PERFECT MURDER, PERFECT TOWN: JONBENÉT AND THE CITY OF BOULDER {NIGHT 2} (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television film, originally shown in two installments, follows the story of the shocking 1996 murder of Colorado six-year-old JonBénet Ramsey and its long-term effects on the community. The second program begins as Detective Thomas finally begins to interview the Ramseys, four months after JonBénet's death. Patsy seems to muddle several small details, though maintains that Burke slept through the entire affair, and John cannot explain why his friend Fleet White "saw nothing" upon first entering the basement or why he immediately called his pilot to whisk the family off to Atlanta. He refuses a polygraph, though Patsy readily agrees to one, and she argues that "lots of people" had keys to the home. Thomas is all the more convinced of her guilt, particularly when the Ramseys make another television appearance, though Hofstrom again states that she had no motive, and the news media continues analyzing the parents' odd behavior. Shapiro heads to the Ramseys' church and gains access by feigning a desire to convert, and when Thomas sits down with the reporter, he is surprised to find that he has several theories of his own and has talked extensively with D.A. Hunter. With Eller still trying to smear Hunter's name, Shapiro offers to dig into Eller's past for some dirt, though he assures Thomas that his true "loyalty" is to the murdered girl.
Reverend Hoverstock is upset to discover Shapiro's ruse, and Eller wildly accuses Hunter of tampering with evidence in his "war room," though there seems to be no evidence of a break-in. Lou Smit talks private with the Ramseys, promising that he will analyze the evidence to find the true killer, though Thomas and the other cops inform him that the parents are the culprits, "pure and simple." Shapiro continues pressing Hunter for details for his articles, and Smit, Thomas and the other policemen tour the now-empty Ramsey home, trying to understand the chain of events. Thomas maintains that Patsy struck JonBénet in a fit of anger and accidentally killed her, leading to the elaborate cover-up, but Smit continues rationalizing the intruder idea, going so far as to allow the cops to test the garrote on himself. The Ramseys continue defending themselves publicly with open letters and flyers, and analysts at Quantico debate the conflicting emotional aspects of the crime scene, wondering if the killer truly cared for the girl or not. Thomas re-interviews White, who is angered that he has not yet been officially cleared, and Thomas and Gosage secretly record Shapiro stating that Hunter wishes him to find salacious information on Eller. Koby criticizes them for attempting a "blackmail scheme" on the D.A., but he ends up demoting Eller and promoting Detective Mark Beckner to run the Ramsey case.
Forensic psychiatrist Steve Pitt states that the Ramseys remain under "an umbrella of suspicion," though Hofstrom and Smit warn Hunter against convening a grand jury. The first anniversary of the murder arrives as Eller quits the department in anger, and Koby admits that he too feels overwhelmed by the high-profile case. Thomas is outraged when Shapiro warns him that the tabloids may publish details of his personal life, and the Ramseys, in Atlanta, talk to two documentarians about the importance of their religious faith. Attorney Bryan Morgan delivers a letter from John agreeing to let Hunter question the couple freely, though Hunter points out that the case still "belongs" to the police and not to his office. In June 1998, Thomas and the other detectives present all of their evidence so far, explaining that they have eliminated most of their 68 original suspects and that the fibers in the duct tape over JonBénet's mouth seemingly match Patsy's jacket, though not conclusively. The case is finally moved over to the district attorney's office, and Thomas begs Smit to be tough with the Ramseys and stick to the important details.
Patsy denies the coroner's statement that JonBénet consumed pineapple before her death, and John suggests that the local "Santa" might be to blame, as the girl would not have feared him. Patsy is furious when Hal Haddon tries to point the finger at Burke, and Hofstrom tells an unsure Hunter that convening a grand jury against her would be "just plain wrong." Furious at their lack of pressure on the couple and the "campaign of misinformation" against the police force, Thomas publicly resigns from the department on television. Governor Romer opts not to appoint a special prosecutor and the grand jury is finally assembled, though Smit learns that he may not be called to the stand, as his testimony would damage their case against the parents. The grand jury inspects the former Ramsey home, and Smit again presents his intruder theory to the prosecutors, feeling that he is "conscience-bound" to defend the Ramseys. Hunter is forced to accept that the case against the Ramseys is not truly "there," and the relieved jurors finally leave the private courtroom as Hunter tells the news that due to insufficient evidence, no formal charges have been filed. Thomas watches the report from home, unwavering in his belief of Patsy's guilt. Several more figures in the case resign their posts in the coming years, and the case remains unsolved as the parents prepare to publish a book about their experiences. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: February 12, 2000 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:29:13
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:82308
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense; True crime; Murder victims
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 2000
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Richard Waltzer … Executive Producer
- Lawrence Schiller … Executive Producer, Director, Based on the book by
- Tom Rolf … Associate Producer
- Barbara Black … Line Producer
- Tom Topor … Writer
- John Cacavas … Music by
- Kris Kristofferson … Cast, Lou Smit
- Marg Helgenberger … Cast, Patsy Ramsey
- Ronny Cox … Cast, John Ramsey
- Ken Howard … Cast, Alex Hunter
- Peter Friedman … Cast, Peter Hofstrom
- Scott Cohen … Cast, Steve Thomas
- Sean Whalen … Cast, Jeff Shapiro
- John Rubenstein … Cast, Rev. Hoverstock
- Dennis Boutsikaris … Cast, Chief Koby
- J.C. MacKenzie … Cast, Trip Demuth
- Murphy Guyer … Cast, John Eller
- Patrick Tovatt … Cast, Fleet White
- Juan Hernandez … Cast, Det. Tom Trujillo
- R.E. Rodgers … Cast, Det. Ron Gosage
- John Dennis Johnston … Cast, Hal Haddon
- Frederick Coffin … Cast, District Attorney Bill Wise
- Bob Eric Hart … Cast, Bryan Morgan
- Dave Nieman … Cast, Patrick Burke
- Tayva Patch … Cast, Det. Jane Fleming
- James McDonald … Cast, Det. Mark Beckner
- Christy Summerhayes … Cast, Karena Thomas
- Karen Alston … Cast, Susan Stine
- Michael Flynn … Cast, Governor Roy Romer
- Joseph C. Phillips … Cast, Det. McKinley
- Duane Stephens … Cast, CBI Expert
- Jim Lau … Cast, Dr. Henry Lee
- Coco Nebeker … Cast, Karen Sheehan
- George Sullivan … Cast, Bob Miller
- Becky Harding … Cast, Alex Hunter's Asst.
- Terry Wood … Cast, TV Anchor
- Nyk Fry … Cast, FBI Agent #1
- David Kirk Chambers … Cast, FBI Agent #2
- Sam Dalton … Cast, Steve Pitt
- Steven Fales … Cast, David Mills
- Carl Nelson … Cast, Michael Tracey
- Micaela Nelligan … Cast, Waitress
- Jesse Bennett … Cast, Bill Hagmaier
- Alan Lane … Cast, Prosecutor
- Ntare Mwine … Cast, Det. Everett
- Melinda C. Haynes … Cast, Ramsey's Assistant
- Brad Nygren … Cast, Defense Lawyer
- Gregg McCrary … Cast, Himself
- Craig Silverman … Cast, Himself
- Julie Hayden Jordon … Cast, Herself
- Brian Maass … Cast, Himself