Michael Landon Helgoth

aka “Bootman” “Boots”

This page outlines several sources of information in the public domain that were researched in books, on the Internet, in transcripts, legal documents, Internet message forums, newspapers articles, media reports, talk shows, etc., about this subject title which could be of interest regarding the JonBenet Ramsey murder case. This information is for the historical archive history documentation on the ACandyRose subculture website at www.acandyrose.com following this case.

http://www.acandyrose.com/s-jonbenetramsey-case.htm

Home Depot, Louisville talking after

Boulder discouraged offer - August 1995

http://bcn.boulder.co.us/business/BCBR/1995/aug/real.html

1995

Home Depot, Louisville talking after Boulder discouraged offer.

By Peter Macdonald

Home Depot, now negotiating with the city of Louisville to locate a "big box" retail store in the Centennial Valley, first tried to locate the store in Boulder, said Warren Jamieson, owner of A-AA Listing Services Inc. of Boulder, who lists the Valmont Auto Parts property on Valmont Road east of Foothills Parkway.

Home Depot offered the city 4.78 acres of the property fronting Valmont -- land Jamieson said is worth over $1 million, with no strings attached. The store, which planned its entrance from Old Pearl and 49th streets, would have generated an estimated $1 million annually in sales taxes, Jamieson said.

Representatives of the store put just over 16 acres under contract in September 1994 for $2.85 million, Jamieson said. They then spoke to a Boulder Urban Renewal Authority representative and two council members. After 90 days, Home Depot "got so discouraged," Jamieson said, that it did not exercise its option.

Boulder Councilman Spense Havlick recently told Jamieson that for the Boulder city council to accept any such companies it would require them to reduce the scale of their store to make it more palatable.

"These companies have determined what sort of building they need, and they are not likely to jump through a lot of hoops when they can locate just down the road in Superior," Jamieson said.

Home Depot saw Boulder as a good market because it is almost built out, meaning many existing homes are ripe for remodeling, Jamieson said. Home Depot officials refused comment on Boulder County plans.

"Stores such as this generally are considered to be the retailing wave of the future," Jamieson said. "Who will bring dollars to Boulder? We are entering the fourth year of the city saying `no' to everything requested for the area," Jamieson said.

SEA OF WRECKED CARS COULD BECOME PARK

Tuesday, July 23, 1996

DAILY CAMERA

SEA OF WRECKED CARS COULD BECOME PARK

Tuesday, July 23, 1996

Section: MAIN

Edition: FIRST

Page: 1A

By LISA MARSHALL Camera Staff Writer

If the Boulder City Council decides to buy up to 101 acres along Valmont Road for a large community park, children will someday kick a soccer ball in what is now a sea of wrecked cars. Families will picnic in what once was a thriving poultry farm.

But finding a farm fresh egg or a part for an old Chevy in Boulder could be tricky.

"There are a lot of people who are going to be sad to see us go," said Dick Helgoth, 59, whose family has run Valmont Auto Parts - the last auto yard in town - for nearly four decades. Helgoth said Boulder County land regulations and neighborhood covenants that prohibit people from working on their cars at home have taken the profit out of running a junk yard. Despite the family's rich history on the land, they are eager to sell.

"It's a different business than it was back when Dad started it," he said. "Back then, if you carried Ford or Chevy parts, you had it all."

The Parks and Recreation Board on Monday recommended the city buy as much land as possible on the Valmont Corridor site for $13.5 million. The City Council will give final consideration to the site Aug. 6.

The city is negotiating details of cleaning up the area, but landowners have agreed to deliver the sites "'clean," said Wally Cameron, who handles real estate purchases for the city. He would not release the prices of individual parcels within the site.

The Helgoths expect it will take about five months to sell off the usable parts from some 2,000 cars, hire a wrecking company to crush the remaining auto skeletons and plow away debris, allowing for leftover petroleum to evaporate.

"Then we'll take it easy for a couple of years. We haven't had much time to vacation," said Doug Helgoth, 49, who has run the business with his brother, Dick, since 1961.

Next door, K.C. Schneider is preparing to tell tenants, who have stored large mechanical equipment in his outdoor storage area for five years, they'll have find another storage place.

"It's probably one of the last inexpensive storage areas around and a lot of the people that run their little businesses don't have any place to go," said Schneider, who grew up riding horses and picnicking on the 24-acre property that used to be a farm.

Even a few family dogs are buried out there, he said.

"It may not look like it now, but it's going to be a great park site," said Schneider, struck by the beauty of the Flatirons behind the field of rusty cars and trailers on his lot. "Everyone is taking a little less money to see it as a park because they are obviously people who have owned property here for decades and care about Boulder. I can't wait to take my kids on a picnic out there."

While thrilled with the prospect of seeing a park there, Schneider said he views the land deal as the end of an era, a reflection of Boulder's move toward being an economically exclusive community.

"Every town needs a junkyard," he said.

Across the street, where the Boulder Valley Poultry farm has doled out eggs for local groceries and individuals since 1960, Mildred Vaughan is less enthusiastic about selling her family's 22.5 acres to the city.

Vaughan, 78, is afraid she'll lose her connection with the people of Boulder if she can't sell them eggs anymore. "They are really down in the dumps about not being able to get their farm fresh eggs," she said.

But Vaughan said she will bite an offer to clean up and sell "only if the price is right."

Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter

"I mentioned the list of suspects narrows -

soon there will be no one left on the list but you”

http://www.bouldernews.com/extra/ramsey/1997/02/14-3.html

DA Hunter threatens to seek death penalty

By ELLIOT ZARET Camera Staff Writer February 14, 1997

Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter delivered a strong message to JonBenét Ramsey's killer Thursday (February 13th)- he may seek the death penalty.

"I want to say something to the person or persons that committed this crime - the person or persons that took this baby from us," Hunter said, looking ominously into the television cameras at Thursday's news conference.

"I mentioned the list of suspects narrows - soon there will be no one left on the list but you ... You have stripped us of any mercy we may have had in the beginning of this case. We will see that justice is served in this case, and that you pay for what you did."

Hunter said prosecutors working on the crime have consulted with the Capital Crimes Unit of the Colorado attorney general's office. The prosecutor has sought the death penalty in other cases, but never tried a case as a capital crime.

Richard Kling, clinical professor of law at Chicago-Kent College of Law and a defense attorney who tries capital cases, said the circumstances surrounding JonBenét's murder - that she had been strangled and sexually assaulted, her wrists tied and duct tape over her mouth - are ripe for a public outcry to execute her killer.

"If I were going to draft a death penalty poster child, this is the kid I'm going to draft," said Kling, who opposes the death penalty. "I'm not sure anyone is going to be empathetic with the killer of this child."

Still, Kling said it is unclear why Hunter would announce that he is seeking the death penalty when he hasn't even named a suspect yet.

"I can't think of any advantage - is it going to scare anyone (into confessing)? Probably not." said Kling. "If I were the killer and I heard (Hunter's statement), it would flush me into the furthest corner of the forest."

OBITUARY

Michael Landon Helgoth - February 14, 1997

Obituary

Michael Landon Helgoth of Boulder died Thursday, Feb. 14, 1997, at home. He was 26.

He was born July 9, 1970. in Boulder, the son of Russell G Helgoth and Coni R. Nye Helgoth.

He worked for Valmont Auto Parts for 11 years, where he was a mechanic and performed other duties.

Mr. Helgoth graduated from Boulder High School in 1989 and joined the U.S. Army, serving 13 months.

He belonged to Nova Club, received several awards for drafting and enjoyed anything associated with automobiles and the automotive industry.

Survivors include his father of Boulder, his mother of Alliance, Neb.; paternal grandparents Harold and Catherine Helgoth of Boulder; his maternal grandfather Jack Nye of Alliance; his guardians, Doug and Rita Helgoth of Boulder; a brother Robert Weber of Boulder, Mont.; and two sisters. Christine Helgoth and Kimberly Helgoth, both of Boulder.

[discussion of funeral arrangements - visitation at Crist Mortuary and funeral at mortuary chapel. Rev.Care Pat Frink of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church officiated. They asked for memorial contributions to be made to the American Cancer Society. Helgoth's younger sister was dying of cancer.]

Social Security Death Index

http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi

MICHAEL L HELGOTH 09 Jul 1970 14 Feb 1997 (P) (72) (none specified) 521-39-3548 Colorado

Kimberly Dawn Helgoth Knote

Nov. 28, 1976 - Oct. 8, 1998

HAROLD NICHOLAS HELGOTH 02 Apr 1911 23 Sep 1999 (P) 80304 (Boulder, Boulder, CO) (none specified) 524-42-6606 Colorado

CATHERINE A HELGOTH 30 Dec 1915 24 Oct 1999 (P) 80304 (Boulder, Boulder, CO) (none specified) 523-72-2539

AUTOPSY

Michael Landon Helgoth - February 15, 1997

The Autopsy

Age 26

Sex M

Death D/T 02/14/97 @2230

autopsy D/T 2/15/97 @ 1220

Final Diagnosis:

I. Single gunshot wound to chest

A. Entrance wound: Central chest, between the 2nd and 3rd ribs, immediately to the left of the sternum

B. Exit wound: Back, 8 cm to right of vertebral column, between ribs 8 and 9

C. Trajectory path; Anterior to posterior, superior to inferior, left to right

D. Perforations of:

1. left anterior chest wall

2. right upper lobe

a. pulmonary hemmorrhage, extensive

3. Anterior pericardial sac

4. Right auricle

a. Hemothorax, right, 1350cc

5. Posterior pericardial sac

6. right posterior chest wall

E. Congestion; Renal, adrenal, pulmonary and CNS

II Mild fatty metamorphosis, hepatic

Toxicologic studies: A sample of postmortem urine was positive for benzodiazepines and propoxyphene.

Clinicopathologic Correlation: Death in this 26-year-old male is secondary to a single wound to the chest.

Page 2

External exam - autopsy noted that there were paper bags on his hands and went on...

"The decedent is wearing a black t-shirt labeled "Morning Person Not". In the "R" of morning there is a 6 mm in diameter defect surrounded by some blood stains. After the shirt is removed, the back is examined revealing a 10 x 7 mm defect in the back along with a second 3 mm in length laceration immediately adjacent to this defect. A copper-colored metallic fragmentcna be seen partially protruding from this defect. The defect is enlarged and the metallic fragment is removed. A circular portion on one side appears relatively unscathed and measures about 9mm in diameter. The opposite side is folded back upon itself with the size of the cylinder somewhat filleted. The length is about 9 mm and the overall dimentions are 22x14x13 mm. The legs are covered in grey sweatpants and the feet by white socks. Under the sweatpants is a pair of purple and yellow boxer shorts.

Head: The head is covered by short blond hair in a normal distribution. Eyes blue-gray, sclerae white, no petechiae. Blood from left nostril and left side of mouth. Teeth in moderate repair. pierced tongue - silver post with ball cap. Neck normal.

Tatoos -

left chest - woman with two wolves

right outer arm - Grim Reaper labeled "NEXT?"

left outer arm - skeleton climbing arm - bloody extremities.

abdomen, flat, no scars

genitalia are normal male circumsized

back unremarkable

Extremities - unremarkable - other than some bloody material on left palm there is, "no significant blood spattering noted."

Internal exam:

chest cavity filled with blood - - I won't restate the path of the bullet - it is on first page...

