In one of the most public and widely discussed cases of the last century, the role of the Boulder police in the investigation has been criticized by many, including JonBenét’s father, John.
JonBenét Ramsey’s 1996 murder case has prompted unending television, documentary, and press coverage in the years since the young girl’s tragic death. The case, despite the amount of attention it continues to receive, still remains unsolved.
Recently, however, the Boulder Police Department and Boulder County district attorney’s office in Colorado sent out a news release that explained an announcement was forthcoming for an “update” on the case.
The departments would now enlist the aid of a state cold case team and private DNA laboratories for the first time in the investigation.
“As in any cold case homicide, the investigation can always benefit from the perspective of outside experts,” read part of the announcement from authorities. “So, in addition to talking with the private DNA labs, the Boulder Police Department will be consulting with the Colorado Cold Case Review Team in 2023.”
JonBenét’s family was long considered suspects in the mysterious case. Her parents, John and Patsy, along with her brother Josh, were not fully cleared of the case by authorities until 2008–2 years after Patty’s death due to cancer.
The district attorney of the time, Mary Lacy, claimed testing revealed that touch DNA found in the 6-year-old victim’s waistband, underwear, and nails did not match anyone who would share DNA with the victim.
Since 2008, however, other DNA experts have questioned the former DA’s decision. In 2016, the Boulder Daily Camera wrote that “the findings don’t implicate or exonerate anyone in the family.” DNA experts who reviewed laboratory results and reports from the Ramsey case for the Daily Camera and 9News added:
“Two of the three samples that led Lacy to declare publicly that no one in the Ramsey family could be responsible for the murder actually appear to include genetic material from at least three people.”
They continued by explaining that this could even be “a result of inconsequential contact.”
After analyzing nearly 1,000 DNA samples, the Boulder police claimed that their Major Crimes unit still had not found a match. A frustrated John Ramsey took to the stage at CrimeCon this past summer to pressure the department to continue testing the evidence.
“The government moves based on public pressure. Our government is reactive,” John Ramsey said at CrimeCon. “And we need to apply pressure to the government to do the right thing.”
Ramsey expressed frustration that modern DNA testing techniques were not being used and then proceeded to convince guests at the event to sign a petition calling on Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to hand over decision-making power regarding DNA evidence from local police to an independent agency.
The father of the victim had not heard a response to his pleas but believes the announcement recently released by the police department is a sign that they are listening.
“It appears the governor’s office has brought pressure on the Boulder police to finally accept help from outside to solve the murder of our daughter Jon Benet,” Ramsey said in a statement to Fox News on November 10. “We have been fighting and praying for this almost from the beginning when it became obvious the Boulder police department was not equipped or experienced to deal with the unthinkable murder of an innocent child.”
In their press release, the Boulder PD did explain that they have yet to agree to retest the DNA found on the young girl at the risk of destroying what remains of the samples:
“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. In collaboration with the CBI and the FBI, there have been several discussions with private DNA labs about the viability of continued testing of DNA recovered from the crime scene and genetic genealogy analysis. Those discussions will continue. Whenever there is a proven technology that can reliably test forensic samples consistent with the samples available in this case, additional analysis will be conducted.”
This of course has upset John Ramsey as well.
“Waiting for the next generation of DNA technology is silly,” he said in an interview Friday with Denver’s 9News.
While interviewing with 9News on Friday, Ramsey explained how devastating the loss of his daughter and the long investigation into his family has been.
“I lost my job, our life savings depleted … That was not a function of the killer. It was the function of the police department, and the information that they put out was misleading and false and the media picked it up and ran with it and basically convicted us in the court of public opinion,” he said.
Asked by 9News about if he thinks his daughter’s case will reach a resolution, Ramsey said, “Not if it stays in the hands of Boulder Police, I don’t. I really don’t.”
If this was my child, I’d want to know the answer. Imagine the agony. Praying for a resolution!
