JonBenét Ramsey Docuseries Investigates "Mishandling" of Case 28 Years After Her Death
JonBenét Ramsey's death is getting a new spotlight.
Nearly three decades after the 6-year-old was found sexually assaulted and murdered in the basement of her family’s Boulder, Colo., home, Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey will focus on the way law enforcement and the media handled the case that captivated the nation.
“The Boulder, Colorado police, who had little practical experience in homicide investigations, quickly cast suspicion on JonBenét's family as the most likely suspects, fanning the flames of media scrutiny and largely one-sided reporting, turning the case into a national obsession,” according to Netflix’s press release description Nov. 4. “28 years later, that obsession—and finger-pointing—hasn’t gone away, and the murder of JonBenét Ramsey remains unsolved.”
The three-part docuseries—which will document the murder case that was initially suspected to be a kidnapping after her mother Patsy Ramsey found a ransom note hours before JonBenét’s body was found—is set to premiere Nov. 25 and promises to investigate “the mishandling of the case by law enforcement and the media,” per the press release.
E! News reached out to the Boulder Police Department for comment on the docuseries, but since JonBenét's case is an open and active homicide investigation, the department declined to answer specific questions about the case.
In December, the Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold emphasized the department's committement to the case, writing in a press release, "We will continue to pursue all leads and explore technology advancements to identify JonBenét’s killer."
Director Joe Berlinger revealed on Instagram Nov. 4 that the series will include “unprecedented access” and never-before-seen audio and video. “There is more to this story and action to be taken to solve this case,” he captioned the trailer. “It’s time to set the record straight.”
Despite the public attention on the case, no one was ever charged in connection with her death. In fact, the trailer for the upcoming series comes two months after her father John Ramsey claimed that the police failed to test DNA found on a weapon used to murder JonBenét.
“I don't know why they didn't test it in the beginning,” he shared on True Crime News in September. “To my knowledge, it still hasn’t been tested. If they're testing it and just not telling me, that’s great, but I have no reason to believe that.”
E! News reached out to the Boulder Police Department for comment on John’s claims in September, but due to the fact that JonBenét’s case is an active and ongoing investigation, the department said it is unable to answer specific questions about actions taken or not taken.
As the murder of JonBenét has remained unsolved for decades, John reflected on how he and Patsy—who died in 2006 after a battle with ovarian cancer—navigated grief while also being parents of three other kids. (John shares son John Andrew, 51, and Melissa, 52, was ex-wife Lucinda Pasche, as well as Burke, 37, with Patsy.)
“We recognized that we needed to live as strong parents for our children,” the 80-year-old recalled. “We still had three wonderful children that we love dearly and they were hurt deeply and needed us to be strong. That got us off the floor as soon as we could.”
And part of his motivation to remain optimistic that there will be justice is simply remembering his daughter.
“I think about her every day,” he explained. “I have her picture on my cellphone to remind him that she’s with me in some way that I don’t understand or can’t comprehend.”
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