BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- A man who gained notoriety with a feeble attempt to burn down the house where JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled has been released from jail.

James Michael Thompson, a Denver artist who goes by the name J.T. Colfax, walked out of Boulder County Jail on Tuesday after serving a two-year sentence for attempted arson.

Thompson's involvement in the unsolved Ramsey case began in May 1997 when he was charged with theft and criminal mischief for ripping out a page from a logbook that recorded the arrival of JonBenet's body at the morgue

Thompson, 34, worked transporting bodies from morgues to funeral homes when he saw JonBenet's name in the book at Boulder Community Hospital.

Less than a month later, Thompson went to the empty home where JonBenet was found dead on Dec. 26, 1996. He lit papers on fire and shoved them through the mail slot, in what he admitted was an attempt to burn down the house.

According to police reports, Thompson spent the night at the house, then called a detective working on the Ramsey case and told him what he had done. Little damage was done to the home.

While in jail, Thompson -- writing as Colfax -- penned several letters that detailed his life behind bars. The letters, which were posted on his Web site, also served as a clearinghouse for the Ramsey-case rumor mill.

After his release Tuesday, Thompson was joined by a handful of people in a procession from Pasta Jay's restaurant (owned by Jay Elowsky, a friend of John and Patsy Ramsey) to the Boulder County Justice Center.

He urged Boulder voters to reject a re-election bid by Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter, who is considering whether to run for another term in 2000.

Hunter has been sharply criticized for his handling of the Ramsey investigation. A grand jury has been hearing evidence in the case since last September.

July 14, 1999