Thyroid: the thyroid is of usual size and position and weighs 20 gm. Cut sections show a beefy parenchyma with no nodules.

Heart - -unremarkable except for the defect previously described

Lungs - - described wound, hemmorrage and congestion - otherwise unremarkable

Liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, adrenal glands, kidney, bladder, prostrate, esophogus, stomach, intestines, appendix and colon are ALL noted as "unremarkable"

Brain: Sections are unremarkable except for congestion.

Microscopic Description:

Entrance wound: A section of skin from the chest shows one margin to exhibit coagulative necrosis and deposition of black sooty material on the surface. A small amount of similar oreign material is noted in the deeper dermal elements.

VALMONT CITY PARK UNDER WAY

Wednesday, April 29, 1998

DAILY CAMERA

A LONG-TERM PLAN IS BEGINNING TO BE VISIBLE IN AN AREA ONCE CALLED AN EYESORE

Wednesday, April 29, 1998

By Kristin Dizon Camera Staff Writer

VALMONT CITY PARK UNDER WAY

What do the county jail, an auto junkyard and a chicken farm all have in common?

They are all part of or next to what will become the city's largest park.

The proposed Valmont City Park will be built over 20 years or more, allowing future generations to determine some park amenities. Presently, there is little money to shape the 132-acre site beyond turning 20 acres into a grassy area and installing infrastructure for future development. Because of the long-term time frame, the city has no cost estimates for the final product. About $18 million is budgeted just to buy the land, $14 million of which has been spent.

Boulder's first citywide park has the county jail on the northern border and some commercial and industrial businesses all around. The site encompasses a former poultry farm where 40,000 chickens laid eggs and Valmont Auto Parts, Boulder's only auto junkyard. The non rectangular shape is also bisected by Valmont Road, where a pedestrian underpass will one day connect the northern and southern halves of the park.

The complex also could include several atypical park features - a small neighborhood commercial center, leased office space and a building to house the parks and recreation staff.

Planners say it's an excellent place to take land that could have been sold for commercial development and fulfill some of Boulder's unmet and future recreational needs, while preserving an open area and scenic views of the Flatirons. The site was selected because it was one of the few sizable parcels left in Boulder and is centrally located. .

City Council recently approved a concept plan, the fourth considered. The elaborate wish list includes six lighted baseball or softball fields; trails; a bicycle racing track; three recreation buildings; playgrounds; courts for basketball; roller hockey and tennis; a skateboard park; an amphitheater; community gardens; picnic tables; and a cross-country skiing loop.

Before any groundbreaking, a number of steps must be taken. About 22 acres of the park site aren't yet owned by the city, which is in negotiations with three separate landowners. One is the junkyard site, where owners Dick and Doug Helgoth will be required to clean up between 2,000 and 3,000 cars, as well as substances such as oil and battery fluid that have seeped into the ground over 40 years of operations there.

Owners of a 1-acre lot and a 5-acre strip of land have yet to come to terms with the city. It is hoped property negotiations will be complete by the end of summer, said Wally Cameron, acquisition manager for the Open Space and Real Estate Department. If the talks hit an impasse, Cameron said the City Council could consider having the land condemned.

So far, about $14 million from a 1995 tax initiative has been spent to buy 83 acres of land. That was added to 28 acres already owned by the city. The remaining 22 acres are projected to cost between $3 million and $4 million, Cameron said.

Another $4.1 million has been set aside for the first phase of development, which will involve grading, irrigating and seeding roughly 20 acres of the site, as well as installing the necessary water, sewer and utility connections for later development. Construction is likely to begin in late 1999 or 2000, but it`s not clear when would the first phase will be complete.

The city hopes to pursue public-private partnerships to develop the park over the years, and has been approached by several interested groups. Janet Bellis, chair of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, said the group will start working on a set of criteria to determine how responsibilities would be shared and what level of public access would be required under such partnerships.

Another way the city could help pay for the park is through commercial development on part of the site. The current plan considers the possibility of selling or leasing 3 to 6 acres in the northeast corner of the park for offices, and another 3 acres for a neighborhood commercial plaza.

"I think it`s good to have a little commercial center there, because those areas are not served by one right now," Bellis said.

Possibilities for that development include a grocery store, dry cleaning, a restaurant, coffee shop and other services.

The parks department also is considering relocating its offices from the present location at 3198 Broadway to the Valmont City Park.

"We are looking at the long-term future of our office space needs," said Chris Dropinski, director of the department. She said staying at the present site, a former church building they moved into "temporarily" in 1992, will require remodeling.

Despite the lengthy timeline of the plan, many say changes to the Valmont property are already impressive.

"They`ve already cleaned up a good bit of the site," said Ann Moss of Shapins Associates, a firm consulting on the plan. "It`s changing as we look at it."

Parks planner Kate Bernhardt, who is managing the Valmont site, said chicken coops and a large grain silo have been removed, a pond has been filled and waste from the many birds is gone at the former poultry farm. In other areas, sheds and outhouses have been stripped away.

Those involved with the Valmont City Park say it will change the character of the area for the better.

"One of the reasons I really wanted to get this piece (of land) is because this is a very good opportunity to clean up a real eyesore in town," Bellis said.

"I can't think of another site that has so many trail systems feeding into it," Bernhardt said.

John Ramsey Interrogation by Lou Smit and Mike Kane

Present also were Bryan Morgan, PI David Williams

June 23, 24, 25, 1998 - Boulder, Colorado

http://www.acandyrose.com/1998BPD-John-Interview-Complete.htm

0716

25 LOU SMIT: What have you heard

0717

1 about Hi-Tech shoes?

2 JOHN RAMSEY: Just that there was

3 a print found, a Hi-Tech boot, and that's all.

4 LOU SMIT: Do you own a Hi-Tech

5 type shoe, or have you ever owned one?

6 JOHN RAMSEY: Well, I don't -- not

7 that I know of. I mean, I never have been -- I

8 never paid much attention to brands of boots I

9 had. I had some -- I had some running -- not

10 running shoes. Hiking boots. I think I looked

11 at those and they were -- they weren't Hi-Tech

12 or anything.

13 LOU SMIT: You have already looked

14 at those?

15 JOHN RAMSEY: Yeah. I had some

16 kind of dress boots that were more for -- but

17 they weren't Hi-Tech boots. So I mean, I don't

18 think we had anything like that. We had -- I

19 had some of these felt-lined like duck boots.

20 LOU SMIT: If we ever ask you to

21 bring these items in, would you do that to make

22 sure that we got them?

23 JOHN RAMSEY: Sure.

24 LOU SMIT: And there is a reason

25 for that, of course. How about Patsy?

0718

1 JOHN RAMSEY: I don't -- I am sure

2 she doesn't. I mean we were aware that that was

3 an issue, I think we looked and thought about

4 it. But to my knowledge, she didn't or doesn't.

5 LOU SMIT: Mike, what was that shop

6 in Vail or something?

7 MIKE KANE: Pepe's. I think that

8 was the name of it.

9 LOU SMIT: Pepe's, is that in Vail?

10 VOICE: Yeah.

11 LOU SMIT: Did she ever shop --

12 JOHN RAMSEY: I don't --

13 Patsy's -- I don't remember the last time she

14 was even in Vail. Pepe's doesn't ring a bell.

15 LOU SMIT: I am going to show you a

16 series of photographs, okay. And see if you

17 recognize a print of the photographs, they are

18 foot prints or shoe prints, and I would just

19 like to show that to you if I can, and see if

20 you might recognize maybe by looking at shoe

21 prints, sometimes you know what the bottom of a

22 sole looks like, if you have something similar

23 to that or even maybe one of your friends?

24 JOHN RAMSEY: Where was the print

25 found?

0719

1 LOU SMIT: In the wine cellar.

2 JOHN RAMSEY: In the wine cellar?

3 LOU SMIT: Yes. So I would like to

4 show you a series of prints and it's starting

5 with -- it's 257, 258, 259, 260, 261 and 262.

6 This is the front, this is the back (indicating)

7 and just start with 259. If you will do that,

8 Mr. Ramsey.

9 JOHN RAMSEY: (INAUDIBLE).

10 LOU SMIT: What do you see?

11 JOHN RAMSEY: I see high, looks

12 like high something you see in a square block

13 with, I can't tell if it's raised or lettering.

14 LOU SMIT: If you look at a

15 photograph, see something to make a comment on

16 just --

17 (MULTIPLE SPEAKERS.)

18 JOHN RAMSEY: Yeah. I think what

19 would be -- I can't tell what that is. I don't

20 know if that's sand or is that mildewy stuff

21 that was in the basement. Looks like there is

22 some -- some of the Christmas tree --

23 LOU SMIT: Needles?

24 JOHN RAMSEY: -- needles, yeah,

25 that were laying in there. It almost looks like

0720

1 the wall to me rather than the floor. Is it the

2 floor?

3 LOU SMIT: Yes.

4 JOHN RAMSEY: Okay.

0725

23 VOICE: One last question, do you

24 have any photographs of what a Hi-Tech boot

25 looks like?

0726

1 LOU SMIT: I do, but I don't have

2 it here with me.

3 MIKE KANE: There is all different

4 kinds.

5 (MULTIPLE SPEAKERS.)

6 (INAUDIBLE.).

7 LOU SMIT: Many different styles.

8 LOU SMIT: I don't know, if you

9 could take a look at, there is another print

10 there. You picked up a Hi-Tech print. I was

11 just wondering if the sole pattern on that may

12 look familiar to you. It would be on the

13 photograph, let's see, 262, you might look at

14 that.

15 JOHN RAMSEY: Is that this pattern

16 here?

17 LOU SMIT: Yes.

18 JOHN RAMSEY: Well, no, it doesn't

19 look like anything that we had or would have

20 had. I don't -- this doesn't mean anything to

21 me.

Kimberly Dawn Helgoth Knote

Nov. 28, 1976 - Oct. 8, 1998

Kimberly Dawn Helgoth Knote

Nov. 28, 1976 - Oct. 8, 1998

Kimberly Dawn Helgoth Knote of Longmont died of natural causes Thursday, Oct. 8, 1998, in Boulder Community Hospital. She was 21.

She was born Nov. 28, 1976, in Boulder, to Russell Helgoth and Connie Nye Helgoth.

She was a lifelong resident of Boulder County.

Ms. Knote was a customer service representative at Titan Auto Insurance.

She was a member of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Boulder and the Elks Ladies Bowling League, and she was active in the American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life." She also was active in sports, including bowling, water-skiing and softball.

Survivors include her father of Boulder; her mother of Alliance, Neb.; her stepfather, Bill Kinser of Alliance; her companion, Tracy Hoy of Longmont; a sister, Christine Beck of Longmont; a stepsister, Terri Kinser of Alliance; a brother, Bob Weber of Helena, Mont.; a stepbrother, Bill Kinser Jr. of Alliance; and her grandparents, Harold and Catherine Helgoth of Boulder.

She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents and a brother, Michael Helgoth, in 1997.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Crist Mortuary, 34th Street and the Diagonal Highway, Boulder. A vigil service will be at 7 p.m. Monday in the mortuary chapel, with the Rev. Pat Frink of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church of Boulder officiating.

A memorial Mass will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Crist Mortuary Chapel. The Rev. David Allen will be the celebrant. Services will conclude at the Alliance Cemetery in Alliance.

Contributions may be made to Boulder Community Hospital for the Cancer Cure Center, P.O. Box 9019, Boulder, Colo. 80301-9019.

