John Ramsey, father of murdered child beauty pageant queen JonBenét Ramsey, has expressed concerns about Boulder Police Department's handling of the quadruple murder case. Ramsey said the department's refusal to turn over evidence for further testing has hindered the investigation.
John Ramsey, father of murdered child beauty pageant queen JonBenét Ramsey, has praised the City of Boulder, Colorado, for appointing a new police chief but has expressed concerns about the department's handling of the quadruple murder case.
JonBenét Ramsey's Father Urges New Boulder Police Chief to Investigate Murders Unhindered
Chief Stephen Redfearn, who has served as interim chief since January, is the fifth police chief at the Boulder Police Department (BPD) to take on the JonBenét Ramsey case since the 6-year-old girl was mysteriously murdered in her home on December 26, 1996.
Ramsey, 80, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that he is hopeful about Redfearn's appointment. "He's good. I like him," Ramsey said. "But I have some concerns about the overall investigation."
JonBenét Ramsey's Father Urges New Boulder Police Chief to Investigate Murders Unhindered
Ramsey's primary concern is that BPD has not turned over evidence in his daughter's case to the FBI so that federal officials can test and retest for possible external DNA, including external male DNA that was disclosed by federal officials in 1997.
Evidence that has never been tested for DNA includes the garrote found around JonBenét's neck, a ransom note found in the Ramsey house the morning of the murder, a suitcase found in the basement that authorities believe the killer used to escape out a window, an unknown flashlight found on the Ramsey family's kitchen counter the morning of the murder, and unknown rope found in her brother Burke Ramsey's room that day.
JonBenét Ramsey's Father Urges New Boulder Police Chief to Investigate Murders Unhindered
Ramsey believes that new testing is crucial because "these cutting-edge [genetic genealogy] labs need fresh samples to do the work they do." He added that the reason his family wants new testing is because "an unidentified male DNA result from the testing they did in 1997, which … by today's standards, it was primitive."
Ramsey also criticized BPD for its lack of transparency with his family. He said that the family is entitled to an annual face-to-face meeting with the police department, but that has not happened so far this year.
JonBenét Ramsey's Father Urges New Boulder Police Chief to Investigate Murders Unhindered
"We have been very patient," Ramsey said. "But we are losing patience."
Redfearn, who has been with the Boulder Police Department since 2021, said in a statement that he is "honored to be able to lead the talented officers and employees of the Boulder Police Department as we work collaboratively and proactively with our community to make policing equitable and effective in its core mission."
JonBenét Ramsey's Father Urges New Boulder Police Chief to Investigate Murders Unhindered
"We often think about our role ‘to protect and serve,’ but we also have an opportunity and an obligation to prevent harm," Redfearn said. "We’ll do this through a re-evaluation of our policies, best-practices training, a focus on employee well-being, and, absolutely, a renewed commitment to engaging with community. That is what policing is about."
Ramsey said he hopes that Redfearn will bring a fresh perspective to the investigation and will be more willing to cooperate with his family. "We are at a critical point in this investigation," Ramsey said. "We need answers, and we need them now."
JonBenét Ramsey's Father Urges New Boulder Police Chief to Investigate Murders Unhindered
