Police look to ‘new technology’ to solve JonBenet Ramsey murder

On the 25th anniversary of the JonBenet Ramsey murder, Boulder Police have announced they are “actively reviewing genetic DNA testing” to determine if it can help solve the famous case that gripped the world.

The American child beauty pageant queen was 6 years old when she was reported missing on December 26, 1996, after her family alleged to have found a ransom note inside their home. Her body was found in the basement, and a later autopsy revealed that the cause of her death was strangulation.

The Major Crimes Unit has received and reviewed more than 21,000 tips, letters, and emails and detectives have visited 19 states to interview or speak with more than 1,000 individuals in connection to the crime.

Despite police having processed more than 1,500 pieces of evidence and analysing nearly 1,000 DNA samples, nobody has been charged in relation to the case.

In a statement released on Monday, December 20, police addressed the anniversary of JonBenet’s death while revealing investigators had been working on “future DNA advancements” in a bid to solve the long-running case.

“As the Department continues to use new technology to enhance the investigation, it is actively reviewing genetic DNA testing processes to see if those can be applied to this case moving forward,” the statement said.

A police spokesperson, Dionne Waugh, told reporters she could not comment further because the investigation was still “active and ongoing”.

The investigation into JonBenet’s case captivated the public with speculation falling on the family. The family reported finding a ransom note during the early moments of JonBenet’s disappearance demanding a $118,000 payment. JonBenet’s parents were cleared of any wrongdoing in 2008 after DNA evidence collected from JonBenet’s clothing matched an unknown third party.

The police department was heavily criticised at the time for its handling of the investigation.