DNA evidence collected following the 1996 murder of JonBenet Ramsey was never a match for any of her family members despite police continuing to cast suspicion on her parents, new documents reveal. The admission was made in a new book by former Texas sheriff John W. Anderson, “Lou and JonBenet: A Legendary Lawman’s Quest to Solve a Child Beauty Queen’s Murder.”
- Lou Smit was a Colorado investigator who worked on the case. Anderson interviews Smit in the book, and Smit reveals that the DNA evidence found under JonBenet Ramsey’s fingernails and on her clothes didn’t match anyone in her family or anyone close to them.
- Colorado authorities ignored that and pushed their own agenda. Smit says despite his insistence that the DNA pointed elsewhere, Patsy Ramsey and Jon Bennett Ramsey were still placed under an “umbrella of suspicion” that cast doubt on their innocence. That remained the case for more than a decade.
- In 2008, the Ramseys were officially cleared of JonBenet’s murder. Even as of 2023, Smit’s copy of the DNA results from the tests performed following the murder are thought to be the only unredacted copies out there, Fox News claims. Heavily redacted versions have been published online at several times over the years, but the full documents have never been made public.
- JonBenet Ramsey’s family has always been critical of Colorado police. In October 2022, her older brother hit out at investigators for not doing a thorough job in investigating possible suspects and ultimately solving the case. As of late 2021, investigators were said to have reopened the case and were regularly processing new DNA evidence in an attempt to find JonBenet Ramsey’s killer. However, as of 2023, there are no specific leads when it comes to who might have been responsible. Technology is regularly advancing, though, so it’s possible this case might eventually be cracked.
