Objective of This Document
This document (a comprehensive profile of JonBenet Ramsey killer) has one and only one objective – to provide law enforcement agencies of Colorado with information and insight that will result in rapid identification, apprehension and conviction of this killer.
It is believed that without an accurate profile, it will not be possible to identify, apprehend and successfully prosecute this killer due to insufficient evidence available in this case.
Structure of this Document
This document has a significantly broader structure than the ‘classic’ criminal profile. It begins with the synopsis (a very concise profile of the individual I believe law enforcement must be looking for).
The synopsis will be followed with a detailed description of the so-called ‘bootstrap evidence’ – the one that really ‘bootstraps’ the case and allows to develop an accurate profile of the killer. This evidence includes (1) the date of the murder; (2) the ‘ransom’ note – especially its ‘signature’; and (3) suspicious behavior of parents of the victim. Then I will – using the ‘Sherlock Holmes principle’ - list all plausible theories of the murder and prove beyond the reasonable doubt that the murder of JonBenet Ramsey could only be a very personal (and at the same time, very professional) revenge killing of an ‘eye for an eye’ variety.
Only after completing these sections, I will present a comprehensive killer profile. The latter will be structured mostly according to the methodology offered by John E. Douglas – a world-famous criminal profiler and the former unit chief of the FBI Investigative Support Group (currently Behavioral Analysis Unit) – a criminal profiling unit within the FBI.
Following this methodology, this profile will cover three key areas: (1) motive – why the killer did what he did; (2) evolution and development of the criminal; and (3) long-term post-offense behavior – what he did after this murder (and why), what he is most likely doing now (and why) and whether it is still possible to identify, apprehend, prosecute and convict this killer.
Sources of Information for this Document
This profile is based on primary and secondary information publicly available online. Primary information include actual documents from case files made available online according to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act and similar laws at the state level.
Secondary information includes documentary (‘true crime’) books, academic and other professional research papers, articles in offline publications and online sources, etc.
The primary objective of processing these information sources was to build a comprehensive body (database) of evidence in this case and then develop a profile that will fit all individual components of this body of evidence. With the possible exception of immaterial ‘loose ends’ that – according to John Douglas – exist in every major case, no matter how ‘airtight’ and successfully prosecuted.
The core piece of evidence is, obviously, the infamous ransom note (the ‘War and Peace’ of ransom notes).
The Synopsis – Whom to Look For
The police must be looking for a white or Asian male, 55 years old (born in or around 1960); average height and weight; in excellent physical shape; whose mother was murdered sometime between March 1968 and November 1969 in the Philippines (not necessarily on the premises of the Subic Bay Training Center); who joined U.S. Navy right after graduating from high school; served on the U.S. Navy SEAL Team as an intel specialist; took active part in ‘black ops’ in Central America (mostly in El Salvador); got a medical discharge (most likely, after being severely wounded during one of such ops); obtained information about bonuses paid to corporate executives at Access Graphics using the appropriate intelligence gathering technique learned in the SEAL training and ‘black ops’; visited Ramsey’s house at least once prior to murder (stealthily; when the family was away) and thus developed a good enough knowledge of the premises to easily and silently move around it at night.
The UNSUB is most likely deceased. If he is not, he lives somewhere in Central America under a new identity (including citizenship of the country in question). He is doing security jobs for a drug lord or some wealthy businessman (most likely, with organized crime connections). Hence, it will be exceedingly difficult to uncover his new identity, locate and apprehend him, extradite him to the USA, prosecute and convict him.
The following comprehensive profile explains these conclusions in detail.
The ‘Bootstrap’ Evidence
In a criminal investigation, the ‘bootstrap’ evidence is the evidence that allows to ‘bootstrap’ the case by identifying at least the right theory and allowing to develop the right offender profile (ideally, to quickly identify the offender).
Thus, the ability to quickly identify and properly structure the ‘bootstrap’ evidence is the absolutely core competency of the lead detective on the case and in most cases makes the difference between successful conviction of the offender and a dismal failure; an almost instant closure and a cold case.
This ability is both an art and a science; both natural and acquired (via formal education, training and experience). However, without the former the latter is useless; therefore in some rare cases a self-educated ‘natural’ (even a civilian) is preferable to a detective with solid formal education and training and even an extensive experience.
Because the former will be able to identify, structure and analyze the ‘bootstrap’ evidence and come up with the accurate profile and even to identify the offender, and the latter will not. Therefore, the former will solve that case – and the latter won’t.
The ‘bootstrap’ evidence in JonBenet murder case contains the following items:
1. The murder date (Christmas day of 1996)
2. The murder note (the ‘War and Peace’ of ransom notes)
3. JonBenet was brutally assaulted and garroted, but then caringly covered with a blanket
4. No evidence of intruder in the house (no sign of forced entry, nobody heard anything, no nothing)
5. Patricia Ramsey called the police right away – in clear violation of kidnappers’ instructions
6. Suspicious behavior of both John and Patricia Ramsey
The Murder Date
JonBenet Ramsey was brutally murdered on December 25th, 1996. On Christmas day. Which is a loud and clear indication (a horrible ‘Christmas gift’) that this murder was all about revenge. And due to a very young age of JonBenet and a quite young age of her older (nine-year old) brother Burke, it was all about punishing her parents.
And, judging from the reaction of both parents to first disappearance and then to discovery of JonBenet body, it was definitely not about punishing. It was all about punishing John.
