Justice Watch Discussion Board "Sharing Steve Thomas' thanks...." [ Main ] [ Post New Thread ] [ Help ] [ Search ] Table of Contents ................................................................... Sharing Steve Thomas' thanks...., Coolteach, 19:36:33, 5/16/2000 Thanks, CoolTeach..., PegB, 19:53:49, 5/16/2000, (#1) More Thanks TO Steve, sabrina, 20:09:05, 5/16/2000, (#2) ................................................................... "Sharing Steve Thomas' thanks...." Posted by Coolteach on 19:36:33 5/16/2000 Dear JW people, I opened up the forum this morning and saw you all saying hello back and forth, talking about fleas and such, and thought, "Gee, I wish I knew these people better." Unfortunately, I cannot write very often, but I really enjoy following the discussions when I can. I learned through you all here about the APB New forum, and was happy to be able to ask Steve Thomas some questions. Tonight I checked in to it to see if it were still running, and found this final letter from Steve. Since many of you are mentioned, I thought I should cut and paste it for you, just in case some of you had missed it. If it has already been shared, then forgive me. I put it in its own string as it didn't seem to fit the strings that are up at present. OK, I'll shut up and put Steve's words here for all of you to see. Regards, Coolteach "Dear APBnews.com forum participants: Thanks from Steve Thomas! I was going to address this sign-off message with a rather generic "Thanks to all the APBnews.com forum participants," but after reading all the messages and trying to respond to the few that I could, it became more personal than that. So let me end by addressing this to all of those well-informed, insightful participants, including (in no particular order): ruthee angelique modembutterfly justice4jb kilwil888 mjenn wolf (chris, was that you?) countrygirl suzier v_p aka vlagay nandee badsusie wilder zapata lisacee missytoddler acandyrose shesguilty mikee maxi53 tamara rondata leel sabrina cindy the logical "anonymous" poster I couldn't keep straight :) logical vikilyn camss nikkih longhorn bluediamond digerati mame ace21214 humble369 tsitra chebrock starry valentinedog fmallan candy1710 jodie katie80 maeven leroysdad airplance bdubourg wolverine k777angel momo5 sabine stakeout blueknight kimanderson and to all the cops who are privately e-mailing me. And to those good guys I missed, it was unintentional. Let me say this first -- I was so impressed with many of you and your depth of knowledge about the investigation. It is impressive, and remarkable, that there are so many of you out there who are so dedicated to this case and to JonBenet. If there were any doubts before, I certainly have none now, that you - collectively -- will never allow this case to fade away. I find that very inspiring. (APBnews.com also was surprised at the fantastic response this message forum generated. It shows how concerned all of you continue to be.) I wish I could have answered, in depth, each of you personally. I'm sorry I couldn't because my time was limited. Additionally, some of the questions (DNA, for example) would have required such complex responses that I could not have done them any sort of justice without writing a 30-page response. I can talk a lot faster than I can type -- good thing we had detectives secretaries who transcribed our reports for us. I would love to be able to converse with many of you someday, and verbally answer all your questions. As to some of the posters I chose not to respond to, allow me this: It is difficult to debate in this forum, particularly with people who come from positions in which their presupposition and knowledge of the case is flawed. To try and tackle flawed arguments and criticism would take too much time away from other more informed posters. I find some of these critics amusing -- in my police experience I have found these are often the same people who, when their house is burgled or when they are punched in the nose, cry to the officer to become their savior and wet nurse, demanding justice when they have been wronged. Officers have nicknames for people like this. I only hope they never have a loved one killed or assaulted, at which time, undoubtedly, the police would unfailingly come to their assistance and do whatever possible to help them. In the meantime, they remain critics, until they need the police. These same critics could never put on a badge and survive a single day on the street as a police officer. Rest assured of that. So, as to those questions and debates that were not addressed here -- I have no problem putting the cards on the table and debating the issues. In fact, those who are most involved in the case and who would seem to have the most knowledge don't want to answer my questions. District Attorney Alex Hunter refused to appear one-on-one with me and do just that when recently asked by the Larry