Valmont Auto Parts - 4942 Valmont Road

Boulder purchased the land for $2.4 million

October 1998 http://www.bcbr.com/oct98/real2.htm

BIG CRUSH: After more than 30 years of operation at 4942 Valmont Road, Valmont Auto Parts Owners Richard and Douglas Helgoth -- starting immediately -- will be crushing all the cars on the 16.2 acres to make way for new owners. The city of Boulder purchased the land for $2.4 million to incorporate it into 115 acres of park space in the area.

The property was on the market for eight years, according to broker Warren Jamieson, principal of Boulder-based AAA Real Estate. "But the city wouldn't let us do anything with it," he said.

In the five years before the sale closed on Sept. 18, the land was at various times under contract to Builder's Square, Pace Membership Warehouse and Home Depot.

"The city wouldn't allow any big boxes," Jamieson explained.

LIFE ENDS; LOVE CONTINUES

Catherine Helgoth, Dec. 30, 1915 - October 24, 1999

The Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Co.), October 29, 1999

October 29, 1999, Friday

LIFE ENDS; LOVE CONTINUES

By Gary Massaro

Catherine Helgoth weathered dust, drought and hail-killed harvests on Colorado's high plains.

But it was probably a broken heart that finally did her in.

She died Sunday. She was 83.

Just a month before, her husband, Harold, died.

They had been married 63 years, about half of which was spent on a wheat farm, the other half in Boulder.

''Anytime either one was gone, the other just couldn't wait until the other one was home,'' daughter Opal Symanski of Broomfield said.

''One time when I was with Mom and we were reminiscing, she was showing me a postcard she had gotten from my dad when he was on a hunting trip. Even though he was gone, he still was thinking about her,'' Opal said. ''They weren't happy unless they were together.''

Catherine was born Dec. 30, 1915, in Fleming, a farm town in northeastern Colorado.

Her mother, Anna Orth, died when Catherine was 12.

So she and her sister, Margaret Brekel, now of Sterling, took over the household - Margaret taking care of the sewing and mending while Catherine did the cooking and baking.

Catherine and Harold are survived by 10 kids. In addition to Opal, the others are Doug, James, Richard and Russ of Boulder; Wayne of Colorado Springs, Don of Castle Rock, Dee Schreiter and Mary Noonan of Westminster and Linda of Longmont.

Other survivors include two brothers: Albert and Lawrence Brekel of Sterling; 21 grandchildren and 10 great- grandchildren.

In addition to their devotion, it was the cooking that cemented the bond between Catherine and Harold.

''When Dad was working the wheat fields, mom would always have dinner warm and waiting for him when he got done,'' Opal said.

''Dad's favorite meal was probably breakfast,'' Opal said. ''We all pretty much had breakfast together - pancakes, eggs, bacon. It wasn't the pancake mix, either. That's the way she was with cake, too. She'd never use a box.'

From “Death of Innocence” released in March 17, 2000

Written by John and Patsy Ramsey

DOI Pg 232

A few days later, another telling story hit the newspapers, reporting that the police had been asking our friends if they owned shoes or boots with the brand SAS or Hi-Tec. We did not own either brand, and the police were trying to explain away the footprint they had found in the cellar near JonBenet's body. Obviously, the SAS or Hi-Tech footprint could be an important piece of evidence.

DOI Pg 373

7. The footprint by JonBenet's body. In the basement room where I found JonBenet, a funguslike mildew grew on the floors and walls due to the moist climate of the room. This room had no windows and was concrete on four sides and on the ceiling. Next to JonBenet's body the killer, I believe, left a clear footprint made by the sole of a Hi-Tec hiking shoe, from the area at the heel where the brand name was stamped. The markings are clear and should further help identify the killer.

From “JonBenet, Inside The Ramsey Investigation”

Released April 11, 2000, written by Steve Thomas

ST Page 236

We spent a long day going over every possible weak point. A Hi-Tec boot print found on the wine cellar floor where the body was discovered had not been identified. Neither had one of the palm prints on the cellar door. The DA's office still refused to allow testing of the

ST Page 237

confusing pubic hair found on the white blanket wrapped around JonBenet.

(SNIP)

The Hi-Tec boot print became one of the biggest questions of the investigation. Since Hi- Tecs are popular among cops, a year after the murder I became convinced that a sight-seeing law enforcement officer stepped somewhere he or she shouldn't have on December 26 and didn't want to admit it.

Detective Ron Gosage had the impossible job of trying to identify the origin of the boot print, a nightmare assignment if there ever was one. He contacted more than four hundred people, even construction

ST Page 238

workers who had been in the house five years ago, but did not find the matching print.

I doubted that any member of the Ramsey family would admit to owning a pair of Hi-Tecs, whether they did or not, but Detective Gosage had to ask them. That alerted Team Ramsey, and the defense lawyers and our DA's office soon began insisting that the unknown boot print was left behind by the intruder.

What they didn't know was that lab technicians had found not just one but three different unidentified shoe prints in that little room-the main print and two less pronounced impressions that overlapped each other. We considered that a positive development, for how likely would it be that three intruders carried the body into the room? And the possibilities were great that the print was totally unrelated to the murder. Just because something is found at the site of a murder doesn't mean it is part of the crime.

On a below-freezing winter day, I went with Gosage and another detective to Vail on a tip that a clerk recalled seeing Patsy and JonBenet try on hiking boots at Pepi Sports in that ski resort town. They might have been Hi-Tecs.

A bookkeeper carried in boxes crammed with thousands of receipts for everything from skis to bike rentals, and we hand-searched every one of them. It wasn't the first or the last hand search we made of receipts. In a Home Depot outside of Atlanta, Gosage and I had to check some twenty-five thousand individual records and journal rolls in a vain search for the possible purchase of cord and duct tape. A clerk said she had waited on Patsy Ramsey during such a transaction. We found nothing, and now we were doing it again in Vail.

"Why don't you just subpoena all the credit card records of the Ramseys?" asked the bookkeeper. .

"Long story." I was so tired of that question.

"Is the case as fucked up as it sounds? I mean, they've already finished TWA Flight 800, sentenced McVeigh to death for Oklahoma City, convicted Nichols, and are doing their thing with the Unabomber. Why are you guys taking so long?"

"Long story."

We found no receipts for the Ramseys, but a cash or check transaction would not have listed a name, unlike a credit card sale.

As with the palm print, the most frustrating part of the Hi- Tec hunt was the inexplicable lack of cooperation from other cops.

Two pairs of boots that were among the most difficult to retrieve belonged to Detective Sergeant Larry Mason and Detective Linda

ST Page 239

Arndt, both of whom had been in the house during the first hours. Arndt's clothing had been collected at the crime scene but not her footwear. It took a direct order from Commander Beckner before Arndt and Mason gave up their boots for testing, about a year after the murder, and it took still longer to get their fingerprints. Mason, the on-scene detective supervisor on December 26, had still not submitted a written report of his actions that day when I left after eighteen months.

A reserve sheriff's deputy who wore Hi- Tecs at the crime scene retained a lawyer before talking to Detective Gosage. Then we got the name of another patrol sergeant who had been in the basement that day. That was also a year late. At fourteen months, Gosage found that an FBI agent from Denver had been in the basement and owned Hi-Tecs. The final embarrassment in the Hi- Tec hunt came when Detective Gosage compared the radio log for December 26 with other reports and discovered that a number of boot-wearing law enforcement types had also been at the house but had never "aired out," or given their location, on the radio.

That meant we never really knew which cops, firefighters, paramedics, and sheriff's deputies were there. It seemed that everybody and their damned brother went wandering through the crime scene that day, and running them down was a virtual impossibility.

ST Page 240

The second possibility was that the flashlight was brought in by the intruder, used in the crime, then left behind in his haste to escape. To me, this was not consistent, for he had not hurried about anything else and, according to the intruder theorists, had carefully taken away other pieces of evidence such as the duct tape and cord. Since the flashlight held no fingerprints, did the intruder carefully wipe it down, inside and out, even the batteries, then just forget it? It didn't fit.

Besides its being the Ramseys', what also made sense was the third option, that some cop brought the heavy flashlight inside (they arrived before dawn) and left it on the counter by mistake. It was the Mag-Lite type preferred by policemen. That it bore no fingerprints was consistent with a piece of equipment being handled in cold weather by a cop wearing gloves. But we were unable to trace the serial number. And, like the palm print and Hi-Tec boot print, once the case blew up, no one wanted to claim ownership.

ST Page 271

On February 25 the mayor chewed me out. This politician was meddling in a criminal investigation, probably in violation of the city charter,

ST Page 272

and didn't know what the hell he was talking about, while Commander Beckner sat there watching, doing nothing to defend his detective.

Mayor Bob Greenlee wore khakis, loafers, a blue sports jacket, and no smile when I met him in Beckner's office. "The mayor wants to ask you a few questions," my boss said and retreated to a chair. "Detective," Mayor Greenlee began, all business. "What do you know about Jackie Dilson?" He gave me no chance to respond, and I had to suppress a grin. I knew all about Jackie Dilson, who was a regular visitor to police headquarters with her theory that her boyfriend probably murdered JonBenet.

Greenlee said he had personally met with Miss Dilson. "Did you know, detective, that her boyfriend, Chris Wolf, had Hi-Tec boots that Dilson purchased for him, that are by now undoubtedly in the bottom of some river? ..:

John Ramsey Interview - Atlanta, Georgia - August 29, 2000

Interviewed by: Michael Kane, Bruce Levine, Mitch Morrissey,

Mark Beckner, Tom Wickman, Tom Trujillo and Jane Harmer

Ramsey Representatives Present: Lin Wood, Ollie Gray, John San Augustine

http://www.acandyrose.com/2000ATL-John-Interview-Complete.htm

0020

20 THE WITNESS: Yeah, it got really

21 bizarre in the end. That's the kind of

22 thing I've been looking for, and that's what

23 I've learned, yet one of those for every

24 hundred that really are not particularly

25 interesting.

0021

1 Michael Helgoth, I know we gave

2 you some boots, Hi-Tec boots, that from my

3 perspective looked like a perfect match to

4 the footprint.

5 We also know he has a stun gun

6 that was an AirTaser. We know he committed

7 suicide the day after Alex Hunter's speech

8 about we know who you are, we are going to

9 get you.

10 There is the another fellow, I

11 don't know his name, but I know Ollie has

12 been working on it that had a shrine of

13 JonBenet prior to '96.

14 MR. TRUJILLO: Mr. Ramsey, let me

15 jump back to Mr. Helgoth for a moment. You

16 said he had boots that you have seen. Have

17 you seen the boots?

18 THE WITNESS: I haven't seen the

19 boots. I saw a picture that Ollie had taken

20 earlier of the footprint compared to the

21 image of the bootprint.

22 Q. (By Mr. Trujillo) That is my

23 question, have you seen the actual crime

24 scene photograph of the boot print there?

25 A. No, no.

0022

1 Q. What image have you seen?

2 MR. WOOD: That is a copy of it.

3 THE WITNESS: I don't know what

4 image I have seen, but it was on the

5 internet.

6 MR. TRUJILLO: Okay. I don't

7 know if this is the boot image of -- oh,

8 here it is, yes.

9 MR. WOOD: This is a copy.

10 MR. TRUJILLO: This is an image

11 off of the internet?

