In yet another effort to discover the murderer of 6-year-old beauty pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey, who was found bludgeoned and strangled in her family’s basement in 1996, local police are now going to work with a review team to use new technology to find the killer.
ICYMI: The Boulder Police Department says they are going to consult the Colorado Cold Case Review Team regarding the murder of #JonBenetRamsey as the case approaches its 26th year without a convicted killer.https://t.co/bYkj9P0f5D
— Audrey Conklin (@audpants) November 10, 2022
The girl was reported missing the day after Christmas 1996 after JonBenet’s mother Patsy found a handwritten ransom note demanding nearly $118,000; her father John found her body later that day. For years, John, as well as Patsy, who died of cancer in 2006, were suspected by the public of killing their daughter, but in 2008 they were officially cleared.
“The amount of DNA evidence available for analysis is extremely small and complex. The sample could, in whole or in part, be consumed by DNA testing,” the Boulder Police Department and Boulder County District Attorney’s Office stated in a news release.
“The Boulder Police Department will be consulting with the Colorado Cold Case Review Team in 2023. The Cold Case Review Team is comprised of professional investigative, analytical, and forensic experts from across the state,” the district attorney’s office added.
Last May, John Ramsey asked Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) to move the case from the Boulder police to an independent agency.
“Anyone who would do this to a child is just beyond sick. He may be still out there, and if he is, he’s probably killed other children,” Ramsey said, according to Inside Edition, adding that new technology should be used to identify his daughter’s killer. “Technology has advanced so far in 25 years, that to not go back and apply the latest technology is just foolish.”
“This crime has left a hole in the hearts of many, and we will never stop investigating until we find JonBenet’s killer,” Police Chief Maris Herold stated. “That includes following up on every lead and working with our policing partners and DNA experts around the country to solve this tragic case. This investigation has always been and will continue to be a priority for the Boulder Police Department.”
“The murder of JonBenet Ramsey is a terrible tragedy and sparked years of unanswered questions and theories,” District Attorney Michael Doughert echoed. “Our office has successfully prosecuted other cold case homicides and many murder cases. In every one of those cases, it was the evidence that proved the defendant(s) guilty. Whether it is DNA or other evidence, more is needed to solve this murder. I appreciate the collaboration with CBI, the FBI, and the Boulder Police Department.”
Although other suspects have been mentioned over the years, none of them were ultimately held responsible for the crime.
Ashe Schow contributed to this report.
Related: JonBenet Ramsey’s Father Wants New Investigation Into Daughter’s Death, Gov. Polis Responds
