A MESSAGE FROM MARC

Silver linings are the best one can hope to achieve out of tragedy. My wife Violet and I recently spent a day touring the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.. We left feeling uplifted, knowing that out of the unimaginable horrors inflicted upon the Jews in World War II, a phoenix arose: the birth of Israel. For the first time in 2,000 years, a nomadic people finally had a homeland.

So it was with the abduction and murder of my daughter, Polly. The nation was outraged and changes were forthcoming. A twice-convicted molester murdered little Megan Kanka, but now families all over America can access information on molesters released into their neighborhoods. Adam Walsh was murdered, and his father, John, launched America's Most Wanted, becoming America's foremost victim's advocate.

So it is with the murder of little JonBenet Ramsey. A very important debate has been joined that affects all families visited by violent crime. What exactly are our rights when dealing with law enforcement? We do not have to cooperate with law enforcement, but are we morally obliged to? Or, should we hire the attorneys many of us cannot afford and expect them to work as liaisons with law enforcement?

John and Patsy Ramsey's conduct in the aftermath of JonBenet's murder vividly illustrates that no citizen is compelled by anything more than a sense of justice to cooperate with law enforcement. Defense lawyers are perfectly correct in suggesting that we all have the right to obtain and confer with counsel prior to involving ourselves in criminal investigations. Unless charged with a crime, citizens need not submit to interrogation or polygraph examinations.

However, such behavior stalls the investigative process. Law enforcement agencies dispassionately conduct criminal investigations along parallel lines. They inspect and categorize case evidence as dictated until the various possibilities and scenarios are eliminated. This allows law enforcement to narrowly focus investigative resources until there is only one direction left to explore. At this point, the full resources focus on the final solution and case resolution.

On January 1, Patsy Ramsey told CNN's Brian Cabell and national television audiences, "If anyone knows anything, please, please help us. For the safety of all the children, we have to find out who did this. Hold your babies tight, because there is a monster on the loose." Yet, because of her refusal to eliminate herself as a suspect, she helps prevent law enforcement from moving on and assuring the safety of children throughout America.

In cases involving children, statistics say that family members are usually involved. Therefore, the police and other investigating agencies focus the most attention on those closest to the victim: family, friends, and associates. They then look at individuals with occasional contact with the victim, such as delivery personnel, day care providers, meter readers, and postal workers. Finally, law enforcement investigates the possibility of strangers, easily the most elusive and difficult scenario to solve.

Defense attorneys argue that the police cannot be trusted. However, the majority of law enforcement officers are dedicated to preserving the peace, protecting the innocent, and finding the truth. The best way to assist them in finding the truth is to cooperate, clear yourself, and allow them to explore other avenues of investigation. Utilizing a lawyer as a liaison stalls the process, as the Ramsey case continues to prove.

Defense attorneies, after all, are motivated out of a sense of economics, not justice. The meter begins when they enter a case. This conflict of interest must be weighed when a victim's family considers its options. An attorney may protect your rights, but as the Ramsey case illustrates, their tactics can backfire and refocus attention back on their clients-- particularly if all other avenues of investigation seem stalled. It is difficult to see the silver lining on this storm cloud.

When Polly disappeared I did not understand my rights. I thought I had to talk to the police. I now know better, but it would not have made any difference. I reacted as do most innocent victim family members. I walked into the police station ready to turn in family members if necessary to bring Polly home. My advice to Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey is to go to the Boulder Police Department, do whatever they ask, and give JonBenet final peace by assisting in the capture of the "monster on the loose."