JonBenét Ramsey Case: Police Have Several 'New Persons of Interest' on Radar After Analyzing Nearly 1,000 DNA Samples
Sept. 25 2023, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Nearly 27 years after the horrendous murder of JonBenét Ramsey, police are hopeful to seek justice, having sifted through nearly 1,000 DNA samples and honed in on several new "persons of interest," RadarOnline.com can report.
The child beauty pageant sensation was only six when she was tragically found bludgeoned and strangled in the basement of her parents' home the day after Christmas in 1996. A handwritten ransom note was discovered at the grisly scene.
Her parents, John and Patsy, were eventually cleared as suspects, despite it coming after Patsy's death, but questions still lingered as cops continued to investigate.
As we previously reported, an autopsy stated that JonBenét's official cause of death was "asphyxia by strangulation."
"There are new people to look at, to hopefully figure out who killed JonBenét. Suspects and witnesses can come from a variety of places," a police source told The Messenger in an update.
Almost 1,000 DNA samples were reviewed in 2021 to hopefully track down JonBenét's killer after unmatched traces were found under her fingernails and on her clothes, and cops also interviewed more than 1,000 people spanning 19 states looking for clues.
"We are seeing if any of them are the key to solving this case," the insider added. "Time will tell if we get the answers we need. This is a marathon, not a sprint."
The child's half-brother, John Andrew Ramsey, said that his father has endured far more trauma than any person should.
"I think he's focused on life today and enjoying life with his family and grandkids," said John Andrew on 20/20. "I think it's really important for people to understand that this case can be solved. There's a narrative out there that this is an unsolved homicide and that we just have to accept that as fact, and that is not the truth."
Former suspect John Mark Karr claimed to be with the child when she died but was later cleared after the evidence didn't match. DNA on Ramsey's undergarments notably did not belong to Karr.
Authorities have also looked into Gary Oliva, a convicted pedophile who never faced charges related to her death, but claims responsibility for the murder.
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"Of course the entire department is aware of these men," a police source shared. "If anything comes up that leads back to them, then that's the avenue that we'll take. But now, there are new people to look at, to hopefully figure out who killed JonBenét."