MURDER
CASE #: 1996-11
JonBenet Patricia Ramsey
Status:
Open
Date of Offense:
Date of Offense:
Jurisdiction:
Offense Location:
Boulder, CO
Summary:
The day after Christmas in 1996, Patsy Ramsey, JonBenét’s mother, went down the staircase leading to the kitchen to make coffee around 5:30AM and noticed a 3 page ransom note saying that her daughter was kidnapped and demanding $118,000. Patsy called 911 at 5:52AM reporting JonBenét had been kidnapped. The first police officer arrived at the Ramsey home just before 6AM, conducted a search, but didn't find JonBenét. She was found later in the day in the house after additional searches.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Offense:
At around 1PM, Detective Linda Arndt instructed John Ramsey (JonBenét’s fther) and a family friend, Fleet White, to search the house top to bottom to see if they could find anything unusual. John Ramsey found JonBenét’s body in the basement of the family home in a room they called the “train room”. JonBenét’s body was later removed from the family home around 10:45PM. In January 1997, law enforcement collected male DNA from JonBenét's clothing that was confirmed to not be from a family member. Despite this piece of evidence, numerous resources focused on family members as suspects. The identity of the male DNA has not been found.
Additional Details:
JonBenét Ramsey’s cause of death was “asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma,” according to an autopsy released by the Office of the Boulder County Coroner on Dec. 27, 1996. Her case has remained unsolved and new advances in DNA technology are hopeful to bring answers to the family. Over the years, a subject came forward confessing to the offense but later recanted his story.
Case Last Updated:
Timeline of Events
JonBenét Ramsey’s body was found in the basement of the family home.
Patsy Ramsey calls police to report JonBenét missing.
Patsy, JonBenét’s mother, finds a ransom note on the staircase in the family’s home and realizes JonBenét is missing.
The Ramsey family attended a Christmas party at a family friend’s home, Fleet White.
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