King Live producers. I also extended to those producers the same invitation to John and Patsy Ramseys and former Detective Lou Smit. I am still waiting. ************************* This case should bother everyone, and it should bother, in particular, those who reside in Boulder, Colo. Nothing has changed. I just cannot fathom those who continue to defend Hunter. This case became something extraordinary, something that should be studied by law schools and police academies as a primer on how not to run a major case investigation. To borrow a line I read recently, it goes something like this (paraphrased): "The amazing thing about this case is not how baffling it is, but rather how Hunter has managed to persuade others how baffling it is." As to Hunter's "baffling" case -- this should have been a straightforward murder investigation. I continue to subscribe to this theory: Whoever wrote the ransom note, absent some great conspiracy (which I do not believe), was responsible for killing JonBenet. If the ransom-note writer wishes to make complicit any other actor, that will be up to the ransom-note writer. Prosecutors use such leverage in this country all the time. In the meantime, we will sit as Hunter waits for the case to become, in his words, "ripe." As long as Hunter remains in office, I am worried for the citizens of Boulder: A horribly dysfunctional criminal justice system remains in place. I don't know how or why some of these posters can defend that institution, an institution I knew personally all too well. (A sidebar story -- last weekend, I was out of state at the wedding of a friend, a Secret Service agent from Los Angeles. There were a number of officers there, and one afternoon war stories about Hunter and his office were traded, and it was simply astonishing -- the conduct, the plea bargains, the deals that were quietly made. One day I hope it is all chronicled, for it is an investigation that begs to be opened. I was also bothered as we reflected on all the good police officers who have left the Boulder Police Department, a lot of great law enforcers far more talented than I ever could have become. These are not the types of officers you want leaving police work.) As to those questions about Donald Foster of Vassar, who identified Patsy Ramsey as the author of the note, he is a true expert and a mild-mannered professor, who at the request of the government in Boulder deciphered the hieroglyphics of that ransom note and has been vilified by some for doing so. I support his work and his finding as thorough and remarkable. Regarding Fleet White, a man who was rightfully and righteously outraged that his child's friend had been killed and nothing done about it, I also stand behind this man, who acted more like the parent of a murdered child than did the parents of the murdered child, in my humble opinion. And for those who questioned me about Bill McReynolds, we remain friends to this day, and he has supported me in the telling of this story. Well, I've got to go, as my carpentry buddies have been on me lately from coming to work on so little sleep. This is our busy time of the year, as the days are long and working outside is pleasant. Not an hour goes by that I don't think of JonBenet and the case, as we hammer nails and I feel as if I am doing something constructive again. I wish I could have answered each of you personally, as your personalities shined through, and there are many of you I would love to meet someday. But in the meantime, I admire all of you (even a couple of the critics), as we will all continue to watch this case closely, and continue our collective hope that there will one day be justice for JonBenet. Respectfully, Steve Thomas" [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 1. "Thanks, CoolTeach..." Posted by PegB on 19:53:49 5/16/2000 ...Steve Thomas did what he had to do, and I appreciate him for that. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 2. "More Thanks TO Steve" Posted by sabrina on 20:22:52 5/16/2000 NOTE: This message was last edited 20:22:52, 5/16/2000 Thanks Cool teach for posting this and MORE thanks to Steve for making himself available (hey, we all bought the book anyway...APB or About.com chat or not...so it wasn't about selling the book )Thanks for chatting for longer than the allotted time,and for posting many more than the requested 2 answers per day. (I was so sad to see a few posters interjecting nonsense after each and every post. Maybe they took a break or two for a Happy Meal, but it seems like they posted non-stop and trashed that APB board.)I hope you are reading this, Steve and rest assured that we at JW will not let this case die until there is an indictment. Some of us may drift in and out (we actually have busy lives besides posting at JW and collecting beercans) but this case is in all of our hearts. Always. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ]