BOULDER, Colo. (Scripps News Denver) — Next year, the Boulder Police Department will consult with the Colorado Cold Case Review Team as it continues to work on the JonBenét Ramsey homicide case.
The announcement was made in a joint press release from the City of Boulder, Boulder Police Department, Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, and the 20th Judicial District on Wednesday afternoon.
** FILE ** A Boulder Police detective walks to the home of John and Patricia Ramsey in Boulder, Colo., on Friday, Jan. 3, 1997, as investigators sifted through evidence in the home in which the couple’s 6-year-old daughter was found murdered on Dec. 26, 1996. A decade after the Christmastime slaying of JonBenet Ramsey, two aspects of the case endure: the public’s endless fascination with the murder of the 6-year-old beauty contestant, and a sense the notorious crime may never be solved. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Dec. 26 will mark 26 years since the day the body of JonBenét Patricia Ramsey, just 6 years old, was found in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder. The young beauty pageant contestant had been bludgeoned and strangled. To date, nobody has been convicted of the crime, but theories have circulated for decades.
The crime chilled the community to the bone and the case quickly captured the attention of the nation. Today, it remains one of the country’s most high-profile unsolved crimes and the details surrounding her death spurred many books, documentaries, and TV specials. Some highlighted facts, others highlighted suspicions.
Click here for a timeline of the case.
Since her murder, Boulder detectives have investigated leads that stemmed from more than 21,000 tips, letters, and emails, and interviewed more than 1,000 people across 19 states.
Boulder police will start working with CBI’s Colorado Cold Case Review Team next year.
The Colorado Cold Case Review Team was created in 2009. CBI created it as an additional tool for agencies investigating cold cases. The team is made of professional investigative, analytical, and forensic experts from across the state, according to CBI, and they typically meet two to four times a year.
Boulder police have worked with the FBI, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, Colorado’s Department of Public Safety, Colorado’s Bureau of Investigation, and several private DNA laboratories in this case.
Authorities said the amount of DNA evidence that was collected at the crime scene — and is still available for analysis — is small and could be completely consumed by testing.
Candles surround a portrait of JonBenet Ramsey outside her home after a candlelight vigil on the one-year anniversary of her murder Friday, Dec. 26, 1997, in Boulder, Colo. About 60 people gathered for the vigil. (AP Photo/Michael S. Green)
Discussions are ongoing with CBI, the FBI, and private DNA labs about the viability of continued testing of that DNA.
“Whenever there is a proven technology that can reliably test forensic samples consistent with the samples available in this case, additional analysis will be conducted,” Boulder authorities said in the press release.
“This crime has left a hole in the hearts of many, and we will never stop investigating until we find JonBenét’s killer,” said Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold. “That includes following up on every lead and working with our policing partners and DNA experts around the country to solve this tragic case. This investigation has always been and will continue to be a priority for the Boulder Police Department.”
Anybody with information on this case is asked to call the tip line at 303-441-1974, email [email protected] or, to remain anonymous, call Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
This story was originally published Nov. 10 by KMGH in Denver, an E.W. Scripps Company.
