Couple cast suspicion on ex-housekeeper in JonBenet's death
By Peggy LoweDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
John and Patsy Ramsey's former housekeeper is outraged and hurt that the couple suspects her of killing their daughter, JonBenet. In The Death of Innocence, which will be released today, the Ramseys say Linda Hoffman-Pugh may have intended to kidnap JonBenet because she was having money troubles. "I am definitely hurt," she said. "I am just dying inside. That Patsy would ever think of me doing something like that! I thought she knew me better than that." Patsy Ramsey writes that when she first stumbles on the ransom note the early morning of Dec. 26, 1996, she thought it was a message from Hoffman-Pugh, repeating a request for $2,500 to pay her rent. John Ramsey writes that Patsy's mother, Nedra Paugh, said Hoffman-Pugh had remarked to her one time that "JonBenet is so pretty; aren't you afraid someone might kidnap her?" "Now those comments seem strangely menacing," the book says. Hoffman-Pugh is just one of several people on whom the book casts suspicion. Others are: Bill McReynolds, a former University of Colorado journalism professor, who played Santa Claus at the Ramseys' Christmas parties, including one the week JonBenet was killed. Years before JonBenet was murdered, Janet McReynolds wrote a play with many parallels to the crime. The couple didn't return calls seeking comment. "I think it is hurtful that Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey are accusing me and my wife of being in any way involved in the murder of their child," Bill McReynolds said. "We have been exhaustively investigated and exonerated by the authorities." Jeff Merrick, a former Access Graphics employee who Ramsey writes "was extremely agitated with me" after he left Ramsey's company. Merrick couldn't be reached for comment. Chris Wolf, a former freelance reporter with the Boulder County Business Report, whose girlfriend reported he was acting suspiciously the day after the murder and seemed overly agitated by the killing. He refused a request for an interview. Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said all the people named in the book have been investigated. "They are not currently active suspects," said Beckner, who added there is nothing new in the Ramseys' claims in the book. Six-year-old JonBenet was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her parents' Boulder home on Dec. 26, 1996, eight hours after Patsy Ramsey discovered a ransom note demanding $118,000 for her return. Beckner has said the Ramseys are under an "umbrella of suspicion." Hoffman-Pugh disputed the amount of money she asked for and why she needed the money. Her husband had just been laid off and she asked Patsy Ramsey for a $2,000 loan, Hoffman-Pugh said. "She said, 'I'll leave a check on the counter for you.' It was just a loan. It wasn't me begging for money," Hoffman-Pugh said. Hoffman-Pugh worked for the Ramseys during the 14 months leading up to the murder of JonBenet. She was an early suspect after Patsy Ramsey mentioned her name and gave her telephone number to Boulder police. But Hoffman-Pugh said she was cleared by police, in part because she wasn't in Boulder over the Christmas holiday, but rather at her home in Fort Lupton. "I'm not worried about anything. I wasn't even in Boulder," Hoffman-Pugh said. A mother of six children, Hoffman-Pugh said she's especially hurt by the Ramseys' accusations because she has never hurt a child, even taking in foster children sometimes. "Kids have been my life," she said. Contact Peggy Lowe at (303) 892-5482 or lowep@RockyMountainNews.com. Christopher Anderson of the Daily Camera in Boulder contributed to this story. March 17, 2000
John and Patsy Ramsey's former housekeeper is outraged and hurt that the couple suspects her of killing their daughter, JonBenet.
In The Death of Innocence, which will be released today, the Ramseys say Linda Hoffman-Pugh may have intended to kidnap JonBenet because she was having money troubles.
"I am definitely hurt," she said. "I am just dying inside. That Patsy would ever think of me doing something like that! I thought she knew me better than that."
Patsy Ramsey writes that when she first stumbles on the ransom note the early morning of Dec. 26, 1996, she thought it was a message from Hoffman-Pugh, repeating a request for $2,500 to pay her rent.
John Ramsey writes that Patsy's mother, Nedra Paugh, said Hoffman-Pugh had remarked to her one time that "JonBenet is so pretty; aren't you afraid someone might kidnap her?"
"Now those comments seem strangely menacing," the book says.
Hoffman-Pugh is just one of several people on whom the book casts suspicion. Others are:
Years before JonBenet was murdered, Janet McReynolds wrote a play with many parallels to the crime. The couple didn't return calls seeking comment.
"I think it is hurtful that Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey are accusing me and my wife of being in any way involved in the murder of their child," Bill McReynolds said. "We have been exhaustively investigated and exonerated by the authorities."
Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said all the people named in the book have been investigated.
"They are not currently active suspects," said Beckner, who added there is nothing new in the Ramseys' claims in the book.
Six-year-old JonBenet was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her parents' Boulder home on Dec. 26, 1996, eight hours after Patsy Ramsey discovered a ransom note demanding $118,000 for her return. Beckner has said the Ramseys are under an "umbrella of suspicion."
Hoffman-Pugh disputed the amount of money she asked for and why she needed the money. Her husband had just been laid off and she asked Patsy Ramsey for a $2,000 loan, Hoffman-Pugh said.
"She said, 'I'll leave a check on the counter for you.' It was just a loan. It wasn't me begging for money," Hoffman-Pugh said.
Hoffman-Pugh worked for the Ramseys during the 14 months leading up to the murder of JonBenet. She was an early suspect after Patsy Ramsey mentioned her name and gave her telephone number to Boulder police.
But Hoffman-Pugh said she was cleared by police, in part because she wasn't in Boulder over the Christmas holiday, but rather at her home in Fort Lupton.
"I'm not worried about anything. I wasn't even in Boulder," Hoffman-Pugh said.
A mother of six children, Hoffman-Pugh said she's especially hurt by the Ramseys' accusations because she has never hurt a child, even taking in foster children sometimes.
"Kids have been my life," she said.
Contact Peggy Lowe at (303) 892-5482 or lowep@RockyMountainNews.com.
Christopher Anderson of the Daily Camera in Boulder contributed to this story.
March 17, 2000
