On April 14, 1999 Hodges and two forensic colleagues sent Boulder special prosecutor Michael Kane an eighty-page report on the hidden “thoughtprints” contained in the ransom note. This note was the most crucial evidence in the case which was never utilized by the prosecution in their grand jury presentation.
Forensic psychiatrist C. Jess Groesbeck and forensic psychologist Patrick Callahan, Ph.D. joined Hodges to present their conclusions pointing to Patsy and John Ramsey as the assailants. Along with the report a legal authority and law school professor submitted a mini-brief supporting the scientific nature of the report. He believed the report had an excellent chance of being admitted into court as evidence.
The grand jury never saw the report and likely the police didn’t. There was a stunning development with an unusual split in the case between prosecutors in the D.A.’s office and the police. Eventually D.A. Alex Hunter presented the evidence to the grand jury and implied afterwards they had voted not to indict the Ramseys. Much later in 2013 in light of sealed records being released, it was clear the grand jury had voted to indict and Hunter had decided not to go forward.
The eighty-page forensic report with fourteen conclusions can be found in the appendix to Hodges’ book, Who Will Speak for JonBenet?
