Gov. Romer Says Grand Jury to View Ramsey Case

DENVER —  Gov. Roy Romer said Wednesday he would not appoint a special prosecutor in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case and disclosed that a grand jury would be called to gather new facts in the 19-month-old crime.

Romer also appointed four prosecutors from neighboring counties to assist in the investigation.

“It would impair this investigation, it would delay it,” if a new prosecutor were appointed to replace Boulder Dist. Atty. Alex Hunter, Romer said at a news conference.

Romer said the probe into who murdered the 6-year-old beauty queen at her Boulder home in December 1996 would go to a grand jury.

“As Gov. Romer disclosed, I will be convening the grand jury to help develop further evidence in this case,” Hunter said later.

But Hunter, who was not with the governor and the four other district attorneys at the news conference at the state Capitol, said that, under the secrecy rules of the grand jury, he could not comment on the starting date or location of the grand jury proceedings.

Romer took up the issue of a special prosecutor after a police detective resigned in protest last week, accusing Hunter of botching the case and treating the girl’s parents, John and Patricia Ramsey, too gently.

Police have said JonBenet’s parents, who deny involvement in the child’s murder and now live in the Atlanta area, are under an “umbrella of suspicion.”

Det. Steve Thomas also charged in his resignation letter that the district attorney’s office had hampered the police investigation.