Nearly 28 years after the tragic and shocking murder of JonBenét Ramsey, her father, John Ramsey, has revealed he recently received a letter claiming to know the identity of his daughter’s killer.
The heartbreaking case, which shook the nation in December 1996, has once again been thrust into the spotlight following Netflix’s latest documentary, Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey.
Speaking to Daily Mail, 81-year-old John explained that the letter came from a woman who believes her ex-husband is responsible for the crime that has haunted the Ramsey family and captivated the world for decades. "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 shared.
While hopeful for answers, he remains cautious. "We reached out to her, but she didn’t answer the phone, so I don’t know. We’ve shared it at this point with a private investigator."
JonBenét was just six years old when she was found brutally beaten and sexually assaulted in the basement of her family’s Boulder, Colorado home on December 26, 1996. Earlier that morning, John’s late wife Patsy Ramsey had made a frantic 911 call, reporting a ransom note and their daughter missing. Hours later, it was John himself who discovered JonBenét’s lifeless body—forever altering the course of their lives.
From the very beginning, the investigation was marred by missteps, suspicion, and sensationalism. Public opinion turned against the Ramsey family almost immediately, despite the Boulder District Attorney officially clearing them of involvement in 2008. For John, solving his daughter’s case is not just about closure—it’s about giving his family the peace they deserve.
"It’s not going to change my life at this point—I just turned 81—but it’ll change my children’s lives, my grandchildren’s lives. They need to have this cloud removed, clarified, and an answer. That’s why we’re pushing so hard to get an answer."
The Netflix documentary has reignited interest in the case, spotlighting not only the failures of law enforcement but also the advancements in DNA technology that have solved other high-profile cold cases. For John, there is renewed hope that the same tools that unmasked the Golden State Killer in 2018 could finally bring justice for JonBenét.
"Bureaucrats, politicians, are impacted by public pressure bigtime, and we sense that that’s happening," he said, acknowledging the public outcry following the documentary’s release.
The Boulder Police Department, under increased scrutiny, released an early update into the investigation, stating their unwavering commitment to solving the case. "The killing of JonBenét was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left our hearts," said Chief Steve Redfearn in a statement. "We are committed to following up on every lead and continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners until this tragic case is solved."
While John remains cautiously optimistic, he’s no stranger to false hope. Over the years, there have been several confessions and leads that ultimately led nowhere, including the infamous case of John Mark Karr. Karr, a former schoolteacher, shocked the world when he confessed in 2006 to killing JonBenét, even being extradited from Thailand to Colorado. But his DNA did not match evidence from the crime scene, and his family insisted he had been in Georgia at the time of the murder.
John recounted another bizarre interaction early in the investigation when a man using the alias 'David Cooper' called the Ramsey family pastor, claiming to be JonBenét’s killer. "He said he wanted to turn himself in but wanted to talk to me first. I called him and talked to him for a while... I was looking for information that maybe he had that nobody else would have [from] reading the newspapers or watching television."
Initially, John thought the caller might be credible, especially when he mentioned details that hadn’t been widely reported. However, the situation quickly unraveled. "He said, '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?'" John admitted he considered it but ultimately followed the advice of his attorneys, who warned him against being scammed.
Despite these disappointments, John has remained highly visible over the years, using the media as a tool to keep pressure on authorities. "It's to keep pressure on police, like, ‘Hey, we’re not going away. You’ve got to get your act together and do what you can do, what it’s possible to do, or we’re going to keep pounding on you.'"
The case has been further complicated by turnover within the Boulder Police Department, with multiple chiefs and lead investigators stepping into the role over the decades. Most recently, Chief Steve Redfearn was officially appointed in September, replacing an interim leader who served since January.
For John, the fight for justice is a promise he made to his daughter, one he refuses to abandon. “I’ve spent almost three decades battling misconceptions and trying to prove our innocence, but ultimately, what matters most is finding JonBenét’s killer. We owe her that.”