What Was The JonBenet Ramsey Pineapple Evidence? It's Crucial To The Timeline Of The Case

The evidence is one of the most puzzling parts of the JonBenét Ramsey murder case. Though there was seemingly a lot of evidence found, none of it actually linked anyone to the crime or revealed why someone would commit such a heinous act. There was the confusingly long ransom note, the method of JonBenét's death and the marks on her body, as well as DNA evidence that provided such a small sample it could not be tested until many years after the fact (no suspect could be linked to the DNA found). There is also the matter of a highly contested bowl of pineapple. What was the JonBenét Ramsey pineapple evidence?

The autopsy performed on JonBenét after her death revealed that she had undigested pineapple in her system, which meant she had to have eaten it only an hour or two before her death. However, this has also been refuted because digestion can vary from person to person; it is possible she ate the pineapple much earlier in the day. What is strange is that her mother, Patsy Ramsey, insisted to police that she had no memory of serving JonBenét pineapple. It becomes an important piece of evidence for several reasons. It can speak to the timeline of events on the night of the murder, and also who may have perpetrated the crime.

JonBenét was killed late at night on Christmas. Earlier that night, the entire family (Patsy, her husband John, their son Burke, and JonBenét) had attended a party at a friend's home; an investigator on the case, Steve Thomas, later said in his book about the case (JonBenét: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation) that pineapple had not been served at the party. As far as anyone knew, all JonBenét had eaten there was a plate of cracked crab. According to the Ramsey parents, JonBenét was asleep by the time they returned home so they put her directly to bed. Burke was also put directly to bed.

This is where the pineapple begins to call the timeline of events into question. If JonBenét did indeed have the fruit only an hour or two before she died, then she would have to have eaten it after returning from the party – when she was supposedly asleep. So, theoretically, if JonBenét was not given the pineapple by her family, then it's possible her killer gave it to her. If the perpetrator stopped what they were doing to prepare a snack – and then wait an hour or more to kill JonBenét – it means they were probably not in a rush.

Despite the fact that the Ramseys do not recall serving JonBenét the fruit, a bowl of pineapple with a spoon in it was found on the kitchen table beside a tall glass. The bowl of pineapple had the fingerprints of Patsy and Burke Ramsey on it, and the glass had Burke's fingerprints. Though, it is not at all unusual that that bowls and glasses in the Ramsey home would have the fingerprints of Ramsey family members on it.

There are many possibilities about who could have served JonBenét the pineapple or when she could have eaten it, but unfortunately it's just one more detail in the case that may never result in a satisfactory answer.