ARNDT TRANSCRIPT

Tuesday, September 14, 1999

Gibson: ...the latest in the JonBenét Ramsey murder investigation. Was the crime scene

compromised? Well, Linda Arndt was there and today in the second part of a five part exclusive

interview with ABC's Elizabeth Vargas, the former Boulder Detective continues with her

first-person account; her own window on the case.

Vargas: When you turned and you saw John Ramsey carrying JonBenét up the basement steps,

how was he carrying her?

Arndt: (pause) Um, away and up from his body

Vargas: Like this?

Arndt: Like this (holding out hands) with her lower body here (holds hand horizontally at her

neck area) and her head above, yes

Vargas: You said it was apparent, even from that distance away, that she was dead

Arndt: There was no doubt.

Vargas: How did you know?

Arndt: She had rigor mortis. Her arms were rigid right above her head with no support.

Vargas: When John Ramsey went to call 911, what did you do?

Arndt: I took JonBenét. I moved her from the hallway to the, um, the living room. I carried her

just with the, the forearms. And I was cognizant that she was my sole responsibility, and the

preservation of her was my responsibility. And was careful how I carried her, out of this

pathway of heavy traffic. And I put her in the living room. She looked like she was sleeping.

John Ramsey came back and he says, "can we please, could you please cover her body?" And

as he's saying it, he's already put the blanket on top of her.

(Voice Over) Det. Arndt would later be criticized for allowing John Ramsey to place a blanket on

his daughter's body, jeopardizing the crime scene. It is a decision we will revisit with her, later.

Arndt: John was next to JonBenét and, he did, uh, I guess his good-bye. And, uh, I heard, a

wail, just a guttural, moan, aching wail from the back area. And, it was, uh, probably one of the

most pitiful things I've heard and anguished. And I saw the rest of the people; Patsy and the

pastor and the four friends, come from the den towards the living room. And, there's just so

much, there's so much pain. (long pause) And tears, and noise.

(VO) Still the only police officer in the house, the Detective waited and asked the pastor to lead

the Ramseys and their friends in prayer.

Arndt: I thought that would be the best way to organize everyone, to keep them distracted, to

keep them from touching JonBenét and to keep them focused.

Vargas: this house had suddenly become a homicide crime scene.

Arndt: Ah, it became hell. It became hell. JonBenét was brought up at about five minutes after

1:00, and, um, at ten after, nobody had shown up. And I called 911. And I said, I gave them my

radio number. I said the kidnaping has turned into a murder.

Vargas: How long did it take someone to arrive on the scene?

Arndt: Still nobody had shown up 5 minutes after I had made that first 911 call. And I looked out

the window to the street and I saw an ambulance slowly drive by. And I thought I am in the

twilight zone.

(VO) At 1:15 pm Detective Arndt was paged and learned that police could not find the house.

Vargas: He went to the wrong address?

Arndt: He was over a block away.

(VO) Ten minutes later backup arrived followed by the FBI and supervisors Det. Arndt says she

was trying to raise all day.

Arndt: They told me about the ransom note and the legal pad that had been obtained from the

house which contained handwriting samples from John and Patsy Ramsey. And how this

information put the focus onto the Ramseys.

Vargas: They suspected the Ramseys were involved?

Arndt: Yes

Vargas: And what was your reaction?

Arndt: Yeah, no kidding. No kidding.

Gibson: Linda Arndt worked on the Ramsey case for the first five months and is no longer with

the police department. The Ramseys, of course, as you know, maintain they had nothing to do

with the crime. And though their attorneys haven't responded to our repeated phone calls, a

statement was released to several Denver television stations yesterday, which reads in part:

"Linda Arndt's bizarre speculations are the latest in a seemingly endless series of

attacks on the Ramsey family by people who seek to justify their own conduct at

the Ramsey expense."