Revenge Notification Letter
According to the testimony of Patricia Ramsey, at about 5:30AM on December 26, 1996, she discovered that her daughter was missing after finding on the kitchen staircase a two-and-a-half-page ransom letter that one FBI profiler subsequently called “The War and Peace of ransom notes”.
This is the full text of this note (boldface is mine):
“Mr. Ramsey,
Listen carefully! We are a group of individuals that represent a small foreign faction. We do respect your bussiness [sic] but not the country that it serves. At this time we have your daughter in our posession [sic]. 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 adequate size attache to the bank. When you get home you will put the money in a brown paper bag. I will call you between 8 and 10 am tomorrow to instruct you on delivery. The delivery will be 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 [sic] earlier delivery pick-up of your daughter.
Any deviation of my instructions will result in the immediate execution of your daughter. You will also be denied her remains for proper burial. 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 beheaded. If we catch you talking to a stray 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 [sic] 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. 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 southern common sense of yours. It is up to you now John!
Victory!
S.B.T.C”
John Ramsey was the boss of the household. Therefore, there is no way in the world Patricia would have called the police without his explicit permission. And why would he give such a permission when the note warned him that (a) in this case his daughter will be immediately – and brutally – executed; and (b) he and his family are closely and constantly monitored by the kidnappers, who will instantly know about any contact with the police or the FBI?
For one and only one reason – after reading this note he knew for a fact that his daughter was already dead. Because he knew – also for a fact - that this letter was not a ransom note at all. It was a revenge note. More precisely, a notification of a successful revenge.
Kidnapping is a cruel, dirty and criminal business. But business nevertheless. And business likes brevity. It is always direct, concise and to the point. Besides, in May 1996, the reported net worth of John Ramsey stood at impressive $6.4 million. Given how he loved, cherished and valued his little princess, $118,000 was way too small sum for genuine kidnappers. Not to mentioned a very strange (almost unheard of) uneven number.
Therefore, if kidnapping has been genuine, the note would have read something like that:
“Mr. Ramsey,
We have your daughter. If you want her to be returned to you alive and unharmed, you have until [specified date and time] to come up with $500,000 in used $20 bills with random serial numbers. We will call you at home at [specified date and time] to make sure that you have the money and to give delivery instructions.
If you tell anyone – especially the police or FBI – about this matter, your daughter dies. There are enough fat cats available. We will monitor you, your house and all your communications – and we are familiar with law enforcement countermeasures and tactics so do not do anything stupid or try to outsmart us.
If we catch you talking to a stray dog about this, your daughter 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”
John Ramsey was a businessman. A very successful businessman (he has just been named “Entrepreneur of the Year” in Boulder). If he (or his wife or his son) has killed JonBenet (which was the primary theory pursued by the police) and wanted to cover this murder with a fake kidnapping note, he would have written exactly such concise businesslike note. Which he would have plenty of time to write (most likely, JonBenet died sometime around 11PM on Christmas day - December 25th).
Therefore, this letter is not a genuine kidnapping letter and is definitely not a cover-up. Which leaves only one possibility – the revenge notification. Which immediately poses the question – who would kill a beautiful six-year girl to take revenge on her father? And to avenge exactly what?
The answer to the last question is simple: the death of a loved one. A daughter, a baby sister, or a mother. Who was killed – intentionally or (more likely) unintentionally – by John Ramsey at some point in time. Actually, at a very specific point in time –sometime between March 1968 and November 1969. And in a quite specific place - the Philippines.
S.B.T.C.
How did John Ramsey know that? By looking at the last four letters in this letter. A ‘signature’ of sorts. S.B.T.C. Which stands for Subic Bay Training Center – the U.S. Navy base (closed in 1992 when the Cold War was presumably over), where John Ramsey was stationed during his very brief Navy Duty. He was assigned to the Navy Public Works Center. Exactly from March 1968 through November 1969.
Sometime between these dates, he has killed a woman there. And now there was the payback. He caused unspeakable suffering to her loved one (a husband, a son or a brother) – and now this loved one came back to get even. To strike back at John Ramsey after almost thirty years. To pay him back with the same horrible (and lifetime) suffering – by taking away what John loved, cherished and valued the most. And to turn every further Christmas of his into a living Hell.
And he took his daughter’s life – John had no doubt about that. It was no kidnapping (and definitely not an extortion) – it was murder. A thoroughly planned and flawlessly executed cold-blooded revenge killing. His little princess was dead.
How did he know that for sure? By reading the second last word of the letter. “Victory!” With an exclamation point, no less. It meant that the revenge was accomplished. The avenger has completed his mission. He has killed JonBenet. Everything else was just a smokescreen. Now John Ramsey could call the cops without fear of losing his daughter. She was already lost to him forever. Dead.
And so he gave Patricia a green light to call the police. They had nothing to lose.
Steganography
The killer – the avenger, actually - was very thorough. He wrote such a long letter (2 ; pages) not only to enjoy his revenge immensely (it was definitely not his primary objective), but to communicate to John some important information. Both as the amplification of his core message (‘your daughter is dead’) and a warning.
To convey this information, he used a well-known technique of steganography (the art and science of concealing a message within another message). This technique is quite old – it can be traced back to 440 BC – but still very effective. And the killer, obviously, knew a thing or two about this technique – and his way around the writers’ block.
