Warning: This article contains discussions of child abuse that some readers may find distressing.
The father of JonBenét Ramsey, the six-year-old girl who was tragically murdered in her home in 1996, has revealed he received a letter that allegedly identifies his daughter’s killer.
On December 26, 1996, JonBenét was discovered dead in the basement of her family’s Boulder, Colorado home, a case that has puzzled investigators for nearly three decades.
That morning, her mother, Patsy Ramsey, contacted the police after discovering a ransom note and realizing JonBenét was missing from her room and not found anywhere in the house.
Later that day, her father, John, found his daughter’s body in the basement. She had been beaten and sexually assaulted.
Following an investigation that led to years of speculation, the Boulder District Attorney officially exonerated JonBenét’s parents from involvement in the crime in 2008.
The murderer of the young girl remains unidentified, but last month the case gained renewed attention with the release of a Netflix documentary titled “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey.”
This documentary highlights the investigative missteps in JonBenét’s case and was made with contributions from her father, John Ramsey.
After its release, John mentioned receiving a letter from a woman claiming to have new information about his daughter’s death.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, John stated, “‘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’.”
John reported that he promptly pursued the lead but has not heard anything further from the woman who sent the letter.
“We reached out to her, but she didn’t answer the phone, so I don’t know. We’ve shared at this point with a private investigator.”
At 81, John expressed that solving the case wouldn’t significantly impact his life but would greatly affect his children and grandchildren.
“They need to have this cloud removed, clarified, and an answer. That’s why we’re pushing so hard to get an answer,” he remarked.
John remains hopeful, but he is aware that false confessions have led to false hope in the past.
In the early days following the murder, a man alleged he had been contracted to kill JonBenét and claimed to have non-public information, according to John’s recollection.
The man suggested turning himself in but added, “Well, I want to bring my family with me, and it’s going to cost me $3,000 for airline tickets, and I don’t have any money. Can you send me the money?”
Reflecting on this interaction, John told the Mail: “And I was going to do it, because I figured, Well, who knows, it’s worth a shot,” Ramsey said. He noted that after discussing it with his attorneys, they advised against sending money, suspecting a scam.
“And so I didn’t, and our investigators came back [and said], ‘Well, he’s a truck driver out of Louisiana, and he’s just trying to scam you out of some money. Forget it’.”
The pursuit of JonBenét’s murderer continues, with the 28th anniversary of her death approaching next week.
If you’re affected by any of these issues or wish to speak with someone confidentially about child welfare, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24/7, receiving calls from the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico.