Like many other reviewers who have expressed enthusiastic praise for this book, I, too, have found the book to be a goldmine of detailed, comprehensive information about the 1996 killing of JonBenet Ramsey in Boulder, CO. Again and again, in issue after issue, the book follows a consistent methodology of collecting evidence, asking questions about the evidence, and gathering more evidence to resolve the questions. I found this basic but penetrating methodology to be truly impressive, particularly when combined with Mr. Kolar's thorough knowledge of the facts of the case from his own direct involvement as the lead investigator for the Boulder District Attorney's Office under DA Mary Lacy in 2005 and 2006.

The book describes various "outside intruder" theories of who killed JonBenet, including an elaborate multi-intruder scenario in Chapter 2 that seems to integrate the most commonly cited evidence very effectively (though not all the known evidence). The book describes and dissects the lone-pedophile theory promoted by Lou Smit and others. And the book explains the many problems with the repeated, adamant claims of an "outside intruder" by the Ramseys. The book's evidence seems to show rather conclusively that the Ramseys have allegedly engaged in a vigorous effort to direct the attention of investigators away from any family member, even though statistically (according to Kolar) fewer than 6% of child murders are committed by strangers, especially when the murdered child is found in the child's own home.

What I also found very striking in the facts described in this book is the depth and intensity of the seemingly never-ending conflicts between the Boulder DA's office (in support of an "outside intruder" theory) and the Boulder Police Department (in support of a "family member" theory, with John and/or Patsy Ramsey as the main suspects). The DA and the police never seem to have come together seriously in a joint search for the truth. We now know, for example (since 2013*), contrary to the impression given by DA Alex Hunter, that the grand jury in the case did issue a final report with two specific criminal charges recommended against both John and Patsy Ramsey -- not for murder, but (paraphrasing) for allowing their daughter to be placed in danger resulting in the child's death, and for assisting a murderer. Danger from whom? What murderer? Maybe one parent assisting the other? Those points surely must have been explained in the full grand jury report, but most of the report remains sealed at present (as far as I know). The grand jury's report wasn't publicly known to exist at the time Kolar's book was published in 2012, although I suspect Mr. Kolar himself probably knew, since page 218 of his book mentions that he had full access to the grand jury files during his relatively short term as lead investigator under DA Mary Lacey. (Mr. Kolar's website, ventuspublishing.com, has announced that a forthcoming new edition of the book will include discussion of the grand jury recommendations and also the latest DNA test results.)

Based on meticulous examination of the evidence, the book systematically rules out any outside intruder theory and also clears John and Patsy as possible killers of JonBenet. This leaves only one other family member to consider. Given the vicious nature of the strangulation, along with the blow to the head and a possible sexual assault, it may seem completely self-evident that there is no way such violence could have been perpetrated by a 9-year-old boy, JonBenet's older brother, Burke. But Kolar disagrees with this presumption, based on startling evidence presented in Chapter 33. The evidence strongly reinforces the suspicion about Burke, but the book also emphasizes that more evidence gathering is needed to confirm the suspicion -- evidence such as family medical records, particularly any records pertaining to psychiatric treatments that Burke reportedly received as a child. This kind of evidence wouldn't necessarily be made public; it could be limited to official investigators (possibly in a new grand jury setting) seeking to identify JonBenet's killer and the killer's motivation.

Chapters 35 and 37 examine the "touch DNA" evidence that allegedly showed involvement by an intruder. Those chapters identify the weaknesses in that DNA evidence, including the fact that there was non-family-member DNA from a total of six different unknown persons, all of whom would have to be considered suspects if touch DNA evidence can be relied upon (just as any discovery of fingerprints warrants further evidence gathering as to their origin and circumstances). Hence, the book hypothesizes the multiple intruder scenario presented in Chapter 2 -- but with all intruder theories thoroughly disproved by the other physical evidence described in other chapters, such as the lack of any forced entry and lack of clear evidence of entry or exit through the one unsecured window in the basement, along with the apparently fake ransom note, additional voices heard on Patsy's 911 call (after audio enhancement), compelling evidence against Lou Smit's stun gun theory, and so on.

Chapter 36 summarizes a "Theory of Prosecution" which Mr. Kolar expressed to the newest Boulder DA in 2011, although the full details of the theory evidently are too sensitive and probably horrendous in their implications to disclose publicly at present. Chapter 36 ends with a hint to readers that "the foundation for this theory is interspersed throughout this manuscript and I will have to leave it to your imagination at the moment."

Chapter 37 (p. 428) mentions that under Colorado law, children under the age of 10 are not considered to be capable of forming criminal intent and thus cannot be prosecuted for crimes, not even murder. Furthermore, page 428 also mentions that there is a statute of limitations in Colorado on charges such as accessory after the fact, that might have been applicable to John and Patsy Ramsey, but whose time limit is now long expired. In addition, Patsy Ramsey is no longer living, having died in 2006 from cancer. Thus, with no possibility of criminal charges against any of the "family member" suspects, what would be the point of forming a new grand jury -- and, for that matter, the point of publishing Mr. Kolar's book? The long Epilog following Chapter 38 explains Mr. Kolar's reasons in great detail. Chapter 37 also explains the reasons more succinctly as follows: "In our pursuit of truth and justice, not only for this little girl, but for all the other innocent people wrongly accused by her family, isn't it our responsibility as criminal investigators and prosecutors to go in search of it?"

* References regarding the grand jury report:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/25/justice/jonbenet-ramsey-documents/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2013/10/us/jonbenet-ramsey-documents/?hpt=hp_t1