BOULDER, Colorado — It's been 27 years since the death of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, and the Boulder Police Department provided an update on the case Thursday, saying a cold case team was convened to review the homicide investigation.
On Dec. 26, 1996, JonBenet was reported missing after her family reported finding a ransom note inside their home in the 700 block of 15th Street. She was later found dead inside the home. Her death was ruled a homicide, and the case has never been solved.
“I am grateful for the Cold Case Review Team’s independent assessment and the recommendations provided regarding this tragic case,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said on Thursday. “We will continue to pursue all leads and explore technology advancements to identify JonBenet’s killer. I also commit to providing the community and family with investigative updates as new evidence emerges.”
RELATED: The death of JonBenet Ramsey
> The video above aired Dec. 26, 2022: Daughter of investigator still looking for JonBenet Ramsey's killer
Boulder Police recently convened the Colorado Cold Case Review Team, a panel of outside experts, to review the case, police said in a news release.
The purpose of the review was to generate investigative recommendations and determine if technologies and/or forensic testing might produce new leads in the case. Police said the cold case team spent the past year preparing for the review.
The team is made up of professional, investigative, analytical and forensic experts from across Colorado, including the FBI, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, and other entities, including public and private forensic laboratories, with expertise in cold case homicide investigations, the release says.
Police said an intensive effort digitized all evidence to create a database of thousands of files. It brought together more than 21,000 tips, over 1,000 interviews conducted across 17 states and two foreign countries, and samples from more than 200 individuals, including handwriting, DNA, fingerprints and shoeprints.
The case file consists of nearly 2,500 pieces of evidence and roughly 40,000 reports, with more than 1 million pages documenting the investigation. An inventory of all collected evidence was made available for investigative review.
Boulder Police and the Boulder District Attorney's Office are in the process of reviewing and prioritizing the cold case team’s recommendations. Police said the specific recommendations won't be made public at this time to preserve the investigation's integrity. Police added that they are committed to following the recommendations from the cold case review.
DNA testing continues to be an investigative focal point. DNA testing was previously completed, but the science behind DNA testing continues to evolve. According to the release, Boulder Police is working with leading DNA experts to ensure the latest techniques are used to analyze remaining DNA samples.
The evidence has been preserved for testing when there is technology that can accurately test forensic samples consistent with the evidence. Detectives are taking steps to prepare the evidence for testing when possible, the release said.
“I am grateful for the hard work and collaboration of the multi-agency group that reviewed the entire case file and presented the case to the Cold Case Review Team," said District Attorney Michael Dougherty. "Also, I sincerely appreciate the time, expertise, and input provided by the members of the Cold Case Review Team. As with any cold case homicide in Colorado, the overarching goal is to look at the facts and evidence with fresh eyes and an open mind, armed with the latest developments in forensic science. The presentation and discussion generated helpful recommendations. Importantly, it also ensures that everything possible is being done to solve this tragic murder.”
Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact our tip line at 303-441-1974 or by email at BouldersMostWanted@bouldercolorado.gov.
> Below: A timeline of the JonBenet Ramsey case:
> The video below is from Nov. 11, 2022: A one-on-one with John Ramsey, father of JonBenet Ramsey, about the handling of the cold case:
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