Some true crime podcasts are pretty lame. This episode of True Crime Garage entitled JonBenet: The Master Detective is very interesting and worth listening to. Parts 1 and 2 are posted at the below link and other related episodes are expected this month. There are so many sadly common themes/parallels between the murder investigation of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey in 1996 and the OCCK investigation.
https://truecrimegarage.com/listen
On April 28, 2022, a group called Justice for JonBenet started a petition on change.org directed to Colorado Governor Jared Polis asking him to put Ramsey DNA testing decisions in the hands of a new agency that’s free from Boulder’s significant history with the case and to utilize a private lab for DNA testing. The basic message:
Given the lack of progress by the Boulder Police, we the undersigned petitioners ask you to move DNA decisions in this case away from the BPD to an independent agency so that JonBenét has a last chance at the justice she deserves.
https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-jonbenét-ramsey?signed=true
That same week JonBenet’s dad, John Ramsey, made the case that child murders should be investigated as federal crimes and not left up to local police. https://catherinebroad.blog/2022/04/30/child-murders-should-be-investigated-as-federal-crimes-not-left-up-to-local-police/ . Amen.
On February 11, 2023, it was announced that Boulder PD would be partnering with private DNA labs and would consult with the Colorado Cold Case Review Team, comprised of cold-case experts from across the state. https://www.foxnews.com/us/jonbenet-ramsey-case-boulder-police-consulting-cold-case-review-team-nearly-26-years-6-year-olds-death .
It was announced in early October that the review by the Colorado Cold Case Review Team was set to take place by the end of this year.
Of course this may just mean the first meeting among the participants will take place by December 31, some 20 months after the change.org petition began circulating. Whether or when they will update the public remains to be seen.
Governor Polis is my governor and I think as a general rule the guy does an excellent job. As the petitioners explained, he was the only person with enough power and independence in the state to put Ramsey DNA testing decisions in the hands of a new agency.
Our life experience colors our beliefs and biases. I can honestly say I have never believed the narrative that any member of the Ramsey family killed JonBenet or staged her body. Most of all I remember all of the focus on the behavior of the family in the wake of this murder as some explanation for guilt. Like there is some playbook for families to behave in the mind-bogglingly heinous situation they were faced with. You might think you know what you would/wouldn’t do, but you are wrong. Very wrong. Hope you never have to find out.
What Boulder PD and the Boulder DA did to this family is beyond unconscionable. This on top of fucking up the murder investigation of a 6-year-old girl for over 26 years. I hope they get some answers and I hope this cold case review team realizes their obligation to update the public.