DNA Clears Family In JonBenet Slaying

Colo. Prosecutor Says New Tests Point To "Unexplained Third Party" In Girl's 1996 Killing

(CBS/ AP)  Prosecutors cleared JonBenet Ramsey's parents and brother Wednesday in the 1996 killing of the 6-year-old beauty queen and told the family they were "deeply sorry" for putting the Ramseys under a cloud of suspicion for more than a decade. The district attorney said new DNA tests point to a mysterious outsider.

"To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you might have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry," Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy wrote in a letter to the little girl's father, John Ramsey. "No innocent person should have to endure such an extensive trial in the court of public opinion."

Lacy said new "touch DNA" tests on skin cells that were left behind on JonBenet's long underwear point to an "unexplained third party" and not a member of the family.

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Read Boulder DA's letter to the Ramsey family.

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John Ramsey, a software entrepreneur who now lives in Michigan, said Wednesday he is hopeful the killer will be found based on the DNA evidence.

"I think the people that are in charge of the investigation are focused on that, and that gives me a lot of comfort," he told KUSA-TV in Denver. He added: "Certainly we are grateful that they acknowledged that we, based on that, certainly could not have been involved."

For years after the slaying, tabloids and crime shows went after the couple, and Lacy's predecessor as district attorney, Alex Hunter, said in 1997 that the parents were under an "umbrella of suspicion." News reports also cast suspicion on JonBenet's older brother, Burke, who was 9 when his sister was killed.

"The only evidence that suggested that they might have had something to do with this crime was the mere fact that they happened to be in the home the night their daughter was bruatally murdered four floors below their bedroom," said L. Lin Wood, an attorney for the Ramsey family, on the CBS News Early Show.

The suspicions outlived JonBenet's mother, Patsy, who died in June 2006 of ovarian cancer at age 49 in Atlanta, where the family moved after JonBenet's death.

"My first thought was obviously I wish Patsy Ramsey was here with us to be able to at least share vindication of her family," said Wood. "There are many people in this country, if not around the world, that also owe John and Patsy Ramsey and Burke Ramsey an apology."

"This is a long time coming," Patsy Ramsey's sister, Paulette Paugh, told CBS affiliate WGCL-TV in Atlanta. "We always knew no one in the family had anything to do with it. It's nice to hear the Boulder County District Attorney's office is finally coming forward with this information... I hope the person who did this is still alive so we can meet him face to face."

"Patsy was a very resilient person, very faithful to her god and she knew in her heart what the truth was," Paugh told CBS News Early Show anchor Maggie Rodriguez. "She went to her maker knowing she had a clear conscience and a full heart."

Early in the investigation, police found male DNA in a drop of blood on JonBenet's underwear and determined it was not from anyone in her family. But Lacy said investigators were unable to say who it came from and whether that person was the killer.

Then, late last year, prosecutors turned over long underwear JonBenet was wearing to the Bode Technology Group near Washington, which looked for "touch DNA," or cells left behind where someone has touched something.

The laboratory found previously undiscovered genetic material on the sides of the girl's long underwear, where an attacker would have grasped the clothing to pull it down, authorities said. The DNA matched the genetic material found earlier.

Lacy said the presence of the same male DNA in three places on the girl's clothing convinced investigators it belonged to JonBenet's killer and had not been left accidentally by an innocent party.

"It is therefore the position of the Boulder District Attorney's Office that this profile belongs to the perpetrator of the homicide," she said in a statement. In her letter to the Ramseys, she said the DNA evidence "has vindicated your family."

She said investigators hope someday to find a DNA match in the ever-expanding national DNA databank.

"This case is going to be solved one day by a random hit on the DNA in the database," family attorney L. Lin Wood told CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric. "As you know, many cases that have been going on cold cases for years, in fact, are solved years later by a random DNA hit."

Through a spokeswoman, Lacy declined to comment any further.

John Ramsey found his daughter's strangled and bludgeoned body in the basement of the family's home in Boulder on Dec. 26, 1996.

The fact that John and Patsy Ramsey were in the house at the time of the killing fueled speculation that one of them wrote the bizarre three-page note found at the scene. It was written on a pad that came from the house and demanded a ransom that was close to the bonus John Ramsey had received that year: $118,000.