The following steganographic analysis of the ‘War and Peace of Ransom Notes’ is quite a bit speculative, of course. However, while I admit that I might be wrong in some details, I am sure that I did get the essence of killer’s messages to John Ramsey right. And John Ramsey, obviously, did, too. Actually, in his situation it was not that difficult to read between the lines of killer’s letter. Not difficult at all.
Small foreign faction. May be an indication of a small entity overseas. Like the Navy Public Works Center at SBTC. Or the exact location – still unknown to us – of the murder (or, more likely, a manslaughter) committed by John Ramsey in the Philippines.
The country that it serves. May point to the time and place when (and where) John Ramsey served his country. In the U.S. Navy at SBTC.
$118,000.00. The exact size of John Ramsey’s Christmas bonus. A loud and clear indication that the avenger knows a lot about his company (Access Graphics). And monitors John Ramsey closely in his workplace as well.
Attach;. A military diplomat stationed overseas. Another message that points to John Ramsey’s service in the Philippines.
Brown paper bag. Natives of the Philippines have brown skin.
I advise you to be rested. Relax and do not do anything. Or you will definitely regret it. Big time.
We monitor you. Self-explanatory.
Immediate execution of your daughter. Your daughter was executed for your crime and died instantly. If you ever tell anyone what really happened, you and your family will be immediately executed as well. Garrote, by the way, was an official device used for capital punishment in Spain for hundreds of years (it was abolished only in 1978 – a decade after John Ramsey committed his crime). And JonBenet was garroted.
Denied her remains for proper burial. This is, most likely, a reference of some specific circumstances of the death of a woman killed by John Ramsey in the Philippines. Maybe her body was not shipped to the U.S., but was buried instead in the foreign soil. Or something of that nature.
I advise you not to provoke them. The avenger is acting alone - such revenge is way too personal to bring in another person, no matter how close (especially to kill a child). So he is just bullshitting John Ramsey to make him think that he is dealing with the whole team of avengers (e.g. husband, son and brother of a murdered woman).
Your daughter being beheaded. JonBenet was garroted, not beheaded; therefore, this is a threat that refers to inevitable fate of John Ramsey ‘talks to a stray dog’ about what really happened (and especially why it happened).
We are familiar with law enforcement countermeasures and tactics. The UNSUB had been planning this revenge for many years, so it is obvious that he did have the time (and did spend the time) acquiring the necessary knowledge about these “countermeasures and tactics”. So this was very, very true.
Follow our instructions. A straight command.
You and your family are under constant scrutiny as well as the authorities. Self-explanatory. And very true.
Don't think that killing will be difficult. A clear indication that the avenger is a stone-cold professional killer. And thus this is definitely not his first kill.
Don't underestimate us. Another statement of a similar nature and objective.
It is up to you now. Your fate and the fate of your family is in your hands.
Suspicious Behavior
The homicide detectives in JonBenet case had a strong ‘gut feeling’ that John and Patricia Ramsey were ‘hiding something’. Add to it the statistics (according to which nine out of ten child murders are committed by their parents or other family members) and no obvious indication of an intruder – and you will understand why the Boulder PD detectives focused their investigation squarely on the Ramsey family. To the extent of practically ignoring all other theories.
The detectives were both right and wrong at the same time. They were right about the Ramseys hiding something. But they were wrong about the specifics of this ‘something’. There was a murder cover-up all right – but of an entirely different murder that happened in a totally different time and place. Plus the true motive for the JonBenet murder and, in a way, the real killer of JonBenet Ramsey.
Only that killer was neither John nor Patricia (nor Burke), for that matter. Which was confirmed in 2008 by a sophisticated DNA test which completely exonerate the Ramsey family. And automatically proved – now without a reasonable doubt – that there was an intruder in the house on that Christmas evening of 1996.
A very professional, well-trained, stone-cold and highly experienced revenge killer.
All Plausible Theories of the Murder
Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, actually) once said: “when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”.
This is exactly what I am going to do in this section of the profile. I will build a comprehensive lists of all plausible theories about JonBenet Ramsey murder (and her killer) and then eliminate those that are impossible (in other words, those that squarely contradict the evidence in this case). The one theory that remains, must be the right one.
Theory I. Murder in the family. John, Patricia or Burke did it and then the parents tried to cover it up with the bogus ransom note. Not possible – and you do not even need a DNA test to prove it.
First, as I pointed out before, in this case the ransom note would have been short, businesslike and to the point. And definitely not the ‘War and Peace of ransom notes’.
Second, the Ramseys would not have called the police for several days – ostensibly following the instructions of phantom kidnappers. Which – unlike calling the cops right away (in clear violation of these instructions) – would have been natural and would not have raised even a tiniest bit of suspicion from the police.
Third, during these several days, John would have definitely found the way to destroy both the body of his daughter and all the evidence that could have pointed to the family. Therefore, it was obvious from the very beginning that the Ramseys did not do it. Which means that the police spent a lot of time and effort chasing the wrong lead and harassing perfectly innocent people.
Theory II. Kidnapping for ransom gone wrong. To evaluate this theory, we must first properly define what exactly “wrong” means in the context of this murder. In this context, it means only one thing: for some reason the kidnapper (more than one perp is highly unlikely – the crime scene was way too clean for that) got mad at the little girl, killed her and left her body in the wine cellar.
