Photo courtesy of Boulder Police Department
In the Boulder Police Department’s annual statement on the JonBenet Ramsey case, Police Chief Stephen Redfearn refuted the idea that there is viable evidence or leads in the case that they are not pursing.
While a statement on the case has been published annually around the anniversary of JonBenet’s murder—December 26—the department said they were sharing this update early due to “increased attention,” seemingly alluding to the Netflix documentary “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey” that debuted on the streaming platform Nov. 25.
JonBenet was 6 years old when she was reported missing on Dec. 26, 1996, after her family found a ransom note inside their home. That same day, her body was found in a basement room of the house, and an autopsy the next day revealed the cause of death to be strangulation. The case became a media sensation overnight due to a number of factors, including JonBenet’s participation in youth beauty pageants, her family’s wealth and suspicion, and the fact that her body was found inside the home.
In the years since the young girl’s murder, much has been made of the initial police work. In fact, the Netflix documentary focuses on the mistakes made by police and the media circus surrounding the case. The family of JonBenet has been critical of the Boulder Police Department (BPD) from early on. In 2022, John Ramsey, father of JonBenet, threw his support behind a petition that asked the governor of Colorado to take the case out of the hands of BPD. He also alleged that there is DNA evidence that has never been tested before. In the weeks leading up to the Netflix documentary and in the days after its release, John has suggested much of the same.
“The assertion that there is viable evidence and leads we are not pursuing—to include DNA testing—is completely false,” reads the latest press release from BPD published on Nov. 26, 2024.
In December 2022, BPD said they were actively reviewing genetic DNA testing processes to see if any could be applied to the case going forward. Many thought this meant the police would contract with a third-party forensic investigative genetic genealogy company—something John has repeatedly expressed interest in. There has not been an update on DNA or genetic genealogy, specifically, since.
The annual case update released last year on Dec., 28, 2023 says the BPD-convened Colorado Cold Case Review Team spent all of 2023 reviewing the case and making investigative recommendations. However, the update does not elaborate on what the specific recommendations are.
That is true for this 2024 update, as well. Redfearn did say the Cold Case Review Panel “gave us a lengthy list of recommendations, which we are continuing to work through and evaluate.” But, he did not get into any specifics, provide a timeline, or speak about next steps.
“There is no way we can share that information publicly without compromising the integrity of this case and any future prosecution by the District Attorney’s Office,” said Redfearn. “We must constantly balance the release of any information in an active and open investigation with the public’s right and desire to know what’s going on.”
The police chief noted that detectives regularly investigate aspects of the crime and the department will continue to be “open-minded” about what happened.
Seemingly alluding to the new Netflix documentary, Redfearn said the BPD is hopeful new public attention will generate new tips.
“To the extent that news coverage, documentaries, and mini-series keep JonBenet’s memory alive, and could perhaps spark new information, we welcome any coverage that might finally allow us to bring the killer or killers to justice,” he said.
Lastly, Redfearn said the department has had ongoing conversations with JonBenet’s family, the last of which occurred in mid-2024, and they are committed to continuing open dialogue.
JonBenet would have been 34 years old this year.
“So much of how law enforcement works has changed throughout the years,” concluded Redfearn. “There are a number of things that people have pointed to throughout the years that could have been done better and we acknowledge that that is true. However, it is important to emphasize that while we cannot go back to that horrible day in 1996, our goal is to find JonBenet Ramsey’s killer.”