12 THE WITNESS: And yes, I don't

13 know --

14 MS. HARMER: And the internet,

15 the person who put it on the internet is

16 purporting it to be the actual footprint that

17 was found in the cellar?

18 THE WITNESS: Not necessarily.

19 His parents, Helgoth's parents finally turned

20 over his boots, which we turned over to you.

21 I don't know Helgoth. I don't know that

22 name. Whether or not there is any

23 significance there, I don't know.

24 MS. HARMER: I guess I am not

25 clear about where you got this image.

0023

1 THE WITNESS: The --

2 MR. WOOD: Ollie would be able to

3 tell us that.

4 THE WITNESS: Yeah, I don't know.

5 MR. WOOD: The image of the print

6 in the wine cellar.

7 MR. GRAY: I did that comparison

8 with glue.

9 THE WITNESS: But here is a guy

10 that ought to be looked at. I don't know

11 anything else about it, but he certainly

12 meets some of the factors that we find

13 interesting.

0030

17 Q. We have been provided, and again,

18 one of the sources of this information is

19 confidential grand jury material I can tell

20 you in the question, but we have been

21 provided information from two sources that

22 your son Burke, prior to the murder of your

23 daughter, owned and wore Hi-Tec boots that

24 had a compass on them, which makes them

25 distinctive.

0031

1 Do you recall -- if you don't

2 recall that they actually were Hi-Tec, do you

3 remember Burke having boots that had a

4 compass on the laces?

5 A. Vaguely. I don't know if they

6 were boots or tennis shoes. My memory is

7 they were tennis shoes, but that is very

8 vague. He had boots that had lights on them

9 and all sorts of different things.

10 Q. But you do have some recollection

11 that he had some type of footwear that had

12 compasses attached to them?

13 A. I don't, I don't specifically

14 remember them, but my impression is that he

15 did, in my mind, yeah. But my impression

16 was that they were tennis shoes.

17 Q. Sneakers?

18 A. Sneakers. Yeah. Ask Burke if he

19 remembers it.

20 I said, ask Burke, perhaps he --

21 well, we could certainly ask Burke.

0037

1 give them to you.

2 THE WITNESS: My position on stun

3 guns is that the people that have told me

4 that this was likely the case seemed pretty

5 qualified.

6 MR. LEVIN: But that, I am sorry,

7 Michael.

8 Q. (By Mr. Levin) But that, just a

9 follow up so I am clear, that information is

10 not from this group that was put together

11 after '98. That is some other individuals

12 that precede your June '98 interviews?

13 A. Well, the first time the stun gun

14 came up was in a meeting with Lou Schmidt

15 and Tom was there. I don't remember.

16 MR. WICKMAN: Pete Hoster?

17 MR. LEVIN: Ainesworth?

18 THE WITNESS: And he asked me to

19 keep it very confidential but did we have,

20 did we know anybody that owned a stun gun.

21 That is the first I heard about it. But

22 that was probably in '97.

23 MR. WICKMAN: Yeah.

24 Q. (By Mr. Levin) And since your

25 interviews in '98, there has been a passage

0038

1 of a significant period of time, have you

2 come up with names of people you know that

3 have, that you were associated with, which

4 you know owned stun guns that were unfamiliar

5 with --

6 A. Not the -- I mean, my answer to

7 that back then was I don't know of anybody

8 that I know that owns a stun gun, and I

9 still don't. I mean, we have come up with

10 guys like Helgoth who we know owned the

11 brand that was a suspect, but –

Patsy Ramsey Interview - Atlanta, Georgia - August 28, 2000

Interviewed by: Michael Kane, Bruce Levine, Mitch Morrissey,

Mark Beckner, Tom Wickman, Tom Trujillo and Jane Harmer

Ramsey Representatives Present: Lin Wood, Ollie Gray, John San Augustine

http://www.acandyrose.com/2000ATL-Patsy-Interview-Complete.htm

0025

8 Q. Why don't you explain what your

2. 9 belief is concerning her death.

10 MR. WOOD: See, hold on a second.

11 You got one question she is trying to

12 answer, and now you -- are you withdrawing

13 that question?

14 MR. LEVIN: No, I am following it

15 up.

16 MR. WOOD: Well, but you haven't

17 let her finish the first answer, in fairness,

18 and you are throwing another question out.

19 THE WITNESS: I was going to tell

20 you the rest of what I know.

21 MR. WOOD: And if I go back and

22 look at this record, it looks like she's

23 completed her answer and then you've asked

24 her a new question and you've stopped her in

25 the middle. Do you want her to go back and

0026

1 tell you generally what she's learned --

2 MR. LEVIN: Sure, you can list

3 them.

4 MR. WOOD: - for the last two

5 years and then you can move to the second

6 question?

7 Q. (By Mr. Levin) Go ahead.

8 A. Well, I believe that from this

9 group of experts we know the sequence of the

10 way in which she died. I am not sure -- I

11 don't think I know. There may be other

12 things that that group had to present, but

13 that is the one thing that I can remember.

14 Otherwise, I think Mr. Gray has

15 turned over everything, any piece of anything

16 that he thinks is significant to the police

17 department, including just recently a pair of

18 Hi-Tec boots that were obtained from one of

19 the suspects. We don't know what has

20 happened with that since, and we would like

21 to know that.

22 Q. Anything else?

23 A. No.

0029

12 Q. (By Mr. Levin) Other than --

13 well, let's talk about the Hi-Tec boots.

14 You said you believe that a suspect had a

15 pair of Hi-Tec boots that were sent to us.

16 A. (Witness nodded head

17 affirmatively).

18 Q. Who was that?

19 A. His name is Helgother or Gogather.

20 Q. This is the man who committed

21 suicide?

22 A. Yes.

23 Q. How is it that your team, for

24 lack of a better word, how is it that your

25 team came into possession of those? Do you

0030

1 know?

2 A. No, I do not.

3 Q. Have you been told or offered an

4 explanation?

5 A. Of how?

6 Q. Of how you got into possession of

7 a pair of boots that belonged to someone who

8 committed suicide several years ago.

9 A. I believe Mr. Gray obtained them.

10 Q. I don't believe that I have ever

11 heard you discuss him as a potential suspect

12 in this case. Can you tell us what

13 information you are in possession of that

14 causes you to hold that belief?

15 A. I understand that he committed

16 suicide on the 14th day of February '97. He

17 was in the possession of a stun gun, and we

18 believe, as best we can tell, that it was an

19 AirTaser stun gun, and that apparently

20 matches the markings that were found on

21 JonBenet's body. And he owned a pair of

22 Hi-Tec boots that appeared to be the same

23 size as the footprint found at the crime

24 scene.

25 Q. That information, I am assuming,

0031

1 comes from the work that was done by Mr.

2 Gray? Is that the source of that? If I

3 am incorrect, tell me what the source is.

4 A. Yes, I think.

5 MR. LEVIN: Mitch or Mike, do you

6 want to do some more on their investigation?

7 MR. KANE: Sure.

8 Q. (By Mr. Kane) Let me just follow

9 up the last question. What was the name of

10 the suspect?

11 A. It is an unusual name. It is

12 Helgoth or Golgath.

13 MR. WOOD: I think you all asked

14 her about him in June of 1998 by name.

15 Michael Helgoth.

16 MR. LEVIN: For the Reporter, I

17 believe it's H-e-l-g-o-t-h.

18 THE WITNESS: Lin just said it is

19 Michael Helgoth.

20 Q. (By Mr. Kane) What else do you

21 know about Mr. Helgoth?

22 A. That is all, that is all I know.

23 Q. Did you ever hear that name

24 before?

25 A. No.

0032

1 Q. It was not somebody who was known

2 to your family?

3 A. No.

4 Q. Besides Mr. Gray, do you have any

5 information, has anyone else given you any

6 information about him?

7 A. Not that I can think of, no.

8 Q. Besides the fact -- where did

9 you --

10 Did Mr. Gray tell you that he had

11 an AirTaser stun gun on him when he

12 committed suicide?

13 A. Yes. I believe there is a

14 photograph that he had.

15 Q. And was it Mr. Gray who told you

16 that he had Hi-Tec boots? Was he wearing

17 those? I am sorry, that is a double

18 question. Was it Mr. Gray who told you that

19 he had Hi-Tec boots?

20 A. Yes.

21 Q. And was he wearing them at the

22 time? Is that your understanding?

23 A. I don't know that.

24 Q. Outside of the fact that he

25 committed suicide, he had a pair of Hi-Tec

0033

1 boots, and an AirTaser, is there any other

2 information you have that connects him to

3 this crime?

4 A. Not that I have, no.

5 Q. (By Mr. Morrissey) Have you seen

6 this photograph where Mr. Helgoth has the

7 stun gun? Have you actually seen that

8 photograph?

9 A. No, I don't believe so.

10 Q. (By Mr. Kane) Do you know how

11 Mr. Gray came into possession of these boots?

12 A. I don't know exactly, no.

13 MR. WOOD: I think that was

14 explained in a memo to Chief Beckner by Mr.

15 Gray that he sent to him in the last couple

16 of weeks.

17 THE WITNESS: You all have the

18 boots now.

19 MR. KANE: That wasn't my

20 question. I want to know what you know

21 about those.

22 Q. (By Mr. Kane) So you don't know

23 how he came into possession of those boots?

24 A. I think he said he might have

25 gotten them from a family member, or --

0034

1 Q. When did you learn this?

2 A. Some time ago. A couple of

3 months ago.

4 Q. And was that the first time you

5 heard about Mr. Helgoth having Hi-Tec boots?

6 A. Yes.

7 Q. All right. And did you learn

8 about that in a personal conversation with

9 Mr. Gray or did you learn it indirectly

10 through somebody else?

11 A. I think I probably heard it from

12 John.

13 Q. Have you ever talked to Mr. Gray

14 about those Hi-Tec boots?

15 A. Yes.

0117

0117

1 MR. WOOD: That assumes that

2 lawyers are people. Some would disagree that

3 they are sharks or whatever.

4 Q. (By Mr. Levin) In June of 1998,

5 you were interviewed by the Boulder D.A.'s

6 office; right?

7 A. That was Hannay, Mr. Hannay.

8 Q. Yes. Mr. DeMouth?

9 A. Yes.

10 Q. Prior to commencing that

11 interview, did you know that identifying the

12 source of the Hi-Tec shoes was a priority

13 for the investigation? That would be more

14 than two years after, a year and a half

15 after your daughter's murder.

16 MR. WOOD: Are you asking her if

17 she knew what was a priority in your all,

18 the investigator's minds?

19 MR. LEVIN: No, no, no. In her

20 mind. Did she believe --

21 Q. (By Mr. Levin) Did you believe,

22 and if I didn't throw that in, I thought it

23 was clear, did you believe that, in the

24 course of the investigation, that identifying

25 the source of the Hi-Tec shoes was important?

0118

1 A. Well, I would think it is

2 important, yes. I mean, I can't remember at

3 that time if I knew about the Hi-Tec shoes

4 or not. I don't remember when all that

5 surfaced.

6 Q. You have since then, since 1998,

7 become aware that the source of the Hi-Tec

8 shoes is important?

9 A. Yes.

10 Q. You know that today?

11 A. Yes.

12 Q. And you thought that one of the

13 things that made Helgoth viable was the fact

14 that you believe he had Hi-Tec shoes?

