On the television show, DeMuth’s comments have been broad and not critical of any specific individuals or departments. “In homicide investigations, you need to make sure you pursue every possibility or theory, if you will, especially since the burden of proof is to prove somebody’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said on Monday’s show, which was taped last month.
His most pointed remarks came when he talked about focusing on one suspect. “I’ve seen police agencies fix on one suspect and believe they have the right person, and then I’ve watched them let go of that suspect when they develop other evidence and leads,” DeMuth said.
During the “Today” interviews, Ainsworth has been more direct about his theories in the case. “I have not seen any evidence that would be compelling to suggest that John and Patsy did kill their daughter at this point. And the evidence to me certainly suggests that someone other than them committed the murder,” Ainsworth said.
The detective, who last worked with DeMuth to convict Longmont’s Matthew Mirabal of murdering his wife, said on the television show he isn’t sure why investigators were only focused on John and Patsy Ramsey. “The reasons why we weren’t allowed to investigate any of the other things that came up — I don’t have the answer for that,” he said.
This lead should, and undoubtedly will, be fully investigated, and I hope it turns out to be the break that leads to a solution. That said, false confessions are a regular occurrence in high-profile cases, so your proclaiming the "case closed" is extremely premature.
