05-08-2017, 07:15 PM
Police: No Ramsey interview with restrictions
By MATT SEBASTIAN, Camera Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 28, 1998
Using an intermediary, John and Patsy Ramsey in recent weeks floated the idea of a private meeting in Atlanta with Boulder police, the head of the year-old investigation into their daughters death said Tuesday.
But Cmdr. Mark Beckner said he let 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey's parents know he wasn't interested in talking unless he could ask whatever questions he wanted.
"What we said is we would be willing to sit down anytime, anywhere," Beckner said. "But we had to be able to ask the questions we had developed over the last nine months of the investigation. Otherwise, wed come back no further ahead than we were before and wed have to ask for another interview."
That message apparently reached the Ramsey family, but "it never went further than that," Beckner said.
Although he hasn't been contacted by the Ramseys attorneys about the proposed meeting, Beckner said the intermediary indicated the family's legal team put a halt to the interview discussions.
Attorneys for the Ramsey family didnt return phone calls Tuesday.
The investigators reportedly were approached by the Ramseys close friend, the Rev. Rol Hoverstock of St. Johns Episcopal Church in Boulder. Beckner, though, said he would be "breaking some confidences" if he divulged who the intermediary was.
JonBenet Ramsey was found dead in her family's 15th Street home Dec. 26, 1996. After months of negotiations, police formally interviewed the Ramseys on April 30 and have long sought another interview to clear up earlier statements and ask about new evidence. Investigators recently turned down the Ramseys offer to submit to an interview on the condition they be allowed to review evidence in the case.
Beckner said his team still hopes to question JonBenet's 11-year-old brother Burke.
"We have not gotten a formal rejection," Beckner said. But he wouldn't say if police are actively negotiating an interview. "Were in a process right now that I'd rather not discuss."
When Police Chief Tom Koby announced last fall he planned to resign by the end of 1998, he said he expected the Ramsey investigation to reach some sort of conclusion within three to six months.
Now within that window, Beckner isn't ready to say when his team will finish its work.
"I'm not going to predict a time frame, because that thing can be so fluid," he said. "But certainly I foresee a time where we have the investigation to a point where we can say its completed.
By MATT SEBASTIAN, Camera Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 28, 1998
Using an intermediary, John and Patsy Ramsey in recent weeks floated the idea of a private meeting in Atlanta with Boulder police, the head of the year-old investigation into their daughters death said Tuesday.
But Cmdr. Mark Beckner said he let 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey's parents know he wasn't interested in talking unless he could ask whatever questions he wanted.
"What we said is we would be willing to sit down anytime, anywhere," Beckner said. "But we had to be able to ask the questions we had developed over the last nine months of the investigation. Otherwise, wed come back no further ahead than we were before and wed have to ask for another interview."
That message apparently reached the Ramsey family, but "it never went further than that," Beckner said.
Although he hasn't been contacted by the Ramseys attorneys about the proposed meeting, Beckner said the intermediary indicated the family's legal team put a halt to the interview discussions.
Attorneys for the Ramsey family didnt return phone calls Tuesday.
The investigators reportedly were approached by the Ramseys close friend, the Rev. Rol Hoverstock of St. Johns Episcopal Church in Boulder. Beckner, though, said he would be "breaking some confidences" if he divulged who the intermediary was.
JonBenet Ramsey was found dead in her family's 15th Street home Dec. 26, 1996. After months of negotiations, police formally interviewed the Ramseys on April 30 and have long sought another interview to clear up earlier statements and ask about new evidence. Investigators recently turned down the Ramseys offer to submit to an interview on the condition they be allowed to review evidence in the case.
Beckner said his team still hopes to question JonBenet's 11-year-old brother Burke.
"We have not gotten a formal rejection," Beckner said. But he wouldn't say if police are actively negotiating an interview. "Were in a process right now that I'd rather not discuss."
When Police Chief Tom Koby announced last fall he planned to resign by the end of 1998, he said he expected the Ramsey investigation to reach some sort of conclusion within three to six months.
Now within that window, Beckner isn't ready to say when his team will finish its work.
"I'm not going to predict a time frame, because that thing can be so fluid," he said. "But certainly I foresee a time where we have the investigation to a point where we can say its completed.