JonBenet Ramsey’s dad breaks silence on new fears over DNA evidence in America’s most famous cold case
JONBENÉT Ramsey’s father has broken his silence over fresh fears surrounding DNA evidence in America’s most famous cold case.
John Ramsey said he still has questions about why crucial items from the crime scene were never tested as another Colorado forensic scandal rocks hundreds of cases.
The concerns emerged after former Colorado Bureau of Investigation analyst Yvonne “Missy” Woods pleaded guilty on Tuesday to manipulating DNA data over 18 years.
There is no evidence that Woods tampered with material from JonBenét’s 1996 murder investigation despite her involvement in the agency at the time.
Her known misconduct dates from 2008 to 2023, more than a decade after the six-year-old was found dead inside her family’s Boulder home.
Woods worked for the CBI from 1994, meaning she was employed by the agency when the Ramsey murder was investigated.
But authorities have not said she personally handled evidence in the case.
John said his family was initially alarmed when allegations against the former analyst first emerged.
He later learned that the main DNA evidence from his daughter’s case had been sent to an independent laboratory rather than tested by the CBI.
But he said questions remain about other items collected from the crime scene.
“We did know that a number of items from the crime scene were sent in for testing, and a number were not tested,” John told NewsNation.
“We always kind of wondered why.”
“I mean, items that should have been sampled, but they weren’t, I don’t know whether it was a cost issue or they already found unidentified male DNA, so why go any further.”
John has repeatedly pushed investigators to use forensic genetic genealogy, which can compare crime-scene DNA against information in genealogy databases to identify possible relatives.
“We’ve advocated for a year almost that we use forensic genetic genealogy, FGG, which is kind of the latest tool that’s out there,” he said.
“You have to go to an outside lab, but it’s got to be one that knows how to do it.”
John said Boulder’s police chief told him last fall that more items from the case were due to be sent for testing.
He claimed the work was expected to happen about six months ago but said his family has not been told whether it produced any results.
“They won’t tell us what the results, if any, were of the latest testing done by somebody,” he said.
“So, yeah, that’s a concern. And it’s not using the latest technology.”
Asked whether the Woods scandal could prompt him to demand that evidence be moved to another laboratory, John said his family would consider it.
“We’re going to look at it,” he said.
“We’ve been very insistent that they use one of these outside cutting-edge labs.”
“And I’m convinced we can get an answer.”
John raised similar fears in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun in 2022, accusing Boulder police of incompetence and questioning whether vital DNA evidence may have been lost.
He said he had little faith in the department after decades without an arrest and was campaigning to have the case moved out of its control.
John also appealed to Colorado Governor Jared Polis to push police to release any remaining DNA evidence to a specialist forensic genealogy laboratory.
Citing breakthroughs in other long-unsolved crimes, including the Golden State Killer case, he said the technology may offer the best chance of identifying his daughter’s killer.
He claimed Boulder police had resisted bringing outside agencies into the investigation despite years of pressure from the family.
Woods pleaded guilty to four felonies — cybercrime, perjury, forgery and attempting to influence a public servant.
Investigators accused her of altering or deleting data, failing to record testing properly and omitting important information from case files.
Authorities also alleged that she repeatedly tested some samples until she produced the outcome she wanted.
Dozens of other felony charges were dismissed under her plea agreement.
She faces between eight and 16 years in prison when she is sentenced in September.
The scandal has cast doubt over evidence from hundreds of criminal investigations.
But officials have not found that Woods falsified DNA matches or invented DNA profiles, and no misconduct has been established in JonBenét’s case.
Boulder police revealed in December that investigators had collected new evidence and tested or retested other items in an attempt to develop fresh leads.
Detectives also carried out new interviews and spoke again to people connected to the case after receiving recent tips.
Police have not disclosed what evidence was examined or whether the latest work produced a breakthrough.
Chief Stephen Redfearn said advances in DNA technology offered renewed hope of solving the murder nearly three decades later.
“It is never too late for people with knowledge of this terrible crime to come forward,” he said.
“I urge those responsible for this murder to contact us.”
JonBenét was reported missing on December 26, 1996, after her mother, Patsy, found a ransom note inside the family home.
The letter claimed the child had been kidnapped and demanded $118,000 for her return.
Her body was discovered hours later in a basement room during a search of the property.
Duct tape covered her mouth, and a cord was found around her neck, according to police records.
