The unsolved murder of six-year-old beauty pageant winner, JonBenet Ramsey, has remained one of the most perplexing and controversial criminal cases in American history, sparking decades of public fascination, media scrutiny, and ongoing debate about true crime.
In 1996, in Boulder, Colorado, a young girl was found dead in her family’s basement. Her death was caused by a blunt force trauma and strangulation, prompting one of America’s most high-profile and unsolved mysteries, which has been marked a brutal and controversial crime with an underestimated amount of media attention.
The case of JonBenét Ramsey remains open to this day in the Boulder Police Department. Various re-investigations have been published to focus on the missteps of law enforcement and the media in the 1990’s. The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey (2016), shown and watched in Moon Area’s practical justice classes, brought together original investigators and new forensic experts to re-examine the unsolved murder.
On the morning of December 26th, 1996, in the Ramsey household, 911 was called around 6:00 a.m. for the discovery of a ransom note found by Patsy Ramsey (mother of JonBenét and Burke Ramsey). The ransom note demanded $118,000 for JonBenét’s safe return – the amount of John Benet Ramsey’s (father of JonBenét) job bonus. The Ramsey home was never properly secured after Patsy Ramsey called 911 that morning. Family friends and other non-police personnel were allowed to enter and freely move around the house, which destroyed and disturbed potential evidence.
Later that morning, JonBenét’s body was found in the wine cellar of the home’s basement, picked up by her father, brought up stairs, and set on the living room floor. Her body was covered in a blanket with duct tape around her mouth, later ripped off by her father. His actions further contaminated the scene and disturbed critical forensic evidence. Unknown DNA was found in her underwear and under her fingernails.
Several samples of DNA have been tested, but the science used to generate profiles from degraded DNA samples is not yet sensitive enough to use genealogical methods on the underwear. Therefore, the Ramseys quickly became suspects, even though no evidence connected them to the case. After the murder, the Ramseys were completely cleared by the DNA results, dismissing a grand jury of the case, which is still open to this day.
As the JonBenet Ramsey case continues to captivate public interest nearly three decades later, it remains a haunting example of a true-crime tragedy overshadowed by speculation, missteps, and unanswered questions. If this complex case interests you and you’re passionate about uncovering the truth, consider taking a Practical Justice class at Moon Area high school to explore how real-world investigations and the legal system work.
