Chronology of JonBenet case

By by The Associated Press

Posted 7:01AM on Monday, June 26, 2006

Key dates in the JonBenet Ramsey case. 1996 Dec. 26: Patsy Ramsey says she finds a 2 1/2-page ransom note on a staircase demanding $118,000 for JonBenet. Eight hours later, John Ramsey brings his daughter's body up from a basement room. Dec. 31: JonBenet, wearing a tiny tiara, is buried in Marietta, Ga. The family hires an attorney, a publicist and investigators. 1997 Jan. 1: John and Patsy Ramsey grant an exclusive interview to CNN. Mrs. Ramsey tells viewers: "There is a killer on the loose." Jan. 4: Reports surface that JonBenet's skull was fractured and the ransom note was written on paper obtained from a tablet in the Ramsey home. Jan. 21: Police say they have narrowed their list of suspects. Reports reveal the amount of the ransom demand equaled a work bonus Ramsey received. Jan. 22: Ramsey family reportedly refuses to submit to polygraph tests. Feb. 12: Ramseys refuse to agree to police conditions on interviews. Feb. 13: District Attorney Alex Hunter announces "dream team" task force, including crime scene analyst Henry Lee and DNA expert Barry Scheck. Feb. 14: Portions of autopsy report are released, indicating JonBenet suffered severe head injuries, was strangled and may have been sexually assaulted. Feb. 24: Ramsey spokesman says family members know they are "at the top of the list of possible suspects." March 6: Authorities officially clear JonBenet's adult half brother and half sister, John Andrew and Melinda Ramsey, as suspects. Later, JonBenet's brother Burke, 9 at the time of her death, was cleared. March 13: Retired Colorado Springs police investigator Lou Smit joins the investigation team. March 28: Family fires media consultant. April 18: Hunter says Ramseys are under an umbrella of suspicion, but no conclusion has been reached. April 23: Ramsey lawyers send scathing letter to authorities accusing police of a lack of objectivity. April 27: The Ramseys run a newspaper ad offering a $100,000 reward for information about JonBenet's killer. April 30: Ramseys are interviewed separately by police, the first formal sessions since the slaying. May 14: Two detectives, including the first to arrive at the Ramsey home, are removed from the case. June 27: Colorado Bureau of Investigation completes an analysis of the fifth handwriting sample from Mrs. Ramsey. Investigators say Ramsey did not write the note, but the results are inconclusive on his wife. July 23: Ramsey steps up his investigation and criticism of police. Sept. 8: Hunter releases copies of ransom note. Oct. 10: Cmdr. Mark Beckner replaces John Eller as lead investigator. Police Chief Tom Koby admits mistakes were made early in the case. 1998 Jan. 16: Ramseys refuse subsequent interview unless investigators show them all the evidence. March 12: Police say a grand jury should be convened to ensure a "a complete investigation." March 31: Koby says he will step down as soon as a replacement is found. May 19: Detective Linda Arndt, the first detective on the scene in the Ramsey case, sues Koby, alleging he used her as a scapegoat. June 1-2: Police present more than 30,000 pages of evidence to 16 criminal justice experts, including Hunter, in hopes the case will be given to a grand jury. June 23-25: JonBenet's parents are questioned separately by police, their first interviews in more than a year. JonBenet's brother is interviewed for about six hours. July 9: Ramseys deny involvement in JonBenet's death during a documentary that aired on British television. Aug. 6: Lead Detective Steve Thomas resigns, accusing Hunter's staff of being compromised, of refusing to issue search warrants and of refusing to cooperate with police. Aug. 12: Gov. Roy Romer refuses a second request to appoint special prosecutor. Hunter says he will give the case to a grand jury. Sept. 15: Grand jury begins investigation. Sept. 25: In another sign of disputes among authorities, Smit resigns, claiming JonBenet's parents were innocent. Sept. 29: Ramsey blasts police in a letter sent to news organizations. Oct. 29: Grand jurors tour former Ramsey home. 1999 Jan. 28: Hunter asks public's help in locating manufacturer of a toy bear in a Santa Claus suit reportedly found in JonBenet's room. Sept. 23: Grand jury returns to work for the first time since May 25. Oct. 13: District attorney announces that no indictments issued; cites lack of sufficient evidence. 2002: February: Family attorney says doctors have diagnosed a recurrence of ovarian cancer in Patsy Ramsey. She was first diagnosed in 1993. 2003 June: District Attorney Mary Keenan says retired Arvada detective Tom Bennett would spend 20 to 30 hours a week on the case. 2004 May: Staff of Gov. Bill Owens meets with group, Forums for Justice, that wants a special prosecutor appointed in the case. June 4: Ramsey attorney L. Lin Wood said DNA found in JonBenet's underwear did not match any of 1.5 million samples in an FBI database of convicted violent offenders. Aug. 3: John Ramsey finishes second among six candidates in GOP primary to be elected to Michigan House. 2005: Aug 29: Former Telluride town marshal Jim Kolar named the Boulder County district attorney's lead investigator in the case.