15 A. Correct.

0118

16 Q. Have you, whether it was before

17 the interview in 1998 or subsequent to the

18 interview in 1998, have you personally made

19 attempts to find possible sources for the

20 Hi-Tec shoe impression?

21 A. You mean like ask around if

22 anybody had --

23 Q. Pick up the phone and call some

24 friends, for example.

25 A. I didn't, no.

0119

1 Q. Had you at any time, for example,

2 some of the kids, like the Colby kids ever

3 come over, did you ever go and just pick up

4 the phone or walk across the alley and say,

5 do you guys have Hi-Tec shoes? Did you ever

6 do anything like that?

7 MR. WOOD: You are assuming she

8 may have learned about it at the time she

9 still lived there. She told you she wasn't

10 sure when she first learned that.

11 THE WITNESS: No, I did not call

12 the Colbys to ask if their children had --

13 Q. (By Mr. Levin) Whether it was

14 from Boulder or Atlanta?

15 A. Right.

16 Q. Okay. Did you sit down and

17 discuss with Burke at any length whether or

18 not he ever had Hi-Tec shoes?

19 A. No.

20 Q. Did it cross your mind that he

21 might be the source of that, for the Hi-Tec

22 shoes?

23 A. No. Because my understanding was

24 that it was an adult footprint. He was nine

25 years old at the time.

0120

1 Q. Do you know the source of your

2 belief that it was an adult's foot,

3 footprint?

4 A. Whoever told me about it or

5 wherever I learned it in the first place.

6 Q. Did you get any details concerning

7 how much of a shoe impression was present?

8 A. No. It was just a footprint.

9 Q. Did you take that to, to be a

10 full footprint, and by that I mean like a

11 shoe, a complete shoe impression?

12 A. That is what I imagined, yes.

13 Q. And that, whether you were told

14 that directly or you just assumed that, you

15 believe is the source of your belief that it

16 was an adult's shoe?

17 A. Yes.

18 Q. You have been asked about whether

19 or not anyone in your family owns Hi-Tec

20 shoes or ever owned Hi-Tec shoes?

21 A. Yes.

22 Q. And I am not restating a

23 question, Mr. Wood. And do you recall you

24 said no one ever did?

25 A. Yes.

0121

1 Q. You have had -- and that was in

2 '98, more than two years ago. You have had

3 an opportunity to, now that you are in

4 possession of knowledge causing you to

5 believe this is a significant fact in the

6 investigation, you have had almost, we will

7 assume, at least a year to rethink that.

8 Have you given it some thought as to maybe

9 someone in the family had Hi-Tec shoes?

10 MR. WOOD: Are you asking her

11 whether she thought about whether somebody in

12 the family -- I mean, all of the prefatory

13 comments leading up to that.

14 Is the question, since June of

15 1998, Ms. Ramsey, have you given any thought

16 as to whether someone in your family had

17 Hi-Tec shoes?

18 MR. LEVIN: That is correct.

19 That is the question.

20 MR. WOOD: All right. You can

21 answer that question.

22 THE WITNESS: No.

23 Q. (By Mr. Levin) Did you try, in

24 your mind, and perhaps to assist your

25 investigator, identify sources close to your

0122

1 family that might be the origin of the

2 Hi-Tec shoe impression?

3 A. I think, you know, I may have

4 asked Susan if she had ever seen any. I

5 mean, I didn't, I don't know what a Hi-Tec

6 boot looks like, per se. I have tried to

7 kind of, as I am in shoe stores, look around

8 trying to see what, what's the significance

9 and special about a Hi-Tec boot, and I

10 haven't, haven't even seen any yet. But I

11 may have asked Susan, did you know anybody

12 that looked like they wore Hi-Tec shoe,

13 boots, or whatever.

0122

14 Q. Do you recall a period of time,

15 prior to 1996, when your son Burke purchased

16 a pair of hiking boots that had compasses on

17 the shoelaces? And if it helps to

18 remember --

19 A. I can't remember.

20 Q. Maybe this will help your

21 recollection. They were shoes that were

22 purchased while he was shopping with you in

23 Atlanta.

24 MR. WOOD: Are you stating that

25 as a fact?

0123

1 MR. LEVIN: I am stating that as

2 a fact.

3 Q. (By Mr. Levin) Does that help

4 refresh your recollection as to whether he

5 owned a pair of shoes that had compasses on

6 them?

7 A. I just can't remember. Bought so

8 many shoes for him.

9 Q. And again, I will provide, I'll

10 say, I'll say this as a fact to you, that,

11 and maybe this will help refresh your

12 recollection, he thought that -- the shoes

13 were special because they had a compass on

14 them, his only exposure for the most part to

15 compasses had been in the plane and he kind

16 of liked the idea of being able to point

17 them different directions. Do you remember

18 him doing that with the shoes?

19 A. I can't remember the shoes. I

20 remember he had a compass thing like a

21 watch, but I can't remember about the shoes.

22 Q. You don't remember him having

23 shoes that you purchased with compasses on

24 them?

25 MR. WOOD: She will tell you that

0124

1 one more time. Go ahead and tell him, and

2 this will be the third time.

3 THE WITNESS: I can't remember.

4 Q. (By Mr. Levin) Okay. Does it

5 jog your memory to know that the shoes with

6 compasses were made by Hi-Tec?

7 MR. WOOD: Are you stating that

8 as a fact?

9 MR. LEVIN: Yes. I am stating

10 that as a fact.

11 THE WITNESS: No, I didn't know

12 that.

13 Q. (By Mr. Levin) I will state this

14 as a fact. There are two people who have

15 provided us with information, including your

16 son, that he owned Hi-Tec shoes prior to the

17 murder of your daughter.

18 MR. WOOD: You are stating that

19 Burke Ramsey has told you he owned Hi-Tec

20 shoes?

21 MR. LEVIN: Yes.

22 MR. WOOD: He used the phrase

23 Hi-Tec?

24 MR. LEVIN: Yes.

25 MR. WOOD: When?

0125

1 MR. LEVIN: I can't, I can't give

2 you the source. I can tell you that I have

3 that information.

4 MR. WOOD: You said Burke told

5 you.

6 MR. LEVIN: I can't quote it to

7 you for reasons I am sure, as an attorney,

8 you are aware.

9 MR. WOOD: Just so it is clear,

2. 10 there is a difference between you saying that

11 somebody said Burke told them and Burke

12 telling you because Burke has been

13 interviewed by you all December of 1996,

14 January of 1997, June of 1998.

15 Are you saying that it is within

16 those interviews?

17 MR. LEVIN: No.

18 MR. WOOD: So he didn't tell you,

19 he told somebody else you are stating as a

20 fact because I don't think you all have

21 talked to him other than those occasions,

22 have you?

23 MR. KANE: Mr. Wood, we don't

24 want to get into grand jury information.

25 Okay?

0126

1 MR. WOOD: Okay.

2 MR. KANE: Fair enough?

3 MR. LEVIN: I am sorry, I should

4 have been more direct. I thought you would

5 understand --

6 Q. (By Mr. Levin) Fleet Junior also

2. 7 says that he had Hi-Tec shoes.

8 A. Okay. Now --

9 Q. Does that jog your memory?

10 A. Is, are you talking like Hi-Tec

11 like --

12 Q. The brand name.

13 A. These are really high tech or the

14 brand name? Did the children understand the

15 difference, or are they --

16 Q. I was talking brand name.

17 A. They knew like a brand name like

18 Nike, whatever?

19 Q. Yes, yes, ma'am.

20 A. Okay.

21 Q. That doesn't jog your recollection

22 at all?

23 A. No.

24 MR. WOOD: You are answering no

25 for the reporter?

0127

1 THE WITNESS: No, it does not.

2 MR. WOOD: You gave it a nod of

3 the head.

4 Q. (By Mr. Morrissey) Just so we

5 are clear, these boys may have referred to

6 them as boots. Does that make any

7 difference to you as far as distinguishing

8 between shoes and boots?

9 MR. WOOD: She would have to see

10 what those boys said in context, in all

11 fairness, Mitch, before she can comment on

12 what they might have meant and how it

13 affects her.

14 THE WITNESS: I mean, I just, I

15 can't remember shoes with compasses, and I

16 don't know all of the brand names of all the

17 shoes that I buy for my children. So --

18 Q. (By Mr. Morrissey) And I am just

19 asking do you remember a pair of boots with

20 compasses?

21 MR. WOOD: For the fourth time

22 now.

23 THE WITNESS: I don't remember

24 compasses on any shoes.

25 MR. WOOD: Fair enough. Shoes,

0128

1 boots, compasses.

2 THE WITNESS: I have a picture in

3 my mind of a compass on a watch, but --

4 Q. (By Mr. Morrissey) Shoes, boots,

5 you don't remember a compass on footwear?

6 A. No, I can't.

0130

25 Q. (By Mr. Kane) You said at one

0131

1 point you might have asked Susan. Are you

2 talking about Susan Stein?

3 A. Uh-huh (affirmative).

4 Q. You said you might have asked

5 her. Do you have any recollection of asking

6 her about Hi-Tec? Is there anything that

7 makes you think that you might have asked

8 that? What made you --

9 A. Well, we just spent quite a lot

10 of time together, and she is very interested

11 in the case. And we kind of hung around

12 the same people.

13 Q. Uh-huh (affirmative).

14 A. And I could have asked her, you

15 know, do you know anybody with Hi-Tec boots

16 or something.

17 Q. But you don't have any specific

18 recollection of that?

19 A. I don't specifically remember

20 saying that.

21 Q. Okay. Is this the first time

22 that you've heard that Burke says that he

23 had Hi-Tec?

24 A. Yes, it is.

25 Q. This is the very first time?

0132

1 A. Yes.

0305

7 THE WITNESS: Well, I can't

8 remember names because some of them I hadn't

9 known before, but a lot of information has

10 come up that has been very interesting. I

11 mean --

12 CHIEF BECKNER: Let me ask you

13 this. Do you recall seeing any of the

14 names, you don't have to tell me the name,

15 that said, ah, we know that person?

16 THE WITNESS: Well, of course

17 they looked at Bill McReynolds. We know

18 that person. They looked at Linda Hoffman

19 Pugh, the housekeeper, and some family

20 members of hers. They looked at Chris Wolf,

21 of course. You know, and then there are

22 some people that have a record, you know,

23 that are kind of not so nice people like

24 this Helgoth and -- I mean, there are lots

25 of other names like that.

0306

1 MR. WOOD: How many names, Ollie,

2 are we talking about? How many names would

3 you state right now?

4 MR. GRAY: That I would recommend

5 them look at or something?

6 MR. WOOD: Yes.

7 MR. GRAY: There are probably

8 six.

9 MR. WOOD: Other than the ones

10 that Patsy just went through?

11 MR. GRAY: Yes.

12 MR. WOOD: I am familiar with

13 names, and I don't remember them, Chief.

14 That is why I say, if you want us to get

15 the names. Have they been provided to the

16 Chief?

17 MR. GRAY: Probably all except

18 the last couple, the Westminster that I told

19 you about and that kind of stuff.

20 MR. LEVIN: I would suggest that,

21 if we are talking six or eight people, that,

22 when we finish with Mrs. Ramsey and get

23 Mr. Ramsey, perhaps you or your investigator

24 could get that list and we could talk about

25 it then.

0307

1 MR. WOOD: Okay.

2 MR. LEVIN: Just for purposes of

3 keeping things going.

