Mr Viral
JonBenét Ramsey’s Father Begs Police to Solve Her Murder 28 Years Later: “Just Do Your Job”
JonBenét Ramsey’s family remains desperate for answers.
Almost 30 years after JonBenét was killed at the age of 6, her father John Ramsey is pleading with police to follow a DNA lead he thinks could be the key to solving her murder. According to John, police aren’t proceeding with the testing of genetic material he says was found on the handmade garrote used to strangle JonBenét and on other evidence found at the scene in 1996.
“We’re begging the police to engage,” the 80-year-old told People. “There are cutting-edge DNA labs that want to help and who believe they can move the case forward.”
“The chief of police is in charge,” he explained of Boulder law enforcement. “Nobody can come in and help him with solving a crime unless he asks for help.”
For John, he feels it’s a simple thing the family is asking for. “We’re not asking them to do anything weird,” he added. “Just do your job. Test the DNA.”
In response to John’s claims, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said in a statement to E! News, “The killing of JonBenet was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left our hearts.”
“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,” the statement continued. “This investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department.”
This is not the first time John—who is JonBenét’s only surviving parent, as his wife Patsy Ramsey died in 2006—has addressed this allegedly untested evidence.
Donna Svennevik/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
As he told True Crime News in September, “I don’t know why they didn’t test it in the beginning. To my knowledge it still hasn’t been tested. If they’re testing it and just not telling me, that’s great, but I have no reason to believe that.”
E! News reached out to the Boulder Police Department for comment on John’s claims at the time, but due to the fact that JonBenét’s case is an active and ongoing investigation, the department said it is unable to answer specific questions about actions taken or not taken.
In the almost three decades since JonBenét was found sexually assaulted, beaten and strangled with a garrote in her family’s home the day after Christmas—hours after her mother had called police to report her daughter had been kidnapped—the case has captivated the nation, spawning multiple TV specials hoping to uncover the truth.
And in Netflix’s upcoming three-part docuseries Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, the way law enforcement and the media handled the case will be at the forefront of the investigation.
Mark Fix/ZUMApress.com
“The Boulder, Colorado police, who had little practical experience in homicide investigations,” reads a press release from Netflix, “quickly cast suspicion on JonBenét’s family as the most likely suspects, fanning the flames of media scrutiny and largely one-sided reporting, turning the case into a national obsession. 28 years later, that obsession—and finger-pointing—hasn’t gone away, and the murder of JonBenét Ramsey remains unsolved.”
Among the areas promised to be looked at within the series is “the mishandling of the case by law enforcement and the media.”
After E! News reached out to Boulder police regarding the docuseries, the department declined to comment as JonBenét’s case remains an open and active homicide investigation.
Last year, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold emphasized the department’s commitment to the case, writing in a December press release, “We will continue to pursue all leads and explore technology advancements to identify JonBenét’s killer.”
Despite the public attention on the case, no one was ever charged in connection with her death.
And in the years since, JonBenét’s family continues to mourn.
“I think about her every day,” John told True Crime News. “I have her picture on my cellphone to remind him that she’s with me in some way that I don’t understand or can’t comprehend.”
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings