Last Updated on February 27, 2026
JonBenet Ramsey was a 6 year old pageant girl who was murdered in her own home on Christmas night or early Boxing Day in 1996.
JonBenet’s body was discovered in the basement by her father and there are strange circumstances surrounding the death of JonBenet Ramsey including a ransom note.
To date the JonBenet murder remains unsolved.
This post contains affiliate links where I earn a commission if you make a purchase, these are marked with (AD*)
Ransom Note
JonBenét Ramsey was reported missing to the authorities after a ransom note was found.
The note was found by her mother in their family home.
It demanded $118,000 from the family, an amount her father John had got from a bonus earlier in the year.
The note stated that they would receive a call in the morning to be told where the money was to be dropped but a call was never made.
JonBenet Ramsey Crime Scene
The JonBenet Ramsey house was officially declared as the crime scene after her body was discovered.
Police arrived at the house very quickly following the 911 call to report the ransom note.
The officers conducted a basic search of the house at around 6am but could find no forced entry to the property.
The police entered the basement but did not enter a secured room within the basement.
Later that day, at around 1pm, an officer asked John Ramsey and a family friend to help them conduct a through search.
John started the search in the basement room they had not entered and he found her body.
Discovery of JonBenet’s Body
JonBenét Ramsey’s body was discovered by her father John in a basement room within their family home.
She was discovered partially covered with a sheet and a sweatshirt.
She had duct tape over her mouth and there was a garotte around her neck and a ligature around her wrist.
Autopsy
During the JonBenet Ramsey autopsy it was discovered that the cause of death was strangulation.
JonBenet had also received a blow to the head from a blunt, heavy object, resulting in a skull fracture.
She had a number of abrasions, had been sexually assaulted and had eaten pineapple shortly before her death.
She had been killed sometime between 10pm and 6am on Christmas/Boxing Day, but likely closer to 10pm.
JonBenet’s death was ruled a homicide.
Investigator Smit later discovered from autopsy photos that a stun gun may have been used due to marks on her hand.
The complete autopsy was published in Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey? (AD*), the book suggests her death may have been an accident and there was evidence of a sexual assault.
Investigation
The death of JonBenet Ramsey shocked the local community.
Throughout the JonBenet Ramsey investigation local police were convinced that her parents had committed the crime, whilst the District Attorney’s office was convinced the evidence pointed to an intruder.
Unsecured doors and windows discovered during the initial search of the house supported the intruder theory.
The two lead investigators also disagreed on their theories of who was responsible for the murder of JonBenet Ramsey.
The controversial disagreements led to the Governor being forced to step in and introduce a special prosecutor to lead the case.
A jury was convened to consider charges against Patsy Ramsey and John Ramsey.
They concluded that they should be indicted for charges of placing a child at risk leading to death and obstruction charges.
The District Attorney did not pursue these charges as he did not feel he could gain a prosecution beyond reasonable doubt.
Crime Scene Evidence
It was discovered that there was a broken window in the basement and a suitcase under the window at the JonBenet Ramsey house.
There was an unidentified boot print on the basement floor but no print in the snow outside the window.
The suitcase was discovered to be Andrew Ramsey’s and he was out of town at the time of the murder.
There was a flashlight spotted in the JonBenet Ramsey crime scene photos that many believe was used to cause the blow to her head.
In 2003, a blood sample was extracted on her underwear.
It was discovered to be from an unknown male but extensive testing has found no match.
The presence of this DNA led investigators to believe that she may have been sexually assaulted.
As DNA advancements were made and sexual assault was suspected, touch DNA evidence was extracted from her leggings.
After initial testing, the touch DNA was identified as the same unknown male.
Later, in 2016, the sample was identified as containing the DNA of two unknown males and was being sent for further testing.
A theory has been put forward that this could have happened during production of the garment in the factory.
Investigation Errors
A number of mistakes were made that hindered the investigation and are covered in depth in JonBenet: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation (AD*).
During a recent Reddit AMA Mark Becker admits a number of mistakes were made.
Police did not conduct a full search of the property, instead asking John to conduct the search during which he discovered the body.
He removed the duct tape from her mouth, took her upstairs and covered her with a blanket.
