Barnhill

[Rupert]

Following are quotes of a number of points made by posters before on various threads referring to Barnhill as an eyewitness to someone approaching the house. I never explored this and it seems strange to have a few things intersecting (Barnhill see's stranger and recants, Barnhill's alibi recants, boarder introduces himself night of 23)

(credit to BlueCrab, Camper, RSTJ, others, not in any order - sorry too many to refer each):

"Perp was a fanatical Christian murdered her at midnight - Barnhill's Bible study groupPsalm 118.

"He, Jehovah, is our Lord:
He, our God, on us hath shined:
Bind the sacrifice with cord,
To the horned altar bind."
It was during that party that someone called 911 and hung up. When the police called back they got a voice message, so they sent a cop to the Ramseys house. Susan Stine reportedly refused to open the door and got rid of the cop by telling him through the door that everything was okay.


Barnhill boarder Glen Myers was called back more than once for a handwriting sample

young Barnhill was in Boulder yet didn't let this be known to his parents

Schiller stated the dna "could match Barnhill Sr. if it was from two donors

Betty Barnhill had a key.


Jacques started staying over there, and when JonBenet wanted to see her dog, she went over and played with him.


So we've got some guy in Barnhill's basement with a heavy debt load, a murdered son in Boston, no alibi, a sighting of someone who was not JAR near the Ramsey house the evening of Dec 25th, and handwriting, hair samples, and polys, the results of the latter apparently not conclusive enough to stop ST from going *back* to the guy for more handwriting samples and hair.

somebody came looking for the Barnhills later in the evening, knocked on the door. I let him in, he said he was looking for Joe and Betty, he was worried about them.

JonBenet's bike was kept secret at the Barnhills. "Santa" had promised her a special secret visit, *after* Christmas.

Don't you think Barnhill would know if it was the "Boarder" or not? So, I don't believe it was the "Boarder" -
unless Barnhill was wrong or not telling the truth
It was the Ramseys' Detectives who told Barnhill he was wrong - it was not JAR because JAR was in GA.


You're looking for a perp, you look at this guy living in Barnhill's basement.. Or you could spend the next ten years "analyzing" that ransom note trying to "prove" Patsy Ramsey wrote it.

And as Camper pointed out, it certainly wasn't Barnhill's tenant, because he would have recognized him.
The missing traditional Christmas morning movie of the happy time of Christmas. Did it record someone who was not to be known to be in the home on Christmas?

Forgiveness for the killer, that would be ODD, so soon after the murder. This was attributed to JAR, someone needs to post a source for that, my olde thinking is that it was from a magazine interview with JAR. This scenario would fit the 'forgiveness' comment by JAR, so SOON after the murder.


No flap from the Ramseys wondering or using the 'detectives' to determine WHO it was.

WHY would the boarder/roomer have done such a crime? His own son had been murdered. wonder who his 'circle' of friends were? Did he work, I don't remember any information about where he worked or IF he worked.

I am quite certain that the Ramseys were VERY well known in their neighborhood, and peeked at through the curtains, by any numbers of neighbors.

dictionary was open to "incest"

What has already been established was JAR's semen was found at the crime scene - it was his suitcase, his flashlight, Barnhill states he saw JAR..

That does look like JAR in the photo of the dec 23d Christmas party but it turned out to be a boyfriend of one of Priscilla's sisters. So, maybe Barnhill saw the "boyfriend" (or someone else who looked like JR) and thought it was JAR going into the Ramsay home early in the evening of Dec 25."


Yes indeed, why was Barnhill's statement withdrawn or discounted. Or who looked like JR? Why did Barnhill Jr. change his alibi?

 

[Camper]

Rupert you surely did use a massive number of 'my' wonderments that I have previously posted.


From Ruperts post a portion here,

"Perp was a fanatical Christian murdered her at midnight - Barnhill's Bible study groupPsalm 118.

"He, Jehovah, is our Lord:
He, our God, on us hath shined:
Bind the sacrifice with cord,
To the horned altar bind."
It was during that party that someone called 911 and hung up. When the police called back they got a voice message, so they sent a cop to the Ramseys house. Susan Stine reportedly refused to open the door and got rid of the cop by telling him through the door that everything was okay.

