Investigators in Boulder are reexamining and retesting evidence collected decades ago in the murder of JonBenet Ramsey as the 30th anniversary of the unsolved crime approaches.
“Chief [Steve] Redfearn and I are more hopeful now than we have been in the past because of the advances in the investigation and the advances in technology,” Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty told reporters during a news briefing this week. “And I say that based on just how DNA has progressed over time.”
JonBenet’s father, John Ramsey, spent years urging authorities to use investigative genetic genealogy, a relatively new method that combines DNA testing with genealogical research to develop leads and identify potential persons of interest. The technique continues to evolve alongside advances in DNA analysis.
JonBenet Patricia Ramsey, 4, lies on a white seamless backdrop wearing white lace gloves during a studio session for a commercial ad and actress portfolio in Boulder, Colo., on May 1, 1994. (ZUMAPRESS.com)
A cold case review panel was formed in Boulder while local, state and federal investigators continued examining what happened on Dec. 26, 1996, when JonBenet was found strangled and suffering from head trauma in the basement of her home. Investigators have pursued numerous suspects, persons of interest and theories over the years, but no one has been convicted. Her death remains one of the most prominent unsolved cases in the United States.
“It’s no secret,” Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn told reporters during an interview earlier this week. “We’re also going back, based on that cold case review, and retesting things that were tested 30 years ago with newer technology.”
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Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn and District Attorney Michael Dougherty speak with reporters at a news briefing on the JonBenet Ramsey case in November 2026. The Colorado 6-year-old’s 1996 murder remains unsolved. (City of Boulder)
Redfearn appeared to confirm a recent disclosure by JonBenet’s half-brother, John Andrew Ramsey, who previously told News Outlet that the family learned this year that new testing had started in fall 2025.
“Maybe something comes of that,” Redfearn said. “Not that it was missed, but maybe the technology just improved enough that we look at, hey, this item was tested in ’97, we’re testing it again, and hey, look, we found something that was missed in ’97.”
Dougherty pointed to a recent trial in which four DNA experts testified, saying the evidence had been tested multiple times as forensic technology advanced.
Those advances have also improved investigators’ ability to identify DNA profiles in mixed samples, Dougherty said.
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“To me, it’s quantity, quality, and location of the DNA,” he said.
Testing evidence from a single contributor is generally more straightforward, he explained.
“When it’s a single source in DNA, just generally speaking, it’s much easier assuming you have enough to test, particularly if it’s blood or semen,” he said. “But if it’s touch, and it’s a single source, that’s different than if it’s touch or saliva, and it is a mixture.”
JonBenet Ramsey pictured in an undated portrait. The 6-year-old was found dead in her home on Dec. 26, 1996, in one of America’s most high-profile unsolved cases. (Splash News)
When DNA from two or more people is found on the same surface, laboratory analysts must first separate the mixed profile.
That process can consume some of the evidence, particularly when only a small amount remains, Dougherty said. The results must also meet evidence standards and withstand scrutiny in court.
“We’re not gonna do it recklessly, to use Chief Redfearn’s word,” Dougherty said. “We’re also not gonna hesitate. We recognize the clock’s ticking. None of us are gonna be here forever. We wanna see this case solved for everyone involved and everyone impacted by it. And we’re absolutely committed to doing that.”
John Ramsey speaks with News Outlet in Las Vegas in April 2022. He is the father of JonBenet Ramsey, the 6-year-old whose murder on Dec. 26, 1996, remains unsolved nearly 30 years later. (Michael Ruiz/News Outlet)
Redfearn also told reporters that if the latest DNA testing produces no results, investigators have additional evidence that has not previously been released and could be made public in hopes of prompting someone to come forward.
“There’s still plenty of things that are not out there that we have,” he told reporters.
Tips continue to reach investigators regularly, nearly three decades after JonBenet’s death. Authorities are again urging anyone with information to contact them.
“There is more than one someone out there that knows something,” Redfearn said.
