Using AI to analyze the ransom note.

[Gunther Toody]

I do enjoy dabbling in artificial intelligence for a number of things, so I thought I would ask it to evaluate the ransom note.

Question... Can you analyze this ransom note from the JonBenet Ramsey case, and provide insight into the mindset of the author, its legitimacy and what type of person the author is?

AI answer:
Based on the content and style of this ransom note, I don't believe it was written by a legitimate kidnapping group or criminal organization. There are several aspects that suggest it was likely an attempt at misdirection, possibly by someone close to the Ramsey family. Here is my analysis:

Mindset and Writing Style:

• The tone and wording is melodramatic, with an attempt to sound ominous and threatening that comes across as forced rather than authentic criminal speak.
• Excessive use of exclamation points and redundant phrases like "listen carefully!"
• Random capitalization and misspellings like "bussiness" suggest a deliberate attempt to disguise the writer's true language abilities.
• The closing "Victory! S.B.T.C" seems like an odd, almost mocking signoff for a serious ransom demand.

Content Inconsistencies:

• Describing themselves as a "small foreign faction" but then using very familiar American phrasing and cultural references like "fat cat."
• Demanding a very specific ransom amount of $118,000, which seems like an arbitrarily chosen number rather than a real extortion amount.
• Claiming they are monitoring the Ramseys and know countermeasures used by law enforcement, but also making demands that real kidnappers would know violate standard procedures.

Overall, the melodramatic language, inconsistencies in details, and self-contradictory claims, suggest this note was likely a deliberate fake created by someone potentially trying to misdirect the investigation away from themselves as a suspect. The author seems to lack the discipline and professionalism that would be expected from real kidnappers or criminals extorting a ransom. Their mindset appears to be someone trying too hard to seem ominous and threatening in an attempt at subterfuge.

Followup question… Do you think it possible that it was written by a member of the immediate family as a cover up of the crime?

AI answer:
Yes, it is certainly possible that the ransom note was written by a member of the immediate Ramsey family as part of an attempted cover up of JonBenet's murder.

There are a few factors that could point to this:

1. The overly dramatic, almost performative language seems designed to redirect suspicion away from the family by creating a far-fetched fictional kidnapping scenario.
2. Many of the specific dollar amount and instructions seem arbitrarily chosen, rather than reflecting real criminal demands, suggesting they were invented details.
3. The note's length and excessive verbiage is unusual for a real ransom situation where conciseness would be expected.
4. Access to writing materials and opportunity are two factors that would implicate someone in the household.
5. Potential motivations like a family member trying to cover up an accidental death or even a more nefarious act involving JonBenet.

Of course, it's just speculation, but the odd, unconvincing nature of the ransom note's content and style could represent the work of a family member desperately trying to manufacture a kidnapping scenario after the fact. An intruder would likely aim for more straightforward, realistic demands.

Ultimately, many of the note's peculiar qualities could be consistent with a family insider's clumsy attempt at deception and misdirection. However, the true author's identity remains an open question that has never been definitively resolved in this tragic case.

 

[dogperson]

I enjoyed your post very much. I have never thought a real criminal wrote the ransom note. It was written by someone who is attempting to write the note the way they think a criminal would write it, based primarily on things they've seen in movies and on TV and not on any real world criminal experience.

 

[mrsselig]

Fascinating! Great idea to ask AI to analyze the ransom note! I have always thought the RN was fake for several reasons. The ransom note is one reason I’ve always been RDI.

 

[Gunther Toody]

Question to AI: in the JonBenet Ramsey case, if a close family member committed the crime, what might their motive be?

AI Answer:
There could be several potential motives if a close family member was responsible for JonBenet Ramsey's murder, though it's important to note that her case remains officially unsolved. Some possibilities that have been speculated about include:

Anger/Rage:
A family member may have lashed out in a fit of uncontrolled anger or rage toward JonBenet, resulting in her death, even if they didn't intend to initially kill her.

Sexual Assault Cover-Up:
If JonBenet was sexually assaulted by a family member, the murder may have been an attempt to cover up evidence of the assault.

Jealousy:
There has been speculation that a family member may have been jealous of the attention JonBenet received from her parents as a child beauty queen.

Accidental Death Cover-Up:
The murder could potentially have been a panicked attempt to cover up an accidental death that a family member felt they could not explain or would not be believed about.

Mental Illness:
A family member suffering from a mental illness like psychosis could potentially have been unable to fully control their actions.

However, in the absence of a conviction, these remain just theories. The Ramsey case sparked immense public interest but did not result in anyone being proven guilty in court. The actual motive, if it was a family member, remains an unanswered question.

