The case of child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey’s murder could be “within reach” of being closed after 28 years, investigators say.
The Ramseys discovered their six-year-old daughter was missing on December 26, 1996 and a ransom note was left in their Boulder, Colorado home. Hours later, JonBenét’s father, John, found the little girl’s body in the basement — with a garrote around her neck, a fractured skull, and signs of sexual assault. The unsolved case has gripped the nation, sparking many theories as to who killed the little girl.
Now, nearly three decades after the little girl disappeared, investigators say they are hopeful about solving the case in the near future.
“I’m not sure what it will take to bust it wide open, but it feels like it’s within reach,” an investigator told the New York Post Sunday. “We’re hoping for 2025; this is our year.”
Police are hoping to use new genetic technology to link DNA evidence found in her underwear to a suspect, ABC News reported. Sources told the network that investigators are “making progress” in the case.
The optimistim comes a year after Boulder Police launched a multi-agency effort to investigate the cold case in December 2023.
“It hasn’t been as aggressive as anyone had hoped,” the investigator told the Post, “but now there’s a lot of pressure to get this solved.” The team has only convened once in person since it was formed, but the members are in touch with one another regularly.
Police noted that since the 1996 killing, investigators have looked into more than 21,000 tips, letters, and emails and traveled to 19 states to interview more than 1,000 individuals.
Another source told the Post that Steve Redfearn, who recently became chief of the Boulder police department, has reinvigorated efforts toward the case: “He wants it solved and off the books, and he’s assigning officers and resources to solving the murder, which has been a black mark on the Boulder PD.”
“We f***ed the case up from the start, and now with new blood, we can finally fix it,” the source added.
Chief Redfearn posted an annual update on the Ramsey case on November 26.
“The killing of JonBenet was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left our hearts,” he said in a statement. “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.”
Patsy, John, and JonBenét’s brother Burke, who was 9 at the time of her murder, were cleared as suspects in the case.
No one has ever been arrested or charged in the case.
“We are hopeful that the renewed public attention will generate more tips,” Redfearn said in his annual update, which came one day before Netflix premiered its documentary series on the case Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét. Boulder Police encourage anyone with any information to contact detectives at BouldersMostWanted@bouldercolorado.gov or by calling the Boulder Police tipline at 303-441-1974.
