DOCUMENT: Crime

Man Sues Over JonBenet Murder Claim

Ramsey family friend targets anonymous online accuser in court

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Man Sues Over JonBenet Murder Claim

NOVEMBER 9--A friend of JonBenet Ramsey's father has filed a lawsuit against an anonymous web surfer who has posted online messages claiming that the man killed the six-year-old beauty queen as well as another person. In a lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, Rod Westmoreland, 54, alleges that someone using the handle 'undrtheradar' has authored posts this year on two message boards that claim he murdered JonBenet in December 1996 and killed a pizza delivery man in a bizarre August 2003 bombing incident. Westmoreland, a Merrill Lynch senior vice president who is only identified by his initials in the complaint, is a friend of John Ramsey, JonBenet's father. On the morning the girl was found missing from her room and a kidnap note was discovered in the family's Colorado home, John Ramsey called Westmoreland for help in gathering ransom money. In his complaint, a copy of which you'll find below, Westmoreland contends that he has been maligned by posts on message boards hosted by Topix.net and the Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community. He intends to learn the real identity of 'undrtheradar' via discovery in the case, which was filed by attorney Lin Wood, who has previously represented John Ramsey and his late wife Patsy in several libel actions. (23 pages)