Not possible. First, the ransom note is way too long for an experienced kidnapper (again, the crime scene was way too clean to be the first one for this perp). Second, an experienced kidnapper would have never left the body at home as there were quite a few cases where the money was collected even when the victim had been dead almost from the moment of kidnapping. His greed (and he is very greedy indeed) simply would not have allowed it.
Third, an experienced kidnapper who has not been caught (and even identified) yet, controls his emotions very well to leave practically no trace of himself at the crime scene and thus is highly unlikely to submit to a rage that can be very costly to him in terms of money.
Theory III. Sexual predator attack gone wrong. JonBenet Ramsey was a beauty pageant queen not only in Colorado, but in several other states – and even nationwide. Essentially, a celebrity. And quite a celebrity at that. She won an impressive collection of titles (especially for a six-year old): America's Royale Miss, Little Miss Charlevoix, Little Miss Colorado, Colorado State All-Star Kids Cover Girl, and National Tiny Miss Beauty, among others.
Therefore, it was inevitable that she attracted attention of quite a few pedophile sexual predators – serial child molesters (child rapists, actually) and possibly even serial child killers. One of these monsters quite possibly might have been just bold and cunning enough (as it was definitely not his first such crime) to attempt to abduct JonBenet and do it clean enough to leave practically no trace. During this abduction, the perp flew into a rage, killed the little girl and left her body in the wine cellar.
Not possible. All crime scene evidence clearly points at a highly organized killer perfectly capable of controlling his emotions (especially given a truly royal value of his ‘prize’). Therefore, there is no way in the world this UNSUB would have killed JonBenet in at outburst of rage.
And even if he did, there was absolutely no reason for him to leave behind a ransom note. Especially the ‘War and Peace of ransom notes’ – as every second in the house increased his risks of being sighted and captured.
Even if his perverted sexuality called for outright murder of the child without any molestation prior to that, there was no reason for him whatsoever to write this note. Because even a short note (let alone the one that was 2 ; pages long) radically increased his risks of being identified, apprehended, convicted and sentenced to guaranteed life in prison without parole.
And such criminal would have been definitely careful enough not to leave his DNA behind. Such well-organized criminals typically are very adept at forensic countermeasures and follow very closely developments in forensic science, methodologies, tools and practice. And the relevant court cases as well.
By December 1996, DNA profiling (‘DNA fingerprinting’) had been used in homicide investigations for almost a decade (the first sexual offender to be convicted based on DNA match was Colin Pitchfork – sentenced to life imprisonment on 22 January 1988). Therefore, the perp was definitely aware of this technique and, being superbly organized, would have taken the proper precautions not to leave his DNA on the body of a victim.
Theory IV. ‘Celebrity hate crime’. Somewhat exotic (actually, quite exotic), but still needs to be considered. It is well-known that celebrities instigate not only admiration, adoration, respect and love, but also jealousy, envy and outright hatred. Quite deadly sins.
A religious fanatic (some kind of extreme Protestant fundamentalist – Catholics or Orthodox are very highly unlikely to be that extreme), might have identified JonBenet with the ‘goddess of lust’ of even the ‘little Babylonian whore’ and the ‘little servant of the Devil’ that posed a major threat to the salvation of souls.
In either case, some mentally unstable and sick individual might have developed obsessive hatred towards JonBenet. Hatred powerful enough to break into the Ramseys’ house and to brutally murder the girl. And subsequently to carry her to the wine cellar as a ‘proxy burial’.
Not possible. First, such unstable individuals are typically disorganized, rather than organized, and, therefore, were very unlikely to leave the crime scene that clean. Second, while they would have very likely left some note behind, it would have been definitely not a ransom note. But a religious statement, a proclamation, a manifesto of some sorts. Ditto for the simply obsessed ‘fan’. Or, more precisely, anti-fan obsessed with destroying the celebrity.
Theory V. Mafia Hit. Another exotic theory that still needs to be considered. And which is also not possible. It definitely can’t be an Italian Mafia hit, because that outfit simply does not kill family members of ‘offenders’ – under any circumstances (except by accident which is very much frowned upon by mob bosses). No matter what the ‘offense’ was. Actually, not many ‘outfits’ do.
Besides, the revenge note is crystal clear on the reason for revenge. It is the revenge for something that happened almost 30 years before – and in a very specific place (Subic Bay Training Center that was never known for any organized crime activities). An individual can wait 30 years to take revenge; the organized crime outfit can’t. And won’t.
Oh, and the professional killers working for the organized crime would have never, ever left their DNA on the scene. Unlike the Special Forces, these characters are trained not to leave such damning evidence. And care very much about not leaving it.
Theory VI. Revenge killing. This one fits the bill perfectly. However, this is not something a disgruntled employee would do. It is way too personal – squarely of the ‘eye for an eye’ variety. The angry (for any reason) employee could have kidnapped JonBenet for a ‘compensation’ ransom (which was not possible due to the reasons explained above – in Theory I). Or attacked John. Or, in some extreme case, taken him hostage. Or even killed him. But not his daughter.
No, we are dealing here with a much more disturbed individual. What we have here, is a well-trained, professional and experienced killer who can move silently and invisibly in the night; enter and exit the house by stealth and leaving no trace.
Except for DNA – neither Navy SEALs nor ‘black’ operatives have been trained (or cared about) to not leave their DNA at the crime scene. For a very simple reason – in their ‘theater of operation’ there was no such thing as ‘DNA fingerprinting’ at the time of their operation.
We are dealing with a professional, well-trained, highly experienced and ‘accomplished’ killer who can – and will – kill brutally, efficiently and with no remorse whatsoever. Who can – and will – kill a child, a beautiful little girl as easily and ‘naturally’ as he would kill a well-armed enemy combatant.
In this murder case, we are definitely dealing with the ‘Ninja’.
The ‘Ninja’
So what do we know exactly about this UNSUB? Actually, quite a lot. Here are the key points:
1. Came to the neighborhood and entered the Ramsey house by stealth, undetected, silently and invisibly, leaving no sign of forced entry. In a perfect ‘Ninja-style’
2. Had excellent knowledge of the internal layout of this huge (15-room) house that allowed him to move silently and invisibly inside the house in complete darkness. He had obviously been there before at least once (and, possibly, had access to the blueprints of the house). Most likely, he was wearing high-performance night vision goggles
3. Quickly found, grabbed and then brutally but silently garroted JonBenet Ramsey. As dispassionately and remorselessly as he would have killed an adult enemy combatant
4. Skillfully concealed her body in the wine cellar (the first cursory search by police did not find the body). He covered her body with a blanket to conceal it and not because of remorse - quite obviously, he did not have any
5. Left the house and the neighborhood exactly as he came in – silently and invisibly, by stealth
6. Had intimate knowledge of employee bonuses at Access Graphics (specifically about John Ramsey’s annual bonus)
7. Was proficient in steganography and knows his way around the writers’ block
Now where does all this point to? Well, it can point in but one conceivable direction: that of the Special Forces and ‘black ops’; the Central America and the Salvadoran Civil War and, of course, the CIA.
And here’s why:
1. Special Forces soldiers are trained to move silently and invisibly indoors and outdoors in broad daylight and complete darkness (with and without night-vision goggles); to enter and exit buildings (commercial and residential) without being noticed; to kill silently and efficiently and, if appropriate, brutally and to efficiently conceal the bodies
2. Instruction in the use of purpose-built and improvised garrotes was and is included in the training of U.S. elite military units and Special Forces
3. Instruction in the use of steganography is an integral part of Special Forces and especially ‘black ops’ training (as is a very wide range of other tools and methods of gathering vital intelligence information)
4. U.S. Special Forces have been extensively involved in ‘black ops’ all over the globe but especially in Central America (U.S. ‘backyard’). First in fighting ‘the Commies’ in the Cold War; then – the local druglords in the ‘War on Drugs’ (and, of course, all kinds of terrorists)
5. The most notable such involvement was the Salvadoran Civil War (1979 - 1992), which was especially brutal and involved child killings on a regular basis and on a massive scale – both as an individual revenge tools and as an instrument of terror (mostly by the government forces against the left-wing guerillas). For example, in the Mozote massacre in January of 1981 (only one of many such mass killings perpetrated by the military), 146 children, ranging from the ages of 3 days to 14 years, were brutally murdered. Soldiers smashed the skulls of small babies and decapitated older children.
The Profile
His Motive
The motive for this truly heinous crime was revenge. The UNSUB was avenging the murder of his mother by John Ramsey sometime between March 1968 and November 1969 in the Philippines during his stay at Subic Bay Training Center (SBTC).
This was a textbook ‘eye for an eye’ revenge; the UNSUB wanted to inflict on John Ramsey – as the punishment for the abovementioned murder – the same lifetime suffering due to the loss of the closest, the most cherished and valued loved one as the UNSUB had been experiencing all his life since the death of his mother.
The brutality of JonBenet murder possibly reflected the brutality of the murder of UNSUB’s mother (the same possibly might be said about some other circumstances of the murder).
His Evolution
This part of JonBenet Ramsey killer profile is substantially less certain and more speculative than that of my previous profile – of the Zodiac killer. For very obvious reasons – here we have one murder instead of five; one attack instead of four; no witnesses’ description; just one weapon (improvised from very common components) and no forensic evidence whatsoever (except for DNA).
Nevertheless, it is still possible to make this part informative enough to facilitate at least the identification of the killer.
His Family
The ‘Ninja’ was born sometime in 1960 in a Navy family. His father was a Navy officer who at some point in his career was stationed at Subic Bay Training Center in the Philippines. His stay overlapped with the ‘tour’ of John Ramsey there (March 1968 to November 1969), but the two officers most likely did not know each other.
As for his mother, unfortunately, the possibilities are wide open (hence some uncertainties about his race). They may or may not have been legally married (although I would think they were); she could have been local or American; she could have lived there permanently or just come to visit her husband for a few days. Therefore, his race could be either white (Caucasian) or Asian.
Regardless of her specifics, one day between March 1968 and November 1969, she died. Her death was most likely ruled accidental (or even a suicide) as the murder of a wife of a Navy officer would have been a very big deal there. His father, however, knew that it was not so. And spent a lot of time and effort to identify the murderer and bring him to justice. Without any success whatsoever.
‘The Ninja’ was devastated. He loved his mother dearly; they were very close and her loss was so shocking (especially given his still very early age) that he never completely recovered.
El Salvador
He received a very patriotic (a ‘typical Navy’) upbringing and basically worshipped his father – a distinguished Navy officer. Therefore, there is no wonder that he enlisted in the Navy right after graduating from high school in 1978.
