Trip DeMuth

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Trip DeMuth

Tripdemuth.png

Lawrence "Trip" DeMuth

Personal information
Role: Prosecutor in District Attorney's office
Theory: Intruder Did It (IDI)

Lawrence "Trip" DeMuth was a prosecutor for the District Attorney's office. Under District Attorney Alex Hunter, DeMuth and Peter Hofstrom were the two prosecutors in charge of the Ramsey case, until their removal in 1998 after claims of bias towards the Ramsey family.

In September 2000, DeMuth left the DA's office to work for the law firm of Michael Bynum, John Ramsey's business lawyer.

Early Actions[edit | edit source]

Day One[edit | edit source]

DeMuth was present on day one.

DeMuth was he first member of the District Attorney's office to arrive at the crime scene and pushed for the Boulder Police Department to conduct a more thorough search of the home.

First months[edit | edit source]

DeMuth was appointed to be the liaison man between the district attorney’s office and the police department

DeMuth said he had been asked to "defense the case"

On January 15, DNA results indicated a few unidentified alleles from under JonBenet's fingernails which were not consistent with the Ramsey family. Though the scientists stressed that the DNA "could have come from anywhere" or "been under her nails for several days", and the quality so low as to entirely useless, Trip DeMuth immediately announced that the results did not “match” John Ramsey. He said we must now locate and obtain DNA samples from any "potential suspect."

Smit[edit | edit source]

DeMuth was known for working closely with Lou Smit and Steve Ainsworth, who he had worked with previously.

He participated in the 1998 interview of Patsy Ramsey.

Theft Investigation[edit | edit source]

DeMuth and Steve Ainsworth were the subject of a state investigation into stealing material from the Boulder police computer system relating to the investigation.

Removal from the Case[edit | edit source]

After the resignation letter of Steve Thomas and a damaging article in Vanity Fair, the Governor of Colorado intervened and forced Alex Hunter to hire new prosecutors from outside the Boulder District Attorney's office.

Hunter removed DeMuth and Hofstrom from the case and brought in Mike Kane, Mitch Morrissey from the Denver DA's office, and Bruce Levin.