Detective says intruder killed JonBenet

Monday, March 13th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- A former homicide investigator on the JonBenet Ramsey investigation says police should pay more attention to evidence that the 6-year-old beauty contestant was killed by an intruder.

Boulder County authorities have said that the girl's parents, Patsy and John Ramsey, are under "the umbrella of suspicion." But retired Colorado Springs detective Lou Smit, speaking extensively for the first time on his role in the stalled investigation, says the Ramseys did not kill their daughter, according to today's editions of the Denver Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post and the March 20 issue of Newsweek.

Smit was called out of retirement in March 1997 to help the Ramsey investigation but resigned from the case in September 1998, saying he could not, "in good conscience, be a part of the persecution of innocent people."

"I believe there's evidence of an intruder, and I believe people should still be looking for him. There's a dangerous guy out there," he said.

Newspaper reports late last year said Smit was working with the Ramseys on the case but was not being paid by them.

According to Smit, that evidence includes:

--A metal baseball bat found outside the Ramseys' home. Fiberson the bat matched a carpet found in the basement near the storage room, where JonBenet's body was found on Dec. 26, 1996. The bat wasfound "in a place where kids normally wouldn't play," Smit said, refusing to elaborate.

--DNA evidence from Jon Benet's fingernails and underpants that indicates her attacker was a male. It has previously been reported that the DNA does not match John Ramsey's.

--Peanut-shaped foam packing material and leaves found in the basement that Smit thinks might have been tracked inside by someone entering through a broken basement window. "It would have been something that would not have been blown in there," Smit said.

He said he chose to speak out, in part, to keep pressure on police to take his theory seriously.

Police Chief Mark Beckner said the department already has done that. "We have spent an incredible amount of time following up on leads in this case and a significant amount on the leads put forth by Lou Smit," Beckner said.

There was no immediate comment from the Ramseys, who have moved to Atlanta. Their book on their daughter's killing is to be released this week.

Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter criticized Smit, saying he had released confidential information. He also noted that it has been 18 months since Smit was involved with the case. Smit denied that he has not violated any confidence.