Spoiler Alert: This article contains potential spoilers for the Netflix docuseries, Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey.
WARNING
: This article contains disturbing matters, including references to child murder and violence.
Netflix’s new documentary Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, offers a new insight into one of America’s most infamous unsolved murder cases and the investigation into her parents. Directed and produced by Joe Berlinger, the documentary explores the tragic true story of the murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey and the impact of the initial investigation and the media coverage. The docuseries includes interviews with important key figures in the case, including JonBenét’s father, John Ramsey, and her older half-brother, John Andrew.
Two people who were extensively investigated were JonBenét’s parents, John and Patsy Ramsey. Since the murder in 1996, John and Patsy Ramsey have been questioned and investigated by the authorities, and their skills as parents have been scrutinized by the media. Nearly three decades after their daughter’s death, the documentary, which joins Netflix’s growing list of best true-crime series, looks deeper into JonBenét’s murder and the reasons why her parents were treated as suspects.
John & Patsy Ramsey Were Suspects In JonBenét’s Death Since She Was Discovered In The Family’s Home
The Body Of JonBenét Ramsey Was Discovered In The Family Basement
In the Netflix documentary, John Ramsey recounts the events of his daughter’s murder. Ramsey recalls how, on December 26, 1996, the Ramseys were planning to travel from Colorado to Michigan to visit family. In the morning, Patsy Ramsey discovered a ransom note stating “We have your daughter” and demanding money. Upon discovering JonBenét was missing from her bedroom, police were called, and an investigation was launched. Seven hours after she was reported missing, JonBenét’s body was discovered by her father in the family’s basement; it was determined that she had died due to strangulation and a traumatic brain injury (via Today).
The case immediately turned from kidnapping to murder; it quickly gathered national media attention due to the sensationalized nature of JonBenét’s death and the strange circumstances. It was the first and only homicide in Boulder, Colorado throughout 1996. Early media reports criticized the Boulder Police Department’s initial investigation as they failed to seal off the house as a crime scene and did not undertake a full search of the house before JonBenét’s body was found. Retired detective Bob Whitson admitted in the docuseries that he made a mistake and “should have removed all those people from the scene” but also states that it initially looked like “a legitimate kidnapping.“
The media also questioned why John Ramsey was the one to discover his daughter’s body, rather than the police (via Variety). However, reporter Julie Hayden stated in the docuseries that police officer Linda Arndt had casually suggested to John Ramsey to search around the house. According to Hayden, Arndt reported that Ramsey went straight down to the basement and found JonBenét’s body. Suspicions turned to John and Patsy Ramsey as many believed it too much of a coincidence for the body to be found right away. Detective Charlie Brennan stated that the police attention on JonBenét’s parents as suspects “began on day one.”
Other Evidence That Tied John & Patsy Ramsey To JonBenét’s Murder
The Ransom Note and The Autopsy Pointed Suspicion at John and Patsy Ramsey
Joe Berlinger’s three-part documentary explores the evidence that tied John and Patsy Ramsey to the murder of their daughter. Retired detective Bob Whitson discusses how the Boulder Police Department never had to deal with a kidnapping for ransom before, and it was “a very rare case” to work on. The ransom note demanded $118,000 – equivalent to $235,800 today – for the safe return of JonBenét and included a warning not to call the police (via CNN). The specific amount demanded drew suspicions as it was the same amount that John Ramsey received as a Christmas bonus from his job at Access Graphics.
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Both John and Patsy Ramsey were asked to provide handwriting samples so they could be compared to the handwriting on the ransom note. Whitson revealed that he was provided with two notepads from John Ramsey that contained samples from both him and his wife. Handwriting expert, Jeff Kitchart, examined the notepads and in Patsy’s notepad, he discovered a page that contained “the first draft” of the ransom note, signaling that the ransom note had been written on Patsy’s notepad. While John’s handwriting was cleared, experts found some similarities between Patsy’s handwriting and the ransom note (via New Zealand Herald).
Handwriting expert, Jeff Kitchart, examined the notepads and in Patsy’s notepad, he discovered a page that contained ”
the first draft
” of the ransom note, signaling that the ransom note had been written on Patsy’s notepad.
JonBenét’s autopsy also indicated a connection between her parents and her death. Her body was found with her wrists tied with white cord, which was also found around her neck as a ligature. Whitson stated in the docuseries that the ligature was made with a broken paint brush handle, which was originally in Patsy Ramsey’s paint supplies. This indicated to the police that JonBenét was killed inside her home. Police also found a baseball bat and a flashlight that were initially believed to be connected to JonBenét’s head injury, but both were eventually ruled out as murder weapons.