Rupert, will you post a source for info on 'Barnhills' bible study group? I donut have a memory of Psalm 118 and Barnhills 'bible study group'. Thanks.

Another quote from Ruperts post

young Barnhill was in Boulder yet didn't let this be known to his parents

Rupert, again, would you post a source for this information, it is the first time I had read that Barnhills son was in Boulder.

My memory may have failed me on your posted info that Susan Stine 'refused' to open the door for the BPD on the 911 call of the 23rd. My memory seems to remember that it was more of a shoo go away, someone dialed 911 by mistake, everything is fine, shoo go away. Took artistic liberty with this one. Rupert, do you have a printed source for SS 'refusing' to open the door? Thanks.


.

 

[Jayelles]

The Barnhills and their son were estranged. I do recall reading that he had visited Boulder but didn't look them up because of the estrangement. Happens I guess.

I would have thought under these circumstances that 15th St would be the last place Barnhill Jnr would want to be - if he was avoiding his parents.

I wish there was some way of waving a magic wand to find out the truth.

 

[capps]

Yes, all so strange ...

Aside from the "person" walking up the drive way,that seems the LE dismissed quickly after they assumed it was not JAR ... the more unsettling to me was the boarder knocking on the door during the Ramsey's party,with an excuse of being "worried" about the Barnhill's. How close was Glen Myer to the Barnhill's? If close enough,he would have realized they were attending a party across the street. If not close ... why would a boarder be worried about them? Sounds like an awful feeble excuse to "crash" the party.

Also ... not very responsible of the Ramsey's to let a stranger,(John claims he did not know Barnhill's had a boarder until after JB was murdered),into the house.

Do you know who else was not responsible? The BPD for not stepping into the Ramsey's house after the first 911 call,to at least make a quick "look over" to make sure everything seemed okay.

 

[Toltec]

The Barnhills...a bible study??? Never heard that one before. That Barnhill Jr. was in town...hadn't heard that one either.

We did have a discussion about the DNA and one theory is that Joe Barnhill placed his hand on the bicycle seat as he removed it from the basement of his home and handed it over to John Ramsey. JonBenet did ride her new bike out on the patio Christmas day....so innocent transfer?

The Barnhills loved the Ramseys and vice versa. Joe Barnhill was too weak to pull this off.

Glenn Meyers knock on the door was innocent enough...he was looking for the Barnhills. They are both old and not in good health. Patsy was known to take them meals once or twice a week.

Joe Barnhill claims he saw JAR walking towards the Ramsey home and with enough prodding by Team Ramsey, recanted.

I guess we will never know who the young guy was but my guess would be one of JAR's college buddies. The Ramseys never testified that they received a visitor that day.

 

[capps]

The Barnhills...a bible study??? Never heard that one before. That Barnhill Jr. was in town...hadn't heard that one either.

We did have a discussion about the DNA and one theory is that Joe Barnhill placed his hand on the bicycle seat as he removed it from the basement of his home and handed it over to John Ramsey. JonBenet did ride her new bike out on the patio Christmas day....so innocent transfer?

The Barnhills loved the Ramseys and vice versa. Joe Barnhill was too weak to pull this off.

Glenn Meyers knock on the door was innocent enough...he was looking for the Barnhills. They are both old and not in good health. Patsy was known to take them meals once or twice a week.

Joe Barnhill claims he saw JAR walking towards the Ramsey home and with enough prodding by Team Ramsey, recanted.

I guess we will never know who the young guy was but my guess would be one of JAR's college buddies. The Ramseys never testified that they received a visitor that day.

Toltec,

No one knows if the knock on the door by GM looking for the Barnhill's was innocent or not.

Here is a snippet from the "Today Show" interview with Katic Couric and John Ramsey:

COURIC: You also mention Glen Myer, who was a boarder at your neighbor's house. He stopped by at your Christmas party...
Mr. RAMSEY: Mm-hmm.
COURIC: ...just a few days before.
Mr. RAMSEY: I mention him because he's been mentioned, also, publicly. We didn't know Glen Myer lived across the street from us until after JonBenet was murdered.

Patsy may have fixed meals for the Barnhill's,but not for GM,they didn't even know of him.

I know he was elderly,does anyone know how old he was,or have a source stating he was in bad health?

