Patsy and John Ramsey sign copies of their book after speaking to students and staff at Tusculum College during the couple's visit to Greeneville. (Tusculum College photo)

Ramseys speak to Tusculum students, staff during visit to Greeneville

John and Patsy Ramsey, who were at the center of a media firestorm after their daughter was murdered in December 1996, told Tusculum College students and staff Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 7) how their Christian faith has helped them through this trying time.

The Ramseys, appearing at the college as part of their visit to Greeneville organized by the Greeneville Christian Leadership Roundtable, spoke of the hope their faith has given them, how God has worked in their lives, and their experiences with law enforcement and the media after the murder of their daughter, JonBenet. The event was for students and staff of the college and not publicized for public attendance.

"Faith is a journey; some people are ahead of you and some people are behind you," John Ramsey said. "If by sharing our experiences we can be of help to one person, then it is worthwhile."

"My prayer for you is that nothing bad will happen to you," Patsy Ramsey told the students. "Something, sometime, unfortunately, is going to happen in your life that will be bad. If I can help you remember one thing, it is that there is a place to go when nothing else works - the Bible."

One of the first questions most people ask is how the Ramseys were able to survive the death of their daughter, Jon said. The first "survival" question that must be asked is why did it happen, he continued. The answer of most religions is that it is the punishment for some wrongdoing. However, Mr. Ramsey said, the Book of Job in the Bible in which Job suffered the loss of everything he has, but has done nothing wrong.

"The difficult part of getting past that point is that there is not really an answer to the question of why," he said. "But, what we have found is that all the promises God makes in the Bible, He has kept with us."

God has brought different people into their lives to help when circumstances were difficult, Ramsey said, giving an example of a respected, retired investigator who was brought into the Ramsey case and concluded that the original investigation had not considered all the evidence in the case when the focus was solely on the Ramseys.

The Ramseys have also been sued by a New York attorney. Although the lawsuit was not a good thing, Ramsey said, it turned out to be positive when a federal judge issued an in that case stated that the couple should not be considered as suspects because of the evidence, including DNA found under their daughter’s fingernails that has not yet been matched.

"Ultimately, what we have found is that in order to move on and deal with tragedy, you have to have hope," he said. "It is really based on an eternal perspective. That is where hope comes from."

"Faith is easy when you have good circumstances," Ramsey continued. "To have that faith when circumstances are not so good, you have to trust God. That is a bridge we had to cross, to trust Him with the things that have happened."

Patsy Ramsey recalled an incident from her childhood in which her parents' best friends had lost an 18-year-old son in a traffic accident. "I remember peeking into our living room, and overhearing my mother ask her best friend how she was making it through this. I heard her best friend say, ‘It is because of this book,’ and she pulled a Bible from her purse and held it up. Why did God let me see that scene 35 years ago? He knew I would need that same strength."

Recalling the death of Jon Ramsey's oldest daughter and her bout with cancer prior to JonBenet's murder, Mrs. Ramsey said that God has been with her through all these trials, and asked the students to remember to look to God and the Bible when they find themselves in similar situations.

"The Bible is a place to go back to," she continued. "Read and hang on to it. It will empower you to get through the tough part of life."

The Ramseys also spoke of their experiences with the media and law enforcement after the murder of their daughter. In their many interviews with the media, they found some that tried to be accurate and fair, but quickly learned that it is a competitive business.

Some reporters would tell us that they didn't believe certain information, but if they didn't release it, their competitors would, John said. "In the rush to get information out, you end up with information that is not verified, not accurate and comes from a questionable source."

"How do we know what is in the paper is correct?" he asked. "The media knows this is a problem. The media hates itself, but doesn't know how to change. The critical thing for us to do is to be very critical thinking of what we read, to think for ourselves."

Ramsey also expressed concern over the relationship between the judicial system and the media. Some countries have a law that prohibits law enforcement from releasing any details of an on-going investigation to the media, and that law is needed here, he said. "Some of the Boulder police said to us that the media were like sharks and you had to feed them."

One of the efforts of the Friends of JonBenet organization is to advocate for a law of that type to be established. The organization is also advocating for the murder of a child to be a federal offense. Ramsey explained that this would provide the best in law enforcement to investigate such cases, which are now handled by individual police departments that may have much experience with such crimes or have no experience.

Another effort of the organization is to advocate for more funding for the DNA database. The Ramseys said they have learned that there is a system to record DNA samples, but there is a sizable backlog of samples to be entered into the database. DNA taken from JonBenet Ramsey has not yet been matched.

After speaking to the students, the Ramseys signed copies of their book, being distributed free of charge by the Friends of JonBenet organization, which did accept donations.