From time to time various posters have brought up the topic of motivation on the part of the intruder. Its difficult since we don't know if it is motive to rape, motive to murder, motive to inflict pain and suffering on the actual victim or motive to inflict pain and suffering on the parents.

I've occasionally speculated about a presumed weirdo who observed JonBenet stepping on a sidewalk crack and not seeing the parents immediately punish her for this, decided to teach those evil parents a lesson. I merely use this as an example of the multitude of ways it is possible for the family to have interacted with some nutcase and not have known it.

I've also speculated on some incident such as John Ramsey leaving an office building that was equipped with a heavy door and inadvertantly letting it bump into the person who was behind him. Such unknown and unknowable incident might have sparked a desire for revenge of some sort, but obviously the person would already have to have had a few problems.

Its been commented on before that Patsy's style of interior decoration was sometimes thought to have been to "Southern flouncy" to suit the more "rustic simplicity" tastes of Boulder. However, I doubt items were imported from Atlanta, alot of the decoration had to have been from the local area. I believe a high chair of some sort for JonBenet was purchased at a Boulder antique store. I've never thought interior decorating styles were a motive for murder. The prices and fees charged might be, but not the styles.

We've thought workmen might have been unpaid by a sub-contractor but blamed the Ramseys because they were the owners, however, no one seems to have been located who was unpaid and all the rennovations had been completed previously.

Business motives have been considered although most businessmen are more concerned with money than revenge and would merely seek an adjustment in price if the wrong style of computer monitors had been delivered. Even if some shipment of CAD-CAM equipment had gone awry and an employee had been discharged, it seems difficult to blame John Ramsey personally and then kill his daughter on account of a fouled-up business transaction.

So... how about a thread on whether being disliked to some degree for some reason makes the family a target or should we be looking in a different direction for a motive?