BraveHeart
Charter Member
29 posts Oct-24-01, 01:29 PM (GMT)

"The Black Tape"


A strip of black “duct” tape, estimated to be about 5” in length, was found covering the child’s mouth by the father when he discovered JonBenet’s body in the windowless room. In the ensuing frantic moments, he removed the tape and laid it aside on top of the white blanket. Shortly thereafter, Fleet White returned to the windowless room, where he also picked up the tape, felt the adhesive side noting that it felt sticky, and laid it back down on the white blanket (PMPT, p.18, 21, PB, Schiller).
Detectives Thomas and Trujillo later traveled to the Shurtape manufacturing plant in Hickory, North Carolina, where the tape was made. Based on fiber content and type of adhesive they were able to place the date of manufacture sometime in late November, 1996, which meant the tape traveled from plant to crime scene in 4-5 weeks.

Allowing approximately 2-3 weeks transit time, by truck, placed the tape on retail shelves in the Denver-Boulder area 1-2 weeks prior to the murder. It was determined by the same detectives that similar tape, possibly even from the same “batch", was available at McGuckin’s Hardware store at that time. No mention has been made as to the availability of the same type of tape in any other area outlet or through direct shipment. This is possibly due to the fact that the Ramseys had purchased items in that same period of time in the same amounts of the tape and cording, also available at McGuckin’s. The BPD detectives reasoned, therefore, that the Ramseys had purchased the tape and cording for other projects and purposes and then used them in an effort to disguise the murder of their own daughter. It was pointed out that the amounts of money involved were typical of dozens of items found in McGuckin’s, not just the tape and nylon cord. No one could say that they saw either of them purchasing these items there or anywhere else. The BPD was satisfied with showing that it was possible if not provable.

BPD detective Byfield had located two paintings in the home, one of which was hung in JonBenet’s bedroom, that had black tape attached to the rear of the frames. There was no match with the strip of tape found in the windowless room, however. It was later determined that Better Light Photography Studio had placed these pieces of tape on the frames in 1993 (PMPT, p.106, PB, Schiller).

The relatively short transit time of the tape causes some people to doubt that it actually made it as far as Boulder/Denver, perhaps indicating that the tape had been purchased somewhere closer to the factory and brought to the crime. It also might mean that the tape was part of a relatively small shipment, say a case or two, that was “drop” shipped direct to the purchaser. Such a potential customer might have been a contractor, probably an HVAC contractor, someone in theatre productions, a photo frame shop, the college theater group or a small variety/hardware store expecting a brisk demand for black tape to be used in outdoor Christmas decorations.

There are numerous unanswered questions concerning the black tape that beg resolution: Was the color of the tape significant? If so, what was the significance? Where was it purchased? Was the tape even purchased by the killer or was it just available to him where he worked? What happened to the remainder of the roll. How was it transported to or from the crime? Asking “What if?” to these questions may lead to some areas of investigation that might be fruitful.

I. Why was black tape used and not silver-gray, the default duct tape color?

A. Black is less visible at night.
Yes, but why would the perp be wearing duct tape at night going to or
from the crime scene? Would black normally be worn at night for other reasons, as in hunter? A bow might be taped, as well as other items for camouflage, and therefore at hand when the crime was underway.

B. The color may not be significant. The perp may have found the black rolls of
tape smaller and cheaper than the silver-gray type or purchased it for some
equally unrelated reason. It may have been stolen or taken off a job site.

1. The tape may be related to the type of job or environment that the perp
was in at the time of the murder.

a) Air Conditioning contractors sometimes use black duct tape for sealing duct work.
b) Theater staging uses black tape primarily by specialty electricians who wire the sets for tying and insulating the various wiring.
c) Black tape was used by the framer who framed two of the Ramsey paintings.

C. May have been selected for symbolic reasons as yet undetermined.

D. A combination of B & C above

II. Purpose

A. If the purpose of the tape was to control or subdue then you would expect for
it to have been wrapped around the child’s head one or more times as is typical.

B. To make a statement:

a) Moralistic
Black = evil?
b) Political
On mouth = to silence?

C. To elicit a desired response from media, police or Ramseys.

a) As part of a “staging”, drawing attention to parents as suspects.
1. To match black tape at the house- someone knowing of tape
at the home but not realizing it could be compared as to type of
fibers and adhesive.
2. To appear obviously “out of place”, odd.

b) To portray himself as something he was not in the eyes of
profilers.

III. Why wasn’t the remainder of the tape roll left at the scene as was the tablet
and pen?

A. The tape and cord were two things not originally from the house, like the
tablet, pen, nightgown, and paint brush “handle”. Was the perp afraid that the
roll of tape and balance of cord could be traceable to him? It could have been
left in a corner of the crawl space for example making it appear that someone
in the home had tried to hide it. Or would this seem more obviously a frame?

