WASHINGTON — The 1996 murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey could still be solved, her father has claimed in recent interviews ahead of the case's 28th anniversary and the release of a Netflix true crime documentary about the killing.
John Ramsey recently spoke with People Magazine and appeared on the "TODAY" Show in an effort to put pressure on the police to do more in the case.
Ramsey claimed Boulder, Colorado, police haven't approved additional genetic testing on what could be conclusive evidence in the case: DNA left on the handmade garrote that was used to strangle and kill JonBenét.
“You don’t get over it," Ramsey said on the "TODAY" Show. "One mother described the loss of her child as a hole in her heart that won’t heal, and that’s a good description. You’re different going forward. What we realized early on was we needed to be stronger now than ever, for our other children who are still living, this was a horrible tragedy for them, and for us, too.”
JonBenét was found dead at her family's home in Boulder on Dec. 26, 1996, after her family reported finding a ransom note. Her body was discovered in the house's basement hours after she was reported missing, with a garrote wrapped around her neck and a broken skull, and the death was ruled a homicide.
Because JonBenét had been entered into a series of child beauty pageants by her mother, former beauty queen Patsy Ramsey, the case garnered widespread attention from the public and media, becoming an international story.
In the decades since the crime, a number of theories have developed regarding the perpetrator or perpetrators. Tests in 2008 pointed to the involvement of an “unexplained third party” in her slaying, and not her parents or their son, Burke. That led former district attorney Mary Lacy to clear the Ramseys of any involvement, two years after Patsy Ramsey died of cancer, calling the couple “victims of this crime.”
“We assumed that the police would show some level of discernment and wisdom and say, 'Yeah, well this is crazy, to think (we) murdered our child,’” John Ramsey told People. “Well, they never did. They made that decision on day one, and tried desperately to prove it.”
Ramsey, now 80, said he still believes the killer can be caught, especially with advances in DNA evidence. He has repeatedly called for additional testing in recent years.
“I believe it can be solved if the police accept help from outside their their system,” he said during a Thursday appearance on the "TODAY" Show. “That’s been the flaw for 25 years.”
A Netflix documentary, titled "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey," is set to premiere on the streaming platform on Monday, Nov. 25. The documentary is expected to reexamine the case, missteps made during the investigation, and highlight possible ways to solve the murder.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.