JonBenét Ramsey Case Faces Renewed Scrutiny as Lab Scandal Fuels Calls for DNA Testing Her Father Has Long Sought

The guilty plea of a discredited Colorado DNA analyst has brought renewed attention to the unsolved killing of JonBenét Ramsey, while her father again urges investigators to use advanced DNA technology he says could help identify the person responsible.

John Ramsey told INC News that he has long been aware former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic analyst Yvonne “Missy” Woods was not connected to his daughter’s case, noting that the initial DNA work was handled by an outside laboratory.

“I believe an outside private lab (Bode Labs in Virginia) did the first evidence testing and reported in January 1997 that they found unidentified male DNA in JonBenét’s underwear,” Ramsey said.

Even as the broader DNA controversy continues to reverberate, Boulder officials maintain that evidence in the JonBenét Ramsey murder probe was not compromised.

“The Boulder Police Department does not believe the actions of Missy Woods have had any effect on the JonBenét Ramsey case after a review of all the records by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation,” a Boulder Police Department spokesperson told INC News.

“Because this is an active homicide investigation, we are unable to answer any specific questions regarding the investigation at this time,” the statement added.

The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office reached the same conclusion, telling INC News that CBI’s review determined Woods’ criminal conduct “will not have an impact on the evidence in the JonBenét Ramsey investigation.”

A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office also told INC News the investigation remains active, with the team working the case meeting as recently as last month.

The DA’s office said investigators also met with the Ramsey family several months ago, plan to continue providing updates and are reviewing evidence to ensure the investigation benefits from the latest advances in forensic science.

“There is a strong push to ensure that all items of evidence have been reviewed for appropriate forensic testing in various disciplines, and most notably to ensure DNA testing has kept pace with advancements in DNA testing methodologies,” the spokesperson said. “Additionally, the federal, state and local agencies involved remain steadfast in their diligence to explore all advanced DNA testing capabilities from outside independent labs, while ensuring the efficacy and validation support for those evolving testing methodologies.”

The comments mark one of the clearest acknowledgments to date that investigators are evaluating advanced DNA testing through outside independent laboratories, an approach Ramsey has advocated for more than a year.

The renewed attention comes after Woods pleaded guilty June 23 to cybercrime, first-degree perjury, attempting to influence a public servant and forgery for criminal conduct committed between 2008 and 2023 while working as a forensic laboratory scientist for CBI. Woods worked for the agency from 1994 until 2023.

According to prosecutors, Woods altered and deleted data related to critical portions of the laboratory’s DNA quality control process. Under the plea agreement, she faces a mandatory prison sentence of eight to 16 years after prosecutors consolidated more than 100 original felony charges into four felony convictions. She is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 8.

Although Ramsey said Woods’ misconduct did not affect the evidence in his daughter’s case, he believes the controversy reinforces the need for outside laboratories to handle advanced DNA analysis.

Ramsey said he also continues to question why some evidence collected from the crime scene was never tested.

“We did know that a number of items from the crime scene were sent in for testing, and a number were not tested,” Ramsey told INC News. “We always kind of wondered why. I mean, items that should have been sampled, but they weren’t.”

Ramsey said subsequent rounds of DNA testing identified the same unknown male DNA profile on additional pieces of evidence, reinforcing his belief that investigators already possess the DNA needed to identify his daughter’s killer.

“Bottom line is we have the killer’s DNA and FGG is the new tool which could give us the killer’s name if the police would only use it,” Ramsey said, referring to forensic genetic genealogy.

Ramsey said the work should be conducted by one of the specialized private laboratories with expertise in forensic genetic genealogy because, in his view, local law enforcement agencies do not have the technology or personnel to perform that type of analysis themselves.

“We have been begging the police to work with one of these labs, but we don’t know if they will do it,” he said.

The district attorney’s office said authorities are actively exploring advanced DNA testing capabilities through outside independent laboratories as the investigation continues.

JonBenét Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family’s Boulder, Colorado, home on Dec. 26, 1996. Her death remains one of the nation’s most infamous unsolved murder cases, with no one ever charged.

While investigators maintain the CBI scandal had no impact on the Ramsey investigation, Ramsey hopes the renewed attention will accelerate the use of forensic genetic genealogy, a technology he believes could finally reveal the identity of the person who killed his daughter.

INC News reached out to Woods’ attorney for comment but did not immediately receive a response.