January 3, 1999

Gov-elect Bill Owens' press secretary, Dick Wadhams, makes a statement that the Gov-elect is expecting results from the Grand Jury. He further states that if he gets no results that he will consider appointing a special prosecutor.

Retired Boulder Police Officer Dale Stange is quoted as saying "the grand jury ain't going to do nothing.....they don't have any evidence."

January 5, 1999

DA Hunter lashes out at Gov Elect Owens' remarks by stating they were out of line.

Wadhams continued to stand by his statement.

Gov-elect Owens only stated that "while the jury was meeting and progressing" that it would be counterproductive to have a new prosecutor.

Hunter stated he felt the grand jury will base any decision on the evidence.

Linda Hoffman-Pugh stated that she and her husband were tentatively scheduled to answer questions for the grand jury sometime this month. Mrs Pugh stated that they were asked to appear by "informal request" rather than subpoena.

January 6, 1999

Wadhams reiterates that the Ramsey case is not yet on Gov-Elect Owens' agenda.

Wadhams states that "the Boulder County District Attorney needs to chill out and do his job."

Solicitor General, Richard Westfall, said the governor cannot appoint a special prosecutor, that he can only turn matters (civil or criminal) over to the attorney general's office.

January 7, 1999

    The DA is reportedly going to ask for an additional $79,723 in supplemental funding to get the grand jury going until at least March:
  • Kane will get $24,720
  • Suzanne Laurion will get $7,658
  • $13,752 is for research
  • $7,500 is for a computer
  • $5,000 for consultants
  • $900 for a law clerk and other smaller requests for supplies
  • $4,000 for transcripts
  • $1,250 for expert witnesses
  • $2,500 for travel

Reportedly the BPD spent more than $275,000 on the investigation before turning it over to the DA's office

It is unknown, still, at this time if the Rev Hoverstock will claim pastor-penitent privileges should he be called before the Grand Jury.

AP afternoon report states that the prosecutors received nearly $80,000 to help finance the grand jury through March

Reportedly the city of Boulder has spent more than $1M on the case to date

January 10, 1999

Ariana Hoffman-Pugh gives a saliva sample to police. According to her mother, "DA" Hunter ordered this sample be taken.

January 19, 1999

Peter Boyles discusses Fleet White appearance before GJ.

It is reported that John and Barbara Fernie testified before the GJ before the holidays. Because the GJ ended its last session before the Christmas holidays on Dec 1, the Fernie testimony is not likely to have occurred after that date.

January 21, 1999

Peter Boyles interviews David Wright.

January 23, 1999

A report on the cost of the Ramsey case thus far is released:

Salaries--$870,780.53
Overtime--$192,503.92
Travel--$68,959.85
Investigative--$51,565.37

A footnote to be added, per the report these figures do NOT include costs of management and exempt city employees such as the police chief, commanders, or legal advisers.

January 27, 1999

The Camera reports that Smit and Haney met yesterday with members of the District Attorney's office.

RMN reports that Smit has met twice in recent days with prosecutors (supposedly on Friday Jan 22 and Tues on Jan 26, 1999)

RMN also reports that Haney was seen at the courthouse as well.

January 28, 1999

Press release from DA office on the subject of a bear was as follows:

In connection with the JonBenet Ramsey homicide investigation, I am requesting the public's help in identifying the manufacturer of, and/or retail outlets that sold in 1996 or earlier, a toy teddy bear dressed in a rather unusual Santa Claus suit.

The bear is about a foot long, with torso and face covered in furry white fabric. It is wearing a red long-sleeved bolero jacket (the bear's chest and stomach are exposed; there are no buttons) and pants, trimmed along all the edges, including the cuffs, in material that looks like curly lamb's wool. Also trimmed with this material is a red Santa hat. A half-inch wide black belt is strapped around the bear's stomach, and attached to the belt with a shiny gold loop is a brown pouch about three inches long.

I am using two methods for releasing a photograph of this stuffed bear.

1.Posting a snapshot of the bear on my website -- http://www.co.boulder.co.us/da/bear.htm

2.Providing copies to media representatives who can pick up or photograph the bear picture at the District Attorney's Office during business hours today.

Contact Suzanne Laurion (303-441-4702)

We hope this picture will be published and telecast by media nationwide and that members of the general public, as well as retailers and manufacturers, will study the picture and contact us if (and only if) they have information about this specific bear.

The information we need from persons who have one of these bears, or who have direct knowledge of the bear, includes:

who manufactured the bear

what retail outlets sold the bear

during what time period the bear was available for purchase

If you have a photograph of a bear that you think matches, please include it in your correspondence.