4 MR. WOOD: Is that all right?

5 CHIEF BECKNER: That's fine, but

6 nothing sticks out in your mind in terms

7 of --

8 THE WITNESS: Well, the most

9 recent thing that sticks out in my mind is

10 that Ollie obtained the Hi-Tec boots that

11 belonged to Helgoth, and that was very, you

12 know, surprising to me that he came up with

13 those. And I just am real curious as to

14 whether that -- you know, I don't know how

15 much of a footprint you all have, but does

16 it match and what have you done with that.

17 CHIEF BECKNER: That is something

18 we are still looking into.

19 Was Helgoth known, when that name

20 came up, was Helgoth somebody you knew prior

21 to this investigation?

22 THE WITNESS: I don't know. I

23 don't know what his business was or -- I

24 don't know any more about him than that.

25 CHIEF BECKNER: The reason I am

0308

1 asking, one of the theories, obviously, is,

2 if this is an intruder, they had to know the

3 family pretty well, they had to know the

4 house, the layout of the house, they had to

5 know some things about the family based on

6 what was in the note, those kind of things.

7 MR. WOOD: And they could have

8 otherwise learned all of that when they were

9 there like they were in September of '97 for

10 several hours when the family was away?

11 There is a chance that everything in that

12 note in terms of the family could have been

13 gleaned from different things in the house if

14 somebody had been in there, so it is not

15 exclusive the idea that somebody had to know

16 the family, while I understand where you are

17 coming from.

18 THE WITNESS: Oh, no, I'm –

19 MR. WOOD: You've got another

20 incident in Boulder nine months later, in all

21 fairness, where someone did camp out in the

22 house.

23 CHIEF BECKNER: That hasn't been

24 proven.

25 MR. WOOD: That is what the

0309

1 parents say.

2 CHIEF BECKNER: That's what they

3 believe, yes, but that doesn't --

4 MR. WOOD: And they believe it to

5 this day, from what I'm told, concluding that

6 their daughter was a petite, small

7 14-year-old, didn't necessarily look her age.

8 THE WITNESS: And the girl who

9 was molested, this same incident, and

10 JonBenet attended the same dancing school.

11 CHIEF BECKNER: Right. We know

12 that.

13 THE WITNESS: So there could

14 be --

15 MR. WOOD: I think that is

16 probably something that we want -- one of

17 the people that you may or may not have,

18 what we understand, have not talked to, the

19 person who works there.

20 CHIEF BECKNER: At the dance

21 school?

22 MR. WOOD: Right.

23 CHIEF BECKNER: I don't know. I

24 can't answer that.

25 THE WITNESS: I mean, that could

0310

1 be --

2 MR. WOOD: If you can't answer

3 it, it is kind of hard for her to be able

4 to, in all fairness.

5 CHIEF BECKNER: In terms of

6 whether we talked to that particular person

7 you talked about. We talked to over 600

8 people.

9 THE WITNESS: But there could be

10 a situation there that I didn't know that

11 this particular person, but he, you know, saw

12 JonBenet and found out where we lived or

13 whatever.

14 MR. LEVIN: Mrs. Ramsey, I think

15 the question, and let me see if I can make

16 it very simple, that the chief was getting

17 at was Mr. Helgoth's name, was that a name

18 that was prior to the murder of your

19 daughter? I know since then you've became

20 familiar with it, but prior to the murder of

21 your daughter, was that a name you were

22 familiar with?

23 THE WITNESS: No.

Ramseys give police Hi-Tec boots

August 31, 2000

http://web.dailycamera.com/extra/ramsey/2000/31aside.html

Ramseys give police Hi-Tec boots

August 31, 2000

By Christopher Anderson

Camera Staff Writer

Among information John and Patsy Ramsey provided to police this month are a pair of Hi-Tec boots obtained by one of the couple's private investigators.

Colorado Springs private detective Ollie Gray said Wednesday he believes the size 8½ leather and nylon boots could be the ones that JonBenét's killer wore inside the Ramsey home where the little girl was found dead.

Gray, who was present during police questioning of the Ramseys this week, said he turned the boots over to police on Aug. 4. He said police asked him questions about the boots in the interviews. Gray said he wants police to compare the soles of the boots to the footprint at the crime scene.

"There is a good possibility they could match," Gray said.

Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said he ordered the boots to be analyzed at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation lab.

"If you look at them, they look pretty close," he said. "You really can't tell."

But Beckner said he is waiting for the lab results before he gets too excited about the possible lead.

"We've had other boots that looked like they matched as well," he said. The footprint remains one of the mysteries of the unsolved December 1996 beating and strangulation death of JonBenét Ramsey.

Police found a partial footprint with the words "Hi Tec" in the basement of the Ramsey home.

Police cannot say whom it belongs to or when it was left. The Ramseys did not own a similar shoe.

Some say the footprint could have been left behind by a construction worker or plumber when the house was under renovation, or inadvertently by a police officer who worked the crime scene. Others, including the Ramseys, have said they believe it could have been from an intruder who killed their daughter.

Gray said he obtained the boots in the Boulder area in about mid- to late July "in the course of the investigation."

He said they belong to an individual, whom he would not identify publicly because he said he doesn't want the person to be labeled a suspect until the lead has been investigated. But he said he did give police the full information about where and how he obtained the boots.

"We don't have the slightest idea of what they have done with it," Gray said.

In fact, Gray said, the Ramseys have provided police with several pages of reports and possible leads for them to follow up, including information given to them in May. Gray said he evaluates the information first so he doesn't hand over "superfluous" information.

But he said police never give him feedback on what they have done with the information he provides them.

Beckner said he shares general information with the Ramseys' private investigators from time to time, but never specifics about evidence.

"We don't share case information with them because they work for people under suspicion who could be involved in this crime," Beckner said.

Among other physical evidence discussed in this week's interviews were fiber evidence found in a paint tray, JonBenét's underwear and a garrote used to strangle her. Police asked about the discovery of a red fiber recovered near JonBenét's body, possibly matching Patsy Ramseys red and black jacket. But the Ramseys' attorney objected to the questioning.

Wood quoted prosecutor Michael Kane as saying, "Fibers that appear to match some article were found in such-and-such a location, how do you explain that?" Wood said, "I wanted to make sure we really had a factual situation and not a hypothetical."

Wood also objected to a question about the family's security arrangements for their son Burke, now 13, as he traveled back and forth to school in 1997, a year after the slaying.

Boulder police and prosecutors had hoped to ask the Ramseys questions about their book, "The Death of Innocence" which they promoted this year through several television interviews.

Gray said the interviews were hampered by prosecutor Michael Kane's "aggressive" style.

"I thought for the most part the interviews were productive," Gray said. "I thought there was a good exchange by the Ramseys."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

August 31, 2000

Boots' owner was tested by police

September 1, 2000

http://web.dailycamera.com/extra/ramsey/2000/01aboot.html

Boots' owner was tested by police

September 1, 2000

By Christopher Anderson

Camera Staff Writer

A pair of Hi-Tec boots being examined as part of the JonBenét Ramsey investigation belong to a man who committed suicide in 1997, police said Thursday.

Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said detectives took DNA samples from the person in 1997 and learned it does not match DNA found at the Ramsey crime scene.

Although police said they do not think the man was involved in the December 1996 killing of JonBenét, Beckner ordered the size 8½ boots tested this month just to be "thorough."

A partial footprint from a Hi-Tec boot was found at the Ramsey crime scene and remains unexplained. The Ramseys did not own that brand of shoe.

Ollie Gray, a private investigator working for John and Patsy Ramsey, gave police the boots Aug. 4 and answered police questions about them during a police interview with the Ramseys this week.

The Ramseys remain under police suspicion in the death of their daughter, but they maintain that an intruder killed their JonBenét.

Gray, who obtained the boots in July, said police never told him they ruled the person out through DNA.

He questions which DNA samples from the Ramsey crime scene they used to do the comparison and how thorough their examination was.

Gray said the boots are one of several pieces of information the Ramseys have given to police for follow-up. He said he wants to protect the dead man's identity unless the man becomes a suspect in the killing.

September 1, 2000

"Hiking Boots May Track JonBenet Killer"

Fox News, Wednesday, September 6, 2000

http://www.foxnews.com/national/090600/jonbenet.sml

"Hiking Boots May Track JonBenet Killer" Fox News, Wednesday, September 6, 2000

DENVER — Four years after her grisly death, will tracks from a pair of hiking boots lead the way to JonBenet Ramsey's killer?

According to her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, a partial footprint found next to JonBenet's body may match a pair of black, Hi-Tech brand boots found in the room of a man they have named as a suspect in the killing.

The bootprint appeared in mold on the basement floor where JonBenet was found, and showed a Hi-Tech logo which investigators say is the same size as the one on the man's boots.

The man also owned a stun gun, and the Ramseys have long believed a stun gun was used on 6-year-old JonBenet before she was bludgeoned and strangled to death in the basement of their Boulder, Colo., home in the early hours of Dec. 26, 1996.

Further implicating this individual, claim the Ramseys, is the fact that he committed suicide on Valentine's Day, 1997 — one day after Boulder District Attorney Alex Hunter vowed on national television that he would catch JonBenet's killer.

Ollie Gray, the Ramsey's private investigator and legal consultant, turned the boots over to Boulder police last week, during the Ramseys' interviews with Boulder authorities in Atlanta.

Gray said he felt the team of investigators who met with the Ramseys in Atlanta appeared more willing to consider suspects other than the Ramseys — who have remained the chief suspects in the case for the past four years.

"There were some people [in Atlanta] that were very professional," Gray said. "I think they really want to solve the case but I don't think they can solve the case until they quit just looking at John and Patsy Ramsey," he said.

But just how seriously the police will take this new lead remains to be seen. According to Boulder police, the man was cleared of the killing early in the case on DNA evidence. They will not release the name of the deceased man because authorities say he is not considered a suspect.

From www.webbsleuths.com Forum

Thread titled, “Boot Man, not a good Suspect”

From www.webbsleuths.com Forum

Thread titled, “Boot Man, not a good Suspect”

"Boot Man, not a good suspect"

Posted by MaskedMan on Sep-07-00 at 11:29 PM (EST)

After talking with the family of the so-called Boot Man, I don't consider him a realistic suspect in the murder of JonBenet. It's also questionable whether he killed himself. His death may have been a murder, not a suicide.

The man had no connection whatsoever with the Ramseys. He lived far from their home, and his path never seems to have crossed theirs. He wasn't in their social circle or economic class. He never worked for them. He appears to have had no way of knowing of JonBenet's existence before the murder. He never expressed any knowledge of the Ramseys, he never showed any interest in JonBenet's murder and he wasn't anxious about the case. It's doubtful that he killed himself because of Alex Hunter's press conference.

The man has no criminal record. He wasn't depressed before his death, and he had no history of suicide attempts. He was a collector of weapons and military paraphenalia. The stun gun was part of his collection.

A family member told me that the attempt to link his death to the Ramsey case is "absolutely ludicrous." Based on what I've learned, I think this man is a very unlikely suspect in the Ramsey case. His DNA reportedly doesn't match the foreign DNA in the case. I don't think he killed JonBenet.

From www.webbsleuths.com Forum

Thread titled, “Boot Man, not a good Suspect”

2 . "no guardians"

Posted by MaskedMan on Sep-07-00 at 11:58 PM (EST)

He didn't really have any "guardians," even though that word was used in the obituary. He was living in a house with relatives at the time of his death. They wanted to be mentioned in the obituary, so they were called "guardians," for some reason.

