1996-12-27: Search Warrant 755 15 Street, Boulder, Colorado

December 27, 1996
Search Warrant
In the County Court
County of Boulder
The People of the State of Colorado
Before the Honorable Diane R. MacDonald, Judge

SEARCH WARRANT

TO: Det. James R. Byfield or any officer authorized by law to execute search warrants within the County of Boulder, State of Colorado. Being duly advised that the affiant, Det. James R. Byfield has this date filed an affidavit for a search warrant, which is incorporated herein by reference and which states probable cause in conformity with the provisions of the Colorado Revised Statutes and the Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure, for the following described property, to-wit:

bludgeon, green "garland" like decorating material, dark cloth, clothing or dark fabric, hairs, trace amounts of blood, trace amounts of semen or seminal fluid, clothing or fabric with trace amounts of blood, semen or seminal fluid

believed to be situated at the place known as: 755 15th Street, City and County of Boulder, State of Colorado, including the premises, a 1995 Jaguar 4 door with Colorado passenger license plates #MAN8301 which is located in attached garage, a 1996 Jeep Cherokee utility vehicle with Colorado license plate #MAH5615 which is located in the attached garage, and the curtilage of the premises. The property is described as a multiple story wood frame house with attached garage which contains two vehicles, a 1995 Jaguar 4 door with Colorado passenger license #MAN8301 and a 1996 Jeep Cherokee utility vehicle with Colorado passenger license #MAH5615; the house has a brown brick exterior with tan siding, with brown and white trim, the numbers "755" appear to the left (south) side of the front door; It is the third house south of Cascade Street, on the west side of 15th Street, with the front door facing east, towards 15th Street, County of Boulder, State of Colorado. Upon one or more of the grounds set forth in the Colorado Revised Statutes and the Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure, namely:

Certain property which is designed or intended for use or which is or has been used as a means of committing a criminal offense, or the possession of which is illegal, or which would be material evidence in a subsequent criminal prosecution.

Based upon the affidavit of Detective James R. Byfield, which is incorporated by reference herein I am satisfied that there is probable cause to believe that the property so described is located at the place above described.

YOU ARE THEREFORE COMMANDED to search forthwith the place or person described for the property described during the daytime, and to make return of this warrant to the undersigned Judge within ten days thereof, and to deliver to the person from whom the property is taken or to the premises from which the property is taken, a copy of this Warrant together with a receipt for the property taken, or, in lieu thereof, to leave a copy of the Warrant and receipt at the place from which the property is taken, and to deliver to the undersigned Judge a written inventory of the property taken with the return of this Warrant.

Dated this 27th day of December, 1996 in the County of Boulder, State of Colorado.

Diane R. MacDonald

Signature of Judge

---

ADDENDUM TO SEARCH WARRANT

Your Affiant James Byfield, is a duly commission officer with the Boulder Police Department. Your Affiant is currently assigned to Detective Division of the Boulder Police Department and is currently involved in the investigation of the circumstances leading to the death of JonBenet Ramsey, a six year old girl whose death was discovered on December 26, 1996.

On December 26, 1996, Your Affiant made an application for a search warrant for the premises of 755 15th ST., Boulder County, Colorado. The warrant was signed by the Honorable Judge Diane R. MacDonald. A copy of this warrant, attachments, and the approved affidavit are attached hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

Your Affiant was present during the search of the premises of 755 15th St. The search was commenced at approximately 20:20 on December 26, 1996. The body of the deceased was removed by Pat Dunn of the Boulder County Coroners Office, pursuant to the warrant. The child was transported to Boulder Community Hospital. On December 27, 1996 a post mortem examination was conducted by Dr. John Meyer, the Boulder County Coroner.

On December 27, 1996, Det. Linda Arndt of the Boulder Police Department was in attendance at the post mortem examination of the body of JonBenet Ramsey examination conducted by Dr. John Meyer. Det. Arndt informed Your Affiant that the clothing that the child was wearing at the time of Dr. Meyer's post mortem examination was the same clothing that she observed the child to be wearing when the body was initially discovered.

