Police: We Aren't Sitting On Any Strong JonBenet Leads

Amid renewed interest in the killing of JonBenet Ramsey triggered in part by a new Netflix documentary, police in Boulder, Colorado, rebutted assertions this week that they have viable evidence and leads about the 1996 killing of the 6-year-old girl that they are not pursuing. The AP reports the police comments came as part of their annual update on the investigation, a month before the 28th anniversary of the murder of JonBenet, who was found dead in the basement of her family's home the day after Christmas in 1996. Police said they released it a little earlier due to the increased attention on the case, apparently referring to the three-part Netflix series Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey.

In a video statement, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said the department welcomes news coverage and documentaries about the killing of JonBenet, who would have turned 34 this year, as a way to generate possible new leads. He said the department is committed to solving the case but needs to be careful about what it shares about the investigation to protect a possible future prosecution. "What I can tell you though, is we have thoroughly investigated multiple people as suspects throughout the years and we continue to be open-minded about what occurred as we investigate the tips that come in to detectives," he said.

The Netflix documentary focuses on the mistakes made by police and the "media circus" surrounding the case. Police were widely criticized for mishandling the early investigation into her death amid speculation that her family was responsible. However, a prosecutor cleared her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, and brother, Burke, in 2008 based on new DNA evidence from JonBenet's clothing that pointed to the involvement of an "unexplained third party" in her slaying.

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Last year, police said they convened a panel of outside experts to review the investigation to give recommendations and determine if updated technologies or forensic testing might produce new leads. In the latest update, Redfearn said that review had ended but that police continue to work through and evaluate a "lengthy list of recommendations" from the panel. (JonBenet's dad recently accused police of ignoring a credible lead.)