DA Mary Lacy will soon pass the mantle to her successor

Longmont Times Publish Date: 10/26/2008

Lacy’s legacy
DA wants say on the mark she leaves

Worldwide media interest in the Ramsey killing — which brought throngs of local, national and international journalists to the Boulder County Justice Center — has made Lacy’s decisions in the case fodder for critics intensely interested in the unsolved death of the 6-year-old beauty queen. Notably, Lacy’s office took over the Ramsey investigation from the embattled Boulder Police Department.

Still, no one has ever been charged in the child’s homicide, and Lacy’s decision to fly suspect John Mark Karr from Thailand in 2006 to investigate his highly detailed claims that he killed the girl caused a media flare-up and tremendous criticism of Lacy. Her office quickly determined that Karr had never been to Boulder and his DNA did not match evidence taken from JonBenet’s clothing.

Lacy recently defended her decision to publicly declare the innocence of the Ramsey family this summer.

“They didn’t do it, and they have suffered immeasurably,” she said.