B. Or was the remainder of the tape used for something else?

1. To wrap the murder weapon to soften the edges so as not to make the
head blow obvious. If this was a spur of the moment reaction by the perp,
as in trying to silence a screaming child, wouldn’t the scalp have been
more lacerated? An accidental or reactionary blow to the head would
have been more obvious. The head wound was deliberate. It was meant
to be hidden? Did the remainder of the tape roll leave with the “club”, one of the murder weapons?

2. Used for some other as yet unknown reason?

Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top


jameson
Charter Member
5676 posts May-26-02, 08:20 PM (GMT)

1. "No match"
In response to message #0

The tape did not match anything inthe Ramsey house and no one could link Patsy or join to the purchase of any black duct tape.
I think the killer bought it just before the murder knowing full well what he wanted to do with it.

The first piece of tape off the roll - the one with the factory cut - has never been located but if it WAS found, it could be very important - the tear might match one end to the tape found on JonBenét's body.

The roll of tape has never been found - - but that too could be important.

The tape had a certain combination of fabric and adhesive that wasn't produced except for a short time. The roll of tape could be very important evidence.

If someone believes they know who did this - if they believe they have the roll of tape, PLEASE - - take the roll, put it in a plastic bag, seal it and get it to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Send it to the director - or the head of the lab - or the head of investigations. They will have to pass it to the Boulder Police Department - but it will help insure that the BD will NOT ignore it.

Tape, of a different type, was on a painting and was traced to the local framing studio.

Tape of the same type was not found on any item at all. Nor is there any indication that the tape was indeed actually available on a merchant's shelf on December 24th, 1996.

Now we can all have "opinions" about 'normal and customary' business practices (or should I have said bussiness practices?). But I don't see how something gets from rural North Carolina to a distributor then a retailer's stockroom and then a retailer's shelves and then gets purchased all in eight weeks when during a Christmas shopping season merchants are more concerned with 'high ticket' items.

Ain't nobody looked over invoices and figured things out? If someone had a special order during that time how long did it infact take for the tape to actually reach them? Oh sure, I guess anyone could hop into a truck and drive from North Carolina to Colorado in a day, perhaps two, but merchandise tends to travel less swiftly.

I am concerned about the normal and routine shipping times. I do not classify 'duct tape' or 'multi-filament tape' as much of a priority item during the Christmas season. It is not really used for gift wrapping you know! It ain't festive, not at all! Its not some high profit margin item that a merchant would really pay attention to during a busy season. Tape goes to a distributors warehouse then a retailers warehouse or stock room and then to the retailers shelves.

Sure, lettuce gets from California to New York City's wholesale markets real fast. The train is called "The Salad Express" and cargo is afterall perishable. Yet this is a special item and the cargo is worth millions.

My actions would be to see how long 'special orders' took to be filled at the time. How long it took for routine orders to reach Colorado. If the normal distribution time, although variable, is as long as I assume it to be, then we have a strange situation that just might narrow the field quite a bit.

I think the BPD missed out on a really promising lead here.

on-edit: Merchant ordering outdoor Christmas decorations: I can just see some merchant placing a special order for a box of duct tape! Its a low cost item its a low profit item. He is going to be ordering the outdoor decorations perhaps, but duct tape? I just can't see a roll of duct tape manufactured on November first winding up a retailer's shelves on December 24th. And I sure can't see it being special ordered in any manner for any reason at all. Electricians or sheet metal workers who actually handle ducts probably would not special order the item. And I doubt that even those businesses would get a roll of tape that soon. Now an ultra high volume retailer such as WalMart... yeah! It would have been on their shelves fairly promptly.
But not even McGuggens. Nope.

From Charlotte to Denver is about 1580 miles

50 MPH average rate X 8 hours drive time/day equals 400 miles traveled
1580/400 = 4 days by truck drive time
Plus
Time from manufacture to warehouse: 1 day
To loading dock: 1-2 weeks
Truck time: 4 days
delivery time, wholesale center/bulk retailer warehouse to retail store: 1-2 days
From stock room to retail shelf: 1-2 days

It looks to me that the tape could have made the trip to Boulder in 2-3 weeks
without a problem. A drop shipment from the factory to Boulder could have shaved
a few days off this. And yes, merchandisers know when the peak sales times are for
different products and when to order them to be on hand-most of this is computerized.

I would have searched Shuretapes files for purchases and shipments to the Boulder/
Denver/Colorado area for that time frame

Black tape is used for putting up Christmas lights-you can't see it in the dark. There probably is a small peak useage time for it for that purpose. Other than that there isn't a general public demand for it- mostly contractors, grifs, stage hands, and people that install lights/decorate lawns for the holiday season for wealthy people.

