DENVER (Court TV) — He brought in his own team of legal heavy hitters to advise him on whether to probe deeper into the mystery of who killed JonBenet Ramsey.
But Wednesday, Gov. Bill Owens announced he would not appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the case further.
"I believe that the right people are working on the Ramsey case and that they're finally working as a team," Owens said. "Based on the evidence available to me, I believe they are targeting the right murder suspects."
In addition to his announcement about the special prosecutor, Owens had a message for Ramsey's killers and another for her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey.
"To the only killers of JonBenet Ramsey, you only think you have gotten away with murder," he said. "(But) there is strong evidence to suggest who you are. Each day will bring us closer to the day when you will reap what you have sewn."
And to her parents, Owens said, "I'd tell them to quit hiding behind their attorneys, quit hiding behind their p.r. firm. Come back to Colorado and help us find JonBenet's killers."
Asked if he thought her parents were her killers, Owens said "no comment."
The governor would not say who "the right murder suspects" were, but reiterated Boulder District Attorney Alex Hunter's affirmation that the case is stronger now.
"Substantial new evidence is presently being analyzed and will continue to be analyzed," Owens said.
Now the investigation goes back to the Boulder police department. Owens was critical of the department's initial handling of the investigation, but at the same time optimistic that the murder could be solved. Owens and his advisers, including Attorney General Ken Salazar and former Colorado Chief Justice Anthony Vollack, did not have access to the evidence gathered during the grand jury's investigation. Hunter also conferred with the panel.
Following Hunter's recent announcement that the case lacked enough evidence to produce any indictments, Owens' decision not to appoint a special prosecutor was not surprising.
Denver residents woke to two newspaper stories that said Owens saw no potential in appointing a special prosecutor — a decision, said criminal defense attorney Jeralyn Merritt, that made sound legal sense.
"When eight experienced prosecutors unanimously come to the conclusion that there is no prosecutable case at this time, the governor should abide by that decision," Merritt said. "There's nothing to be gained by starting from ground zero."
Given the intense scrutiny on the murder investigation, some saw Owens' recent efforts as a way to appease a cynical, disappointed public. Had Owens decided a special prosecutor were necessary, however, it could have been a "political disaster," Merritt said.
"If a special prosecutor was appointed and a statewide grand jury convened, it's unlikely that the new grand jury would have access to the (old) grand jury's findings without Alex Hunter's consent," Merritt said. By Colorado law, grand juries are sworn to secrecy.
She added, "It's likely they wouldn't get a conviction because everyone agrees there was no evidence to support one."
—Valerie Q. Carino
