The true crime media convention, hosted at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora from September 5 through 7, will feature a presentation on the case on Saturday, September 6. The speakers include JonBenét's father, John Ramsey; his attorney, Hal Haddon; and journalist Paula Woodward.
Those willing to shell out $189 for a day pass (or $399 for the whole weekend) will hear updates and reflections on the investigation into the six-year-old girl's murder, nearly 29 years after JonBenét was found dead in the basement of her Boulder home on the day after Christmas 1996.
Here are ten things you should know about the case to catch up to speed before Saturday:
1. The Basics
Six-year-old JonBenét was reported missing by her mother, Patsy Ramsey, the morning of December 26, 1996. Patsy told 911 that she found a ransom note in her home demanding $118,000 for the return of her daughter, who was no longer in her bed. The rambling, two-and-a-half-page letter had been handwritten on paper taken from Patsy’s notepad and credited the kidnapping to "a group of individuals that represent a small foreign faction."Waiting for further instructions from the presumed kidnappers, police eventually instructed John and a friend to search the house. John discovered JonBenét's body lying on the floor of a small room in the home's basement, nearly eight hours after she was reported missing. She had been strangled with a cord tightened with a garrote and bludgeoned, suffering an 8.5-inch skull fracture. There was also evidence that she had been sexually assaulted.
Lib Waters, a family friend of the Ramseys', visits the grave of JonBenét Ramsey in the early 2000s.
Barry Williams/Getty Images
2. Initial Failures
The Boulder Police Department handled very few murders at the time; JonBenét's killing was reportedly the only homicide to occur in the city that year. Police failed to secure the crime scene in the hours following her disappearance, and, although officers performed a preliminary search, they did not enter the room where her body was later discovered. The crime scene was contaminated as a result.The Ramseys invited over family friends who came and went freely in the hours before the discovery of JonBenét, wandering through the home and even tidying up. When John found his daughter in the basement, he removed a piece of duct tape from her mouth and picked up her body, carrying her upstairs, potentially disturbing forensic evidence.
3. The Fallout
The murder case quickly devolved into a national media circus, partially due to the unusual circumstances and the victim coming from a wealthy family in a safe, affluent community. John was president and CEO of Access Graphics, and Patsy was a former Miss West Virginia and Miss America contestant.JonBenét's own participation in child beauty pageants soon took focus, with media outlets publishing photos of videos of the child in flashy showgirl outfits and makeup. Public speculation ran wild, with some alleging that the pageant images were proof the parents had sexualized or abused their daughter, while others presumed a pedophile must have targeted JonBenét through her pageants.
JonBenét (from left), John, Patsy and Burke Ramsey in an early-1990s family photo.
Family photo/Access Hollywood via YouTube
4. Secret Indictment
Though it was not publicly revealed until 2013, a Boulder grand jury indicted John and Patsy Ramsey in 1999 in connection to the killing of JonBenét. Then-District Attorney Alex Hunter refused to prosecute the Ramseys, citing a lack of evidence. The indictment accused the couple of two counts each of child abuse resulting in death.The charges didn't directly accuse the Ramseys of murdering JonBenét. Instead, they alleged the parents knowingly allowed her to be placed in a dangerous situation that resulted in her death. The charges also accused the Ramseys of assisting whoever killed JonBenét "with intent to hinder, delay and prevent" their discovery, which contributed to speculation that JonBenét's nine-year-old brother, Burke, could have been responsible for her death. The Ramseys didn't grant police an official interview until months after the murder, after they hired separate lawyers.
5. Controversial Exoneration
In 2008, then-District Attorney Mary Lacy made the extraordinary decision to publicly exonerate John and Patsy Ramsey, citing new DNA evidence that pointed to an unknown male as JonBenét's killer. The exoneration was later challenged due to Lacy misrepresenting DNA evidence as conclusive proof, while independent reviews described the DNA samples as possibly "worthless as evidence."Independent reviews released in 2016 found that the DNA samples taken from JonBenét's clothing came from multiple people and were so minute that they could have been the result of inconsequential contact or been transferred from another piece of clothing, neither confirming nor disproving any suspect.
6. Other Suspects
Numerous suspects have been identified throughout the long investigation into JonBenét's murder, including: Randy Simons, one of JonBenét's pageant photographers who was later convicted of possessing child pornography; Gary Oliva, a local sex offender who had photos of JonBenét; Bill McReynolds, who played Santa Claus at the family's Christmas parties; Michael Helgoth, who owned boots matching a footprint at the scene and died by suicide shortly after the murder. All of the men were reportedly cleared when their DNA didn't match the sample from the crime scene. One other suspect has received more attention than the rest.
7. Confession and Arrest
John Mark Karr claimed he killed JonBenét. From 2002 to 2006, Karr told a reporter that he had sexually abused the child on multiple occasions before accidentally killing her, providing strangely intimate details as proof, such as knowing JonBenét's nickname for her grandmother. Working with law enforcement, the reporter offered Karr the last original, printed photo of JonBenét, which he agreed to pick up from a UPS location in Bangkok, Thailand.Authorities arrested Karr, who was working as a substitute teacher in Bangkok after fleeing the United States following a charge for possession of child pornography in California. But once again, Karr's DNA didn't match that from JonBenét's crime scene, and the case against him was dropped.
8. DNA Evidence
Critics have argued that the crime scene DNA should not be used to clear outside suspects for the same reason others said it should not have been used to exonerate the Ramseys: the samples came from multiple people and could have been the result of inconsequential contact.John Ramsey has publicly pushed for further DNA testing in the case, accusing Boulder police of not testing certain items and refusing to use the latest genetic genealogy technology to test existing DNA evidence. The police department and district attorney's office refute this, claiming that they've pursued all viable leads and collaborated with the CBI and FBI to discuss genetic genealogy testing, but they fear more testing will "consume" the small amount of DNA evidence they have.
9. Moving Forward
In the Boulder Police Department's annual update on the investigation last year, they said the case "has been under constant review with federal, state, and local partners as well as in consultation with DNA experts from around the country." The Colorado Cold Case Review Team evaluated the investigation in 2023 and provided recommendations to the police department on how to move forward. Those recommendations were not made public.Meanwhile, John Ramsey has campaigned to take DNA testing decisions in JonBenét's case away from the police department, championing a 2022 petition that called on Governor Jared Polis to give that authority to an independent agency.
10. CrimeCon
Though this weekend's CrimeCon is the first to be held in Colorado, it will be at least the third time John Ramsey has featured as a speaker, appearing at the Nashville convention in 2024 and the Las Vegas convention in 2022. Woodward credited the founder of CrimeCon, Kevin Balfe, with creating the 2022 petition that sought to take DNA testing decisions away from the Boulder Police Department.Denver CrimeCon organizers canceled an exhibitor booth for the documentary JonBenét's Tricycle "out of respect" after organizers confirmed members of the Ramsey family would be attending the Colorado event. The move has sparked criticisms that the convention is picking sides in the unsolved cold case, standing firmly behind John Ramsey.