Why John & Patsy Ramsey Didn’t Fully Cooperate In JonBenét’s Case
The Police Used The Media Attention To Try To Apprehend The Ramseys
In the years following JonBenét’s death, John and Patsy Ramsey faced criticism for their hindering of the initial investigation. In the docuseries, John Ramsey reveals how he found his daughter’s body in the basement, and brought her upstairs to receive medical attention. Bob Whitson stated that the decision to remove the duct tape off of JonBenét’s mouth and take her body upstairs contaminated the crime scene and destroyed potential evidence that could have helped with identifying the killer. It also added to the suspicions that the Ramseys were involved in the crime.
The negative news attention had the potential to damage the reputation of the Ramseys and fed the public speculation that they had murdered their daughter.
The Ramseys hired a lawyer in the days following the murder as they were concerned the police were looking at them as the prime suspects. In the series, John Ramsey stated that the police used the media “to sweat them out” and pressure them to confess. Reporter, Paula Woodward also stated that the police “took these little bits of information, twisted them around” and sent it out to the media. The negative news attention had the potential to damage the reputation of the Ramseys and fed the public speculation that they had murdered their daughter.
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The media frenzy and public speculation that focused on John and Patsy Ramsey in the aftermath of their daughter’s murder is displayed throughout the documentary. In particular, Patsy Ramsey faced heavy scrutiny from the media for allowing 6-year-old JonBenét to participate in child beauty pageants. While the media claimed that Patsy made JonBenét participate in beauty pageants, so she could “live through her daughter“, John Ramsey revealed to People Magazine that this wasn’t true. He stated that JonBenét enjoyed participating in the pageants, and they were a way for her and Patsy to spend time together.
Were John & Patsy Ramsey Ever Charged For JonBenét’s Murder?
The Ramseys Were Supposed To Be Indicted For Child Abuse & Endangerment In 1999
Despite all the media scrutiny and the police investigations they were involved in, John and Patsy Ramsey were never formally charged with the murder of their daughter. In 2008, the Boulder District Attorney announced that the Ramseys were cleared of any involvement in the murder of JonBenét Ramsey. This announcement was made after new DNA evidence was found on JonBenét’s body; while the DNA remains unidentified, it was confirmed that it belonged to a male not connected to the Ramsey family. The case was reopened in 2009, but it has since been classified as a cold case.
Patsy Ramsey died of ovarian cancer in 2006, at the age of 49. She was buried in St. James’ Episcopal Cemetery, Georgia, next to her daughter.
While John and Patsy Ramsey were cleared of murder, it was revealed that they were due to be indicted in 1999 for charges of child abuse and endangerment. According to CBS News, the court indictments stated that both Ramseys “permitted a child to be unreasonably placed in a situation which posed a threat of injury to the child’s life or health”, and “rendered assistance to a person, with intent to hinder, delay and prevent the discovery ….of such person for the commission of a crime,” resulting in the death of their daughter. However, the indictments were ultimately dismissed, as the district attorney concluded that there was no sufficient evidence in the case (via CNN).
In 1999, the Ramseys filed a lawsuit on behalf of their son, Burke, against
Star Magazine
, for their allegations that Burke was the prime suspect in his sister’s death.
The Ramseys were involved in several lawsuits relating to their portrayal in the media. In 1999, they filed a lawsuit on behalf of their son, Burke, against Star Magazine, for their allegations that Burke was the prime suspect in his sister’s death; three weeks after the initial publication, the magazine retracted their allegations (via The Daily Camera). In 2001, the Ramseys faced a lawsuit relating to their book The Death of Innocence, which was later dismissed (via Law). In 2002, the Ramseys settled out of court for their portrayal in the 2000 book, JonBenét: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation.
In 2016, Burke Ramsey filed a defamation lawsuit against CBS for $750 million after the release of the documentary, The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey, which he alleged depicted him as the murderer. The case was eventually settled in 2019. The murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey still remains unsolved, but the constant media attention and the legal cases show that interest in the case remains strong today. With the release of Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey on Netflix, there is hope that this new docuseries may raise further interest and potentially bring new evidence to light that could help solve one of America’s most notorious unsolved murder cases.
Sources: Today, Variety, CNN, New Zealand Herald, People Magazine, CBS News, The Daily Camera, Law