Has anyone ever seen the former Ramsey house in person?

dalcanton

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I know this is an odd question, but I'm taking a trip to Denver this spring (for other events) & I've decided to make a side visit to Boulder & drive or walk by the JBR house in person. Just wondering if anyone else on this forum has ever been to the house? I've always been intrigued by this case & it'd mean a lot to me to be able to see the actual house where this horrible event took place. I tried to find some info on it on the net - supposedly no one lives in it now (the owners AFTER the Ramseys moved out) & there's a high fence surrounding it. There's an alley in the back. I went onto Google Maps & was actually surprised to see how close the house sits to the curb. I also wonder if any of the key neighbors who lived on that street (755 15th St. - changed recently to 749 15th street to confuse onlookers) at the time of the murder still live there today. I always pictured the Ramsey house to be situated further back on the property, sort of by itself, but that's not how it is. Such a sad case. I wonder what stories that house could tell if only it could talk.
 
I never saw their house in Boulder. But I did drive by their house in Buckhead. I was told it was their house by a local resident. Very set back with lots of trees in front.
 
I think there have been some minor alterations to the landscaping and such, but I think the house would be recognizable by someone familiar with it, even if only online.
I know people who have seen it do comment on how close the houses are to the curb, and to each other.
Makes it all the more likely that their neighbor really did hear that scream. That neighbor, Melanie Stanton, changed her story several times- first claiming she heard a horrible child's scream around midnight, then saying she didn't, then later, admitting she did actually hear the scream. I imagine the R lawyers pressured her into reneging at the time. She was so unnerved by it all that she moved away.
The neighbor who said he saw JR's elder son JAR walking into the house, Joe Barnhill, passed away not long ago. I don't know if his widow is still alive or if she sill lives there. Their former friends, the Whites, still live in Boulder, but as far as their neighbors on 15th Street, I don't know how many of the original neighbors are still there.
 
I have never seen the Boulder house, but there are quite a few posters here and over at FFJ that have seen it in person. There are some posters that even live near it.
 
I've been by the house several times over the years. You will be surprised how close the other homes are, the dark, narrow alley, and the hodgepodge of residents in the neighborhood. It is NOT a gated community. There is an iron gate around it now, and large fir trees in the front, but it is very recognizable. At night--especially around Christmas when many people are gone, it is very dark in the neighborhood. There are scrapeoffs and popups in the area (homes that were expanded)....a fair amount of student housing, and original small homes. Some original neighbors are there, some moved away. While there, checkout Pearl Street, Access Graphic, and the Hotel Boulderado. Pasta Jay's is still there on Pearl Street. Food not bad if you like garlic. Unless you visit the area, you can't get a good feel for what it was like. There is a hodgepodge of people, and a large transcient population. A lot of the transcients were pushed off Pearl Street to the University Hill area.
 
I've been by the house several times over the years. You will be surprised how close the other homes are, the dark, narrow alley, and the hodgepodge of residents in the neighborhood. It is NOT a gated community. There is an iron gate around it now, and large fir trees in the front, but it is very recognizable. At night--especially around Christmas when many people are gone, it is very dark in the neighborhood. There are scrapeoffs and popups in the area (homes that were expanded)....a fair amount of student housing, and original small homes. Some original neighbors are there, some moved away. While there, checkout Pearl Street, Access Graphic, and the Hotel Boulderado. Pasta Jay's is still there on Pearl Street. Food not bad if you like garlic. Unless you visit the area, you can't get a good feel for what it was like. There is a hodgepodge of people, and a large transcient population. A lot of the transcients were pushed off Pearl Street to the University Hill area.

I have seen a Google Earth view of the Ramsey's Boulder neighborhood, and was shock to see that the houses were thisclose...just as you said. For some reason, I had envisioned the homes there being on a couple of acres at least. There is no way that an intruder came into the Ramsey's home that night, with the neighbors that lived next door owning dogs, that barked at everything (according to them), and them not barking at the intruder...when the house was thisclose to them. They even barked at the policeman that came over to interview them.
 
There is no way that an intruder came into the Ramsey's home that night, with the neighbors that lived next door owning dogs, that barked at everything (according to them), and them not barking at the intruder...when the house was thisclose to them. They even barked at the policeman that came over to interview them.

Yep. Like we said....
 
