Silverman: New documentary on JonBenét Ramsey has Colorado and the world once again talking


Silverman: New documentary on JonBenét Ramsey has Colorado and the world once again talking

As Christmas nears, I always think of JonBenét. In the mid-1990s, while JonBenét Ramsey attended elementary school in Boulder, I prosecuted violent criminals in Denver courtrooms on behalf of the people of Colorado.

In November 1996, incumbent Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter defeated my bid to replace him. In December, JonBenét was murdered in Boulder's first 1996 homicide. Local journalists sought my insights. National newspapers called next. Soon, I was on "Nightline," "Good Morning America," "Rivera Live," and the "O'Reilly Report" (on the brand-new Fox News Channel).

Channel 7 hired me as its legal analyst. I've spent decades analyzing the JonBenét mystery and its plentiful clues. I don't know who slowly choked the life out of this little girl right after Christmas, but the truth exists, and the world wants to know.

With the massive success of Netflix's three-part series "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét?," international interest has erupted again. This Ramsey-approved production features numerous narrators from Colorado. Based on their significance in shaping the documentary, I list the top 10 people I know, ranked below from least to most impactful on this widely watched show.

Randy Simons was a capable professional photographer at my Denver wedding (11-26-94), or so we thought. On June 5, 1996, Patsy Ramsey brought JonBenét to Simons' metro Denver studio for a full-day photography session. After JonBenét's murder, Simons' behavior grew increasingly erratic, and he is one of several Netflix suspects. He's currently in prison for child pornography. Simons claims he was alone in Genoa, Colorado, on Christmas of 1996.

8. Stephen Singular

Colorado author Stephen Singular wrote "Presumed Guilty: An Investigation into the JonBenét Ramsey Case, the Media, and the Culture of Pornography." In it, Singular provided an alternative theory centered on an intruder. Stephen Singular passed away this year, but his legacy lives on through his books and now Netflix. Joyce Singular champions her late husband's work regarding the infamous murders of Alan Berg ("Talked to Death") and JonBenét.

7. Geraldo Rivera

Geraldo Rivera provided me with a sustained and regular national platform to discuss JonBenét's murder on his hit primetime CNBC show, "Rivera Live." He repeatedly called on me to debate theories with other trial attorneys, creating some of that era's most compelling television programs. Rivera's passion for reporting the truth made him a decades-long friend in my media journey. It is Geraldo's daytime tabloidish show that this Netflix documentary critiques.

6. Carol McKinley

As we witness on Netflix, Carol McKinley is a top-notch Colorado journalist. From her early Boulder and Denver radio jobs to her national TV and current work at the Gazette, McKinley is a trusted voice covering Colorado's most significant stories. She has known the Ramsey case from the beginning and remains fair and objective.

5. Paula Woodward

Paula Woodward was Denver's Mike Wallace, a highly rated confrontational broadcaster who shoved microphones and hard questions into the faces of influential people. From her high platform at 9News, Woodward became one of the most prominent proponents of the Ramsey home intruder theory. Woodward's access to the family gave her scoops, but it also drew criticism from those who questioned her unwavering support. Woodward advocates for the Ramsey family's innocence again on Netflix.

4. Mitch Morrissey

Mitch Morrissey worked with me as a trial prosecutor and served three terms as Denver DA. While still a Chief Deputy DA under Bill Ritter, he was loaned to embattled Boulder DA Alex Hunter to help his foundering investigation of the JonBenét mystery. Renowned for his mastery of DNA evidence, Morrissey became central to discussions about whether DNA held the key to solving JonBenét's murder or whether it was merely a distraction. Morrissey plays the same role on Netflix.

3. Mike Kane

In 1985, Denver Chief Deputy DA Mike Kane pursued capital punishment for Chris Rodriguez for the November 1984 torture, rape and murder of Lorraine Martelli. After the jury spared Rodriguez's life, Kane left Colorado in 1985. In December 1986, a Denver jury sentenced older brother Frank Rodriguez to death for the Martelli crime, with me as Kane's Denver prosecutorial replacement. Kane returned in 1999 to lead the JonBenét Ramsey grand jury investigation. Kane lets loose like never before on Netflix.

2. Julie Hayden

Julie Hayden led Channel 7's excellent coverage of JonBenét. I worked closely with her on investigative segments that examined Boulder DA Hunter's ineptitude. Our collaboration earned us a Heartland Emmy nomination and highlighted how political considerations might have influenced Hunter. Hayden is one of the primary narrators of the Netflix hit.

The Netflix documentary does not answer the question posed in the title, but it kept my attention and rekindled discussion and interest in this case. Artificial intelligence models of the Ramsey home were instructive and combined with plentiful photos and video.

The true answer exists. Some evil person(s) committed unspeakable atrocities against this helpless homicide victim in her own home just after she'd celebrated Christmas.

If you can't care about that, what can people care about? Decent people want the murder of JonBenét solved. That could be difficult with so many minds made up so long ago. But hope springs eternal.

The truth might involve DNA. We may need a corroborated confession. A miracle may make the truth apparent during some holiday season.

But it is getting late. And the case is getting older and colder.

Our Colorado mystery will endure for yet another Christmas.

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun's opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at [email protected].

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