1979 marked a radical turning point for him, a quantum leap in his military career and in his life in general. He joined the Navy SEALs – one of the most elite special operations forces in the world (specializing in intel – gathering and communicating military intelligence); the Soviets invaded Afghanistan; pro-Soviet Sandinistas took power in Nicaragua (not without a crucial support from the Soviets and their puppets in Cuba).
The same year, a full-fledged civil war between the pro-American government and pro-Soviet leftist guerillas (FMLN) broke out in neighboring El Salvador. Faced with a very real possibility of a devastating ‘domino effect’ right in its own ‘backyard’ (in 1992, FMLN controlled up to one-third of the country’s terrain) and determined to prevent ‘another Nicaragua’, the U.S. government decided to intervene – both officially and unofficially.
Official U.S. involvement consisted of millions of dollars in U.S. military aid to the government of El Salvador and of dozens of military advisors. Officially, there could be no more than 55 of them at any given time, although the real number was – even officially – at least twice that.
Unofficial (covert or ‘black’) U.S. involvement included dozens (if not hundreds) of ‘black operatives’. Who were recruited, obviously, from special forces of the U.S. Army (‘Delta Force’), Navy (SEAL) and Marines (Marine Force Recon). In some (if not in many) cases these ‘black operatives’ and the official ‘advisors’ were exactly the same individuals.
‘The Ninja’ took this new bout of Cold War right next to the U.S. borders very seriously. And volunteered for these ‘black ops’. He was accepted and, after a brief specialized training, went on his first ‘black’ tour in El Salvador. And got involved in much, much more than he ever imagined in his worst nightmares.
The Massacres
Every civil war is substantially more brutal than any ‘regular’ one. And the Salvadoran Civil War was no exception. It included the deliberate terrorizing of the population (e.g., by brutal mass murder); murder of selected civilians and their families (including young children) by ‘death squads’; the recruitment of ‘child soldiers’; and other gross violations of human rights. An unknown number of people simply "disappeared" during the conflict and the UN reports that more than 75,000 were killed (mostly by the military).
Although FMLN guerillas were no saints, the overwhelming majority of war crimes were committed by the government troops and paramilitary units. With the level of brutality and viciousness that can be comparable only to mass murders perpetrated by SS Einzatzgruppen in World War II. Or Japanese atrocities (e.g. Nanking massacre), for that matter. In fact, the crimes of Salvadoran military were worse.
Salvadoran Civil War saw several large-scale massacres and dozens (if not hundreds) of smaller ones; the most well-known being the El Mozoto massacre in 1981 and the El Calabozo massacre in 1982.
The El Mozoto massacre was committed by the Salvadoran army's Atlacatl Battalion. It was a unit specially trained for counter-insurgency warfare by United States military advisors. Including, very possibly, ‘The Ninja’.
It is well-known now that these ‘advisors’ often took a very active part in military operations of the units in question. Both as ‘U.S. – only’ teams and as a joint force. Therefore, although there is no way to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, it is very probable that ‘The Ninja’ was at least present at the site of that massacre (and possibly even participated in this mass murder).
Early morning on December 11th, the soldiers of the Atlacatl Battalion assembled the entire population of the El Mozoto village in the main square. They separated the men from the women and children and locked them in separate groups in the church, the convent, and various houses.
First, the soldiers brutally executed all men. Then they separated women from children, raped all women and girls (some of which were no older than ten years od), shot them point-blank and proceeded to brutally execute children. Smashing heads of the babies and slitting throats (or outright beheading) older children and hanging their bodies from the trees.
After murdering the entire population of the village (over 800 men, women and children), the soldiers set fire to the buildings, thus completely obliterating El Mozoto. The next day they went to the village of Los Toriles, some 2 km away and carried out a further massacre. Men, women and children were taken from their homes, lined up, robbed and shot and their homes then set ablaze.
Six months later, the same El Salvador - style Einzatzgruppe (I mean, the Atlacatl Battalion) committed another massacre on a similar scale – this time at the place called El Calabozo. More than 200 civilians died.
One might wonder, how on earth seemingly civilized individuals in a seemingly civilized country could have committed such horrible atrocities. At the end of the XX century, for God’s sake. The answer is simple – they were indoctrinated, brainwashed (much like their predecessors in the SS death squads) that they absolutely had to do it to defeat the ‘absolute evil’ of Communism. To save their country from the ‘dreadful Commies’. Therefore, in their sick and perverted minds, ‘the end justified the means’ – no matter how horrible.
Even if ‘The Ninja’ did not participate in these massacres or even was not present when they took place (although I believe he did), he lived with these monsters, trained them, ate with them, and, what was critically important, fought alongside them. Fought on the same team against the same enemy. They were his comrades-in-arms; his brothers-in-arms.
And they were monsters. True monsters in a human flesh. And after witnessing (let alone taking part in) such massacres, he became a monster himself. After El Mozoto, El Calabozo and countless other massacres, killing JonBenet Ramsey (even brutally) was as emotionally uneventful as hitting a fly.
His brothers-in-arms absolutely had to kill the inhabitants of El Mozoto to defeat Communism and to properly punish the guerillas; ‘The Ninja’ absolutely had to kill JonBenet Ramsey to avenge his mother’s death and to properly punish John Ramsey. For them and for him the end justified the means. Any means – however horrible.
The Mission
His career of ‘black operative’ and the Navy SEAL was abruptly terminated (most likely, in mid-1980s) by a severe injury sustained in one of his ‘special ops’. He could consider himself lucky – twenty-one (and this is only an official number) of his fellow operatives came home from El Salvador in body bags.
