JonBenét Ramsey cop's bombshell admission in 6-year-old beauty queen murder probe - The Mirror

Police officers in Boulder, Colorado, are hoping to solve the case of JonBenét Ramsey's murder, 28 years after the six-year-old beauty queen was brutally killed in her home

Officers investigating the horrific murder of JonBenét Ramsey 28 years ago are said to be "optimistic" that they can solve the case by next year.

The six-year-old girl, who was a child beauty queen, was discovered dead in the basement of her family home in Boulder, Colorado, on December 26, 1996. She had been sexually assaulted and murdered, and an autopsy revealed the cause of death as strangulation. Despite a lengthy investigation, the case has not been solved yet.

But now, two investigative sources have said cops are following dozens of leads and are hoping they are close to solving the case. Interest in the case has increased since Netflix released a three-part documentary looking at the child's murder.

An investigator said a resolution now seems "within reach" as they told the New York Post: "I'm not sure what it will take to bust it wide open, but it feels like it's within reach. We're hoping for 2025; this is our year."

In 2023, the previous Boulder police chief convened a multi-agency task force to investigate the case. According to the source, the group has only met once in person but investigators are regularly in contact with each other. They added: "It hasn't been as aggressive as anyone had hoped but now there's a lot of pressure to get this solved."

Another police source said Steve Redfearn, who took over as Boulder police chief in early 2024, wants the case solved and is assigning officers and resources to the case. The source said: "He wants it solved and off the books, and he's assigning officers and resources to solving the murder, which has been a black mark on the Boulder PD. We f****d the case up from the start, and now with new blood, we can finally fix it."

Last week, the Boulder Police Department issued its annual update about the ongoing homicide investigation. The update is usually released in December, to mark the anniversary of the girl's killing, but police decided to issue it early due to the renewed attention created by the Netflix documentary.

Mr Redfearn said: "The killing of JonBenét was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left our hearts. We are committed to following up on every lead and we are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved. This investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department."

Boulder police said the case has been "under constant review with federal, state, and local partners as well as in consultation with DNA experts from around the country." Among those involved in the investigation are the FBI, the Boulder County District Attorney's Office, Colorado's Department of Public Safety, Colorado's Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and several outside forensic labs.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty said: "The murder of JonBenét Ramsey is a terrible tragedy and sparked years of unanswered questions and theories. Our office has successfully prosecuted other cold case homicides and many murder cases.

"In every one of those cases, it was the evidence that proved the defendant(s) guilty. Whether it is DNA or other evidence, more is needed to solve this murder. I appreciate the collaboration with CBI, the FBI, and the Boulder Police Department."