Toy Bear May Be JonBenet Clue
A teddy bear turned in to authorities Friday could provide a lead in the two-year-old JonBenet Ramsey murder case, the Boulder District Attorney's Office said.
"It appears it will give us some information," police spokeswoman Suzanne Laurion said Saturday.
The stuffed animal, which belongs to a Denver woman, closely resembles one that was in JonBenet Ramsey's room around the time she was killed.
The toy was turned in the day after District Attorney Alex Hunter sought help from the public in tracking down information about a foot-long stuffed teddy bear dressed in a Santa suit.
The stuffed animal was reportedly among toys found in JonBenet's room, but family members said it did not belong to the little girl. The teddy bear is now apparently missing.
Hunter posted a fuzzy snapshot of the white, furry bear on an Internet site, hoping that someone would be able to identify the toy's manufacturer and retailers where it may have been sold.
The District Attorney's Office said over 10,000 hits were logged at the site within 24 hours, plus 100 voice mails, two faxes, and two "personal contacts."
The photo was also published and shown on television. A Denver woman who saw the photo of the bear on TV turned over a similar toy to officials on Friday.
No information was disclosed on where that bear was purchased or whether it had any identifying details.
"We find ourselves emotionally moved by the caring people have shown and how much people want to help," said Laurion, adding that an announcement will be made when prosecutors are confident they have found what they needed.
Pam Paugh, an aunt of JonBenet, said in an interview Friday that a small brown pouch attached to the bear contained a note.
The note was not alarming, but in view of the circumstances it was both "telling" and "a bit prophetic," Paugh told the TV show Inside Edition.
She speculated that the bear may have been used to lure JonBenet out of her room.
Laurion confirmed that the Coldwater, Michigan police department had been quietly working to find the stuffed bear's manufacturer since "late last year."
The Coldwater police put two photographs of the bear on their own Web site without mentioning the Ramsey case. That posting did not elicit a single response.
The Ramseys had a vacation home in Charlevoix, in northwestern Michigan, about 300 miles from Coldwater, a small town near the state's southern border.
"Our goal was to conduct a search from a distant police department,"said Laurion. "When this effort failed, we knew our next step was to issue a plea for assistance from the general public, which we did on Thursday."
JonBenet, 6, was found beaten and strangled in her family's home on the day after Christmas 1996.
There have been no arrests, although police have said JonBenet's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, are under suspicion. They have repeatedly denieany involvement.
A Boulder County grand jury has been hearing evidence in the slaying since September.
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