DENVER (AP) — An attorney for the parents of JonBenet Ramsey accused Colorado's governor of lying, saying his clients were rejected when they offered to cooperate in the investigation into their daughter's death.
L. Lin Wood, an Atlanta attorney for John and Patsy Ramsey, responded Thursday to comments made by Gov. Bill Owens.
The governor, in announcing he would not appoint a special prosecutor in the high-profile case, challenged the Ramseys to "quit hiding behind your attorneys, quit hiding behind your public relations firm and return to Colorado and work with us to find the killers in this case, no matter where that trail may lead."
The Ramseys accused the governor of slander. And Wood said there is "no doubt Bill Owens lied in that press conference, when he stated that John and Patsy Ramsey have not cooperated with authorities."
The Ramseys were willing to meet with the governor and testify before a grand jury looking into the 1996 death, Wood said.
"Every one of those offers has either been rejected or ignored," he said. He accused the governor of joining "the ranks of the supermarket tabloids."
Owens' spokeswoman confirmed Thursday that attorneys for the Ramseys did contact the governor's office and offered to make John Ramsey available for interviews.
"The governor didn't think it was appropriate to meet with people who are considered suspects," spokeswoman Amy Sampson said.
JonBenet's body was found in her parents' Boulder home Dec. 26, 1996. No suspects have been named and no arrests have been made. Boulder police have said the Ramseys remain under suspicion.
Owens got involved in the case after Boulder District Attorney Alex Hunter announced Oct. 13 that the grand jury investigating Jonbenet's death had ended its investigation without issuing any indictments.
The Ramseys hired Wood, who represented wrongly accused Olympic bombing suspect Richard Jewell, before the grand jury completed its work.
