Police deny turning over evidence as Netflix doc puts JonBenét Ramsey murder back in the spotlight – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

DENVER (AP) — Amid renewed interest in the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, spurred in part by a new Netflix documentary, police in Boulder, Colorado, this week dismissed claims that there is compelling evidence and leads in the 1996 killing of the 6-year-old. an old girl they don’t pursue.

JonBenet Ramsey, a beauty pageant competitor, was found dead in the basement of her family’s home in the college town of Boulder the day after Christmas in 1996. Her body was found hours after her mother called 911 to report her daughter was missing and the ransom note was left behind. Details of the crime and videos of JonBenet participating in pageants have turned the case into one of the most notorious mysteries in the United States.

The police comments came as part of the investigation’s annual report, a month before the 28th anniversary of JonBenet’s killing. Police said they released it a little early because of increased attention on the case, apparently referring to the three-part Netflix series “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey.”

In a video statement, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfern said the department welcomes news coverage and documentaries about the killing of JonBenet, who would have turned 34 this year, as a way to pursue possible new leads. He said the department is committed to solving the case but must be careful what it says about the investigation to protect possible future prosecution.

“What I can tell you, however, is that we have thoroughly investigated numerous people as suspects over the years and continue to keep an open mind about what happened, following up on tips that come in from detectives,” he said.

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

JonBenet was beaten and strangled. Her death was ruled a homicide, but no one was ever brought to justice.

Police were widely criticized for mishandling the early investigation into her death amid speculation that her family was to blame. However, in 2008, prosecutors acquitted her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, and brother Burke, based on new DNA evidence from JonBenét’s clothing that implicated an “unexplained third party” in her murder.

Former District Attorney Mary Lacy’s announcement came two years after Patsy Ramsey died of cancer. Lacey called the Ramseys “victims of this crime.”

John Ramsey continued to advocate for the case to be solved. In 2022, he supported an online petition asking the governor of Colorado to intervene in the investigation by directing an outside agency to conduct DNA testing in the case. In the Netflix documentary, he said he advocated testing a few items that were not prepared for DNA testing, as well as retesting other items. He said the results need to be entered into a genealogy database.

In recent years, investigators have identified suspects in cold cases by comparing DNA profiles from crime scenes and DNA test results posted online by people researching their family trees.

In 2021, police said in their annual report that DNA had not been ruled out to solve the case, and in 2022 noted that some evidence could be “wasted” if DNA testing was done on it.

Last year, police said they had convened a panel of outside experts to review the investigation to make recommendations and determine whether updated technology or forensic testing might lead to new leads. In the latest update, Redfern said the review had ended but police were continuing to work and evaluate the panel’s “long list of recommendations.”

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