Boulder’s new police chief, Stephen Redfearn, claims police are close to solving the 28-year-old murder case of JonBenét Ramsey.
December 2, 2024, published at 6:15 PM ET
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Beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey was brutally murdered at the age of six.
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A police source said: “We have been investigating the case from the beginning, and now with new blood we can finally solve it.”
On Redfearn’s influence, a department insider added. ‘He wants it to be resolved and off the books.
“He is assigning officers and resources to solve the murder, which has been a black mark for the Boulder Police Department.
“I’m not sure what it will take to break it wide open, but it feels like it’s within reach. We’re hoping for 2025; this is our year.”
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Police feel they are ‘within range’ of discovering the identity of her killer.
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The Young Miss Colorado’s killer left her on a pile of clothes with an 8-inch skull fracture and a fragmented paintbrush stabbed into her neck by garrote.
No one has ever been caught for the murder, but a new three-part Netflix true crime documentary, Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramseyhas also renewed interest in one of America’s most infamous cold cases.
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The Netflix series Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey gave the case additional publicity.
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JonBenét’s murder has haunted investigators and captured the public’s imagination.
Although initial suspicions focused on her family – father John, mother Patsy and brother Burke – they were ruled out as suspects by DNA evidence in 1997, and in 2008 they were formally exonerated.
Despite a multi-agency task force being established in 2023, progress has been slow.
One researcher admitted that the task force has only met in person once, but emphasized that members keep in regular contact.
Last week, Chief Redfearn reaffirmed the department’s commitment to solving the case in his annual department update.
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The beauty queen’s father, John Ramsey, was once in the picture, but the filmmaker behind the Netflix series says he is innocent.
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He said: “We are committed to following up on every lead and continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners across the country until this tragic case is solved.”
Yet the department’s credibility remains under attack.
John Ramsey, JonBenét’s father, has spoken out about his frustration with the investigation.
“There have been terrible failures, but I believe this can be resolved if the police accept help from outside their system. That was their mistake,” he said in a recent interview.
Ramsey, 80, had long argued that Boulder police were unwilling to work with outside experts who could bring new perspectives to the case.
He added: “They must accept the help that is offered to them. A new police chief has been appointed from outside. I hope he accepts help so this can be resolved.”
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John and Tot’s mother, Patsy, was cleared as a suspect years ago as the search continued.
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The director of the Netflix documentary JonBenét Ramsey revealed last week who he believes killed the child beauty queen.
American filmmaker Joe Berlinger believes an “intruder” who entered their home and kidnapped the pageant princess is to blame, and not her relatives.
He explained, “I firmly believe that the Ramsey family is innocent. And I also firmly believe that this case can be solved, if the Boulder Police Department finally does what it needs to do.”
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Berlinger continued, “I firmly believe that the Ramsey family is innocent. And I also firmly believe that this case can be solved, if the Boulder Police Department finally does what they need to do.”
He added that he believes all suspects should be “put back on the table” as many “likely suspects” were ruled out at the time due to the flawed DNA analysis.