05-10-2017, 10:24 PM
Ramsey tapes wanted by DA
By Matt Sebastian
Camera Staff Writer
Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter has requested an unedited version of a University of Colorado journalism professor's interviews with the parents of JonBenét Ramsey.
Suzanne Laurion, Hunter's spokeswoman, said Tuesday that the district attorney asked professor Michael Tracey for the videotapes but has received no response.
Although Tracey was willing to discuss the documentary he co-produced, when contacted Tuesday he wouldn't comment on Hunter's request for the uncut footage.
Boulder police made a similar request to CNN in early 1997 after the cable news network aired an interview with John and Patsy Ramsey — the couple's first media appearance, one that came before the parents even talked extensively to investigators.
CNN complied with that request.
Tracey and two Newsweek reporters sat down with the Ramseys in Atlanta in February to discuss the murder of 6-year-old JonBenét, whose strangled and beaten body was discovered in the Ramseys' Boulder home on Dec. 26, 1996.
A year and a half after the slaying, police have named no suspects. Although JonBenét's parents deny any involvement in the girl's death, police have said the couple remains under suspicion.
Last month, the Ramseys were interviewed for three days by representatives of Hunter's office. Hunter is considering presenting the case to a grand jury, although Laurion said no decision had been made.
The documentary, which Tracey co-produced with a fellow Briton, David Mills, will air Thursday on England's Channel 4.
The CU professor is still seeking an American outlet for the film, which he describes as a criticism of the media coverage of the Ramsey case.
"We insist on maintaining a fairly high level of editorial control of the program that goes out in the U.S.," Tracey said, noting that the networks so far have not acquiesced to that demand.
Should the documentary ever be aired in America, it won't be the same program seen this week in England.
The British version runs about 50 minutes, Tracey said, while the American cut is 75 minutes, which could be aired over an hour and a half with commercials.
The British version also doesn't feature much of the actual interview with John and Patsy Ramsey.
To cut it down in length, Tracey said, "We had to lose something and, ironically, we had to lose them."
The American version of the documentary features "much more" of the interview, which Tracey called "compelling," as well as some unseen home video footage of the family and JonBenét.
July 8, 1998
By Matt Sebastian
Camera Staff Writer
Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter has requested an unedited version of a University of Colorado journalism professor's interviews with the parents of JonBenét Ramsey.
Suzanne Laurion, Hunter's spokeswoman, said Tuesday that the district attorney asked professor Michael Tracey for the videotapes but has received no response.
Although Tracey was willing to discuss the documentary he co-produced, when contacted Tuesday he wouldn't comment on Hunter's request for the uncut footage.
Boulder police made a similar request to CNN in early 1997 after the cable news network aired an interview with John and Patsy Ramsey — the couple's first media appearance, one that came before the parents even talked extensively to investigators.
CNN complied with that request.
Tracey and two Newsweek reporters sat down with the Ramseys in Atlanta in February to discuss the murder of 6-year-old JonBenét, whose strangled and beaten body was discovered in the Ramseys' Boulder home on Dec. 26, 1996.
A year and a half after the slaying, police have named no suspects. Although JonBenét's parents deny any involvement in the girl's death, police have said the couple remains under suspicion.
Last month, the Ramseys were interviewed for three days by representatives of Hunter's office. Hunter is considering presenting the case to a grand jury, although Laurion said no decision had been made.
The documentary, which Tracey co-produced with a fellow Briton, David Mills, will air Thursday on England's Channel 4.
The CU professor is still seeking an American outlet for the film, which he describes as a criticism of the media coverage of the Ramsey case.
"We insist on maintaining a fairly high level of editorial control of the program that goes out in the U.S.," Tracey said, noting that the networks so far have not acquiesced to that demand.
Should the documentary ever be aired in America, it won't be the same program seen this week in England.
The British version runs about 50 minutes, Tracey said, while the American cut is 75 minutes, which could be aired over an hour and a half with commercials.
The British version also doesn't feature much of the actual interview with John and Patsy Ramsey.
To cut it down in length, Tracey said, "We had to lose something and, ironically, we had to lose them."
The American version of the documentary features "much more" of the interview, which Tracey called "compelling," as well as some unseen home video footage of the family and JonBenét.
July 8, 1998