By Chase Squires

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — It is by far the most intriguing piece of evidence in the death of JonBenet Ramsey: the ransom note, 370 words written with a felt-tip pen and found in the Ramsey home just a few hours before the little girl's strangled body was discovered in the basement.

advertisement

As prosecutors prepare their case against John Mark Karr in the 1996 slaying, the note is getting fresh scrutiny, and it is ready fodder for television talk shows and dueling experts. But can it be linked to Karr?

Unusually long for a ransom demand, the note raises a host of interesting questions. Does the handwriting point to a member of the Ramsey family? Is it the work of an intruder? What about the specific, relatively small ransom demand, or the lines apparently hijacked from movie thrillers?

And what could the cryptic initials "S.B.T.C." at the end mean?

Authorities have offered no clues, refusing to disclose any evidence in the case against the 41-year-old teacher, who is jailed in Los Angeles awaiting a transfer to Colorado.

The Rocky Mountain News on Tuesday cited a handwriting analyst who was "99.9 percent certain" samples written by Karr matched the note. On Wednesday, the paper reported that the same expert had been disqualified this year as an expert witness by a federal judge.

New York attorney Darnay Hoffman dashed off a letter to the Boulder County district attorney last week claiming his experts had proven Karr could not have written the note, adding "You may be the victim of a hoax."

Next Page

See Crime Library Feature Story on JonBenet Ramsey Case

JonBenet Ramsey / John Karr Full Coverage

See Discussion Forum

For more daily crime news