Can't jump to conclusions on the dogs. For one thing, it was very cold that night. I doubt many were outside. I don't recall if the neighbors directly on either side had dogs. It would not have been difficult for someone to prowl around the house unobserved. I walked across the street from the house, past the Barnhills, and Jacques was barking his head off in the window....but it was daytime. I walked around the block, and except for one house a few houses away from the Ramseys, didn't notice any dogs.
 
Can't jump to conclusions on the dogs. For one thing, it was very cold that night. I doubt many were outside. I don't recall if the neighbors directly on either side had dogs. It would not have been difficult for someone to prowl around the house unobserved. I walked across the street from the house, past the Barnhills, and Jacques was barking his head off in the window....but it was daytime. I walked around the block, and except for one house a few houses away from the Ramseys, didn't notice any dogs.

One of the neighbors directly BESIDE of the Ramsey's, said that their dog barked at everything and anything..and he was outside. He was also outside when the policeman went over to the neighbor's house to interview them, and the dog barked at him. Apparently the dog was an outside dog. They have fur, and it keeps them warm. Anyway...I trust what the next door neighbor said....they know their own dog better than any of us do.
2000-04-11: “JonBenet, Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation”
by Steve Thomas and Don Davis, April 11, 2000


ST Page 41

"While the house search went on, other cops fanned out to canvass the neighborhood and conduct more interviews. A resident directly to the south reported that the light was off in the southeast corner sunroom of the Ramsey home and thought that was odd because it was the only time she was aware in the past few years that it did not burn all night. A neighbor to the north would say that the butler kitchen lights were on around midnight and considered that unusual since it was the first time he had noticed that light being on in the Ramsey home. A third neighbor, to the west, said that her dogs, who barked at anyone walking in the alley, just as they did when the police officer came to question her, made no noise Wednesday night."
 
dalcanton, I have not been to the home in real life, but if I'm ever out that way I will most certainly try to take a peek. Please report back your visit.

Link to:


icon_greenB.png
749 15th St
Boulder, CO 80302


camera_dr1.png

http://maps.google.com/
 
Can't jump to conclusions on the dogs. For one thing, it was very cold that night. I doubt many were outside. I don't recall if the neighbors directly on either side had dogs. It would not have been difficult for someone to prowl around the house unobserved. I walked across the street from the house, past the Barnhills, and Jacques was barking his head off in the window....but it was daytime. I walked around the block, and except for one house a few houses away from the Ramseys, didn't notice any dogs.

Interesting.....how long ago were your visits to Boulder all the way from Chicago?

:sumo:
 
One of the neighbors directly BESIDE of the Ramsey's, said that their dog barked at everything and anything..and he was outside. He was also outside when the policeman went over to the neighbor's house to interview them, and the dog barked at him. Apparently the dog was an outside dog. They have fur, and it keeps them warm. Anyway...I trust what the next door neighbor said....they know their own dog better than any of us do.
2000-04-11: “JonBenet, Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation”
by Steve Thomas and Don Davis, April 11, 2000


ST Page 41

"While the house search went on, other cops fanned out to canvass the neighborhood and conduct more interviews. A resident directly to the south reported that the light was off in the southeast corner sunroom of the Ramsey home and thought that was odd because it was the only time she was aware in the past few years that it did not burn all night. A neighbor to the north would say that the butler kitchen lights were on around midnight and considered that unusual since it was the first time he had noticed that light being on in the Ramsey home. A third neighbor, to the west, said that her dogs, who barked at anyone walking in the alley, just as they did when the police officer came to question her, made no noise Wednesday night."

Atta Girl.......great way to stop the spin!
 
Check my photo album in my Profile here if you want to see some of the pictures from that trip.

The homes on that street seemed so close to each other which surprised me, and the Ramsey home pretty much takes up all of the land, so there it sits right off the road and with a very small backyard that meets that creepy alley.

When you see it for yourself, it is even harder to believe the Ramseys version on many issues........like John stripping off his clothes to slide down into the basement window when he was allegedly locked out of the house. :rolleyes:
 
Interesting.....how long ago were your visits to Boulder all the way from Chicago?

