In December 1996, JonBenét Ramsey was six years old when her family reported that she was missing. Hours later that same day, the girl’s father found her body in the basement of their Boulder, Colorado, home. An autopsy confirmed that she was strangled and also suffered a blow to the head, per New York Post. Her skull was fractured.
For decades, detectives have used DNA, among other evidence including a strange ransom note, to clear suspects. However, the case remains unsolved even now. JonBenét’s parents were ruled out as suspects in 2008 after authorities found unknown DNA on the girl’s pajama pants. In 2006, officials even arrested a man named John Mark Karr but failed to link him to the crime scene.
The case has been the subject of multiple documentaries trying to tell the story of an innocent six-year-old.
JonBenét Ramsey’s autopsy and cold case, explored
JonBenét Ramsey’s late 1996 murder case has baffled detectives for decades now. She was only six when her mother, Patsy, reported her missing from their Colorado home on December 26. That same day, the girl’s father, John found her body in the basement. An autopsy report revealed that she suffered a fatal blow to the head and was also strangled. Patsy additionaly claimed she found a ransom note, demanding $118,000 for the girl’s return.
According to CNN, seven years later, in 2003, authorities submitted a new DNA sample to the FBI database, hoping to find new leads with the key piece of evidence. The DNA was first found during the initial investigation underneath the victim’s fingernails and also on her underwear. This again failed to prove circumstantial to the case.
Then, in 2006, authorities arrested John Mark Karr as a suspect. Karr allegedly claimed that he drugged JonBenét and also sexually assaulted her. He further stated that the killing was accidental. Prosecutors eventually dropped the case agaist Karr after failing to directly link him to the crime scene.
JonBenét’s parents were reportedly ruled out as suspects in 2008 after the DNA found was proved ot be unknown and had previously failed to match those close to the victim. Over the years, detectives have made multiple unsuccessful attempts at using the DNA evidence to find potential leads.