Please mail information, which will remain confidential, as soon as possible to:

Alex Hunter
Boulder County District Attorney
Boulder County Justice Center
1777 6th Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302

I make this public request for assistance knowing that it will give rise to considerable speculation about the status of the Ramsey case. I intend to let this speculation take whatever course it will since to confirm or deny theories about what all this means would most certainly damage the ongoing investigation. However, I will keep the media and public informed of the response we get to this request and any success we have in obtaining the information we need.

Media questions should be directed to: Suzanne Laurion, Media Liaison, 303-441-4702

The Bear's Picture

January 29, 1999

RMN reports that the bear's whereabouts are a mystery. RMN also reports that "Aunt Pam" declares the bear to not belong to the child and its lack of ownership of belonging to JonBenét as being "significant."

The famous bear, however, is not listed among the evidence taken in the Ramsey case.

Craig Silverman stated his surprise that the bear was not taken into evidence; he also stated that it was possible they wanted the bear for some fiber identification.

Linda Hoffman-Pugh could not remember if she had seen the bear or not

"Aunt Pam" was reported in RMN as saying she believed the bear was on the other twin bed in JonBenét's bedroom

The Camera reports that the bear was seen in a crime scene photo, presumably taken from JonBenét's bedroom

Bob Grant was reported to say it was the first he'd heard of this bear.

Paula Woodward of 9News reported that authorities are curious about what might be in a pouch attached to the bear

The Camera reports that Donald Foster apparently will testify before the grand jury for his analysis of the ransom note. A source stated that "officials attending a two-day presentation of the case that detectives made to prosecutors in June called Foster's evidence crucial to the police theory of the crime".

January 30, 1999

A Denver woman turns in a teddy bear that reportedly closely resembles the "ramsey bear" to the DA's office

Laurion confirmed that the Coldwater police department in Michigan had been quietly working to find the maker of the stuffed bear since late last year.

Pam Paugh said in an interview that a small brown pouch attached to the bear contained a note.

January 31, 1999

A report surfaces that the teddy bear website received over 10,000 hits in the short time it went up Thursday.

The DA's office reportedly has received about 80 e-mails, 105 phone calls and two personal contacts since the site went up.

In addition, a close match to the missing toy bear was given to the DA's office.

Also, a search is reportedly on for this bear which is supposedly missing, even though Pam Paugh has stated that the bear had a note in its pouch, as well as that she read this note. The bear's whereabouts and who might have had it last is not known at this time.

February 1, 1999

AP reports that the Coldwater police department had posted photos of the bear on their web site beginning last october

Coldwater was reportedly picked as the place to do this bear advertisement because they were "totally unconnected" to the case....a neutral zone; the site drew zero responses

An injuction is filed against Lou Smit

Smit Injunction

February 4, 1999

DA's office releases a press statement that they now have the information needed with respect to the bear, and that they are confident they have identified the sources where this bear could have been obtained.

February 14, 1999

Excerpts from Lawrence Schiller's book surface. Schiller reports that an investigator found Patsy Ramsey to be charming and polite for the first two days of questioning in June. Supposedly when Detective Haney pressed her on the third day--suggesting he had evidence against her and telling her she had lied to him--Mrs. Ramsey replied, "Pal, you don't want to go there. Don't start that,'' he said.

This information is provided via an AP report on the book.

February 16, 1999

John Eller confirmed that District Attorney Alex Hunter enlisted the help of a tabloid reporter to discredit him.

John Eller also confirmed that he knew Shapiro was working on the book with Schiller, and also stated that Hunter was too.

John Eller stated there was more to this story, that he had a lot to say, but would say no more until the investigation is resolved.

Lawrence Schiller's book continues to be a major item of discussion as more and more information surrounding excerpts, and potential corruption in the DA's office leak.

Peter Boyles reports that Jeff Shapiro is being investigated for extortion

Gerry Spence predicts the Ramsey parents will be indicted

Dan Abrams predicts the Grand Jury report will be completed by the end of March or first of April

Former Detective Steve Thomas appears on Good Morning America.

Transcript from GMA

February 22, 1999

Linda Pugh states that some of the Ramsey internet sites about the Ramsey case contained lies about herself and her family. She states that someone wrote that her husband was a child abuser and that her daughter was involved in child pornography, lies of which still haunt her family.

February 26, 1999

Fleet White makes a public statement that his family did not talk to Schiller. He further states that very little in the book regarding his family and their role in the investigation is true.

Fleet White believes that either Schiller was given false information or the author himself took liberties with the truth.

Fleet White states the book does NOT give a true history of the investigation. He believes the book to be "a disorderly amalgam of police evidence, facts, lies and gossip given to Schiller by a variety of people in order to protect themselves or to justify their behavior over the last two years."

Jeff Merrick states that "Schiller at one point makes 17 factual errors in 12 consecutive sentences."