 

[bensmom98]

I know he was elderly,does anyone know how old he was,or have a source stating he was in bad health?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that he (the boarder) had been ill and was recovering from the flu. I cannot state where I read this, however.

 

[capps]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that he (the boarder) had been ill and was recovering from the flu. I cannot state where I read this, however.

Thanks Bensmom98,

I do vaguely remember hearing that as an alibi. But I was looking more for a long term type of illness: Bad heart,acutely arthritic,that sort of thing.Was he elderly,as in 80 yrs. old elderly?

I don't know if this boarder had anything to do with the murder,he may be completely innocent.Just trying to rule out, (if I can),anyone who seemed suspicious,or out of place.

 

[Zman]

What has already been established was JAR's semen was found at the crime scene - it was his suitcase, his flashlight, Barnhill states he saw JAR..

Was it his suitcase? I just thought it had his blanket inside. I have never seen it established anywhere that it was his suitcase.

I don't think it was his flashlight either. I have never seen it established anywhere that it was his flashlight. It only looks like one he gave his father as a present.

His semen found at the crime scene sounds much worse than his seman was found on his blanket. Now if JBR's blood was on his blanket you may have something. How long does seman stay around? How old could it of been? Can they tell? If so they have not told us.

This is three strikes and your out.

 

[BlueCrab]

Was it his suitcase? I just thought it had his blanket inside. I have never seen it established anywhere that it was his suitcase.

I don't think it was his flashlight either. I have never seen it established anywhere that it was his flashlight. It only looks like one he gave his father as a present.

His semen found at the crime scene sounds much worse than his seman was found on his blanket. Now if JBR's blood was on his blanket you may have something. How long does seman stay around? How old could it of been? Can they tell? If so they have not told us.

This is three strikes and your out.

Zman,

The suitcase was old and belonged to JAR. He used it to carry clothes and things between college and the Ramsey's house.

The black 3-cell Mag-lite brand flashlight was identified by Patsy as belonging to John. It had been given to John by JAR as a present. The Ramseys couldn't positively identify the light at first because in the photo they were shown the light had been chemically processed by the cops for fingerprints, which changed the color to a mottled gray.

The suitcase that contained JAR's semen-stained blanket was kept in the basement, which is considered a part of the crime scene. Why the blanket was in the suitcase, along with a Dr. Seuss book with JAR's name on it, and why fibers from the blanket were on JonBenet's genital area, are the $64,000 questions.

BlueCrab

 

[why_nutt]

Was he elderly,as in 80 yrs. old elderly?

On December 26th, 1996, Joe Barnhill was 76 years old.

Interesting bit of trivia: Barnhill became part of a Boulder oral history project in 2003, when he was interviewed about his role as a business owner in Boulder. He and Betty used to own an interior design business called Barnhill Interiors, which operated in Boulder starting in 1959 and lasting for 25 years. If anyone can make their way to the Boulder Public Library, you can see the videotape of his interview and apparently learn as much about the man as you would care to. The card catalog information can be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/7ctaw

Looking at the summary, I can only think that John Ramsey must have been very envious of his neighbor. John only got to fly his little hobbyist airplanes for fun. Barnhill was a Navy dive-bomber pilot in World War II.

 

[Toltec]

Was it his suitcase? I just thought it had his blanket inside. I have never seen it established anywhere that it was his suitcase.

I don't think it was his flashlight either. I have never seen it established anywhere that it was his flashlight. It only looks like one he gave his father as a present.

His semen found at the crime scene sounds much worse than his seman was found on his blanket. Now if JBR's blood was on his blanket you may have something. How long does seman stay around? How old could it of been? Can they tell? If so they have not told us.

This is three strikes and your out.

It's become apparent to me that you are not reading any of the JBR books that are out. The questions that you ask are answered by either John or Patsy in the NE book. It contains the interrogations of both Ramseys.

 

[sissi]

The suitcase had been used by both LHP and JAR, there has been no "final" word as to who had it last.
The sheets didn't have to be sheets "left" in the suitcase, they could have been dirty sheets "left" in the dirty laundry to be washed.
Someone could have picked up these sheets to use in the crime , and packed them away in the suitcase for reasons we don't "know".
I believe I have read where there were fibers transferred from the crime, both on the contents of the suitcase and on her body.

 

[capps]

On December 26th, 1996, Joe Barnhill was 76 years old.

