Netflix’s docu series Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey is set to premiere on November 25, 2024. The unsolved cold case of JonBenét Ramsey’s murder will be under the spotlight for a revelation of more details of this gruesome crime.
JonBenét Ramsey was murdered in December 1996 and since then, her family, consisting of her parents and siblings have been haunted by the same. In 1995, at the age of only five years, Ramsey had won the title of Little Miss Colorado and she was only six when she was murdered.
Patsy and John Ramsey, JonBenét Ramsey’s parents and her brother Burke Ramsey and step-brother John Andrew were all subjects to extreme scrutiny by both the general population and the investigators, as the authorities tried to solve the crime.
In 1999, Patsy and John Ramsey were voted by a grand jury to be indicted on charges of abusing their child and being accessories in murder. However, those allegations were later cleared and they were freed. Since then, JonBenét Ramsey’s has not been found and her family is still hopeful that DNA evidence may eventually help them to find the culprit.
Let us now explore in detail what happened to JonBenét Ramsey’s family.
What happened to JonBenét Ramsey?
On December 26, 1996, a note was found by Patsy on the stairs of their home that demanded $118,000 and said that JonBenét Ramsey had been abducted. Patsy called 911 upon finding the note and though local officers and FBI arrived, no ransom call was received.
Moreover, there were no signs of any forced entry into the Ramsey household and after two hours, when the authorities obtained a search warrant and started to look around the house, JonBenét Ramsey’s body was found in the basement, in a windowless room.
The girl’s mouth was shut with a duct tape and she was strangled and beared signs of sexual assault.
What happened to JonBenét Ramsey’s family following her death?
Despite the murder of JonBenét Ramsey remaining unsolved, several suspects have emerged through the years and the list started with her own family. Following a year of secret testimony, a grand jury had accused that the parents
"unlawfully, knowingly, recklessly and feloniously [permitted] a child to be unreasonably placed in a situation which posed a threat of injury to the child's life or health."
They were charged with allegations of child abuse that eventually led to death. However, the Boulder County prosecutor did not agree on pursuing criminal charges against Burke and the parents since the evidence against them was not that strong.
In 2008, all three of them were cleared of all the charges they were accused of by D.A. Mary Lacy, saying,
"The match of male DNA on two separate items of clothing worn by the victim at the time of the murder makes it clear to us that an unknown male handled these items," Lacy said in a statement addressed to the Ramseys. "To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you might have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry."
In 2016, Stan Garrett, a prosecutor, told the People Magazine that he did not think that the family should be considered to be completely innocent, but because of the lack of proof, they had to be presumed to be innocent.
In December 2021, police told People Magazine that they had
"received, reviewed or investigated more than 21,016 tips, letters and emails and detectives have traveled to 19 states to interview or speak with more than 1,000 individuals in connection to this crime."
Where is JonBenét Ramsey’s family following her death?
In 2006, Patsy Ramsey died from ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, she passed away two years before the family was cleared of all the criminal charges. In September 2016, JonBenét Ramsey’s brother Burke Ramsey told People Magazine that though he and his parents have been accused of killing his sister, they have always been innocent.
He also said that on the day that JonBenét Ramsey died, he was in his room and initially did not even believe the news. He also mentioned that his sister’s murder was probably done by some
"pedophile from the pageant circuit."
However, later that month, a CBS special named The Case Of: JonBenét Ramsey hinted at a theory that suggested Burke had accidentally killed JonBenét Ramsey by hitting her with a flashlight and the parents got involved to cover up the crime.
The investigative team cited Burke’s demeanor on the show Dr. Phil, which seemed to be giving away his feelings of guilt. However, since this was not a concrete enough proof and rather hampered Burke’s already damaged reputation, Dr. Werner Spitz and other experts who appeared in the special were sued by him for $150 million.
It was reported by the Associated Press in January 2019 that the lawsuit between Burke and CBS was settled, but no further details were provided.
John Andrew Ramsey, the older half-brother of JonBenét has been vocal about his sister’s death and is also skeptical of how the Boulder Police dealt with the whole thing. However, he remains hopeful about the DNA evidence helping to find the killer someday.
After Patsy died, JonBenét’s father John dated Beth Twitty, Natalee Holloway's mother for a brief period of time. In 2011, he married fashion designer Jan Rousseaux, his third wife.
In 2024, John told People Magazine that the Boulder Police probably have the resources to get to the bottom of JonBenét’s murder, but they are not allowing the DNA testing of the genetic material that was left on the garrote that the child was strangled with.
He further said,
“We're begging the police to engage,” Ramsey said. “There are cutting-edge DNA labs that want to help and who believe they can move the case forward.”
He also mentioned that the chances of the case being solved by the Boulder Police are very thin, but if they accept the help that is available then the killer might be caught.
Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey can be streamed on Netflix.
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