JonBenét Ramsey’s father ‘cautiously optimistic’ about finding daughter’s killer: filmmaker

JonBenét Ramsey’s father is hopeful that he will find out who killed his daughter while he is still alive; But time is ticking for the heartbroken head of the family.

“He’s a cautious optimist,” Oscar-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger told Fox News Digital about John Ramsey. “This man has been brutalized by the police department, he has been brutalized by the court of public opinion, he has been brutalized by the media. And for his sake, I hope the family finds the truth.”

“But John, who has been a staunch advocate of finding the killer, is 80 years old,” Berlinger said. “I hope the man has another ten years, but I want this case solved before he’s gone so the family can have some peace.”

The star of the show was 6 years old when she was murdered 28 years ago. The case is now on the agenda A new Netflix documentary series from Berlinger“The Unclosed Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?” It is released on November 25.

The film aims to shed light on what John thinks are the missteps of the authorities investigating the murder and how advanced DNA technology could be the key to solving the cold case. The film includes a new interview with Ramsey, who speaks in hopes of pressuring police to continue searching for his daughter’s killer.

“It felt like the right time to tell this story now because there are still so many misconceptions,” Berlinger said. “Massive advances have been made in DNA technology.”

“Boulder officials have been very quiet about whether they have or will retest,” Berlinger said. “It’s time to hold the fire a little longer, get new DNA testing, and finally try to find a solution to this case.”

In response to Berlinger’s statement, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said in a statement to Fox News Digital: “JonBenét’s murder was an unspeakable crime, and this tragedy has never left our hearts.

“We are committed to following every lead and continue to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners across the country until this tragic case is solved.”

“This investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department,” the statement said. statement was added.

Anyone who may have information is encouraged to contact detectives at: [email protected] or by calling the Boulder Police tip line at 303-441-1974.

The six-year-old boy was found dead, beaten and strangled, in the basement of his family’s Boulder home on December 26, 1996.

She was discovered just hours after her mother, Patsy Ramsey, called 911 to say her daughter was missing and a ransom note had been left behind. The child’s death was ruled a murderbut no one was prosecuted.

“Through my film and television work, I have released six wrongfully convicted people from prison, including two who were sentenced to death,” Berlinger explained. “I shed light on many other cases and helped move the needle. And I realized this case had a lot in common with what happens in wrongful conviction cases.

“Obviously, the Ramseys were not wrongfully convicted, but they were wrongfully convicted in the court of public opinion, and that hindered the case for decades,” Berlinger said. he added.

The police department was criticized for its initial handling of the investigation. Details of the crime and video footage of Ramsey at the demonstrations led to the case becoming one of the most high-profile mysteries in the United States. a series of true crime books and TV specials.

Although the district attorney at the time of Ramsey’s death said his parents were under the “umbrella of suspicion” early on, tests of newly discovered DNA on Ramsey’s clothes in 2008 pointed to the involvement of an “undisclosed third party” in his killing. not their parents or their son Burke.

This led former district attorney Mary Lacy to clear the Ramseys of any involvement two years later. Patsy died of cancer in 2006He described the couple as “victims of this crime.”

Documentary series is under close scrutiny in the autopsy report and forensic evidence. Berlinger said after looking at both it was “ridiculous” to think the family was involved.

“There is no evidence, no previous history of abuse in the family,” Berlinger said. “He had petechial bleeding in his eyes and heart, which means that a garrot was used to strangle him while he was alive… This is the aggressive, violent act of a pedophile.”

“It is indisputable that he died with a stranglehold around his neck and his fingers trying to loosen it,” Berlinger said. “In my opinion, she was strangled to death by an intruder.”

Berlinger noted that the family is “still banging on the table for DNA testing.” He emphasized that there are new elements that have never been tested before, as well as old elements that are studied using outdated methods.

“It’s pretty clear that the crime scene was not properly secured, because initially (investigators) thought it was a kidnapping,” Berlinger explained.

“The police department rejected outside help, had no real experience with murder, and therefore DNA sampling at the time was compromised,” Berlinger said.

“Why did it take so long to get retested? We still don’t know if Colorado officials have retested. They say they will… but they’ve been dead quiet about it. I hope the movie will get people to test.” “We should be angry enough to insist that we have some responsibility in Colorado.”

in 2022 Boulder Police Department He said they were working with state law enforcement and the FBI on the investigation. They also shared that the DNA in the case is regularly checked for new matches.

At that time, the department added that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation updated more than 750 DNA samples from the investigation with the latest DNA technology.

In the film, Ramsey does not specifically blame anyone for his daughter’s murder. But he insists the family was not involved.

“I believe absolutely, without hesitation or doubt, that the Ramseys are innocent,” Berlinger said. “…I think everyone needs to be reconsidered in terms of the new DNA testing. And this is not a televised trial. We’re not going to come up with who we think is guilty. . . . Everybody’s at the table. There’s a need for DNA to be tested and a proper re-investigation.” It is necessary.”

Ramsey told people magazine Before the documentary’s premiere, “six or seven of the items originally sent to laboratories were returned untested.”

“We don’t know why they weren’t tested, but they weren’t tested,” Ramsey said. “Garrot was strangling JonBenét and some items were recently returned.”

The Ramseys and their son Burke, who was nine years old at the time, were never charged in the murder. Berlinger said he believes Ramsey will one day get the answers he is looking for.

“He and Patsy are deeply religious,” Berlinger reflected. “I don’t share their perspective on this because I don’t believe in life after death. But they strongly believe in it.”

“Patsy felt strongly that before she died, she would be reunited with JonBenét and learn the truth,” he shared. “I think John Ramsey feels the same way, and I hope for their sake they’re right about that.”

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