However, ‘The Ninja’ was devastated. All he wanted to do, all he was trained to do, all he knew how to do was to serve his country by fighting ‘the Commies’ on the battlefield. The desk job of any kind was out of the question. Period.
Therefore, he resigned (got a medical discharge) and was forced to think what to do next. Because of his injury, he had no future in the military, so he had to somehow adjust to civilian life.
And then the fate hit him with another crushing blow. His beloved father died from cancer. But not before equipping ‘The Ninja’ with a very personal raison d’;tre. He gave his son The Mission. The Mission to avenge the murder of his wife – and The Ninja’s mother.
The Hunt and the Punishment
The Ninja spent the next decade or so in a desperate – but very determined - search for his mother’s killer. Working temporary or part-time jobs to support himself (although he most likely accumulated some cash during his tours in El Salvador) and to finance his search (paying PIs and analysts, bribing officials in the Philippines – in short, doing everything he needed to get to the truth and to identify the perp).
Finally, sometime in late summer or early fall of 1996, he got the name. He knew beyond the reasonable doubt that his beloved mother was killed by no other than John Bennett Ramsey.
He could have killed John any time he wanted. Quickly, professionally, silently, invisibly and leaving no trace whatsoever. But he did not want to kill the killer of his wife – that would be too easy for John. Way too easy. No, he wanted to exact a much more painful punishment on him.
‘The Ninja’ wanted to take away his dearest, his closest, his most valued, cherished and adored loved one. To make him suffer till his last breath – just like ‘The Ninja’ suffered. And continued to suffer. And will suffer – till his last breath.
He will take away his daughter, his little princess, his pride and joy. He will take away JonBenet. And he already knew exactly when – on Christmas day of this year. This will be ‘Christmas gift’ of a lifetime. John Ramsey’s lifetime. And with this horrible ‘gift’, ‘The Ninja’ turned every Christmas in this family into a living Hell.
‘The Ninja’ had ample time to prepare this ‘gift’. The ‘gift’ that required a solid knowledge of ‘the territory’ – the huge 15-room Ramseys’ house. He obtained his knowledge by visiting it covertly (he did not want anyone to see him near that house). And very likely not just once.
But taking away JonBenet was still not enough. ‘The Ninja’ wanted to make John fear for his life – and lives of his family members - till his very last breath as well. To scare him shitless. To make it happen, ‘The Ninja’ had to make John feel watched, exposed and vulnerable 24/7. Both at home and at work.
To achieve this objective, he – stealthily as usual and leaving no trace – broke into the offices of Access Graphics and stole quite a bit of confidential corporate information. Including the size of John’s annual bonus. And communicated this information – and the warning ‘I am watching you’ – using steganography (one of the components of his intelligence training in the Navy).
‘The Ninja’ was very thorough in planning his crime, taking into consideration each and every possible contingency and ‘side effect’. Therefore, he was undoubtedly aware that the police knew that nine out of ten murdered children have been killed by family members.
Which gave him one more incentive to remain unnoticed, leave no trace and leave the body inside the house – to frame both of her parents for the murder of their daughter.
Which he very successfully did - a Colorado grand jury had voted in 1999 to indict both John and Patricia Ramsey with the murder of JonBenet on charges of child abuse resulting in death and being accessories to a crime. Fortunately for them, then-District Attorney Alex Hunter was smart enough not to sign the indictment, saying the evidence was insufficient.
Now he was ready to strike. And on December 25th, 1996, he did.
Committing His Crime
Everything was executed silently, invisibly, quickly, efficiently and very professionally. He was well-trained in eliminating individual targets in residential areas – both by Navy SEALs and by his ‘black ops’ instructors. And had quite few of these jobs under his belt after his many tours in El Salvador.
In fact, this job (‘mission’, actually) was by far the easiest one. He was going after a little girl in an affluent neighborhood in Boulder, Colorado, ‘guarded’ (if this term is applicable here at all) by two unarmed parents with no training in hand-to-hand combat – not after some ‘comandante’ in a FMLN stronghold protected by a small army of experienced guerilla fighters well-trained by Cuban and Nicaraguan instructors.
He used the motorcycle to get to the Ramseys’ neighborhood, because it was by far more maneuverable and much easier to conceal than a car. The bike was most likely stolen – weeks in advance (and most likely in another city) – and had fake license plates (also obtained in advance). The killer rode the bike very carefully to avoid being stopped (hopefully, even noticed) by the police. Just as he was taught in his ‘black ops’ training.
He left and concealed the bike a few blocks away from the target house and completed his journey on foot. Opened the window, got in, found the girl, struck her on the head to render her unconscious (and also to confuse the investigators), brought her down to the wine cellar, garroted her, concealed her body by covering it with the blanket, went to the kitchen, left the note (written way in advance) and left the house. Silently and invisibly. All under five minutes or so.
Returned to his bike, rode it to his rented car, ditched the bike, drove to the Denver International Airport, returned the car and took the first available flight to Central America.
His Short-Term Post-Offence Behavior
After the murder, he left for Central America right away (as he had planned from the very beginning). Not for El Salvador – he still had way too many enemies out there. For some other country where his knowledge, skills, experience and services were in high demand.
His mission was accomplished; his mother’s death was finally avenged. Due to his injury, he could no longer work in the field (could no longer be a ‘black’ operative) and the desk job was just not for him.
