Lou and JonBenet, John Wesley Anderson
Lou and JonBenet, John Wesley Anderson
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Lou and JonBenét
A Legendary Lawman’s Quest To Solve A Child Beauty Queen’s Murder

Author: John Wesley Anderson

Narrator: Stephen Bowlby

Unabridged: 8 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/09/2023

Synopsis

On Christmas Night 1996, six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. A ransom note was found, but it was hours before her father, John, found her body in the basement. She had been strangled with a garrote and her skull was fractured. The media sensationalized the tragic death of the "child beauty queen" and public speculation and rumors ran rampant. What followed was one of the most notorious unsolved murder investigations in American history.

Boulder police fixated on JonBenet's parents as suspects. Needing investigative help, the Boulder DA brought in legendary homicide detective Lou Smit. However, he was soon disenchanted with law enforcement's obsession with the Ramsey family as the primary suspects, excluding other possibilities. Smit resigned but continued to work on his own time, and at his own expense, determined to find justice for JonBenet. He determined the Ramsey family was not involved in her death but died in 2010 before he could identify the killer. Along with a handful of retired detectives, Smit's lifelong friend and colleague, John Anderson, and Smit's family continue to pursue justice based on his work. In Lou and JonBenet, Anderson tells the story of Smit's investigation and why the Smit family team now believes that the killer can be identified.

Contains mature themes.

About John Wesley Anderson

John Wesley Anderson is a published author, storyteller, and TEDx speaker. He enjoyed a thirty-year law enforcement career and was twice elected Sheriff for El Paso County, Colorado. Prior to serving as Sheriff, John was employed with the Colorado Springs Police Department and retired at the rank of sergeant. After being term-limited as Sheriff, in 2003, John went to work for the Lockheed Martin Corporation, where he focused on corporate and homeland security initiatives and advanced technology development. In 2012, he retired from the corporate world to launch a consulting company, JW Anderson & Associates, LTD., allowing him the freedom to pursue his passion for writing, history, and the arts. Although John has traveled around the world, including several adventures on a catamaran sailing the Caribbean, three corporate security assignments into a combat zone on the Horn of Africa, and landing on an aircraft carrier at sea in the Pacific Ocean, he remains most fascinated by the rich history and art discovered in his own backyard in the American Southwest.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Valerity (Val) on February 17, 2023

This book takes 3 chapters telling about careers and experience before going on to the work of Smit and Anderson in Colorado. It tells about Smit’s time investigating the JonBenet case and what a great detective and friend he was to the author over many years. Well written and engaging, was up until......more

Goodreads review by Sharon on March 12, 2023

At its core, this book does a good job of detailing the facts of the JonBenét Ramsey murder. It lays bare the baffling stonewalling of the Boulder PD, starting in 1996 when the murder occurred and continuing to the present day. And it holds up Lou Smit as a shining example of a good cop and a good h......more

Goodreads review by Chris on March 20, 2023

Great story but……. I thought the point of the book was to emphasize the life of a lawman whose quest was to solve the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. The story gave the background of the author and how he interacted with the legendary lawman. I felt there was an overwhelming sense of the author’s accompl......more

Goodreads review by Biggus on July 11, 2024

A bit self serving, a lot of hero worship, a ton of confirmation bias, and a LOT of repetition. Yes, we get that Lou was a good cop, yes, he used a spreadsheet (searchable too! OMG) and had 632 slides. Did I mention that he had 632 slides? And a spreadsheet! Despite the obvious bias of the author, it......more

Goodreads review by Bri on July 04, 2024

I was convinced the family had nothing to do with JonBenets' death after John E. Douglas (who Holden from Mindhunter series is based on) stated his belief of their lack of involvement in one of his many books. Lou and JonBenet further solidified that belief. If you read this and continue to question......more

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