After 28 years, John Ramsey made a shocking claim: Was it a masked stranger who killed JonBenét?
More than two decades following JonBenét Ramsey’s tragic and mysterious murder, her father John Ramsey claimed something that might bring up the case again. In a recent interview, John told People that the 1997 murder of another child in Colorado may sheds light on what happened to his daughter in 1996.
In John Ramsey’s opinion, the common elements in the two cases are too obvious to be overlooked. Now, he suspects the intruder behind the first assault might be the same serial predator thought to have carried out the last attack. “This whole theory doesn’t surprise me, since investigators should have easily seen it was the same person,” John explained, still angry that this idea wasn’t followed up on by investigators in 1958.
His remarks are important because they indicate that some evidence may have been treated incorrectly in the past and that retesting it with modern DNA methods is necessary. “Today, we have equipment that was not feasible in the past,” John said, urging authorities to examine the evidence again.
The Unsolved Mystery That Changed America
On December 26, 1996, the body of child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey was found in the basement of her family’s house in Boulder. She suffered fierce blows, was strangled and may have been the victim of sexual assault. When a strange ransom note was found inside the house, everyone was more confused and suspicious.
At the beginning of the investigation, people and police paid special attention to the Ramsey family. Because the house was not broken into and the note made no threats, along with JonBenét being known in pageants, there were many theories about her death. The reaction from the media was intense and didn’t slow down. The family, particularly John, Patsy and Burke, were all exposed to cruel public attention.
Regardless of the Ramseys always denying blame, the case was left full of doubt, wild theories and conflicting pieces of evidence. None of those involved ever faced criminal charges. Ramsey died from cancer in 2006, desperately wishing to see her daughter’s case solved.
Did We Miss an Unrepeatable Opportunity?
According to John Ramsey, the crime against his daughter bore a striking resemblance to one that happened in Boulder the year after JonBenét died. It is claimed that a 12-year-old girl living near the Ramseys was attacked by an intruder wearing a mask in her own home. The girls not only lived close—they also took classes together at a shared dance studio and hung out with the same set of friends.
According to John, this didn’t happen by chance. These girls’ lives were connected. They had surprisingly similar attacks carried out against them. How could this situation not have caused officials to dig deeper?
He points out that although there were many similarities, investigators back then ignored them and did not explore if the cases were linked. According to him, this was a serious mistake that gave a dangerous person a chance to avoid justice.
Now, John believes law enforcement should use modern forensic technology to go over both incidents again. He believes that significant improvements in DNA technology since the 1990s make it hopeful that old evidence can point to new information.
A Call for the Situation to be Resolved
In addition to losing his daughter so long ago, John Ramsey has stood up for justice, looking for answers that could help many other affected families. This new call for help comes as more families affected by cold cases turn to science and increased attention in the media to find answers.
John explained that too much focus had been put on the wrong places for years. “It’s now time for us to think ahead and move past the past.”
He urged the Boulder police to provide information that other experts and private agencies could use to examine the case. Many private investigators and forensic specialists have wanted to examine the evidence from the murder, but legal limitations have blocked them.
Is there Hope on the Horizon?
For nearly three decades, the mystery of JonBenét Ramsey has touched people across the nation. A variety of documentaries, books, podcasts and many theories have tried to explain what happened. Ramsey’s comments may pull the conversation to the crucial pieces of this case: what can be proven with evidence, science and the truth.
Because of new DNA methods and a greater willingness to investigate cold cases, it remains possible, however unlikely, that authorities could now solve JonBenét’s case. For John, looking ahead with hope is what gets him going.
“Justice should be given to JonBenét,” he declared. The same is true for every
