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JonBenét Ramsey, a 6-year-old pageant queen, was found killed in her Boulder, Colorado, home the day after Christmas in 1996. The media’s fascination with the still-unsolved case continues decades later, but that hasn’t stopped her family from attempting to move on with their lives — including brother Burke Ramsey. With the release of the new Netflix docuseries Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey? on November 25, 2024, interest in the case has risen again and many are wondering about how Burke is doing.
Who Is Burke Ramsey?
The oldest of the two Ramsey children, Burke was born on Jan. 27, 1987. He attended Purdue University, where he studied computer technology, graduating in 2009. His dad, John Ramsey, told People in 2012 that his son had “matured” and was living a “pretty quiet” life.
Though Burke was only 9 years old at the time of his sister’s death, for years, he was believed by the public to be involved in JonBenét’s murder. After collecting DNA and writing samples and conducting a number of interviews, the police ruled that the elementary schooler was not a suspect, and he went on to grow up out of the public eye.
Burke Ramsey Had a ‘Lonely Upbringing’
Ahead of the premiere of Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?, it was reported that Burke had somewhat of a sad life after his sister’s death.
“Burke had a very painful and very lonely upbringing,” a family member told Us Weekly in an article published on November 22, 2024. “The family tried very hard to shield him, but you can’t shield a kid from the fact that his sister was murdered and everyone thinks that his family did it. Or that he did it.”
The person continued, “We tried super hard to give him a normal childhood, and on some level the family succeeded. But on another level, it was an impossible task. How do you protect someone from that? So Burke was often isolated, he didn’t have a lot of friends. He was very smart and a good student, but he struggled socially.”
Burke Ramsey Spoke Out During a Rare Interview in 2016
While Burke has mostly avoided the spotlight since JonBenet’s death, he spoke out against those who speculated he had anything to do with her murder.
“It blows my mind. What more evidence do you need that we didn’t do it?” Burke told Dr. Phil during a 2016 appearance on his talk show. “You won’t find any evidence because that’s not what happened.”
When Dr. Phil asked why Burke was just speaking out 20 years after JonBenét’s murder, he replied, “I want to honor her memory by doing this interview. I don’t want anyone to forget.”
In his chat with Dr. Phil, Burke further explained how much he misses his sister and said that he tried to talk to her in heaven.
“Like there’s some important thing I was doing, [I’d] be like, ‘Hey, thanks for looking out for me’ or ‘I hope you’re looking out for me,’ or you know, ‘Hope you’re having fun up there because I’m taking some test,’ or like, ‘I wish I was up there right now,’” Burke explained.
Burke Ramsey Filed a Lawsuit Against CBS
In December 2016, Burke filed a lawsuit against CBS over their four hour docuseries, The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey. The series offered the theory that he had killed his sister, which Burke and his attorneys say defamed his character. In the paperwork, he declared he was seeking $250 million in compensatory damages and $500 million in punitive damages.
The case was settled in 2019 when Burke settled for an undisclosed amount.
Burke’s dad, John, filed his own lawsuit against CBS for their damaging docuseries in 2017. He called it a “sham reinvestigation” of the case, adding that the accusation against Burke was based on “lies, half-truths, manufactured information, and the intentional omission and avoidance of truthful information.” John initially filed for $350 million, but there have been no updates on whether the case has been settled.
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