"We should have just stood right up there in the beginning and said, 'Okay, charge me.You think i’m guilty? Charge me, or clear me,'" Ramsey told 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty in 2006.

Lacy had previously expressed doubts that the parents were involved. In 2003, a federal judge handling a defamation lawsuit in Atlanta involving the Ramseys said evidence in the case was more consistent with the theory that an intruder killed JonBenet, and Lacy said she agreed.

Less than two months after Patsy Ramsey died, the case appeared to blow wide open with the arrest in Thailand of John Mark Karr, a sometime teacher obsessed with the little girl's slaying. Karr made bizarre, detailed confessions to the killing, but authorities said DNA evidence showed he did not commit the crime.

[jack773]

Now there is a clue walker1209 - and it will lead straight to Patsy. That''s why it''s taken twelve years to show - nice cover-up.
There''s a ton of evidence that she wrote the note - good police would have had her in jail - and it''s too bad that now she''s dead so she can''t do some can time, but possibly John will.
That''s of course if they now look in the right direction - at the uncooperative photographer.

[feedback3-2009]

Has anyone ever seen Clark Kent and Superman in the same room at the same time?

Something is going on people!!!

[walker1209]

All of you amateur detectives and naysayers out there, please give this a REST!!! I have no clue who killed this child and neither do any of you, unless you are the killer. Only God and the person/persons who committed this crime know the truth.

If the Colorado Police had a proverbial "MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE", there are those of you who would still be ready to try, convict, and execute these people because you have a "FEELING" that they did it!!! There are hundreds of children in this country who are abused, disappear, and are murdered every year and the only thing that separates this case from many
others is the fact that this child came from an upper-middle class family and that her family had more resources than most.

I hope that this family and those who love them can finally get some peace, but I doubt it after reading what many of you have posted here!

[berniepeders]

And remember the strangest thing of all was that someone WROTE A RANSOM NOTE FOR A CHILD WHO WAS NOT KIDNAPPED !!! helloooooo

Posted by catsrfree

Bingo...this whole affair never did pass the smell test. There were too many things that just didn''t make sense. Either one or both of the parents had something to do with the death of their daughter, but they had lots of money, which equals power, and they could afford expensive lawyers. No matter what anyone says, I will always believe the parents knew something they weren''t saying.

[bobertbobert]

Anguish was my feeling at the death news; anger at parents who slept so far away from that precious child; in-credulousness at the parents'' determination to stymie a searching investigation and the undue kowtowing of the Boulder Police to the wishes of the wealthy, none of which rose to the enormity of the crime perpetrated on Jon Benet. Shame on her parents, shame on the police!

[cattlekate]

Posted by godseyesore at 09:33 AM : Jul 10, 2008

Exactly. It has never been clear what amount of investigation Planet Boulder''s PD did on the Access Graphics employees.

[godseyesore-2009]

Seem likely that the perp was associated with the father''s work, given knowledge of the child, circumstances of house, and amount of his bonus. Killer may have even been in the house previously, and is known to Ramseys. I wonder if all his workmates were fully vetted? BTW, shouldn''t Ramsey sue the hell out of Boulder police?

[mediabrat60]

I think maybe the "suspect" is already dead and they just want to give peace to the rest of the family.
What can they do now, if Patsy Ramsey really did have a hand in killing "that child" and she is dead?

Seems logical.
I always felt she had a hand in it but not the father.

[extremophil]

I don''t see how this DNA testing could completely clear the family. Just because they weren''t involved in the direct act, does not mean they didn''t know what was going on. Their behavior was extremely suspicious.

[catsrfree]

no no no...just because the dna does not match the ramsey men, does not mean that the family was not involved in Jon Benet''s death. Remember how bizarre it was that Mr. Ramsey located the body. Remember that the supposed killer sat in the kitchen long enough to write a ransom note..tearing one off, putting it in the garbage, and writing another one...would a stranger to the home spend that much time ? And remember the strangest thing of all was that someone WROTE A RANSOM NOTE FOR A CHILD WHO WAS NOT KIDNAPPED !!! helloooooo

[catsrfree]

no no no...just because the dna does not match the ramsey men, does not mean that the family was not involved in Jon Benet''s death. Remember how bizarre it was that Mr. Ramsey located the body? Walked right down to it? Seemed surprised that the cops had not found it? Remember that the supposed killer sat in the kitchen long enough to write a ransom note..tearing one off, putting it in the garbage, and writing another one...do you really think an intruder would take the time to do that?? And the strangest thing of all is that they want you to believe that someone wrote a RANSOM NOTE FOR A CHILD WHO WAS NOT KIDNAPPED....helloooooo

[feedback3-2009]

Doesn''''t anyone else think it is strange that the ransome was almost equal to the father''''s annual bonus?

