Police deny sitting on evidence as Netflix doc brings renewed attention to killing of JonBenet Ramsey

DENVER (AP) — Amid renewed involvement successful the killing of JonBenet Ramsey, triggered successful portion by a caller Netflix documentary, constabulary successful Boulder, Colorado, refuted assertions this week that determination is viable grounds and leads astir the 1996 sidesplitting of the 6-year-old miss that they are not pursuing.

JonBenet, who competed successful quality pageants, was recovered dormant successful the basement of her family’s location successful the assemblage municipality of Boulder the time aft Christmas successful 1996. Her assemblage was recovered respective hours aft her parent called 911 to accidental her girl was missing and a ransom note had been near behind.

In this May 24, 2000 record photo, Patsy Ramsey and her husband, John, parents of JonBenet Ramsey, look astatine a quality league successful Atlanta regarding their lie-detector examinations for the execution of their daughter. (Ric Feld/AP)

The details of the transgression and video footage of JonBenet competing successful pageants propelled the lawsuit into 1 of the highest-profile mysteries successful the United States.

The constabulary comments came arsenic portion of their annual update connected the investigation, a period earlier the 28th day of JonBenet’s killing. Police said they released the update a small earlier this twelvemonth due to the fact that of the accrued attraction connected the case, seemingly referring to the three-part Netflix bid “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey.”

In a video statement, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said the section welcomes quality sum and documentaries astir the sidesplitting of JonBenet, who would person been 34 this year, arsenic a mode to make imaginable caller leads. He said the section is committed to solving the lawsuit but needs to beryllium cautious astir what it shares astir the probe to support a imaginable aboriginal prosecution.

“What I tin archer you though, is we person thoroughly investigated aggregate radical arsenic suspects passim the years and we proceed to beryllium open-minded astir what occurred arsenic we analyse the tips that travel into detectives,” helium said.

The Netflix documentary focuses connected the mistakes made by constabulary and the “media circus” surrounding the case.

JonBenet was bludgeoned and strangled. Her decease was ruled a homicide, but cipher was ever prosecuted.

Police were wide criticized for mishandling the aboriginal probe into her decease amid speculation that her household was responsible. However, a prosecutor cleared her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, and member Burke successful 2008 based connected caller DNA grounds from JonBenet’s covering that pointed to the engagement of an “unexplained 3rd party” successful her slaying.

The announcement by erstwhile territory lawyer Mary Lacy came 2 years aft Patsy Ramsey died of cancer. Lacy called the Ramseys “victims of this crime.”

John Ramsey has continued to talk retired for the lawsuit to beryllium solved. In 2022, helium supported an online petition asking Colorado’s politician to intervene successful the probe by putting an extracurricular bureau successful complaint of DNA investigating successful the case. In the Netflix documentary, helium said helium has been advocating for respective items that have not been prepared for DNA investigating to beryllium tested and for different items to beryllium retested. He said the results should beryllium enactment done a genealogy database.

JONBENET RAMSEY

PATRICK DAVISON/AP

The quality of caller planned DNA investigating comes aft a study challenged the exoneration of JonBenet’s parents. (Patrick Davison/AP)

In caller years, investigators person identified suspects successful unsolved cases by comparing DNA profiles from transgression scenes and to DNA investigating results shared online by radical researching their household trees.

In 2021, constabulary said successful their yearly update that DNA hadn’t been ruled retired to assistance lick the case, and successful 2022 noted that immoderate grounds could beryllium “consumed” if DNA investigating is done connected it.

Last year, constabulary said they convened a sheet of extracurricular experts to reappraisal the probe to springiness recommendations and find if updated technologies oregon forensic investigating mightiness nutrient caller leads. In the latest update, Redfearn said that reappraisal had ended but that constabulary proceed to enactment done and measure a “lengthy database of recommendations” from the panel.