THIS time of year is always crushingly hard for John Ramsey.
28 years ago, on Thursday, his six-year-old daughter JonBenét was discovered deceased in the basement of their residence in Boulder, Colorado, after being subjected to physical assault and sexual abuse.
FRESH HOPE
Despite numerous leads, suspects, and connections, no arrests have been made in connection to these atrocious crimes.
At CrimeCon in Nashville earlier this year, John expressed strong disapproval of the Boulder Police Department, alleging that some officers wished him harm to ensure the case would be permanently closed and forgotten.
However, with new chief Steve Redfearn in charge and able to bring in help from the FBI, there is fresh hope for the case in 2025.
For 12 years, John and his late wife, Patsy, were the primary suspects in JonBenét’s murder.
However, in 2008, they were exonerated after DNA evidence found on JonBenét’s clothing and under her nails was linked to a male, though no matches have been made yet.
A recent Netflix documentary sparked renewed interest, and John is hopeful DNA evidence could finally find the killer, especially now that the authorities have widened their pool of investigators and detectives.
“We are encouraged that the police will finally use the FBI’s skills and resources to help solve our case,” John told The U.S. Sun, clearly boosted by the new direction Redfearn can take the investigation.
John and his family have been urging the authorities to incorporate cutting-edge DNA analysis in the desperate race to clear a “cloud” hanging over them all.
Moving forward, he wants any child murder to instantly become a federal offense, with the legislation then allowing the FBI to investigate.
“It’s staggering that the FBI doesn’t have the jurisdiction to take over the case,” John said in June.
“But this is the country we are living in. It’s nuts.”
DNA INVESTIGATION
Thankfully, that situation has changed for John, who heads into the new year with renewed optimism.
Many crime scene items could have crucial DNA but have never been tested, including the ransom note, a broom handle, a suitcase full of JonBenet’s clothes and books, and a flashlight.
Lou Smit, the former Colorado detective who led the charge to find JonBenet’s killer, had always assured the Ramsey family that DNA would solve the case.
“We have been asking and praying for this over the past 28 years,” John said.
The BPD have previously expressed concerns about testing the DNA, fearing it could be compromised but are now pushing forward with the investigation.
The advancement of cutting-edge DNA labs certainly offers effective, fresh hope.
Forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) was used to capture Joseph James DeAngelo, dubbed the Golden State Killer, in 2018. Specialist labs, like Othram in Texas, have been solving cold cases with increasing regularity using advanced genetic genealogy.
“Suppose they now use cutting-edge DNA labs to develop a DNA profile in the proper format for familial genealogy research,” John continued. “In that case, we have pretty good odds of finding the killer’s identity.”
John said he has requested a meeting with Boulder’s new police chief in January to discuss how the new genealogy research can assist investigators on the case.
“We have requested a meeting with Chief Redfearn in January. He said yep, absolutely, let’s get together,” John told Fox News Digital.
“We haven’t scheduled a day yet, but we’ll get that figured out.
“That’s an important meeting. We’re going to have a representative with us for one of those cutting-edge labs to explain what they can and can’t do.
“Hopefully, he will accept their help. The reason I’ve done these media interviews – Netflix, the documentary – is to keep pressure on the police.
“We’re not going to go away, folks.”
Suspects investigated in the JonBenét Ramsey case
Child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey, 6, was found dead in an unfinished wine cellar section in the basement of her family’s Boulder, Colorado, home on December 26, 1996.
JonBenét’s parents reported her missing after mom Patsy found a handwritten ransom note on the staircase toward the back of the family’s home.
Hours passed without any sighting or word from JonBenét’s supposed kidnappers as Boulder police combed through the home and the surrounding area.
JonBenét’s body was eventually found by her father, John Ramsey, in the basement. A rope was tied tightly around her neck, and at the end of the rope was a broken paintbrush.
An autopsy determined the 6-year-old had been sexually assaulted and tortured.
In the decades since the unsolved murder, investigators have probed several potential suspects connected to JonBenét’s case.
