Justice Watch Discussion Board "Steve's Final Post to APB" [ Main ] [ Post New Thread ] [ Help ] [ Search ] Table of Contents ................................................................... Steve's Final Post to APB, v_p, 19:44:58, 5/16/2000 I AM SOOOOOO SORRY!!, v_p, 19:46:45, 5/16/2000, (#1) Steve Thomas, docg, 20:30:54, 5/16/2000, (#2) He ignored a question and compliment from me -, Holly, 20:59:52, 5/16/2000, (#3) ................................................................... "Steve's Final Post to APB" Posted by v_p on 19:44:58 5/16/2000 Tonight ST made this final post. I thought it justified a new thread because he brought up a lot of points which could be discussed. I will miss going to the message board everyday to read his posts... *sighs* ~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~~*~**~*~ 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 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~~* V. [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 1. "I AM SOOOOOO SORRY!!" Posted by v_p on 19:46:45 5/16/2000 Chris, Just delete mine - paleeeeeeeeeese, we must have been posting at the same time because I looked and didn't see cool's post. Dang it!! Sorry... v. (little "v") [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 2. "Steve Thomas" Posted by docg on 20:30:54 5/16/2000 As one of those whose questions Thomas did not (for whatever reason) respond to, I must say how impressed I was by the way he handled that forum and for his very impressive and moving statement above. It think his disagreement with Alex Hunter is very unfortunate. And I find it very hard to accept his theory of the case. But the man himself is definitely a class act, he has acted nobly and made very real sacrifices for what he feels is right. God Bless him! I am not as impressed by Alex Hunter, not by a long shot. Nevertheless, I feel Thomas has been unfair to Hunter. The case is, I think, deeper than Thomas wants to accept. Thomas is the good cop who's got the culprit in his sights and only wants to bring "him" to justice. Hunter is the deeper thinker, IMO, and realizes that all is not as it might seem with this case. It is far from being solved. And until it is solved, there is very little hope for a conviction. Nor would we want a conviction (would we?) until we have a much better idea of who did what and why. Clearly we are still in the dark. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 3. "He ignored a question and compliment from me -" Posted by Holly on 20:59:52 5/16/2000 holly1565. He's a nice guy with a lot of smarts, but in my book, he's a big fat zero. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ]