The father of slain child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey has revealed his renewed hope that her murderer will finally be brought to justice, after new evidence was identified.
John Ramsey, 82, has tirelessly campaigned for close to 30 years for additional DNA and Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) testing to be performed to help solve the mystery.
On December 12, two weeks before the 29th anniversary of the tragedy, Boulder Police Department gave the update John’s waited for – new evidence has been collected and tested.
They have also conducted “several new interviews” and “re-interviewed individuals based on tips” received during the past year.
“The killing of JonBenét was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left our hearts,” said Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn.
“We are committed to following up on every lead and we are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved. This investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department.”
He added that, as technology and DNA testing techniques have advanced, fresh leads have been generated and new evidence continually tested and re-tested.
“It is never too late for people with knowledge of this terrible crime to come forward, and I urge those responsible for this murder to contact us,” he said.
New evidence and hope
Speaking on NewsNation’s Banfield, John said this news made him feel “more optimistic” than he has been in years.
“We of course, have advocated that if certain evidence was taken from the crime scene and has never been sampled, then it ought to be – the main one being the garotte they used to strangle my daughter,” he said.
John praised Chief Stephen Redfearn for his efforts, citing the change in leadership as “the key” to the case’s progress after more than two decades.
“It’s encouraging,” he said. “They brought in Chief Redfearn from the outside. I’ve met with him three or four times. I’m impressed with him. I think he’s sincere.
“We’re going to ask for a meeting again in January for an update … If I read between the lines of this latest report that he issued, there’s some encouraging words there, so I’m more optimistic than I’ve been in a long time.”
John added that he plans to ask specifics about what the new evidence is. This includes whether or not the DNA was tested using IGG, calling the old Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database obsolete.
What happened to JonBenét Ramsey?
JonBenét was just six years old when she was killed on the evening of Christmas Day 1996.
Around seven hours after being reported missing, and the discovery of a ransom note, she was found in the basement of the family’s home in Boulder, Colorado, having died of asphyxia by strangulation.
The case has baffled detectives for almost three decades.
John, his wife Patsy, and son Burke – who was nine when his sister died – were all early suspects, though they were exonerated in 2008.
Patsy passed away two years prior to the ruling, from complications of ovarian cancer. She was 49.