It is rare, but possible, for one person to have two different DNA patterns. Usually the product of an embryonic twin that was absorbed into the child that was born
_________

This information really makes me think. I totally agree that this child was murdered by someone''s twin that was absorbed into their body. Also "Jon Benet" is an anagram for "aren''t people stupid". Coincidence? I don''t think so!!

[tootall10142]

During the green river murders the cases piled up so fast the fbi begged for information. only when they did catch a man or blamed someone they pinned ten or so murders on the guy.im anxious to see what poor soul gets the spike and nails for this one case that has cost millions to investigate .The only thing the authorities have prove is the killer is really really good at his craft.

[mick7744]

Well, that clears up one issue...DNA testing is apparently not infallible after all...at least not in this particular case.
I have always believed that the parents and Patsy Ramsay in particular, were somehow involved in JonBenet''s death. I base this opinion on their defensive behavior after the girl''s body had been found (somewhat surreptitiously by her father AFTER a thorough police search of the house as I recall) I have often wondered if that female detective had not happened along, if JonBenet%u2019s body would have ever been found.
Their high-priced attorneys setting up %u2018ground rules%u2019 before allowing the police to interview the parents struck me as more than a little odd. Had that been my murdered little girl, the Boulder Police would have had to take out a restraining order against me to keep me out of their hair 24/7.
The other thing I recall from those days is the televised interview they gave where Patsy kept insisting that she had really loved, %u2019that child.%u2019 She wouldn%u2019t even speak her name. She struck me as the type of woman who would slit your throat and then kick you in the nuts if you dared to bleed on her shoes.

I am aware that none of this is evidence, merely my own personal impressions based on suspicious actions and a choice of words that made my skin crawl.

And of course, there was that whole, bizarre kiddie beauty queen thing.

[mtracy9]

The Boulder City police and Boulder politicians acquiesced to public pressure and the media, and decided that it was only family memebers, and no one else, who would be investigated. As a result the case was blown and the real perpetrator got away.

[eamundok]

Doesn''t anyone else think it is strange that the ransome was almost equal to the father''s annual bonus? In a private company those amounts are usually kept under as much security as Fort Knox. So who all knew the approximate dollar amount? and would have a dire need for it ??? Regarding DNA testing - yes, by now who know who or what could have touched the clothing (although one would hope it had been maintained with integrity. And if you really want to stew a while about DNA testing, look up Chimsrism in a medical dictionary. It is rare, but possible, for one person to have two different DNA patterns. Usually the product of an embryonic twin that was absorbed into the child that was born.
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8905. Just a thought. 1. Who knew the dollar amount of the bonus. 2. Who has an ocurrence of twins in their family history even if they themselves may not be one. 3. Who has a gambling, drug, or other serious debt to go this extent to attempt extortion at the price of a child.

[irliberal]

If JonBenet were black, Mexican and/or homely would we have ever heard her name?

I think not. Her story is a tragic one but hardly unique, interesting, or noteworthy in the grand scheme. Worth one article and an obituary, nothing more.

When people are as concerned about the black kids, the ugly kids, the fat kids, the mexican kids, the Indian kids and every other kid that doesn''t fall into your white caucasian pretty slot then you have earned the right to not be called an utter hypocrite.

I''m a white male by the way. 8-)

[thisandthat1]

This is absurd! It proves nothing! The DA has been an advocate of the Ramseys since the day she took office. She''d say they were innocent even if they had a video of them doing it. The mother is most likely responsible for it. All the actual evidence leads to her and no one else .... but they didn''t quite have enough evidence to bring her to trial.

[oneworldusa]

A terrible shame a doting mother passed away before being exonerated for her daughter''s murder.

[blitzder]

The vile and malicious accusations visited upon the parents in this terriblly tragic drama, lies squarely on the inept police dept., which was wholly responsible for pointing innuendo fingers at the Ramsey''s, thru an unruly press corps eager to profit from it.