Netflix’s true crime industrial complex is showing no signs of slowing, this time setting its sights on one of America’s most haunting mysteries: the murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey.
With Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey set to drop on November 25, here’s everything you need to know about the unsolved crime that has kept the nation captivated — and conspiracy theories spinning— for nearly three decades.
Who is JonBenét Ramsey and the Ramsey family?
JonBenét Ramsey was born on August 6, 1990, in Atlanta, Georgia, to John Bennett and Patricia “Patsy” Ramsey. The youngest of two children, she grew up alongside her older brother, Burke, who was just three years her senior. In the early 1990s, the family relocated to Boulder, Colorado, where they settled in an affluent neighborhood. John was a successful software executive who sold his company to Lockheed Martin.
Patsy Ramsey, John’s second wife, had a background in beauty and pageantry, having won the title of Miss West Virginia in 1977. She channeled this passion into JonBenét’s life, enrolling her in child beauty pageants at a young age. JonBenét quickly became a standout, winning titles such as America’s Royale Miss and Little Miss Colorado. Patsy was deeply involved in her daughter’s competitions, managing her wardrobe, rehearsals, and public appearances.
This hands-on role later led some to call her a “stage mom,” a portrayal that gained traction in tabloid media following JonBenét’s tragic death.
In the aftermath of JonBenét’s murder, both Patsy and John faced public and investigative scrutiny, as speculation about their involvement overshadowed the case and cemented it as one of the most infamous unsolved crimes in American history.
The death of JonBenét Ramsey
The Ramsey family’s life began to unravel on December 26, 1996, when JonBenét was found dead in the basement of their Boulder home just hours after her mother reported her missing. The case became an instant media sensation, fueled by a series of unusual details: a lengthy ransom note found in the house, the absence of clear signs of forced entry, and a botched initial police investigation.
On the morning of December 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey discovered a handwritten ransom note demanding $118,000 for the safe return of her daughter—a figure John Bennett later claimed was nearly identical to his recent Christmas bonus. Patsy immediately called 911 to report JonBenét missing. However, the police, believing it to be a kidnapping, did not conduct a thorough search of the Ramsey home. Instead, they cordoned off JonBenét’s bedroom but left the rest of the house accessible, inadvertently allowing significant contamination of potential evidence.
Eight hours later, John Ramsey discovered JonBenét’s body in the basement. She was found with duct tape over her mouth and a nylon cord tied around her wrists and neck. In a move that further compromised the crime scene, John carried his daughter’s body upstairs, removing her from the location where she had been found.
A later autopsy revealed that JonBenét had died from strangulation, with additional evidence suggesting the possibility of sexual assault. Her death was officially ruled a homicide, but the circumstances surrounding the case were far from clear. The combination of the ransom note, the condition of her body, and the botched initial investigation quickly led authorities to focus on her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, as the primary suspects.
JonBenét Ramsey conspiracy theories
The investigation into JonBenét Ramsey’s death, coupled with the intense media scrutiny surrounding her family and the Boulder community, gave rise to two primary theories: either her parents were responsible, or an unidentified intruder committed the crime.
Accidental family crime?
Suspicion toward the parents stemmed from several key factors. Police noted there were no clear signs of forced entry into the house, and the ransom note — a long-winded, oddly specific document — seemed staged. Investigators also observed what they interpreted as reluctance from John and Patsy Ramsey to cooperate fully, though the family claimed this was out of fear that police were fixated on them as suspects rather than pursuing other leads.
Forensic handwriting analysis eventually ruled out John as the author of the ransom note but was inconclusive for Patsy. Interviews with their son, Burke, both at the time and years later, painted the Ramseys as loving parents, and there was no history of violence on Patsy’s part toward her children or anyone else.
One of the more sensational theories proposed by investigators and amplified by the media suggested that Patsy accidentally killed JonBenét and then staged the break-in and strangulation to cover it up. However, autopsy results undermined this claim, showing that JonBenét was alive when she was strangled, making an accidental death followed by staging less plausible.
Despite mounting public pressure, the investigation was plagued by missteps and insufficient evidence. In 1999, a Colorado grand jury voted to indict John and Patsy Ramsey on two counts of child abuse resulting in death. However, then-District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to sign the indictment, citing a lack of evidence to prosecute the case successfully.
An even more controversial theory gained traction in 2016, following the airing of CBS’s The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey. This theory posited that 9-year-old Burke Ramsey, in a fit of frustration, killed his sister by striking her on the head with a flashlight during a dispute over a piece of pineapple. Proponents of this theory argued that JonBenét’s parents then staged the crime scene—including the ransom note and evidence of strangulation—to protect their son from potential legal consequences. Burke would later sue CBS for defamation.
Possible intruder?
Before focusing on the Ramsey family, police initially pursued the theory that an intruder had committed the crime. This was supported by evidence such as an unidentified boot print found in the basement where JonBenét’s body was discovered, as well as unidentified male DNA found on her underwear.
Investigators followed several leads in the Boulder community, including questioning the family’s housekeeper, a local reporter whose girlfriend suggested he could be a suspect, and even the mall Santa Claus who had interacted with JonBenét before her death. Despite their efforts, none of these individuals were tied to the crime.
Police conducted hundreds of DNA tests, but no matches were ever found, leaving the intruder theory as one of many possibilities in the still-unsolved case.
Where is the Ramsey family now?
After nearly a decade of allegations and intense scrutiny, the Ramsey family was officially exonerated in 2008 by DNA evidence, as announced by the Boulder County District Attorney’s office. Despite this, the damage had already been done. Media narratives and public speculation had dominated their lives, particularly for John and Patsy Ramsey, who became central figures in the storm of controversy surrounding their daughter’s death.
In 2004, John Ramsey attempted to move forward by running for a seat in Michigan’s House of Representatives, but his campaign was unsuccessful. Just two years later, in 2006, Patsy Ramsey passed away from ovarian cancer, an illness she had battled since 1993. Her death marked another tragedy for a family already burdened by public suspicion and loss.
Little was heard from their son, Burke, until 2016, when he gave his first public interview on the Dr. Phil show. The appearance came in response to CBS’s The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey, which had floated a controversial theory implicating him as his sister’s possible killer. Following the broadcast, Burke filed a defamation lawsuit against CBS, which was settled earlier this year.
Why is Netflix covering this again?
Yes, again. In 2017, Netflix released Casting JonBenét, a unique documentary that explored the casting process for reenactments of the Boulder murder. While it received decent reviews, it became one of many documentaries examining JonBenét’s death. So, why another one now?
The new three-part series, directed by Joe Berlinger, aims to reexamine the case with a fresh perspective—and to definitively clear the Ramsey family’s name. Speaking to The Independent, Berlinger reflected on how media narratives had influenced public perception, even his own. “Back then I fell for [the hype],” he admitted. “I’m embarrassed that I fell for it because I had just finished Paradise Lost, which is all about wrongful conviction—but I had a two-year-old daughter at home, and I kind of bought into the media hype.”
Teaming up with a Colorado Springs detective, Berlinger revisits the case, featuring appearances from John Ramsey and his adult son from his first marriage. The director’s stated goal for the series? To debunk the “crazy conspiracy theories” that have clouded the case and public understanding for decades.
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An explainer of the murder of JonBenét Ramsey ahead of Netflix’s ‘Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey’ documentary
