On November 28th, Netflix uploaded a documentary on an unsolved case that is like no other. The story of JonBenet Ramsey has been circulating the media and news outlets since being released in 1996. Starring Ramsey’s father, John Bennett Ramsey, Netflix dropped “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey”. The series was created as a dig towards the Boulder Police department to reopen the case, as the it was left unsolved.
On December 26th, 1996, JonBenet Ramsey was classified as a missing person, after a frantic 911 call was made from the Ramsey home. Patsy Ramsey woke up that snowy morning to a ransom note left on the staircase. The three-page ransom letter stated that her daughter, JonBenet, was kidnapped safely, and she would be returned when an $118,000 cash deposit was made. The writer stated that the bills had to be specific, and if this was not completed correctly, then she would “not make it to 1997”. After the letter was found, Patsy called 911, and cops swarmed the Ramsey residence.
Boulder Police Department did an initial search of the Ramsey household and found no evidence of a break and entry or JonBenet’s kidnapping, besides her bed being empty. In the ransom letter, the writer stated that they would call the Ramsey home between “8am-10am” for further instructions. The first detective arrived at 8:11 am, and started doing an in depth search of the house. The Ramsey’s and Boulder Police officers stayed inside the Ramsey residence, and no calls were made.
At 1 p.m. that same day, Police asked John Ramsey to search the Ramsey house for the second time. They started in the basement, and searched all rooms head to toe. John Ramsey opened the door to the boiler room, and JonBenet’s disgruntled body was wrapped in a blanket on the cold cellar floor. After an autopsy was released on January 4th, 1997, Ramsey was reported to have been sexually assaulted, strangled, and her skull was fractured after impact from a flashlight. A cause of death could not be identified, as there is no timestamp of her death, or a sequence of events reported.
DNA was found under JonBenet’s fingernails and in her underwear. The evidence was collected and sent to be inspected by proper officials. Besides these two samples of DNA, zero evidence was left at the scene. According to the biopsy report posted on the Denver Post, the DNA found on JonBenet was not matched to anyone. “The possibility JonBenet had traded underwear with a playmate, and her blood mixed with that other child’s DNA, could account for the unmatched DNA evidence” said the Denver Post. The fragment of metal found under her fingernails was also a negative match, and was hypothesized as a piece of metal from a set of “nail clippers” they had collected at the scene.
With the results of the DNA being negative, the media and media outlets started to place the blame on Patsy and John Ramsey as the killers of their daughter. ABC News states, “The Ramseys have consistently claimed they were not involved in JonBenet’s murder. However, the Boulder District Attorney’s Office took 12 years to fully exonerate the Ramseys and their son, Burke.”
Throughout the investigation, the Boulder Police Department was never able to come up with a firm arrest. A number of suspects surfaced in the media, including a very misleading suspect, John Mark Karr, who falsely confessed to the killing in 2006. Karr’s DNA did not match though, and he was released and has stayed out of the public eye since that day.
The hope of this new Netflix documentary is to warm up this cold case, and get the Boulder Police to reopen it. According to ABC News, “There’s been a number of old, old cold cases solved using this genealogy research,” John Ramsey said. “Let’s do a reverse family tree and see if he (the killer) had a relative living in Boulder in 1996. That’s what we’re asking the police to do.” After 28 long years for the Ramsey family, hope may be seen on the horizon.
