Boulder DA says family should not have been cleared in JonBenet Ramsey case
District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated Tuesday that he would have kept the Ramsey family as suspects, a position that contrasts with the 2008 exoneration granted by his predecessor.
By Alina Marshall ·
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated Tuesday that he would not have cleared the Ramsey family of suspicion in the 1996 murder of JonBenet Ramsey, a decision made by then-District Attorney Mary Lacy in 2008.
Dougherty made the comments during a press conference held alongside Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn. The meeting occurred on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the child’s death, which took place on December 26, 1996.
JonBenet was found dead in the basement of her family home in the 700 block of 15th Street after her mother, Patsy Ramsey, called police to report a ransom note. The note demanded $118,000 for the 6-year-old pageant winner’s return.
The county coroner later determined that JonBenet suffered a fractured skull, was asphyxiated with a garrote, and was sexually assaulted. Dougherty said he has never ruled out individuals in an unsolved case. He stated that doing right by the victim requires remaining open-minded and following the evidence.
Dougherty acknowledged that Lacy’s public exoneration likely did not harm the investigation in the long term. He noted that a former district attorney’s statement is not legally binding. Lacy did not return a voicemail or email requesting comment before the press conference.
John Andrew Ramsey, JonBenet’s half-brother, said he does not mind that his family is not officially off the list of suspects. He told the Daily Camera on Tuesday that he values the optimism expressed by Redfearn and Dougherty. Ramsey said such hopefulness suggests new developments are underway.
Ramsey claimed that investigators tested evidence in Jefferson County at the end of 2025. He stated that the police and DA showed no optimism before that testing and did afterward. Boulder police spokesperson Dionne Waugh could not confirm the testing because the investigation is ongoing.
Redfearn and Dougherty did not share new suspects or leads on Tuesday. Redfearn said he hopes improving forensic technology will allow investigators to test evidence that could provide new insights. He expects progress within the next decade as technology improves at a steady pace.
Dougherty said investigators are in contact with forensic labs and prosecuting offices nationwide. They are waiting for technology that can test certain evidence without risking contamination, as some items offer only one chance for a meaningful result.
Redfearn acknowledged that 30 years have passed, meaning evidence has aged and potential witnesses have grown older. He said the killer may already be dead, as might other people who could provide information. He added that if JonBenet were killed today, the case would be much easier to solve.
Detectives have interviewed people in at least 17 states and conducted thousands of interviews over the life of the case. They have also reviewed hundreds of thousands of tips. Redfearn said he still receives emails almost daily and worries if a consistent sender goes silent for a day.
Redfearn admitted that the initial investigation had flaws. He referenced a 2015 Reddit thread by former Chief Mark Beckner, who said the scene was not properly locked down and the parents were not isolated before interviews. Redfearn said hindsight is 20/20 after three decades.
