The half-brother of murdered child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey has sparked fresh criticism of the police who handled his sister’s unsolved murder case.
John Andrew Ramsey, John Ramsey’s son from a previous marriage, has been relentless in his quest for the truth surrounding the shocking death of his six-year-old sister 25 years ago.
John Andrew was 23 years old when JonBenet was reported missing from her home in Boulder, Colorado on the morning of December 26, 1996.
Hours later her parents found a lengthy ransom note demanding $US118,000 in exchange for the pageant star before her body was found later that day in the basement of her home.
An autopsy revealed the young girl died of strangulation and a blow to the head – but despite a high-profile investigation, no one has ever been charged with her murder.
Now John Andrew has lashed out at local police over the unsolved case, claiming they “refused the help” of more experienced detectives who could have assisted in the hunt for JonBenet’s killer, the New York Post reports.
“Damn shame @boulderpolice refused the help of the much more experienced Denver PD. #jonbenetramsey,” he tweeted on October 5 alongside a link to an article detailing the Denver Police Department’s recent arrest in connection to a 2004 sex assault.
Previously, John Andrew has detailed the painful experience of finding out his sister had been killed.
He was not at the family’s home at the time, having celebrated Christmas with his mother in Atlanta, but was preparing to travel to meet his father, John, stepmum Patsy, and younger half-siblings JonBenet and Burke, when he heard the news.
“I yelled and screamed and kicked to get on the aeroplane to Denver … I remember just thinking and processing it all,” he told ABC in 2021.
After a bizarre ransom note was discovered, which officers suspected was written by Patsy, the police investigation focused on JonBenet’s parents. The couple were only cleared in 2008, when DNA from an unidentified third party was discovered on JonBenet’s pyjama pants.
“We were victims, and the very people that we thought were gonna come in and protect us and help us were pointing the finger at us,” John Andrew said.
The Boulder Police Department attracted criticism for its initial handling of the case. The small police department was inexperienced with handling homicides, and failed to secure the crime scene or thoroughly search the Ramsey’s residence for JonBenet.
They also did not interview John or Patsy until months later and did not initially call in the FBI or a larger police department with more resources and experience to help in the case.
In recent years, John Andrew has joined his father in campaigning to have the DNA tested using newer, more advanced technologies.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun in December 2021, John Andrew described a “handful” of unsuccessful meetings with the Boulder police.
“The purpose was to encourage them to pursue DNA testing but it’s a one-sided relationship,” he said.
“They don’t say anything to me. They just say it’s an ongoing investigation.”
John Andrew’s Twitter comment comes a few months after his father addressed a new petition to Colorado Governor Jared Polis to have the DNA tested by an independent agency.
The Boulder Police Department responded to the petition by reaffirming its commitment to the case.
“Our investigation with federal, state and local partners has never stopped. That includes new ways to use DNA technology,” Police Chief Maris Herold said.
Over the years there have been many theories over who committed the murder, with some experts casting suspicion over JonBenet’s older brother, Burke, who was nine at the time of his sister’s death.
In the 2016 CBS docuseries The Case of JonBenet Ramsey, retired FBI profiler Jim Clemente along with world-renowned forensic scientist Dr Henry Lee, former chief investigator James Kolar and leading forensic pathologist Dr Werner Spitz revealed they believed he was responsible.
In response, Burke filed a $US750 million ($A1.05 billion) defamation lawsuit against American TV network CBS which was settled in 2019 for an undisclosed agreement.
– with New York Post
Originally published as JonBenet Ramsey’s brother slams police over unsolved case
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