Besides, he had a very powerful grudge against the U.S. government (and against the USA in general). He served his country (and did some very dirty and bloody jobs for his country); shed his blood, helped win the Cold War to the best of his abilities and resources… and his country and his government let him down profoundly.
American justice system failed to bring the killer of his mother, his closest and dearest loved one, to justice. He had to administer that justice. He had to do the job of the homicide detective and the prosecutor; the judge and the jury; and, of course, the executioner. And he did it. Brutally, flawlessly and very efficiently. Just as he was trained to do by Uncle Sam.
And because of this grudge, he eagerly went to work for the enemies of the U.S. government. Doing dirty and bloody jobs for drug cartels – or similar characters. Which was O.K. with him. ‘Black ops’ are by definition criminal; and he had been doing them (and thus living outside the law) for years. And he liked it.
Besides, in his home country, he was now a wanted criminal. An UNSUB. If he was ever identified and apprehended (improbable as it may have been), he was looking at a guaranteed gas chamber. The State of Colorado de-facto abolished death penalty (the last execution took place on June 2, 1967), but for him it would definitely make an exception.
And even if it did not, it would be even worse. Life imprisonment without parole for the monster who killed a beautiful little girl (and a celebrity at that), will be definitely worse than Hell.
Therefore, he had every reason to make sure he will never set his foot again on the U.S. soil. And his activities and ‘achievements’ in El Salvador made him enough friends (who owed him a thing or two – maybe even their very lives) to get himself a good job. A very good job.
His Long-Term Post-Offence Behavior
Most likely, he is already deceased. If he is not, he is living somewhere in Central America under a new identity. Doing security jobs for a drug lord or some wealthy businessman (most likely, with organized crime connections).
If he died, he definitely died violently. ‘Died by the sword’. If there is a ‘divine justice’ in this world (and sometimes there is), one of his ‘jobs’ in El Salvador caught up with him. He avenged the death of his mother; now someone else (most likely, one of ex-guerillas) avenged the death of his (or her – women in that area can be even more vicious and determined than men) loved one. He identified, located and punished John Ramsey; now someone has identified, located and punished him.
In this case, he lives alone; in a well-protected facility (physically and electronically), has no wife, no children, no close emotional relationships, satisfies his sexual needs with carefully screened (for security reasons) high-class ‘call girls’. He is quite wealthy, although keeps a low profile (for professional and security reasons); exercises on a regular basis; consumes healthy food; and stays in excellent physical and fighting shape for his age of 55 or so.
He speaks flawless local version of Spanish; has all required IDs of his country of residence (including his citizenship certificate, passport, etc.); in other words, gives no reasons to suspect he was not born and raised in that country (let alone be in any way connected to the USA).
Can We Still Catch Him?
Not likely. Using information contained in this profile, it might be possible to identify him (i.e. to uncover his true name) – and even that would require cooperation of U.S. Navy (and quite possibly, the CIA and maybe even other federal government agencies). However, discovering his current identity, locating him, apprehending him, prosecuting him and especially convicting him is a totally different matter.
For starters, he is most likely deceased. After his medical discharge from the Navy SEALs and ‘black ops’, he had only one thing to live for – revenge. After he avenged the death of his mother, he had nothing to live for.
And, being the ‘adrenaline junkie’, he has only one drive available for him under the circumstances. Death wish. Which is very easy to grant in Central America nowadays. Especially if you are working for a drug lord or a wealthy businessman connected to organized crime. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that he is still alive – after spending 18 years in that environment.
If he did, he is still connected, wealthy and resourceful enough to make identifying, locating, apprehending and especially extraditing him an exceedingly difficult and challenging endeavor.
Especially because the State Department and other agencies involved in those procedures have a strong incentive not to assist in this procedure (the public trial of the UNSUB might expose certain activities of the U.S. government in Central America which even after 25-30 years might be quite damaging or at least highly embarrassing).
The Conclusion
I started working on this profile right after I completed the profile for the infamous (and still unidentified) Zodiac killer. With The Zodiac, I am 100% sure that if my profile is accurate (and I am about 90% sure that it is), the identity of The Zodiac will be known in a few hours and he will be apprehended in a matter of days.
In JonBenet Ramsey case, I am not so sure. Even if my profile is accurate (and I am also about 90% sure that it is), the killer might still avoid capture (and possibly even identification).
I do not believe in ‘government conspiracies’ – I know too well how the U.S. federal government really works. There is no way in the world it can possibly put together and run a major (or even a minor) conspiracy – it is way too messy and inefficient for that.
However, ‘The Ninja’ might have been involved in ‘black ops’ too sensitive (or simply too embarrassing) for the U.S. Government to risk the exposure of these operations in a public trial. Even after 30 years or so. And without the cooperation of US Navy (and, quite possibly, the CIA as well) there is no way ‘The Ninja’ can be identified.
And even if he is, he is young enough (he is just 55), trained enough, experienced enough and resourceful enough to go on the run and just disappear. I am confident that he has developed and deployed a highly efficient risk monitoring and management system and has a plan for every conceivable contingency.
As John Douglas once said, “sometimes the dragon wins”. He might very well win this time. Hopefully, he won’t. And to prevent him from winning, we all (both law enforcement and civilians) must do everything humanly possible (and even impossible) to identify, apprehend and convict him. To put this monster behind bars for good. And throw away the key.
This is what this profile is all about.