JonBenet Ramsey's Beauty Pageant

Contestants Recall the Boulder Murder Investigation

JonBenet Ramsey was a child beauty pageant queen found dead in the basement of her family home in Boulder, Colorado, eight hours after she was reported missing shortly after Christmas in 1996. Her parents were under suspicion for many years, and while the case is still unsolved, this summer new DNA evidence cleared JonBenét's parents of any wrongdoing. The case has continued to captivate the world and stir up controversy about child beauty pageants. This woman's daughters walked the runway with JonBenét, who lived less than a mile away from where her body was found.

In the summer of 1996, the local mall in Boulder was holding a beauty contest. There was no charge to enter and the winning child got an all-expense-paid trip to California. My daughters Joy, 13, and Michelle, 9, insisted on entering. I wondered if they could deal with rejection as even the prettiest girls lose and it can be a mixed blessing for winners. Did I want my girls being judged on their looks?

I submitted their photos and the following week we were notified they had both made the semifinals. That Saturday at 10 AM the mall was abuzz with girls 3 to 19. A tall, thin, 40ish former model said, "Congratulations, girls, on making the cut! I want you to understand this is not a beauty pageant. We don't want you to buy a new dress for the occasion. We also would like you to refrain from wearing makeup. We're looking for real girls, not beauty queens."

JonBenet Breaks Rules at Boulder Beauty Pageant

The crowd let out a collective sigh and it was obvious that many of the girls - if not their mothers - felt that being a "real girl" just wasn't good enough. "Old clothes and no makeup? What fun is that?" Joy whined, but I said, "I think it's great that they just want you to be yourself."

The following morning we headed to the mall. The girls, organized by age, paraded down the runway. One little girl not more than five or six years old, caught my eye. Her hair was bleached, teased and sprayed. She looked like a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader! "That dress is straight out of a pageant! And she's wearing makeup! None of the other girls are wearing makeup. It isn't fair!" one mother protested.

Although I didn't want to be petty, I had to agree. With her elaborate, expensive dress and lavishly styled hair, this girl clearly had a different agenda. What kind of a mother would do this, I wondered? Would the judges be impressed by her beauty and give her the prize anyway?

That afternoon the winner was revealed. The "Beauty Queen," as the other girls were calling her, didn't win. Neither did my daughters. Both of them had fun, so I was glad they had participated and the judges had stayed true to their word.

National Enquirer Invents News re JonBenet's Murder

Several months later, on December 26th, JonBenét Ramsey was found murdered less than a mile from our home. A chill went down my spine when her picture was flashed on the screen. The "Beauty Queen" was dead.

Within days, Boulder was inundated with media. Was a killer on the loose, as Patsy Ramsey had proclaimed? Or were the parents themselves responsible for her murder? And which was more frightening? For the first time in their lives my daughters were afraid to go to sleep.

As few months later, my friend Jessica told a reporter from the National Enquirer that my daughters had competed against JonBenet. When he called I said, "Her mother broke the rules, but that doesn't necessarily make her a murderer." Several weeks later he called again and said, "We know where Patsy Ramsey is staying and we want to stake out the house. I'll pay you if you let me use your van."

I said no, but three weeks later he called me again and said, "A tree was planted in JonBenét's honor at her old school. I'll give you $100 if you and your daughters will tie a yellow ribbon around one of the branches." It seemed fairly harmless, and I needed the money so I agreed. I told the girls we could split the money equally.

A half an hour later the photographer handed Michelle a yellow ribbon she carefully wrapped around the branch of a 5-foot Aspen. "I wish you well, JonBenét," I said silently.