The development is months in the making and is directly tied to a book by former 9News journalist Paula Woodward, whose interview with Ramsey at CrimeCon 2022, an event held this past weekend in Las Vegas, was the spark that lit the media fuse and prompted the BPD to release a lengthy defense of its work on May 1.
In November 2021, Woodward spoke to Westword about her latest tome, Unsolved: The JonBenét Ramsey Murder 25 Years Later, arguing that new DNA technology had the potential to break the case — if only Boulder detectives would use it.
"This child was tortured and murdered, and her death has never been accounted for because it was investigated by people who were not competent to do so," Woodward said. "And now the decision on whether or not the remaining DNA is tested with new technology that can trace family history is being made by the two investigators who were on the case 25 years ago."
At the time, Boulder Police spokesperson Dionne Waugh wouldn't comment on Woodward's DNA-related accusations. "Because this is an ongoing and open investigation, we are unable to answer any specific questions so as not to compromise the integrity of this investigation," she stated.
Shannon Carbone, spokesperson for the Boulder District Attorney's Office, was more expansive.
"According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado has over 1,500 unsolved homicides," she said. "Every cold-case homicide and missing-person case represents a tragic and unexplained loss. The victims deserve justice. Their families deserve answers and some form of closure. That’s why our office serves on the Colorado Cold Case Review Team and recently assisted in the successful prosecution of the murderer of Dylan Redwine, which culminated in a trial this past July."
She added: "The 1996 murder of six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey is one of the cases on the list maintained by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Her death sparked prolonged interest that persists to this day. Significant time and resources have been expended trying to determine who killed her, but the case remains unsolved. The Boulder Police Department continues to actively work the investigation. If the perpetrator is identified and arrested, our office would be responsible for the prosecution of the case."
This explanation wasn't good enough for Woodward. "I believe deeply that someone new needs to investigate this case," she emphasized, "and that can only happen if the Boulder DA, the Colorado attorney general or the Colorado governor get involved and make that happen. And they need to. ... JonBenét is someone who would have made a difference in our world, and we can't be satisfied with just going along on a case that's going nowhere. We're better than that."
The next month, the BPD announced that it was "actively reviewing genetic DNA testing processes" to see if they could be used to find the girl's killer. But the lack of new developments in the months that followed helped inspire the Change.org petition titled "Justice for JonBenét Ramsey." Its introduction reads:
25 years ago, six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was killed in her Boulder, Colorado home.The petition has generated just over 2,200 signatures to date, but it received a massive publicity burst on April 30, thanks to the advocacy of John Ramsey. In an interview with Fox News, he said: "We have 1,800 police jurisdictions in this country. Each one's a little kingdom. They have full authority of the crimes committed in their territory, other than bank robberies and a few other things. But why we don't make, as a society, the murder of a child be a criminal offense at the highest level and bring all of our resources to bear on that is beyond me. We have one of the highest child murder rates of any industrial country in the world. We should be ashamed of that."
The ensuing years have brought false investigative starts, wild conspiracy theories, and a seemingly infinite number of accusations against nearly everyone involved with the case.
The one thing the years have not brought is an arrest.
JonBenét Ramsey deserves justice and new advances in DNA technology finally make that possible. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, you are the only person with enough power and independence in the state to put Ramsey DNA testing decisions in the hands of a new agency that’s free from Boulder’s significant history with the case.
Since her death in 1996, advances in DNA have allowed for testing of even trace amounts of severely degraded samples. Combined with innovation in forensic genetic genealogy (which led to the arrest of the Golden State Killer), new arrests and identifications in cold cases are happening across the country at an unprecedented rate. Private labs like Othram use best-in-class technology to work directly with law enforcement and state crime labs to support the processing of samples. In fact, earlier this year, police in Denver (less than 30 miles away) used genetic genealogy and familial DNA to solve four homicides from the early 1980s.
So why is new DNA testing technology and forensic genetic genealogy searching not being used in the JonBenét case? Here’s what the Boulder Police (BPD) posted on the 25-year anniversary of the case:
“As the Department continues to use new technology to enhance the investigation, it is actively reviewing genetic DNA testing processes to see if those can be applied to this case moving forward.”
They can. Right now. Everyone who understands this technology knows that.
Boulder Police are working hard to placate the public by telling the media that they hope DNA will solve this case while, at the same time, doing very little to make that happen. And it makes sense: the same two key investigators from 1996 still have control of the case. Isn’t it time for new perspectives and ideas?
In short, justice for JonBenét has seemingly given way to politics and the massaging of egos. She deserves better. Everyone, from the police to the family, should have a vested interest in finding the truth. The fact that those with the ability to do that are not doing it should tell us everything we need to know.
Governor Polis, you were born in Boulder 15 years before JonBenét. You have a connection to the city. Your intervention in the Colorado truck driver case shows you have compassion. You have the power. Given the lack of progress by the Boulder Police, we the undersigned petitioners ask you to move DNA decisions in this case away from the BPD to an independent agency so that JonBenét has a last chance at the justice she deserves.
As for the murder of his own daughter, Ramsey added, "We can't let the murder of a child be left up to local police. They're just big enough that they think they know everything, and they don't."
That put the Boulder Police Department on the defensive, and its May 1 release provides the specifics that weren't shared with Westword last year. Here's that response, followed by a video of John Ramsey speaking to Fox News:
Boulder Police Department statement:
The Boulder Police Department is aware of the recent request involving the homicide investigation of JonBenet Ramsey and wants the community to know that it has never wavered in its pursuit to bring justice to everyone affected by the murder of this little girl.
Ever since Dec. 26, 1996, detectives have followed up on every lead that has come into the department, to include more than 21,016 tips, letters and emails and traveling to 19 states to interview or speak with more than 1,000 individuals in connection to this crime.
This case has been under constant review with federal, state, and local partners. As recently as March 2022, the Boulder Police Department hosted another meeting with federal, state, and local agencies working on this case and in consultation with DNA experts from around the country. That collaboration will continue.
Boulder Police have sought out and worked regularly with multiple stakeholders across the country, to include the FBI, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, Colorado’s Department of Public Safety, Colorado’s Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and several outside forensic labs. Multiple suspects have been run through the system to check for matches due to the huge advances in DNA technology. As of this past December, CBI has updated over 750 reference samples with the latest DNA technology.
Additionally, Boulder Police have worked with CBI to ensure the DNA in the system can be compared correctly to new DNA samples that have been uploaded to ensure accuracy. That DNA is checked regularly for any new matches.
The Boulder Police Department understands how grievous the loss of a child is for both the Ramsey family and the community as a whole. That’s why detectives have steadfastly worked to solve this horrible crime.
“We have a shared goal to bring justice—and hopefully some peace—to JonBenet’s family and everyone who was impacted by her loss,” Police Chief Maris Herold said. “Our investigation with federal, state and local partners has never stopped. That includes new ways to use DNA technology. We’ve always used state of the art technology as it has been at the forefront of this investigation. Every time the DNA technology changed, we worked to make sure the evidence could be tested.
“This investigation has always been and will continue to be a priority for the Boulder Police Department.”
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty concurred.
“Every unsolved homicide is a tragedy, especially when the victim is a child,” Dougherty said. “The murder of JonBenet Ramsey has left a long, terrible trail of heartbreak and unanswered questions. Our office will continue to work with the Boulder Police Department, state agencies, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As in any murder case, if evidence leads to an arrest, the D.A.’s Office will work tirelessly to secure justice for the victim, closure for loved ones, and answers for our community.”
Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact our tip line at 303-441-1974, [email protected] or Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.nococrimestoppers.com.
