JonBenet Ramsey’s Father Receives Letter Naming Alleged Killer Following Netflix Documentary
JonBenet Ramsey’s father, John Ramsey, has reportedly received a letter identifying a potential suspect in his daughter’s 1996 murder, following the release of the Netflix documentary Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey.
John and Patsy Ramsey pleading for information regarding their daughter. Credit: Helen H. Richardson/Getty
JonBenet, a six-year-old beauty pageant contestant, was found dead on December 26, 1996, in her family’s Boulder, Colorado, home. The case became one of the most infamous unsolved crimes in U.S. history, marked by public fascination and controversy.
The Letter and New Claims
John Ramsey, now 81, shared details about the letter with the Daily Mail. Written by a woman, the letter reportedly names her ex-husband as the killer.
“Based on all this publicity, recently I got a letter from a lady saying, ‘My ex-husband’s the killer, and I’ve kept this inside for as long as I can – please, please call me,’” Ramsey revealed.
However, efforts to contact the woman have been unsuccessful.
“We reached out to her, but she didn’t answer the phone. So, I don’t know. We’ve shared [the information] at this point with a private investigator,” he added.
The lead has been shared with investigators, but Ramsey remains cautious due to the numerous false confessions and leads in the case’s history.
A History of False Leads
The Ramsey family’s experience has been fraught with both breakthroughs and disappointments. In 2006, John Mark Karr confessed to the crime but was cleared when DNA evidence failed to match.
John Ramsey also recounted a bizarre episode involving a man calling himself “David Cooper.” This man claimed to be JonBenet’s killer, offering seemingly credible details about the Ramsey home. However, his story fell apart when he demanded $3,000 for airline tickets to surrender.
“This kind of stuff happens,” Ramsey said. “But you’ve got to take everything seriously. You never know.”
The Ramsey house. Credit: Axel Koester/Getty
Public Pressure Reignited
The Netflix documentary has brought renewed attention to the case, reigniting public pressure on the Boulder Police Department to pursue new investigative methods, including advanced DNA analysis.
“Bureaucrats, politicians, are impacted by public pressure big time, and we sense that that’s happening,” Ramsey said.
John Ramsey, who continues to advocate for justice despite decades of heartbreak, remains determined to see the case solved.
“We’re not going away,” he emphasized. “You’ve got to get your act together and do what you can do… or we’re going to keep pounding on you.”
A Case That Won’t Fade
While the letter offers a potential lead, its authenticity remains unverified. The Netflix documentary, which has ranked in the platform’s Top 10 since its release, ensures that public interest in the case will persist.
Featured image credit: Helen H. Richardson/Getty