He was starting his own business at the time he died. He didn't appear to be depressed or concerned with the Ramsey case in any way. His family suspects foul play in his death

From www.webbsleuths.com Forum

Thread titled, “Boot Man, not a good Suspect”

4 . "murder or suicide?"

Posted by MaskedMan on Sep-08-00 at 00:19 AM (EST)

The man was shot at a strange angle through his chest. It isn't the normal way to shoot oneself during a suicide. The shooting seems unlikely for a suicide. So, he may have been shot by someone else (or, maybe it was an accidental shooting, for all I know).

The theory that he killed himself as a result of Hunter's press conference is far-fetched. There's no evidence for that notion. It's even questionable that he committed suicide. I don't see any reason to suspect him. His DNA has been ruled out as a match to the foreign DNA. This lead doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

From www.webbsleuths.com Forum

Thread titled, “Boot Man, not a good Suspect”

31 . "little reason for suspicion"

Posted by MaskedMan on Sep-08-00 at 12:07 PM (EST)

Lovely Pigeon,

I'm not privy to the police's reasoning, but since Boot Man was being mentioned as a possible suspect, the police were willing to check him out (perhaps only to satisfy suspicions). Since his DNA doesn't match, this man doesn't even meet the Ramseys' standards for a feasible suspect. So, why should the police pursue him further?

The BPD deserves credit for checking out leads brought to them. Last month, the BPD also compared palmprints from another case. I'm glad the police are being responsive and making some effort.

I didn't say the man lived "too far away." Of course, anyone can drive across town. He lived and worked on Valmont, on the gritty northeast edge of town, in a poorer area, far from the Ramseys. If the man had lived or worked near the Ramseys' neighborhood (where he might have encountered JonBenet), I would consider him a more feasible suspect. I'm just pointing out the lack of connection.

I don't think there is any link between this man and the Ramseys. The Ramseys' investigators have evidently found no link. Sure, as you say, predatory pedophiles may grab a child that they see on the street, but there's no evidence that Boot Man would do that. And that's not what happened to JonBenet. The perpetrator appears to have had some knowledge of the Ramseys.

I don't think Boot Man had any contact or knowledge of the Ramseys. That's an important element in evaluating a possible suspect. Plus, his DNA doesn't match. And I don't think Hunter's press conference would have pushed anyone to commit suicide. His stun gun is irrelevant because I doubt that one was used on JonBenet. So, what does that leave to make him a good suspect? Not much.

From www.webbsleuths.com Forum

John Kenady Arrest Report

2 . "arrest report"

Posted by jams on Oct-24-00 at 06:21 PM (EST)

On July 24th, Doug and Rita Helgoth reorted a burglary at their house - door kicked in - and Rita said she suspected John Kenady, a friend of her deceased son, might have been involved.

Taken:

three framed drawings

Check made out to Doug Helgoth from his mother's account - for $54,000

deed of trust and legal description of property held elsewhere by the family

Kenady had asked someone to make copies of the papers, that was noticed by someone else and that information made its way back to the Helgoths.

Other papers copied included a check for $12.00, master card bills belonging to the Helgoths, and some insurance papers.

On October 10th, Kenady's home was searched by the Boulder Sheriff's department - the papers retrieved and he apparently admitted that he entered the home because he felt he was helping solve the Ramsey case.

4 . "Affidavit for arrest warrant"

Posted by jams on Oct-24-00 at 06:42 PM (EST)

break in took place between 7:30 on July 24th and 11:20 on the 25th.

The warrant listed what he took and said he apparently didn't enter the second bedroom -- the money, watches and diamond jewelry on the dresser in there was not touched.

I think that may speak to the motive of Kenady - - the diamonds and cash obviously had nothing to do with Michael Helgoth or the Ramsey murder.

Rita Helgoth immediately said she suspected 46 year old Kenady of the crime - - because the drawings were taken.

The deputy noted in the affidavit that the thief took things with little or no street value - - like the deed of trust - while leaving valuable items there. Noted was "a number of heavy, high quality athletic coats which would be easily disposed of on the street for a fairly high dollar value".

Warrant says that detective contacted BPD officer Pelle because he knew Pelle knew about the situation. Pelle said yes, he knew Helgoth had been friends with Kenady and Kenady felt Michael Helgoth might be the killer of JonBenét Ramsey. He also stated that Kenady had had some mental problems.

5 . "more from affidavit"

Posted by jams on Oct-24-00 at 07:00 PM (EST)

Detective set up meeting with Kenady and his attorney on September 20th - - he didn't want to speak to the detectives - wanted immunity agreement.

September 29th the detective got information on the friend copying the documents - I see no reason to make her name public. She was making the copies in a business establishment owned by some of her relatives. They reported it to the Helgoths.

Apparently those people reported that the friend was paid to make the copies and was asked to wear gloves.

Also included - - army and medical records for Michael Helgoth and photographs

Suspect facing burglary charges

John Edward Kenady Arrested - October 25, 2000

October 10th Breaking into Michael Helgoth’s House

http://www.thedailycamera.com/extra/ramsey/2000/24lboot.html

Suspect facing burglary charges

By Christopher Anderson

Camera Staff Writer

A Lafayette man charged with burglary and theft of a Boulder County home told sheriff's deputies he was investigating the unsolved 1996 JonBenét Ramsey homicide.

The suspect in the case is John Edward Kenady, 47, the same person who this summer handed over a pair of Hi-Tec boots to private investigators working for John and Patsy Ramsey.

Boulder police are testing the boots at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, but do not think they are related to the case.

The source of a partial Hi-Tec bootprint inside the couple's home is one of many unanswered questions in the investigation into the Dec. 1996 homicide of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey.

And while the boots Kenady gave investigators belonged to a former resident of the house he allegedly broke into, Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said Monday the boots are not among the items Kenady is accused of stealing.

Kenady was arrested in Longmont Oct. 10 in connection with breaking into a home in the 4900 block of Valmont Road in July.

He told sheriff's deputies that Boulder Police Detectives Cmdr. Joe Pelle gave him permission to enter the home in the name of investigating the Ramsey case. Pelle said he never gave Kenady permission to break into the home. Kenady also said he feared evidence would be lost because the house was supposed to be demolished.

Police suspect Kenady of kicking in a rear door to the home and taking with him three "drafting quality drawings," a $54,000 check and legal papers including a deed of trust.

Diamond jewelry, several watches and money in one bedroom were untouched, according to police reports.

The home is owned by the family of a deceased man the Ramseys' investigators have said may have been involved with the beating and strangulation death of their daughter.

The deceased man shot himself in the chest Feb. 14, 1997, the day after Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter held a national press conference in which he said the field of suspects had narrowed and vowed to bring the little girl's killer to justice.

The man also may have owned a stun gun, which the Ramseys' suspect may have been used in their daughter's death, according to public records.

The Ramseys remain under police suspicion in their daughter's death, but have repeatedly said they did not kill their daughter and that police should be looking for an intruder. They have moved from their 755 15th St. home and now reside in Atlanta.

Kenady, who was friends with the deceased man, said he suspected him of having some involvement in the killing, but did not say why, according to police reports.

The documents stolen from the home were found in Kenady's possession. The drawings belonged to the deceased man.

Officers at the Boulder Police Department and the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said Kenady may be mentally impaired from a car accident.

Kenady's attorney, Karin Dostal, said her client is mentally competent.

She said she would not comment on the case other than to say, "There are certain things that will come out later."

Kenady was charged Oct. 13 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 8, which will likely to be rescheduled.

Ollie Gray, an investigator for the Ramseys, said a family member gave Kenady the boots. Kenady gave Gray the boots through an attorney. Gray turned them over to police in August and answered police questions about them during an interview with the Ramseys in Atlanta at the end of August.

Contact Christopher Anderson at (303) 473-1355 or andersonc@thedailycamera.com.

October 25, 2000

Police: Boots not connected to Ramsey case

November 21, 2000

Police: Boots not connected to Ramsey case

By Christopher Anderson Camera Staff Writer

A pair of Hi-Tec boots given to Boulder police in August are not connected to the unsolved 1996 JonBenét Ramsey case, Chief Mark Beckner said Monday.

A private investigator for the girl's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, gave the boots to police in August believing they could match a partial Hi-Tec footprint found on a basement floor next to 6-year-old JonBenét's beaten and strangled body.

Beckner ordered the boots to be tested at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The results came back about two weeks ago.

"The boots do not match," Beckner said Monday.

The chief also said DNA tests and interviews with friends and family of the man who owned the boots led police to conclude the man was not involved in the little girl's mysterious killing.

"There is nothing that ties this guy into the case," Beckner said.

Ollie Gray, the private investigator who gave the boots to police, said he discussed the test results with Beckner but is not convinced.

Gray said Beckner did not give him specifics about how the boots were compared to the partial print, what tests were run or who police interviewed.

"What did they do with the hairs and fiber that were in the boots? Did they compare them?" Gray asked. "I am just not satisfied with what Beckner said."

Police have repeatedly said they are limited in how much information about the investigation can be released.

The boots tested at CBI originally belonged to a Boulder County man who committed suicide Feb. 14, 1997, the day after District Attorney Alex Hunter declared at a press conference that investigators were narrowing the list of suspects in the Ramsey case.

Gray believes the stress of a possible arrest may have caused JonBenét's killer to commit suicide.

In July, John Edward Kenady, 47, a friend of the dead man, gave the boots to Gray, saying he suspected his friend may have been involved in the killing. Kenady is facing theft and burglary charges relating to other items found in his possession that belonged to his former friend.

On Dec. 26, 1996, JonBenét Ramsey's slain body was found in the basement of her family's home. Her parents remain under police suspicion. Hunter signed an affidavit last month for the Ramseys' attorney stating that JonBenét's brother, Burke, was never a suspect in the case. The Ramseys have repeatedly denied any involvement in their daughter's death and believe an intruder killed the young girl.

They point to the unexplained partial Hi-Tec boot print as possible proof of an intruder. Others have said the partial print could have been left behind by a law enforcement officer or someone else working on the crime scene that day.

Contact Christopher Anderson at (303) 473-1355 or andersonc@thedailycamera.com.

November 21, 2000

Ghost of Christmas Past, by Jeffrey Scott Shapiro

Obsessed reporter reveals dark under world behind Ramsey case

Ghost of Christmas Past

Obsessed reporter reveals dark under world behind Ramsey case

- - - - - - - - - - - -

by Jeffrey Scott Shapiro (Editorial@boulderweekly.com)

More on this article here:

http://www.boulderweekly.com/archive/122001/coverstory.html

EXCERPT FROM ARTICLE RE: BOOTS

Boots

As I wrestled with my personal investigation of Wolf, I heard about "Boots." Once upon a time, Boots lived with a local woman and her 4-year-old blonde daughter, until the two had an explosive argument that led to their break-up. The woman accused the man of masturbating under his blanket while her daughter was sitting on his bed. Boots lived in a small shack at a local junkyard on Valmont Road, where he also worked.

On Feb. 13, 1997, DA Hunter had a press conference in order to send a message to JonBenet's unknown killer: "You will pay for what you have done, and we have no doubt this will happen." The next day, Valentine's Day, Boots was found dead in his apartment. Supposedly, he had killed himself with a shotgun. Immediately, he became another "possible suspect"-albeit a dead one-in the Ramsey murder.

