I think that Linda Arndt (?) was unjustifiably crucified for the first few hours of this case, although, after reading her deposition in her case against Boulder, I don't come to the same conclusions that she did.
I get tired of this old defense strategy of "contamination" of the crime scene and the expectation of the "pristine" in this area, which is totally unrealistic. If Lin Wood (and John Ramsey) are running around shooting their mouths off about this being a DNA case - you can bet that the opposite is true. This, by the way has always been proven to be a good rule of thumb - whatever that team says IS, I have found in the past to be precisely what it IS NOT. They call it a DNA case because they know that one would expect their own DNA to be all over that house and thereofore it would be hard to convict THEM on DNA.
When Arndt and others showed up at that house, it was on the basis of the belief that the Ramseys were victims of a kidnapping, so it would not have entered most people's minds, I think, to immediately treat them as suspects. (AFTER the Ramsey case, given their precedent, cops probably would immediately conceive of that possibility.) I do think that all friends and victims' advocates (who called these victim advocate people in anyway?) ought to have been sent home promptly. Comfort should have waited at least until the presumed kidnapper's call. I also think that in such a case it is normal to request that the parents search the house because only they can alert the police to changes in the environment - objects taken or moved etc. In retrospect one wonders why Patsy didn't get off the couch and drama and ALSO go searching for clues, changes, missing clothing etc.
So now, JR comes up the stairs with the body. At THAT point everything changes BUT he has already moved the body so damaged the crime scene, so it matters little that Arndt places the body somewhere because what is she supposed to do? Tell him to freeze on the spot indefinitely? I mean, while it has been said that the first officers may have already entertained suspicions about the family because of the weird ransom note, the weirdness of that note only became totally obvious when the body was found in the house. So, I think that the police team was criticized unjustly up to that point.
I believe that social prejudice probably played a role here. The Ramsey's obvious wealth could well have intimidated the LE people into not demanding certain things like the departure of all non-family members, but those of you who have heard the Ramseys speak must admit that they are not exactly push-overs for complying to authorities, let alone mere requests. And let's not forget that friends almost as quickly began suggesting legal representation, which JR was no doubt only to eager to quickly get since the last thing he would have wanted would have been for ANY family member to bring down the scandal which subsequently ruined his then-successful career.
Subsequent to that, several LE people have complained about the cozy relationship the higher-ups established with the Ramseys and their expensive and no doubt locally-influential legal team, giving them information, making concessions, making few or no reasonable requests. Let's face it - the higher-ups of this case were scared to death of the Ramseys and their attorneys long arms and THAT was what compromised this investigation.
You know what is a total laugh? They had SO many reasons to arrest the Ramseys at the time and yet did not for fear of not having enough of a case. And NOW, when they have virtually NOTHING on this Karr guy, an arrest is made. What can I say? Money matters and IMO it hasn't ceased mattering in this case. So who "fumbled" this case? Not the lower investigative branches but the higher-ups with connections with the influential R lawyers and/fear of Ramsey & their lawyers' wrath.
The "investigative bungling" did not happen THEN. It is happening NOW.
JMO