If you talked to these sorts of people you might find some company in the area that order a few rolls of the stuff at that time. Then look at their employees.

I understand there were no item number or bar code changes that would allow an invoice to reveal that new tape had been sent anywhere.

Okay, no way to trace 'one batch' but I'm sure there must have been some sort of 'average time'. Maybe that initial distributor sold it to WalMart who promptly put it on their shelves and sold it to Sick Puppy. If you start at November first its still going to take some time. I just don't see how McGuckens would be in the distribution chain quite so promptly. I also could see a careful planner not wanting to have made any purchases so soon before the crime. Obviously, the tape got somewhere in that 'time window' but I don't think it got to McGuckens. May have gotten to Denver. Might not have even made it to Colorado though.

Lots of stores are very particular about rotating stock - the new stuff goes to the back of the pegs, the back of the shelves.

If they did follow the tape, they might be able to say it had made it to McGuckins or the Army/Navy store but was not on the shelves yet - and that would - possibly - indicate that an employee had taken it.

Just a thought.

Actually alot of stores try to follow a FIFO policy at the warehouse and stockroom, but don't have the resources to do so at the display shelf level because it is so time-consuming.

By the time the BPD approached the company and the company had performed whatever tests were needed or contacted the CBI for the reports of the tests that they had conducted, it was probably too late to find out what was on the shelves at local stores because it would all be new stuff by then.

I just hope the BPD had the sense to ask for some sort of a rough estimate of 'normal shipping time' for those items. It would be strange that a manufacturer would not have atleast some idea of such things. Or atleast the main distributor would.

If it was likely that the new-tape went only to the larger orders then they know its more likely a Wal Mart store than a mom and pop store. If the geographical distribution was limited, then perhaps the intruder was indeed very careful to acquire his 'rape/murder kit' by driving some distance away from Boulder.

There may be no precise way to determine what happened to various batches of tape, but often the manager of the warehouse or the guy who drives the forklift truck have a pretty good idea of what happens, even if the president of the warehouse company does not.

Jams, can you say who and where these distributors were?

They would just tell me they send all the tape to distribution warehouses and from there they could not track it further because no one is keeping track of batches. The new tape could have gone out the same day or been rotated with the backstock - - they didn't know.

And there was absolutely no indication that the Boulder cops went to the distribution warehouses to follow that further. Fact is, I have good reason to believe they didn't go further.

7 years later, no one is interested in the conversation.

I don't think anyone can deny there is simply no paper trail, but there is also a clear lag in the usual distribution channels. Obviously the tape got somewhere within that time frame or the intruder would not have been in possession of it, but just how far would it have been most likely to have travelled.

note; I wonder if the company officials could be persuaded to realize that their silence is aiding the police who conducted a media campaign of intimidation rather than an investigation.

Link to an interesting article about manufacturing and distrib.

On the assumption that with all the publicity about a duct tape, some store surveillance tape or clerk with a good memory might have promptly surfaced, we can cut back a bit on the December 24th date.

On the assumption that someone was careful and wore gloves, we can assume he was also careful to assemble his 'kidnap/rape/murder kit' well prior to the event and perhaps in a distant location.

Now I know there is no invoice trail or bar-code trail, but there is a common sense trail. It consists of the general and routine practice of FIFO for inventory in warehouses, distribution centers, stock rooms and often retail shelves.

So can we conclude that with the crime being well planned and the note probably well thought out in advance, that his kit was assembled well in advance too?

So, how do we do this? Purchase items in a different location. I don't think a thirty minute drive would be sufficient. How about a real separation between the place of purchase and the place of use?

Cord, rope, paper sack, bat, etc. All from a remote location.
And all in his posession well before the crime.

That sort of narrows the time window and expands the geography window quite a bit.

Interestingly enough, there is a Shuretape distributor near Atlanta, GA, called, Industrial Tape & Supply Company.

So far, most Shurtape distributors I have found are in the southern and eastern states. I did find, Paint Sundries Supply, in Denver who is a Shurtape business to business distributor. Shurtape must have highly competitive pricing for any of their tape to reach Colorado. There are many tape manufacturers closer to CO then Shurtape in NC.

>Shurtape must have highly competitive pricing for any of their tape
>to reach Colorado. There are many tape manufacturers closer to CO than Shurtape in NC.

Its market share that is important in this situation. Even if there were a manufacturing plant right there in Boulder, its what percentage of the items sold are from NC versus these other, closer manufacturers of similar tape.

If there is very little tape from NC sold in Boulder then it is still possible but less likely that it was bought in Boulder. If despite other manufacturers being closer, their tape is not selling well in Boulder, it makes little difference since any purchaser would be likely to wind up with the NC tape if he simply walked into the store and grabbed something at random.

CLOSED

CLOSED