ATLANTA — Nearly 30 years have passed since the tragic murder of JonBenet Ramsey, a child beauty pageant star from Atlanta. Her family is now looking to advancements in DNA technology to help solve the case. However, it’s not clear if law enforcement has partnered with private labs known for solving cold cases.
Recently, Boulder police informed JonBenet’s family that DNA found in her underwear hasn’t been examined with new forensic methods yet. The science to analyze degraded DNA isn’t quite there, but the police are keeping an eye on these advancements, according to the Denver Gazette.
“It’s not if, but when,” said JonBenet’s brother, John Andrew Ramsey, expressing hope for a breakthrough.
There are strong connections between the case and Atlanta. JonBenet’s family moved to Colorado but returned to Atlanta after her death. She is buried in Marietta, alongside her mother, Patsy. Investigators also visited her grandparents’ home in Roswell during the investigation.
Boulder police confirmed a meeting with the Ramsey family but did not provide further details. They did not disclose if they had consulted private labs like Othram or Parabon Nanolabs.
JonBenet was just 6 years old when she was found dead in her Colorado home on December 26, 1996. The case quickly gained national attention, thrusting her family into the spotlight. For over ten years, suspicion fell on her parents and her older brother, but in 2008, DNA evidence cleared them of wrongdoing, indicating that a male unknown to the family was involved.
In 1997, they returned to Atlanta to be close to family, as JonBenet’s father had ties to the area. JonBenet was born in Atlanta in 1990, and her grave is located in St. James Episcopal Cemetery in Marietta.
The Ramseys left Atlanta for Michigan in 2003, but returned briefly in 2006 when Patsy’s health deteriorated. She passed away at her father’s home in Roswell the same year. That year, John Mark Karr, an Atlanta native, was arrested in Thailand after claiming he was involved in JonBenet’s death, but he was eventually cleared.
Interest in the case has surged again, especially after the release of a Netflix documentary, “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?” The series highlights concerns about the investigation and the family’s ongoing hope that new DNA technology might provide answers.
According to Executive Producer Joe Berlinger, Boulder police have not yet collaborated with certain forensic labs aimed at improving DNA analysis. These companies are working on techniques that can extract DNA from smaller samples than ever before, enabling forensic genealogists to track down suspects by piecing together family trees using online ancestry databases.
Remarkably, modern methods can even extract DNA from very small amounts, salvaging evidence that was once thought to be unusable. For instance, Othram has made significant strides in identifying remains found in challenging conditions, using as little as 15 cells to make connections.
Boulder police responded to the renewed scrutiny by stating they are actively using advanced DNA techniques for their ongoing investigation. They emphasized that they are prepared to test any viable evidence when the right technology is available for this specific case.
