>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY. THE UP SOLVED MURDER OF JONBENET
RAMSEY HAS FASCINATED THE WORLD FOR TWO DECADES.
THE CASE IS THE FOCUS OF A NEW DOCUMENTARY "CASTING JONBENET"
COMING TO NETFLIX TOMORROW. WE'LL TALK TO THE DIRECTOR, BUT
FIRST, HERE IS NBC'S JACOB RASCON.
>> I'M AWE DISSING FOR THE ROLE OF JOHN RAMSEY.
>> AND I'M AUDITIONING FOR THE ROLE OF PAT RAMSEY.
>> THIS IS A MURDER TOLD IN A WAY NO ONE HAS TOLD BEFORE.
RAMSEY WAS FOUND DEAD IN HER FAMILY'S BASEMENT CHRISTMAS 1996
STRANGLED TO DEATH AFTER BEING KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS SPARKING TWO
DECADES OF INVESTIGATION. SUSPICIONS.
>> I DID NOT KILL MY DAUGHTER, JONBENET.
>> I DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.
>> AND NATIONWIDE FASCINATION. BUT 20 YEARS LATER, IS THERE
BEEN NO REAL ANSWERS. THE CRIME LED THE CONSPIRACY
ABOUT HER PARENTS, HER 9-YEAR-OLD BROTHER, AND
STRANGERS, INCLUDING FALSE CONFESSIONS.
A GRAND JURY VOTED TO INDICT HER PARENTS FOR FELONY CHILD ABUSE
BUT THEY WERE NEVER CHARGED AND WERE LATER CLEARED BY THE D.A.
LAST YEAR HER BROTHER BURKE WHO ALSO DENIED INVOLVEMENT SPOKE
EXCLUSIVELY TO DR. PHIL. >> THE FIRST THING I REMEMBER IS
MY MOM, THE FIRST THING IN MY ROOM, REALLY FRANTIC SAYING, OH,
MY GOSH, OH, MY GOSH, OH, MY GOSH.
RUNNING AROUND MY ROOM LOOKING FOR JONBENET.
>> THOUGH THE CASE HAS GONE COLD, THE FASCINATION HAS NOT.
>> IT'S ALWAYS SOMEONE YOU KNOW. >> THE MOTHER HAD TO DO IT.
>> SHE HAD NO MOTIVE. >> IN THE FILM, IT PUSHES THE
BOUNDARY OF THE LOCAL DOCUMENTARY.
LOCAL ACTORS FROM BOULDER, COLORADO, WERE ASKED TO SPEAK
ABOUT THE CASE, THEIR EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO IT AND THEIR
CONSPIRACY THEORIES. THOSE OPEN AND HONEST AUDITION
TAPES FORMED "CASTING JONBENET." >> HOW CAN A 9-YEAR-OLD PULL OFF
A MURDER LIKE THIS? >> THIS OPENED THE CULTURE OF
THOSE OBSESSED WITH IT. >> I'M AUDITIONING FOR JONBENET
RAMSEY? DO YOU KNOW WHO KILLED JONBENET
RAM SEE? >> KITTY GREEN, THE DIRECTOR OF
"CASTING JONBENET" IS WITH US. GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING. >> EVEN JUST WATCHING THOSE
CLIPS, IT IS KIND OF CRINGEY TO WATCH YOUNG GIR AUDITIONING FOR
THE ROLE OF JONBENET RAMSEY. TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> WELL, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS TV SPECIALS AND SO MANY
BOOKS, SO MANY FILMS ABOUT JONBENET RAMSEY, KIND OF A WHO
DONE IT? OR HOW ARE WE GOING TO SOLVE IT?
AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T KNOW WHO DID IT.
OR WE WILL PROBABLY NEVER KNOW FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE WHO
DID IT. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THE
COMMUNITY INSIDE BOULDER, COLORADO, AND THE REACTION AND
RESPONSE TO THE CRIME AND HOW THEY HAVE THEIR PERSONAL
REFLECTIONS ON WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT.
>> SO THESE ARE ACTUAL ACTORS FROM THE BOULDER AREA WHO
OBVIOUSLY HAVE A KEEN KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PARTICULAR CRIME.
AND THEY CAME IN TO AUDITION. DID YOU SAY TO THEM, HEY, LOOK,
THE AUDITION TAPES ARE GOING TO END UP BEING THE FILM HERE?
DID YOU TELL THEM THAT? >> YEAH, WE WERE REALLY HONEST
WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE REALLY HONEST WITH US.
AND YOU'LL SEE IT IN THE FILM. THEY KIND OF REVEAL ALL.
AND WE SAID, IF YOU'RE GOING TO PLAY PATSY RAMSEY IN THE MOVIE,
BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW, IS SHE GUILTY OR INNOCENT, HOW WOULD
YOU GO ABOUT PLAYING THAT ROLE? THAT WAS INTERESTING TO US.
>> I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE COME TO A ROLE, WHICH IS WHAT YOU
FIND HERE, WHICH MADE THIS REALLY FASCINATING.
THEY COME TO A ROLE WITH THEIR OWN EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE, IF YOU
WILL. THEY HAVE COME EITHER FROM A
DIVORCE OR BROKEN FAMILY, OR THERE ARE -- AN ILLNESS, A
PASSING, ALL THESE THINGS KIND OF WEAVE INTO THEIR OWN PERSONAL
THEORY. SO WE ARE ACTUALLY HEARING THE
THEORIES OF THESE ACTORS AND ACTRESSES WHEN IT COMES TO THE
MURDER OF JONBENET? >> YEAH.
INTERESTING HOW A COMMUNITY DEALS WITH THE UNSOLVED CRIME.
WHEN THERE ARE MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS, HOW DO THEY DEAL
WITH UNCERTAINTY, AMBIGUITY AND DOUBT?
AND THE MYSTERY AND WANTING TO GUESS, THAT'S WHAT WE PROBED
PEOPLE ON. PEOPLE CONNECTED TO THEIR OWN
EMOTIONAL STUFF AND HISTORIES WITH THEIR MOTHER OR BROTHER.
THEY WOULD BRING UP ALL THIS KIND OF REALLY DARK, EMOTIONAL
CONFLICT WITH US. >> WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE
COMMUNITY OF BOULDER ABOUT THIS MURDER?
>> SO MUCH. I INTERVIEWED 200 PEOPLE.
72 PEOPLE ARE IN THE FILM. AND WE GOT STORIES FROM PEOPLE,
DIVERSE, WIDE-RANGING STORIES, THAT SOME OF THEM ARE
HEARTBREAKING, SOME OF THEM HILARIOUS, SO IT'S A MIXED BAG
OF PEOPLE'S IMPRESSION LIVING WITH THE END OF A SHALLOW FOR 28
YEARS. >> IT GOT RAVES AT FILM
FESTIVALS, SUNDANCE AND BERLIN, WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE
AWAY FROM THIS? >> IT'S ABOUT HOW WE AS A
COMMUNITY PERCEIVE THE EVENTS. SO I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU
IDEAS ON WHAT TO THINK. I WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE THEIR
OWN OPINION. >> ALL RIGHT.
A