:sumo:

I have relatives in Denver...and formally of Boulder....so visited Denver every Christmas. A couple trips in summer. Boulder was a usual shopping stop on Pearl Street...a few stores had been there since the 70's. I knew enough about Boulder, and how it had changed over the years to know this was not going to be a normal crime, but never imagined it would become what it has. When the news came on the day JBR was discovered murdered, the relative from the area said, the Boulder cops will screw it up...another in law enforcement said the parents did it, and I was always of the opinion it was an intruder. I think it was a year or two after the crime that I actually went past the house....and did the "Schiller" tour of places after his book came out.
 
I have relatives in Denver...and formally of Boulder....so visited Denver every Christmas. A couple trips in summer. Boulder was a usual shopping stop on Pearl Street...a few stores had been there since the 70's. I knew enough about Boulder, and how it had changed over the years to know this was not going to be a normal crime, but never imagined it would become what it has. When the news came on the day JBR was discovered murdered, the relative from the area said, the Boulder cops will screw it up...another in law enforcement said the parents did it, and I was always of the opinion it was an intruder. I think it was a year or two after the crime that I actually went past the house....and did the "Schiller" tour of places after his book came out.

What basis did your relative have for claiming that the Boulder cops would screw it up? Did they know that it was quite possible that that initial cops on the scene were capable of being mislead by a staged crime scene?

NOW - I have the Boulder pics back up in my album.....just in case anyone checked since my last post!
 
What basis did your relative have for claiming that the Boulder cops would screw it up? Did they know that it was quite possible that that initial cops on the scene were capable of being mislead by a staged crime scene?

NOW - I have the Boulder pics back up in my album.....just in case anyone checked since my last post!

No, he said that the very first day after a newscast about the murder, based on the time he spent in Boulder getting an advance degree. When I asked him why he said that he said the Boulder police were notorious for giving out tickets to people walking on the street with open beer bottles--most of their work involved drunk college students.

At the time of the murder, burglaries and drug use were on the rise. There was a whole subculture....especially with the transcient population, that lurked underneath the serene town, and they weren't like the old Rainbow hippies of the 70's. A lot of violence and fights. The Boulder Camera had articles about what was going on in the University Hill area "before" the murder of JBR. Even Steve Thomas in an article pre-JBR, commented on the increase in drug use there.
 
Hi everyone-
I lived in Boulder in 1996 (only 1 mile from the Ramsey house) and drove past the house many times right after the murder even when the crime scene tape was up. I also know many people who lived in "the hill" as the neighborhood is called. The house does not look like the mansion it is when you drive by it on the road- it looks like any other suburban house. The bulk of the house is in back and there is not a lot of yard. The entire hill is a real mix of people- it is a place where students live in rented houses among people who own houses there themselves. In the early 90's Boulder had a crazy rise in housing prices and all houses in boulder became outrageously priced, so rich people started buying the old homes on the hill. It is only 2-3 blocks from the campus of the University of Colorado. Neighbors were literally on top of one another and yards were very tiny there.
I now live in Longmont, which is the town next to boulder.
I have a few other connections to the case- I nannied for a girl at the time and she saw the same physician- Dr. Beuf. He was the best pediatrician in Boulder and all parents who could, sent their kids to him. He seemed realy nice and sincere.
Additionally, I was attending University of Colorado at the time to be a teacher and in January of 1997, I made an appointment to check out martin park elementary (ever the crime sleuth even back then), which housed the charter type school jon benet and burke went to. I saw her classroom and even saw her picture on the wall.
Boulder is a weird town- politcially extremely liberal with people walking around with no shoes and with dogs in restaurants, but very conservative when it comes to their kids. The cops were often thought of as bumbling since their main goal was to prosecute people who didn't drive correctly when around the NUMEROUS bicyclers in town. They looked the other way for marijuana offense but were extremely hard on underage drinking. I can definitely see why people thought they would bungle it.
It is also very boulder to not accept help. they really think they are better than the entire rest of the state of colorado.
It's very easy to find (Ramsey House) take US 36 into boulder from denver, get off at Baseline, make a left and take all the way until you see 15th street on your right- turn right and it is on the left side of the street. Hope this helps!
 
Hi everyone-
I lived in Boulder in 1996 (only 1 mile from the Ramsey house) and drove past the house many times right after the murder even when the crime scene tape was up. I also know many people who lived in "the hill" as the neighborhood is called. The house does not look like the mansion it is when you drive by it on the road- it looks like any other suburban house.

Quote snipped by me due to size:
Thanks Colorado Teacher, it is always interesting to hear from someone that was actually around when crimes take place and can give us the feel of the area.
 
