JonBenét Ramsey's Dad John Defends Ex-Housekeeper in Child Beauty Queen's Murder Mystery — After She Became One of Case's Most Scrutinized Suspects
Linda Hoffman-Pugh was an early suspect in JonBenét Ramsey's death.
May 28 2026, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
After her death, former housekeeper Linda Hoffman-Pugh was finally defended by the very people who allegedly blamed her for the death of their beauty queen daughter.
Hoffman-Pugh was working for John and Patty Ramsey when their daughter, JonBenét, was strangled to death. The case remains unsolved – and RadarOnline.com can reveal the grieving father is not blaming the housekeeper, despite past speculation.
Ex-Housekeeper Claims She's the Victim of Libel
JonBenét Ramsey died after being strangled in 1996, as their housekeeper later alleged she was the victim of libel.
Young JonBenét was found dead on Christmas Day in 1996, marking the beginning of a high-profile investigation that remains unsolved. Hoffman-Pugh was an early suspect by police given her proximity to the family and home, but she was cleared by investigators.
The family went on to publicly discuss the case, including a book released by John and Patsy titled The Death of Innocence: The Untold Story of JonBenét’s Murder and How Its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth.
Upon its release, Hoffman-Pugh alleged she was the victim of libel, claiming she was depicted as responsible for JonBenét's death. Attorneys claimed the couple made "deliberate false statements made by the Ramseys against our client … making her look as if she may have been involved."
Ultimately, the case was dismissed – a decision Hoffman-Pugh appealed to no avail.
John Ramsey Shares Insight on Late Wife's Theory
The Ramsey family was reportedly cleared in the case.
Nonetheless, John, who shut down a rumor tying his daughter to Epstein, shared his late wife's insight on the case from "early on" in the investigation. He told In Touch that Patsy said, "If Linda was involved, she would never hurt JonBenét."
However, Hoffman-Pugh, in life, recalled a different story. She believed Patsy was the person who first cited her as a suspect in the case.
During a 1999 interview with The Daily Camera, she noted, "Why would she think I’d do something like that and then invite me to the memorial service? Why would she hug me at the service?"
Patsy Ramsey Was Allegedly First to Blame Housekeeper
Linda Hoffman-Pugh claimed Patsy (above) was the first to blame her in the case.
While some pointed to Hoffman-Pugh, the Ramsey family wasn't completely forgotten. The parents were early suspects by police, who suspected Pasty of writing a ransom note found at the home. Their son, Burke, who was just 9 years old at the time, was ruled out. Investigators theorized the note was a means to deflect blame from themselves.
A grand jury voted to indict the Ramseys for child abuse resulting in death and for accessory to a crime, but the district attorney at the time declined the indictment. John later spoke out in frustration, claiming the police falsely painted them as suspects.
A later investigation revealed trace DNA evidence of an unidentified man. As a result, the district attorney wrote a letter stating that her parents were allegedly cleared. However, the couple's status in the case remains debated among internal investigators, who did not believe the district attorney had such authority and asserted the letter was not binding.
The case remains unsolved. However, a new suspect was briefly arrested after his ex-wife insisted he was responsible. Ultimately, though, he was released in December 2025.
In January 2026, a new cop was tapped to continue the investigation.
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Hoffman-Pugh maintained her innocence until her death.
Hoffman-Pugh died at age 82 on May 2.
She is survived by her children, Tammy (Jay) Legler, Tina Lenhardt, Troy (Reyna) Hoffmann, Tricia Ruppel, and Ariana (Thomas) Hutchins.
"Her greatest joy was her family," her obituary read. "She also loved her kitty, Zoey, putting puzzles together, crosswords, reading romance novels, watching game shows, bowling, and latch hook. Linda had a paper route for many years in both Ft. Lupton and Greeley. She was always so kind to especially her elderly clients."