But the theory that JonBenet's killer got spooked and took his life had a gaping hole in it: The suicide began to look like a murder. Boots was right-handed and the bullet's trajectory went from left to right. In addition, someone had placed a pillow in front of his chest before firing the gun, something professional killers do to muffle the noise of a gunshot. In addition, Boots was a former military sharpshooter and parachutist who had been trained to use an M16 Rifle and hand grenades. I wondered: If Boots was a sharpshooter, why the odd trajectory?

When police took crime scene photos at Boots' apartment, two items grabbed their attention. Not only was there a pair of Hi-Tec climbing boots by the dead man's feet, there was a stun gun beside his hand and a Taser in the distance. Supposedly, Boots also owned a baseball cap with the letters "SBTC" on it. Later, a friend of Boots found a videotape in the dead man's apartment that intrigued police. It was footage of a newscast from a couple of years before. The news story featured an unsolved case involving a kidnapped and murdered 6-year-old girl. Was the newscast a random recording left behind by someone else? Or was it a trophy of some kind?

Since the ransom note refers to at least two other kidnappers, Lou Smit believes it's possible more than one person was involved. It was strange that some of the exact items used in JonBenet's attack had been found next to his body. Had the second kidnapper killed his ex-partner hoping to get police detectives off his trail? If so, his ploy failed. Even though Smit and I found the Boots' story compelling, Boulder police weren't biting-at least not hard.

National Enquirer Article - May 24, 2004

JONBENET KILLER COMMITS SUICIDE

(Thanks to RickAMorti1)

NE: 5/24 JONBENET KILLER COMMITS SUICIDE

Authorities have ignored suspect for years!

By Don Gentile and John South

new pictures: Photo's of Helgoth' s body, dead, with stun gun and tape recorder near- by picture also of his Hi Tec boots

synopsis

The man who killed 6 year old JonBenet Ramsey has committed suicide, the NE has learned exclusively. And what's more he may have left a deathbed confession!

That's the stunning evidence the NE has uncovered in a new investigation of the little beauty queen's Christmas 1996 murder in Boulder.

During our probe, NE obtained police photos taken at the scene of the suicide. They reveal clues that link the victim - 26 year old auto junkyard worker Michael Helgoth-to JonBenet's brutal slaying.

Clearly visible are a pair of Hi-Tec boots and a stun gun, items at the center of the JonBenet case.

Another item also stands out- a mini-cassette recorder that vanished and authorities looking for it say there could be a confession on it.

The NE also learned that home videos found hidden in Helgoth's house show random shots of young girls- and a news clip on the still-unsolved 1993 kidnapping and murder of another Colorado girl.

And NE discovered that Helgoth told a friend he was involved in JonBenet's murder.

Helgoth-his body festooned with tattoos of the Grim Reaper bearing the word "Next?" and a skeleton dripping blood--shot himself dead in his Boulder home on Valentine's Day 1997.

The day before, then Boulder DA Alex Hunter had issued a warning to the killer he was hunting during a televised news conference.

"We will see that justice is served in this case and that you pay for what you did," Hunter said."

Helgoth first came to the attention of authorities shortly after his suicide. At the time, legendary Colorado Springs Detective Lou Smit was working with the Boulder police, bringing his years of experience to the JonBenet investigation.

"snip"

Hunter's speech was strictly motivational. It was made to get the murderer to reveal himself," Colorado private investigator Ollie Gray told the NE. Gray, who teamed up with Smit to work on behalf of JonBenet's parents, John and Patsy, said Smit "picked up on Helgoth's suicide."

"snip"

"Boulder police didn't let Lou do any legwork and the cops did not want to follow Helgoth's tail," said a source close to the DA's office. As Smit coped with frustration, John Kenady, a friend and co-worker of Helgoth, grappled with his conscience.

Kenady, 50, told the NE that before Helgoth's suicide, his friend "told me he knew something about JonBenet's death, that he was involved, that it was a kidnapping gone bad. "Mike had a little bit of moral consciousness. It seemed to me he wanted to confess."

Three weeks after Helgoth's suicide, Kenady said he sat down with Boulder Detective Jane Harmer, one of the cops investigating JonBenet's murder. "She took my information and never contacted me again," said Kenady.

As the years passed, Helgoth was lost to memory. Lou Smit quit his advisory role with the Boulder police and joined by Ollie Gray- began to work on behalf of the Ramseys, convinced of their innocence.

The pair came up with strong evidence that a stun gun was used to subdue JonBenet. Smit showed that an intruder could have gotten into the Ramsey home through a basement window well. He also revealed that DNA found on JonBenet's underwear and under her fingernails matched no one in the Ramsey home.

By summer of 2002, Smit and Gray began to tke a closer look at Helgoth and their eyes widened as they saw the stun gun and Hi-Tec boots in the police photo's of the suicide.

An imprint of the Hi_Tec logo, which is stamped on the bottom of the firm's footwear, was a crucial clue in the JonBenet Case. It was found in mold on the basement floor where JonBenet's sexually assaulted body was discovered with her head bashed in and a leash-like device drawn tightly around her neck.

The tape recorder piqued Gray's interest. "It's right near Helgoth's body," said Gray. What was on it - a deathbed confession?"

The Boulder County Sheriff's Department was the agency that investigated Helgoth's death but Gray said they never paid attention to the tape recorder. "They didn't take it into evidence or even push the play button," said Gray. "Now to me that's Criminal Investigation 101. Where is that tape recorder?"

As they reviewed case files of the JonBenet case, Smit found mention of John Kenady, the Helgoth friend who'd been interviewed by Boulder police in 1997.

"I got a call from Lou Smit asking me about the boots and the stun gun and the tape recorder," Kenady told the NE. "They were never taken into evidence and Lou said he wished he had those things."

Kenady decided to help. The boots were still in the possession of a Helgoth family member, so Kenady asked if he could have them. Through a lawyer, he got them to Ollie Gray.

Then he went one step further. He risked arrest by breaking into Helgoth's home which was about to make room for a park. "I was looking for evidence," said Kenady. He took home videos and papers that had Helgoth's handwriting for possible comparison to the ransom note left at the scene of JonBenet's murder.

"It was strange where the videos were located," said Kenady. Refusing to be more specific, he said they were hidden, "Like they were some kind of secret trophy." "The videos were disturbing," said Kenady.

"They were tapes where the camera is focusing on little girls out in public." On one tape is a news clip about the 1993 kidnapping of Alie Berrelez. the 5 year old was playing in front of her family's apartment complex in Englewood, Colo., when she was abducted. Her body was found in a ravine. The case is unsolved.

Kenady was arrested for breaking into Helgoth's home and had to return the items he took to the Helgoth family. He got probation for the crime.

Ollie Gray, however, was able to get the Boulder police interested in testing Helgoth's Hi-Tec boots.

"Police Chief Mark Beckner said the logo on the bottom didn't match the imprint left near JonBenet's body," Gray told the NE.

But the investigator said he couldn't get an answer out of Beckner as to whether the boots were tested for other evidence, including mold like the kind found on the basement floor of the Ramsey home. "All Beckner kept saying was, "no match, no match," said Gray.

Beckner has said that DNA taken from Helgoth in 1997 following his suicide does not match that from the JonBenet crime scene.

But the Boulder police were criticized for mistakes made in the investigation and Gray questioned how thorough the police were. Gray admits the stun gun photographed at the scene of Helgoth's death is not the kind that would produce the tiny rectangular marks found on JonBenet's back.

But from friends of Helgoth, Gray learned the mechanic owned at least three stun guns, including an Air Taser, which when tested by Gray and Smit, made the same marks found on Jonbenet's body.

Friends of Helgoth questioned by the NE say he was deeply troubled before his death. "Towards the end, he was so heavily into drugs he wouldn't go to work and stayed in his room for days,' said Tommy Joe Cantor, a friend and coworker of Helgoth.

Atlanta U.S. District Judge Julie Carnes, who threw out a lawsuit brought by Chris Wolf, a possible suspect in the Ramsey book, mentioned Helgoth her decision.

Relatives of Helgoth vehemently deny he has anything to do with JonBenet's murder. Dick Helgoth said John Kenady is simply spreading stories about Mike."

REAL CRIME: “WHO KILLED THE PAGEANT QUEEN?

www.living.scotsman.com - June 12, 2004

Airing on Real Crime ITV1 (United Kingdom)

http://living.scotsman.com/tv.cfm?id=666022004

Blind injustice

TV REVIEW

STEPHEN McGINTY

Sat 12 Jun 2004

REAL CRIME: WHO KILLED THE PAGEANT QUEEN? Tuesday, ITV, 9pm

IN THE OPENING SCENES OF ITV’s disturbing documentary, a jury member stands to deliver the verdict. They have found John Ramsay "liable" for the death of his daughter, the six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet. A few seconds later she announces, to thunderous applause, that Patsy Benet Ramsay has also been found "liable".

When police in Boulder, Colorado, failed to press charges against the parents of JonBenet Ramsay, the Geraldo Rivera Show decided to dispense its own brand of "trial by media". The audience reaction reflected attitudes following the discovery of the child’s body on Boxing Day, 1996, in the cellar of her family home; she had been beaten, sexually abused and strangled. Video clips of her rouged face were widely played, shocking those unfamiliar with the children’s pageants popular in the southern states, and public opinion was primed to find the parents at fault.

But now, more than seven years on, this 60-minute Real Crime investigation crushes the case against them. Two new suspects are placed in the frame - on evidence that was available to the original investigation but ignored because the police were focused solely on the family and failed to follow up other possible avenues.

The programme reveals that DNA samples taken from under the victim’s fingernails and from her clothing, which cleared her parents, were ignored and left unchecked for three years.

A case may now be built against Michael Helgoth, a violent loner with paedophilic tendencies, who may have carried out the crime, assisted by an as yet unnamed second man. Helgoth owned a stun gun of the type used on the victim and his shoes matched prints found at the scene.

Helgoth, however, is dead. He apparently killed himself in 1997, the day after a police press conference in which the authorities insisted they were closing in on the perpetrator. A new investigation, carried out by the Colorado District Attorney’s office, is now following leads suggesting that Helgoth may have been killed by his partner-in-crime.

Though far from conclusive, Real Crime’s documentary leaves the viewer with the strong sense that John and Patsy Ramsay, now impoverished by legal costs, are victims, not culprits. As Patsy says: "I don’t know what happened. God knows and he ain’t telling."

TELEVISION: WE'LL SOLVE THE RIDDLE OF JONBENET'S MURDER

New police team close to cracking beauty queen case - June 13, 2004

http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/sevendays/tm_objectid=14327370&method=full&siteid=86024&headline=television--we-ll-solve-the-riddle-of-jonbenet-s-murder-name_page.html

TELEVISION: WE'LL SOLVE THE RIDDLE OF JONBENET'S MURDER

Jun 13 2004

PICK OF THE WEEK: New police team close to cracking beauty queen case

With Steve Hendry

Real Crime: Who Killed the Pageant Queen(ITV1 Tuesday, 9pm)When the battered body of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found in the cellar of her parents' home on Boxing Day 1996, America was horrified.

Eight years on, the brutal murder and sexual assault of the six-year-old still has not been solved but that could change thanks to a new investigation explored in Real Crime: Who Killed The Pageant Queen?

After JonBenet's