Hi everyone-
I lived in Boulder in 1996 (only 1 mile from the Ramsey house) and drove past the house many times right after the murder even when the crime scene tape was up. I also know many people who lived in "the hill" as the neighborhood is called. The house does not look like the mansion it is when you drive by it on the road- it looks like any other suburban house. The bulk of the house is in back and there is not a lot of yard. The entire hill is a real mix of people- it is a place where students live in rented houses among people who own houses there themselves. In the early 90's Boulder had a crazy rise in housing prices and all houses in boulder became outrageously priced, so rich people started buying the old homes on the hill. It is only 2-3 blocks from the campus of the University of Colorado. Neighbors were literally on top of one another and yards were very tiny there.
I now live in Longmont, which is the town next to boulder.
I have a few other connections to the case- I nannied for a girl at the time and she saw the same physician- Dr. Beuf. He was the best pediatrician in Boulder and all parents who could, sent their kids to him. He seemed realy nice and sincere.
Additionally, I was attending University of Colorado at the time to be a teacher and in January of 1997, I made an appointment to check out martin park elementary (ever the crime sleuth even back then), which housed the charter type school jon benet and burke went to. I saw her classroom and even saw her picture on the wall.
Boulder is a weird town- politcially extremely liberal with people walking around with no shoes and with dogs in restaurants, but very conservative when it comes to their kids. The cops were often thought of as bumbling since their main goal was to prosecute people who didn't drive correctly when around the NUMEROUS bicyclers in town. They looked the other way for marijuana offense but were extremely hard on underage drinking. I can definitely see why people thought they would bungle it.
It is also very boulder to not accept help. they really think they are better than the entire rest of the state of colorado.
It's very easy to find (Ramsey House) take US 36 into boulder from denver, get off at Baseline, make a left and take all the way until you see 15th street on your right- turn right and it is on the left side of the street. Hope this helps!

Hi coloradoteacher. Enjoyed reading your post, as well.
And ya it did help, ty ..... atmosphere in Boulder circa 1996.
 
No, he said that the very first day after a newscast about the murder, based on the time he spent in Boulder getting an advance degree. When I asked him why he said that he said the Boulder police were notorious for giving out tickets to people walking on the street with open beer bottles--most of their work involved drunk college students.

At the time of the murder, burglaries and drug use were on the rise. There was a whole subculture....especially with the transcient population, that lurked underneath the serene town, and they weren't like the old Rainbow hippies of the 70's. A lot of violence and fights. The Boulder Camera had articles about what was going on in the University Hill area "before" the murder of JBR. Even Steve Thomas in an article pre-JBR, commented on the increase in drug use there.


"The Boulder Camera had articles about what was going on in the University Hill area "before" the murder of JBR. Even Steve Thomas in an article pre-JBR, commented on the increase in drug use there." - Maikai

Ty for the info.

I was reading about BC, crimes 1996 and I can see why your friend would have had that feeling.


Uniform Crime Reports and Index of Crime in Boulder in the State of Colorado enforced by Boulder County from 1985 to 2005

http://www.disastercenter.com/colorado/crime/1371.htm



http://news.google.ca/archivesearch?q=boulder+colardo&as_ldate=1996&as_hdate=1997&sa=N&start=180
NEEDLE-EXCHANGE PROGRAM FACES POLICE RESISTANCE
[SIZE=-1]$2.95 - Rocky Mountain News - NewsBank[SIZE=-1] - Jun 27, 1997[/SIZE]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Ritter said he would not follow the lead of Boulder DA Alex Hunter, who does not prosecute participants of the state's only open needle-exchange program. ... [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]All 8 related[/SIZE] - [SIZE=-1]Related web pages[/SIZE]


NEEDLE-EXCHANGE PROGRAM FACES POLICE RESISTANCE

Published on June 27, 1997. Article 1 of 1 found.
SOURCE: Michael O'Keeffe
Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
Mayor Wellington Webb will ask the City Council to legalize needle-exchange programs next week, Denver's public health director said Thursday.
But the push will likely draw opposition from law-enforcement officials, who fear needle-exchange programs condone drug use and dilute anti-drug efforts. Dr. Frank Judson, director of public health, said the mayor will ask the council during Tuesday's state-of-the-city address to make needle-exchange program workers and... 360 words, Rocky Mountain News (CO)
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we...page=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
 

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