The father of murdered six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey plans to connect police to independent forensic scientists as he campaigns for new testing in the 28-year-old case.
John Ramsey, 80, told Fox News Thursday that he will meet with the police chief of Boulder, Colorado in January and will introduce him to a representative from an genealogy research lab. He wants police to allow the independent lab to test the forensic evidence from his daughter's 1996 murder. He is hoping the lab's genealogy bank will help trace the killer.
Newsweek has contacted Boulder police via email for comment.
Why It Matters
December 26 is the 28th anniversary of JonBenét Ramsey's murder. She was bludgeoned and strangled to death in the basement of her family's Boulder home in 1996. The macabre case has gripped public attention ever since. JonBenét's role as a beauty pageant contestant has led to speculation that her murderer may have attended her shows. No clear suspect has emerged in 28 years.
On November 25, Netflix released a three-part docuseries Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, which has helped lift suspicion from her family and refocused the attention on finding the killer.
What To Know
John Ramsey told Fox News that Boulder police chief Stephen Redfearn has agreed to a meeting in January.
"He said 'yup, absolutely, let's get together,' " Ramsey said. "We haven't scheduled the day yet, but we'll get that figured out. That's an important meeting. We're going to have a representative with us for one of these cutting-edge labs to explain what they can and can't do. Hopefully, he will accept their help," he said.
"The reason I've done these media interviews—Netflix, that documentary—is to keep pressure on the police. We're not going to go away, folks," Ramsey said.
Ramsey wants police to retest evidence for trace DNA and test other items for the first time.
That information would then be fed into a genealogy bank. Even if the killer's DNA is not on police file, they still might be traced by following genealogy records.
There are more than 20 pieces of evidence that have never been genetically tested, including a garrote found around JonBenét's neck and a ransom note found in the Ramsey house.
What People Are Saying
Redfearn said in a statement upon the release of the Netflix series that the Boulder police department is committed to more DNA testing in the case.
"We are committed to following up on every lead and we are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved. This investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department," he said.
Also in November, District Attorney Michael Dougherty wrote in a statement that his office "has successfully prosecuted other cold case homicides and many murder cases. In every one of those cases, it was the evidence that proved the defendant(s) guilty. Whether it is DNA or other evidence, more is needed to solve this murder."
What Happens Next
No date has yet been fixed for John Ramsey's meeting with the police chief.
If the police grant access to an independent lab, it may expedite the search for the killer. However, Redfearn said in November that his department is already working with the FBI, which has extensive access to genetic databases.
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