The JonBenet Ramsey house was not properly sealed off after she had disappeared and a number of friends and family came to the property contaminating the site.
One footprint was from a Hi-Tec shoe, a brand commonly used by police officers.
Investigators are unsure which police officers may have entered the crime scene as a log was not kept.
No one has come forward to admit to leaving the print by mistake but it remains a possibility.
As Police and the media sought to blame the parents crucial evidence such as the broken basement window was not brought to light.
It is believed that the errors made during the investigation may have contributed to the JonBenet Ramsay case remaining unsolved and the JonBenet Ramsey killer remains at large.
JonBenet Ramsey Murder – Suspects
Both her parents were strongly considered JonBenet Ramsey murder suspects by the police due to there being no forced entry and their reluctance to co-operate.
The accusations were devastating to the family and they told their story in The Death of Innocence : The Untold Story of JonBenet’s Murder and How Its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth (AD*)
The police also suspected that Patsy Ramsey wrote the ransom note.
It had no fingerprints on it and the pen and paper was hers.
Tests made of her handwriting were unable to conclusively clear her of writing the note but many note the similarities.
In 2008, two years after Patsy’s death, that the family were formally cleared of being suspects in her death.
Despite this there is popular thought that JonBenet’s brother Burke Ramsay is a suspect, even after he was cleared by the DNA evidence.
Paula Woodward regularly interviewed the family on developments in the case and was given access to exclusive documents in We Have Your Daughter: The Unsolved Murder of JonBenét Ramsey Twenty Years Later (AD*)
The evolution in DNA testing allowed investigators to conclude that there was a third party responsible for her death.
The District Attorneys office believed that an intruder had entered the house who killed JonBenet Ramsey.
At the time of her murder there were more than 100 burglaries in the area and a number of sex offenders living nearby.
There have been thousands of leads and hundreds of individuals have been interviewed and/or submitted their DNA for testing.
Keith Schwinaman is considered a suspect by many.
In 1995, he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault of a child and received a four year deferred sentence.
He made a plea deal in 2003 for sex acts committed against three women in 1993-1996 and was sentences to 32 years inside prison.
There are similarities in the crimes.
During his assaults he used nylon rope and broke a basement window to enter the property.
His DNA was not a match but it is reported he would use gloves whilst committing his assaults.
Gary Oliva is a JonBenet Ramsey suspect due to a telephone conversation he had with a friend.
He was a sex offender and in a call with a friend told them that he had hurt a little girl on the day of her murder.
JonBenet Ramsey Murder – Confession
John Mark Karr confessed to her murder.
He was said to be obsessed with the case and his confession was was dismissed by investigators.
He claimed he had drugged, assaulted and killed JonBenét but this was contradictory to the evidence as no drugs were found in her system.
Most importantly his DNA did not match that found on her body.
JonBenet Ramsey Murder – Theories
There are some out there theories around the JonBenet Ramsey story.
A local Father Christmas had been accused of her murder after a Christmas card he had given her said that she would receive a special gift after Christmas.
He had also asked for his wife to mix his ashes with a vial of glitter that JonBenet had given him, that he took into his heart surgery.
One of the most bizarre theories comes from a YouTube video posted in 2014 that claims JonBenet Ramsey is Katy Perry due to the vague similarity in their appearance.
Media
The Case of JonBenét Ramsey was a JonBenet documentary aired on CBS that investigated the case and the evidence of the case.
There were a number of re-enactments and new takes on evidence that led to a claim that Burke Ramsey had killed his sister, despite authorities having disregarded the evidence they presented for this.
Getting Away with Murder: The JonBenét Ramsey Mystery was a made for television movie that is an interesting watch. The acting isn’t great if I am honest but it is a good dramatisation of the case.
Of course if you ignore the constant drag towards suggesting the JonBenet Ramsey family were responsible for her death.
Lawsuits
A number of defamation law suits have been filed in relation to accusations made in the media, books and documentaries.
Lawsuits were filed against Star Magazine and St Martins Press and were settled out of court.
A number of suits were filed against CBS after a documentary accused Burke Ramsey of murder.
Pin this post
*True Crime books or documentaries are available to purchase for further reading.
I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase using these AD links.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.