At approximately 11:20 hours on December 27, 1996, Det. Arndt informed Your Affiant of the following information:

Det. Arndt informed Your Affiant that she observed entangled in the hair of the child a green substance. Based upon her observations while at the residence on December 26, 1996, she believed that the green substance observed in the hair of the child was consistent with the green "garland" like decorative Christmas material that she had observed to be decorating the spiral staircase inside the child's home.
Det. Arndt stated to Your Affiant that she was present and observed a visual examination by Dr. Meyer of the shirt worn by the child. She observed and Dr. Meyer preserved dark fibers and dark hair on the outside of the shirt.

Det. Arndt told Your Affiant that she personally observed Dr. John Meyer examine the vaginal and pubic areas of the deceased, Dr. Meyer stated that he observed numerous traces of a dark fiber.

---

In the presence of Det. Arndt, Det. Tom Trujillo of the Boulder Police Department, used a black florescent light to view the body including the pubic area of the victim in an attempt to observe the possible presence of semen or seminal fluid. (Your Affiant knows from previous experience, and training that substances such as semen or seminal fluid, not visible to the unaided eye, may become visible when viewed under a black florescent light). Det. Arndt stated that she observed florescent areas of the upper inner and outer left thigh, as well as the upper and inner right thigh. Det. Arndt stated that her observations of the result of the black florescent light observation is consistent with the presence of semen or seminal fluid.

Det. Arndt informed Your Affiant that she observed Dr. Meyer swab these florescent areas. Dr. Meyer was also observed by Det. Arndt to obtain vaginal, oral and anal swabs from the child's body.

Det. Arndt informed Your Affiant that Dr. Meyer stated to her that he observed red stains in the crotch area of the panties that the child was wearing at the time that the child's body was subjected to the external visual examination. Dr. Meyer stated to Det. Arndt that the red stain appeared to be consistent with blood. Det. Arndt further informed the Affiant that Dr. Meyer stated to her that after examining the panties (as described above), he observed the exterior pubic area of the child's body located next to the areas of the panties containing the red stains and found no visible reddish stains in that area. Dr. Meyer stated to Det. Arndt that his opinion is that the evidence observed is consistent with the child's pubic area having been wiped by a cloth.

At approximately 14:00 hours on December 27, 1996 your affiant was called by Det. Arndt. Detective Arndt stated she was present when Dr. Meyer, as part of the autopsy procedure on JonBenet, examined the skull of the child. Dr. Meyer stated to Det. Arndt that the right side child's skull had a linear fracture which ran the entire length of the skull, measuring 8.5" in length front to rear. Dr. Meyer observed recent fresh hemorrhage to the brain consistent with the skull fracture line and running its entire length. A rectangular shaped, displaced piece of skull was observed measuring 1.75" x .5". The placement of bruising and the skull fracture on the same side of the child's skull, in the opinion of Dr. Meyer, was consistent with a blow to the head.

Your Affiant believes that probable cause exists to amend the previously issued search warrant for the premises of 755 15th St. City and County of Boulder, Colorado, as described on the face of the previously issued search warrant for that premises (which is attached hereto and incorporated by reference) in order to search for and seize the following items of evidence which may be of material aid in the investigation of the facts surrounding the death of JonBenet Ramsey. to wit:

---

Bludgeon.
Green "garland" like decorating material.
Dark cloth, dark clothing or dark fabric
Hairs.
Trace amounts of blood.
Trace amounts of semen or seminal fluid.
Clothing or fabric with trace amounts of blood, semen or seminal fluid.

