A nearly three-decade cold case could be solved if authorities would just give the green light to utilize DNA testing — and the victim’s father is desperate for answers.
Little JonBenét Ramsey was only six years old when she was found dead in her house. Although an autopsy revealed her cause of death was strangulation, cops have not been able to find her killer.
Highlights
- JonBenét's father urges police to authorize DNA testing for a 28-year cold case.
- DNA left on the weapon could identify JonBenét's killer.
- Items from the crime scene remain untested nearly three decades later.
But it turns out that genetic material was left on the weapon used to take JonBenet’s life, as well as the other items near the crime scene. Now, all eyes are on the police.
The evidence needed to solve a 28-year-old murder case could be in the hands of the police, as long as they agree to proceed with DNA testing
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Ahead of the upcoming Netflix docuseries Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?, set to premiere on November 25, the little girl’s father, John Ramsey, opened up to People on the status of the investigation.
“We’re begging the police to engage,” he said. “There are cutting-edge DNA labs that want to help and who believe they can move the case forward.”
However, no one is able to help the chief of police with this case until he asks for help.
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A handful of things were found alongside JonBenét’s dead body, but seven of those objects were never tested. As a result, John urged authorities to use advanced technology to closely examine these items.
“Of the items sent to labs in the beginning, six or seven of them were returned untested,” he revealed. “We don’t know why they were not tested, but they were not tested. The garrote used to strangle JonBenét and a number of items were just sent back.”
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The 80-year-old added, “But to do the latest stuff, this whole genealogy research, they needed a different format of the sample.
“And that’s why we’ve been advocating more testing be done by one or two of these very cutting edge labs, to retrieve a sample in the right format, which they can use to do genealogy research and searching, basically.”
The killing of JonBenét Ramsey is one of the most infamous unsolved child murders in history
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On December 26, 1994, JonBenét was initially reported missing from her home, located in the 700th block of 15th Street in Boulder, Colorado.
A note had been found by the victim’s mother, Patsy Ramsey, which indicated that her daughter had been kidnapped. It demanded a $118,000 ransom be delivered in exchange for JonBenét’s life.
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“We have your daughter in our possession. She is safe and unharmed and if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter” wrote the sender, who claimed to be from a “group of individuals” representing a “small foreign faction.”
When police arrived to search the house, they stumbled upon the unfortunate scene of the six-year-old, lying lifeless.
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Detectives have allegedly followed over 21,000 tips, letters, and emails to find her killer and have spoken with more than 1,000 people over the years.
In 2006, a man confessed to the murder, but DNA evidence cleared him. Two years later, JonBenét’s parents and her older brother Burke were also cleared.
As of 2024, the case remains open, and JonBenét’s father refuses to lose hope.
“If it stays in the hands of the Boulder Police, it will not be solved, period,” John said. “If they accept help, all the help that’s out there, that’s available and offered, it will be solved. Yes, I believe it will be solved.”
The police's alleged lack of efforts has caused suspicions to arise
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