Interesting bit of trivia: Barnhill became part of a Boulder oral history project in 2003, when he was interviewed about his role as a business owner in Boulder. He and Betty used to own an interior design business called Barnhill Interiors, which operated in Boulder starting in 1959 and lasting for 25 years. If anyone can make their way to the Boulder Public Library, you can see the videotape of his interview and apparently learn as much about the man as you would care to. The card catalog information can be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/7ctaw

Looking at the summary, I can only think that John Ramsey must have been very envious of his neighbor. John only got to fly his little hobbyist airplanes for fun. Barnhill was a Navy dive-bomber pilot in World War II.

why_nutt,

Thanks for looking that up. But when I asked about age and health,I was inquiring about the boarder,not the Barnhill's.

I don't think the Barnhill's were involved at all wih JB's murder. I don't know enough about GM to check him off my list.

 

[capps]

I think Zman had a valid question when asking how old the semen was. Does anyone know if it was tested,and what the results were?

 

[BlueCrab]

I think Zman had a valid question when asking how old the semen was. Does anyone know if it was tested,and what the results were?

Yes, it is a good question. The only thing I could find was this from an article on high-tech forensic criminology in the Great Falls Tribune, published May 30, 2005:

"Because scientists can't determine when the DNA was deposited, its presence simply places the person it belongs to at the scene."

greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.d11/article?AID=/2005

 

[Eagle1]

As you said, you've used some ideas from all of us. I recognize some of mine.

If the walker who so resembled JAR were Barnhill's son, you know he would not have thought of JAR.

And as one former poster, MJenn, theorized, complete with a very detailed time frame showing that it was POSSIBLE, JAR could have been there a little while, not that I'd want to start that up again. Wasn't the walker wearing a long overcoat? And so did the loiterer at the Charlevoix gas station, badmouthing John Ramsey, who also flagged down the ill driver of a van, having run across someone's yard, to get a ride? Wasn't he still wearing the overcoat? Someone correct me if that's wrong.

The ATM photo did not ID anyone, didn't prove JAR was in Atlanta at that particular moment. It just showed the top of a baseball cap, someone looking down, if I remember correctly. OTOH, if JAR had been around, I doubt the perp would have planted his unwashed blanket and Dr.Seuss book in the suitcase because what if he'd walked in and found it?

The blanket was obviously a plant, like the dictionary open to the word "incest" which ST(?) said wasn't seen until pictures were developed. Nobody seemed to have seen it before, according to the book.

If JAR and/or the parents were guilty they certainly would know not to leave such things lying around pointing to them!

 

[narlacat]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that he (the boarder) had been ill and was recovering from the flu. I cannot state where I read this, however.

pg 78 from ST's book.

 

[Camper]

On December 26th, 1996, Joe Barnhill was 76 years old.

Interesting bit of trivia: Barnhill became part of a Boulder oral history project in 2003, when he was interviewed about his role as a business owner in Boulder. He and Betty used to own an interior design business called Barnhill Interiors, which operated in Boulder starting in 1959 and lasting for 25 years. If anyone can make their way to the Boulder Public Library, you can see the videotape of his interview and apparently learn as much about the man as you would care to. The card catalog information can be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/7ctaw

Looking at the summary, I can only think that John Ramsey must have been very envious of his neighbor. John only got to fly his little hobbyist airplanes for fun. Barnhill was a Navy dive-bomber pilot in World War II.

Thank you for this information. I note that in the description of the video contents, it only lists Betty Barnhill, it does not list Joe with the other people shown in the content, do you know if Joe has passed on? Joe was one year younger than my husband who died in 2004. I note the video was done in 2003. I also know that my husband was not a fruit loop in 1996, and that Joe wasn't either with the background that he had for 'detail'.

I have zero doubt that Joe actually saw JAR walking up to the Ramsey home on Christmas day 1996.



.

 

[why_nutt]

Thank you for this information. I note that in the description of the video contents, it only lists Betty Barnhill, it does not list Joe with the other people shown in the content, do you know if Joe has passed on?

I believe Joe is still with us, but Betty is not, she has passed on. I was confused, too, by the summary listing Betty, but I now know that this just means that Joe talked about the people and places listed in the summary, so he likely first talks on the tape about how he met Betty and what his life with her was like as an aspect of describing his own life.