James R. Byfield

AFFIANT

Sworn to and subscribed in my presence this 27th day of December, 1996, in Boulder, Colorado Diane R. MacDonald

JUDGE

---

TO: Detective James R. Byfield or any officer authorized by law to execute search warrant within the County of Boulder, State of Colorado, having this date filed an affidavit for search warrant, which is incorporated herein by reference and which states probable cause in conformity with the provisions of Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure (Rule 41), for the following described property, to-wit: See Attachment B believed to be situated at the place known as: 755 15th Street, City and County of Boulder, State of Colorado including the premises, a 1995 Jaguar 4 door with Colorado passenger license plates #MAN8301 which is located in attached garage, a 1996 Jeep Cherokee utility vehicle with Colorado license plate #MAH5615 which is located in the attached garage, and the curtilage of the premises. The property is described as a multiple story wood frame house with an attached garage with contains two vehicles, a 1995 Jaguar 4 door with Colorado passenger license #MAN8301, and a 1996 Jeep Cherokee utility vehicle with Colorado passenger license #MAH5615; the house has a brown brick exterior with tan siding, with brown and white trim. The numbers "755" appear to the left (south) side of the front door. It is the third house south of Cascade Street, on the west side of 15th Street, with the front door facing east, towards 15th Street, County of Boulder, State of Colorado. Upon one ore more of the grounds set forth in Rule 41, Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure, namely:

Certain property which is designed or intended for use or which is or has been used as a means of committing a criminal offense, or the possession of which is illegal, or which would be material evidence in a subsequent criminal prosecution.

I am satisfied that there is probably cause to believe that the property so described is located on the premises above described.

YOU ARE THEREFORE COMMANDED to search forthwith the place or person described for the property described (during the daytime) (at any time), and to make return of this warrant to the undersigned Judge with ten days thereof, and to deliver to the person from whom the property is taken or from the premises from which the property is taken, a copy of this Warrant together with a receipt for the property taken, or, in lieu thereof, to leave a copy of the Warrant and receipt at the place from which the property is taken, and to deliver to the undersigned Judge a written inventory of the property taken with the return of this Warrant.

Dated this 26th day of December, 1996, in the County of Boulder, State of Colorado.

Diane R. MacDonald

Signature of Judge

---

AFFIDAVIT FOR SEARCH WARRANT

Your Affiant is Jim Byfield, a Detective with the Boulder Police Department. After being duly sworn, Your Affiant states the following:

Through official police reports and conversations with other members of the Boulder Police Department, including commissioned officers Linda Arndt, Michael Everett, Rick French, Tom Trujillo and Larry Mason. Your Affiant personally learned the following from those officers:

On December 26, 1996, at approximately 5:52 a.m., Boulder Police Officers Karl Veitch and Rick French responded to 755 15th St., Boulder, Colorado, regarding a possible kidnapping. The residents of 755 15th St., John and Patsy Ramsey, informed the officers of the following:

The Ramsey's reside at 755 15th St., and are the parents of JonBenet Ramsey, who is six years old.

This morning at approximately 5:45 a.m., Patsy Ramsey discovered that JonBenet Ramsey was missing from the residence. JonBenet was last seen by Patsy Ramsey in the residence at approximately 10:00 p.m. December 25th. On the floor of the residence the Ramsey's found a hand written note, a copy of which is attached hereto as "Amendment A" and incorporated in to this affidavit.

According to Officers French and Veitch there were no obvious signs of forcible entry into their residence and the Ramsey's believed that the house was locked when they went to bed.

Your Affiant, through Boulder Regional Communications Center Dispatch, was advised at approximately 1:05 p.m. on December 26th, 1996, that the body of JonBenet Ramsey was discovered in the basement of 755 15th St., Boulder, Boulder County, State of Colorado. Your Affiant personally met with BPD Detective Linda Arndt. Det. Arndt personally provided Your Affiant with the following information:

