a cord around her neck and duct tape on her mouth. The excess use of weapons found on the scene points to the conclusion that parts of her murder were staged.

There were no signs of forced entry, there were no footprints in the snow outside, and the DNA left on the body was from family members and the manufacturers of the clothes she was wearing. There is no evidence someone else could have done it. It had to have been a family member.

The intricate staging methods and messing with the crime scene alludes to the parents having something to do with it. Before this case can be closed, there is one small piece missing. The autopsy showed the girl had eaten pineapple and milk right before she passed. A bowl with that exact snack was found in the kitchen with her brother’s DNA on it. The theory goes that JonBenét was accidentally killed by her frustrated nine-year-old brother, Burke Ramsey, because she had taken some of his food.

The parents discovered the horror their son had created, and helped cover it up. They sent Burke up to his room where he didn’t leave until the police left. When asked questions by a child psychologist, Burke froze up and gave seemingly rehearsed answers, probably scripted by his grieving parents.

The lengths parents go to in order to help their children is sometimes so immense one simply cannot understand. I pray for healing for the family and that justice finally comes to Burke and the parents who covered it up. Rest in peace, JonBenét.