Question to AI:
Based on the ransom note, if you had to speculate, which member of the family would be the most likely author of the ransom note. Again, this is only speculation.

AI Answer:

Based on analysis of the lengthy and unusual ransom note, if I had to speculate which family member was most likely the author, it would be Patsy Ramsey, JonBenet's mother.

Some of the key reasons for this speculation include:
Handwriting Analysis: While not conclusive, some handwriting experts felt the note showed similarities to Patsy's writing samples.

Personal Phrases: The note contained odd phrases like "and hence" and "attaché" that were similar to Patsy's recorded speech patterns.

Staging Behavior: The overly long ransom note and staged crime scene point to an inside job by someone in the home trying to misdirect.

Knowledge of Details: Insider knowledge of small details in the home seems apparent in the note.

 

[LunaInvidia]

I think the problem with AI analysis is that it's not capable of actually... basing any of that in fact. It notices things like the weird signoff.... because the humans who generated the things it scraped for data noticed that. Unless, I guess, if it was an AI trained on exclusively ransom notes and FBI files, or something, but I would be wary of most publicly available AI that are trained on Reddit aggregates and such.

 

[lonewanderer]

I heard a very, very in-depth comparison of this to the Lindburgh baby and a rather obscure 70s-ish case with ransom notes.

There was hauntingly identical writing in them.

Conversely, I remember an episode of a true crime show where the man's best friend and coworker wrote a ransom note with the exact dollar amount, which turned out to the the victims bonus. That was also eerily similar.

 

[Laughing]

And, iirc, over the years the assemble Websleuths posters have identified each & every point brought by this A1 program.

Brava to us, but people much like us wrote that program, as I understand it.

Sticking with Brava! to us!

jmho

 

[Marie A]

IMHO
I firmly and staunchly believe the ransom note WAS NOT WRITTEN BY A FAMILY MEMBER.
I believe it was written by a very perverted stranger/ pedophile who has not been identified.
(though his name may or may not have come up or been mentioned in the investigation)
I believe he was obsessed with/ fixated on Jon Benet.
He could have originally gained access to the house as a member of a catering crew or as an under the radar workman. Or he could have seen Jon Benet outside the home playing and became fixated with her.
I believe he decided to take Jon Benet as a Christmas present to himself after fantasizing and scheming and that he gained access to the house when the family was away and he lay in wait until they were asleep.
I believe the stranger was in the house waiting for Jon Benet on Christmas night.
He may well have gained illicit access to the house more than once before Jon Benet was taken and he knew the complete layout of the house well before she was taken.
I believe he wrote the note while the family was away and before she was taken from her bed. I believe that the perp fantasized about Jon Benet incessantly and originally did plan a kidnapping of sorts and did not necessarily intend on killing her but may have accidentally murdered her during his deranged sexual assault.
I think this person was an unknown stalker of sorts who had a serious obsession with this particular little girl and that he pre planned this heinous act and he was very very lucky to escape identification for so very long. I think he did not necessarily plan the murder but did methodically plan the sexual assault.
These perverted perps can be very stealth and slip through the cracks well.
I equate certain aspects of this case with Madeleine McCann’s case as well. Namely the absolutely disgusting and torturous public naming and shaming of innocent parents (those who love the victim the most) as suspects and sloppy half-assed detective work allowing a stealth and cunning pedophile to escape untraced.
This case obviously is more shameful as there was the body of the victim readily available. Kudos and praise to the highly intelligent detective Lou Smit who called out shoddy police and detective work and cared about truth and righteousness over conspiracy.

Please remember that based on DNA evidence the Ramsey family members have been UNEQUIVOCALLY RULED OUT as suspects in their beloved daughter/ sister’s murder and that the rules of this forum do not allow victim blaming/ shaming.
It’s unfathomable to me that this is continuing to this day.
NOBODY IN THAT HOUSEHOLD WROTE THAT NOTE
NOBODY IN THAT HOUSEHOLD SEXUALLY ASSAULTED JON BENET
NOBODY IN THAT HOUSEHOLD KILLED JON BENET

 

[Choices]

I concur with Luna. The thread prompted me to test an AI out the other day. It said JBR was wearing a nightgown, I corrected it. I said that she had brunette hair. AI agreed with me both times. Then I said her hair was actually red and it changed to agreeing with that. When I said I was joking and her hair was rainbow coloured, it went haha then corrected me to say she was a brunette lol. Showing it was relying on what I was telling it. To be fair, where else would it be sourcing the info but from publicly available data by any Tom, Dick & Harriette.