Det. Arndt had been inside the residence located at 755 15th St., Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado from approximately 0800 hours until 1435 hours on December 26, 1996. Det. Arndt had been called out to respond to this residence earlier this morning on the report of the 6 year old female child at this residence who had reportedly been kidnapped. There was no sign of forced entry to this residence. The female child, JonBenet Ramsey, had last been seen by her father, John Ramsey, at approximately 2200 hours on December 25, 1996. This information had personally been told to Det. Arndt by John Ramsey. JonBenet had last been seen in her bed. JonBenet's bedroom is located on the second floor of the residence. According to John Ramsey, the only persons at this residence from approximately 2200 hours on December 25, 1996 until 0545 hours on December 26 were: John Ramsey (father of JonBenet); Patricia "Patsy" Ramsey (mother of JonBenet); and Burke (10-11 year old brother of JonBenet). When Det. Arndt arrived at the Ramsey residence, persons present included: John Ramsey, Patsy Ramsey, Priscilla and Fleet White (friends of the family), Barbara and John Fernie (friends of the family), the pastor from St. John's Episcopalian Church (1400 block in Boulder), BPD officers Rick French and Barry Weiss. Ofc. French personally told Det. Arndt that the White's and Fernie's had been phoned by either John or Patsy Ramsey shortly after the note was found and had immediately come over to the Ramsey residence. The pastor also responded to the Ramsey residence shortly after the note was found.

Patsy told Det. Arndt that she found a note at the bottom of the staircase leading from the first floor to the second floor. Refer to Attachment A. The note was found at approximately 0545 hours on December 26. Det. Arndt had personally viewed this note. The note was written on white lined paper with a felt type writing utensil with black ink. The note stated that JonBenet had been kidnapped. The note stated that JonBenet would be decapitated if the demands of the note were not met. The note stated that police were not to be contacted. The note stated that $118,000 was demanded as ransom. The author(s) of the note stated that they would phone Mr. John Ramsey "tomorrow" between 0800-1000 hours.

Detective Arndt monitored incoming phone calls to the Ramsey residence from approximately 0800 - 1300 hours. John Ramsey answered the incoming phone calls. None of the incoming calls were from the reported kidnappers. At approximately 1300 hours Detective Arndt asked John Ramsey, Fleet (friend of the family, and John Fernie to check the interior of the residence for any sign of JonBenet, or anything that may have been left or taken that belonged to JonBenet. JonBenet's bedroom had been sealed off by Detectives Arndt and Fred Patterson at approximately 1030 hours. John Ramsey immediately went to the basement of the house, followed by Fleet White and John Fernie. Within a few minutes, Fleet came running upstairs, grabbed the telephone in the back office located on the first floor, and yelled for someone to call for an ambulance.

Detective Arndt ran to the front of the house, where the door leading to the baseement was located. Det. Arndt saw John Ramsey run up the basement stairs. John Ramsey was carrying a young girl in his arms. Both arms of the girl were raised above her head. There appeared to be a string hanging from the girl's right wrist. The girl's lips were blue; she appeared to have livor mortis on her back side of her body; she had rigor mortis; she was not breathing. JonBenet was dressed in a light colored long-sleeved turtleneck and light-colored pants (similar to pajama bottoms). John Ramsey placed the girl onto the floor, inside the front door. The girl was identified by John Ramsey as being JonBenet. JonBenet was not breathing; her body was cool to the touch; she had a white cloth string around her neck, similar to the cloth string around her wrist; there was a red circular mark in the front of her neck, about the size of a quarter, at the base of her throat; she had an odor of decay to her; she had dried mucous from one of her nostrils. Based on Det. Arndt's experience, JonBenet appeared to be dead, and appeared to have been dead for a period of time. John Ramsey told Det. Arndt that he had found JonBenet in the wine cellar in the basement, underneath a blanket, with her wrists tied above her head and a piece of tape covering her mouth. John Ramsey had removed the tape from her mouth before he carried JonBenet upstairs to the first floor. Detective Arndt personally told Your Affiant JonBenet's body was left inside the residence.

Det. Michael Everett informed Your Affiant that after the discovery of the girl's body that he walked through the basement area of the house to attempt to determine if any persons were present in the basement. In the area where Det. Arndt had told Det. Everett that the decedent had been found by her father he observed two blankets on the floor in the center of the room. The scene is currently being secured by members of the Boulder Police Department.