List of suspects:
- John and Patsy Ramsey: At the start of the investigation, police focused on JonBenét’s parents and her then-9-year-old brother, Burke. Boulder police believed Patsy wrote the ransom note at the scene after she allegedly became enraged that JonBenét wet the bed. Police alleged Patsy viciously injured her daughter in a fit of rage, causing her death and setting up the crime as a kidnapping. The parents were cleared when the DNA evidence found under JonBenét’s fingernails, on her clothing, and her underwear was linked to an unknown male. The DNA did not match John, Patsy, or Burke Ramseys.
- John Mark Karr: In 2002, John Mark Karr, an elementary school teacher living in Thailand at the time, began communicating with an investigative journalist. Karr disclosed details about JonBenét’s murder that were not known to the public. With the help of journalist Michael Tracey, authorities arrested Karr in Bangkok and extradited him to Boulder. However, the case again hit a wall after Karr’s DNA did not match the samples taken from the crime scene. Karr’s estranged wife also provided an alibi, saying Karr was in North Carolina on the day that JonBenét was killed. Despite being cleared, Karr continued to claim he was with JonBenét when she died.
- Gray Oliva: The U.S. Sun extensively reported how convicted pedophile Gary Oliva confessed multiple times to killing JonBenét in letters to a high school friend. Oliva was released from prison in January 2024 after serving less than eight years of a 10-year sentence for child pornography charges. In letters to high school friend Michael Vail, Oliva confessed multiple times to killing JonBenét, claiming it was an accident. Oliva was living in the Boulder area on and off at the time of JonBenét’s murder, police said. Despite his obsession with JonBenét, Olivia was cleared by DNA evidence.
- Michael Helgoth: At the time of the 1996 murder, Michael Helgoth worked at a nearby auto salvage yard. Helgoth owned a pair of Hi-Tec boots that appeared to match a print left at the crime scene. He also owned a stun gun – a weapon investigators believe the murder suspect used on JonBenét. Private investigator Ollie Gray claimed Helgoth’s family owned a taped confession of guilt. Helgoth died by suicide in 1997. However, the DNA evidence found at the scene did not match that of Helgoth.
- John Brewer Eustace: Investigators for JonBenét’s case traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1997 after learning that John Brewer Eustace had broken into a home, kidnapped, and sexually assaulted a 2-year-old toddler. When police searched through Eustace’s belongings, they uncovered a notebook of clippings about JonBenét’s case. However, he was eventually ruled out as a suspect after a “rock solid” alibi confirmed Eustace had been working at a factory on the night JonBenét’s murder occurred.
JonBenét was found brutally beaten on December 26, 1996, hours after her mother, Patsy Ramsey, reported her missing.
Patsy, who died of cancer in 2006, had discovered a handwritten ransom note demanding $118,000 for JonBenét’s safe return. Still, her father, John Ramsey, later found her lifeless body while searching the house.
An autopsy determined that the little beauty queen died of suffocation and was sexually assaulted and tortured.
Over the years, investigators have explored various suspects, including her parents and older brother, Burke, but no arrests have been made.
The case has never been far from the headlines over the last 28 years. Yet, following the release of Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, new tips for Boulder law enforcement were provided.
One alleged lead—a letter claiming the sender’s ex-husband was the killer—proved inconclusive when attempts to contact the tipster failed.
Director Joe Berlinger tempered expectations and told The U.S. Sun that the lead was “overblown,” while Boulder police confirmed they used modern forensic techniques to review the case.
With new Boulder PD chief Steven Redfearn in place and ever-mounting public pressure, investigators are optimistic heading into the new year.
“It feels within reach,” a cop source told The New York Post earlier this month, indicating justice for JonBenet could be forthcoming.
John agrees and is praying that 2025 will be the year the nightmare that has hung over his family for so long will finally end.
“Life’s not fair,” he conceded. “You’ve just got to accept that. Remember Monty Python’s movie Life of Brian when the guy meets the knight at the bridge?
“You stand there, both arms cut off. You have to keep fighting! That’s an image that I keep remembering during all of this.”