Your Affiant has investigated numerous crime scenes including at least ten homicide crime scenes. Your Affiant knows through personal experience, training, and the details stated within this affidavit that the following items may be found at this potential homicide crime scene and can be material evidence in a subsequent criminal prosecution;

Still and video photography, measurements, implements or articles of every kind that could have caused or contributed to the injuries of the victim, trace material of every kind such as clothing, fibers, hair, body fluids, latent prints and the objects on which they are found, documentary evidence tending to establish the motive, identity of the victim, any suspects or witnesses, the body of JonBenet Ramsey, any writing paper or pads lined and white in color, any examples of handwriting any felt-type writing utensil with black ink, light colored cloth string type material including shoes or clothing missing drawstrings or shoestrings, and footprints or other physical evidence of intruders either inside or outside of the residence.

Your Affiant requests a search warrant for the premises, for a 1995 Jaguar 4 door with Colorado passenger license plate #MAN8301 which is in the garage of the premises, for a 1996 Jeep Cherokee utility vehicle with Colorado license plate #MAH5615 which is located in the garage of the premises, and for the curtilage of the premises which is located at 755 15th St., Boulder, Colorado to search for the items listed in Attachment B, which is attached and incorporated into this affidavit. Your Affiant believes that a search of these areas at 755 15th St., Boulder, Colorado, might lead to the discovery of items that would be material evidence in a subsequent criminal prosecution. The residence at 755 15th St., Boulder, Colorado is described by Detective Linda Arndt to Your Affiant as a multiple story wood frame house with an attached garage which has a brown brick exterior with tan siding and brown and white trim. The numbers "755" appear to the left (south) of the front door. It is the third house south of Cascade Street on the westside of 15th Street. The front door to the residence faces east, toward 15th Street.

Det. Arndt told Your Affiant that she briefly viewed the two (2) vehicles parked inside the attached garage. She described one of the vehicles as a Jaguar 4 door and the other vehicle as a utility type vehicle. Detective Arndt obtained a Cosin printout of the vehicles listing to John Ramsey. The Cosin printout indicated that John Ramsey is the driver of a 1995 Jaguar 4 door with Colorado passenger license #MAN8301. Cosin indicated that John Ramsey is the driver of a 1996 Jeep Cherokee utility vehicle with Colorado passenger license #MAH5615.

James R. Byfield

AFFIANT

Sworn to and subscribed in my presence this 26th day of December, 1996, in Boulder, Colorado

Diane R. MacDonald

JUDGE

---

ATTACHMENT A [NOTE TO READER: FOR BREVITY PURPOSES, ATTACHMENT A, RANSOM NOTE, IS NOT SHOWN AGAIN HERE AS IT IS SHOWN IN THE FIRST SEARCH WARRANT]

---

ATTACHMENT B

1) All material evidence to be developed by a thorough scene investigation of the premises, including but not limited to: still and video photography, measurements, implements or articles of every kind that could have caused or contributed to the injuries of the victim; trace material of every kind such as clothing, fibers, hair, body fluids, latent prints and the objects on which they are found; documentary evidence tending to establish the motive, identity of the victim, any suspect or witnesses.

2) The body of JonBenet Ramsey

3) Any and all writing paper or pads, lined and white in color.

4) Any and all examples of handwriting found in the home.

5) Any felt-type writing utensil with black ink.

6) Light colored cloth string type material

7) Shoes or clothing missing drawstrings or shoestring

8) The curtilage of the home including the garage, the vehicles in the garage and outbuildings for footprints and physical evidence of intruders.

---

RETURN AND INVENTORY
COUNTY OF BOULDER
STATE OF COLORADO

I, James R. Byfield, received the within Search Warrant on Dec. 27, 1996, and duly executed it as follows: On Dec. 27, 1996, at 3:00, o'clock PM, I searched (the person) (the premises) described in the search warrant and left a copy of the search warrant with together with an inventory of the property. (Name of person searched, or at the place of search)

The following in an inventory of property taken pursuant to the search warrant: