Liberty Mutual Narrator (3:27)

This past year, our detectives have conducted several new interviews as well as re interviewed individuals based on tips that we've received. We've also collected new evidence and tested and retested other pieces of evidence to generate new leads. Techniques and technology constantly evolve. This is especially true with technology related to DNA testing. Detectives continue to consult with outside experts from across across the country as well as our state and federal partners to strategize and explore all options. When it comes to evidence testing.

Drop Dead Serious Narrator (4:01)

Police are not saying what that evidence is or who has been interviewed or re interviewed, but they are confirming that new and follow up interviews have been conducted and that new evidence has been collected.

Ashley Banfield (4:20)

I can't Even imagine that 30 years after the fact new evidence, what did.

Drop Dead Serious Narrator (4:25)

You find and where you know? They also say that older evidence has been retested using advances in DNA technology with help from state, federal and outside experts. And that got me thinking. Outside experts because boy, oh boy, they seem to be so much better than our official ones, right? Government experts, outside experts. OTHRAM investigators are once again urging anybody with information, no matter how small, to come forward and tell police. And just as he has for nearly three decades, JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, is still waiting for answers and still believing that a breakthrough will come. Earlier on my NewsNation show, Banfield I talked to John Ramsey. Here's our conversation.

Ashley Banfield (5:17)

John, I can't even count how many times you and I meet at this time of year to discuss what's new, what's happening, what's different, what's changed. But something does feel different this year to hear Chief Redfern say that they've got new evidence, that they've retested old evidence and that they're using outside experts. Let's start with the new Evidence and the retesting of old evidence. Have they told you anything about that?

John Ramsey (5:46)

Well, Chief Redfern told us actually, I don't know. September we had a meeting with him and that he had submitted evidence for additional DNA testing. He didn't say what evidence it was but that it was submitted. Submitted again or perhaps new. We don't know if it was new or stuff that had been tested before. We of course have advocated that if, if certain evidence that was taken from the crime scene has never been sampled that it ought to be the main one being the Goro that was used to strangle my daughter. So it's encouraging. And you know, the key really in progress has been the, the addition of new leadership there. It, it was not very good for 25, 26 years. And Chief read from the outside. I've met with him three or four times. I'm impressed with him. I think he's, he's sincere and honest and so I'm encouraged. And you know, we've advocated.

Ashley Banfield (6:54)

I can't believe. John, I can't believe that the chiefs in the past haven't seen it as a priority, if only to become, you know, famous in name as the chief that solved this case. It just defies logic that it's taken three decades for someone to come along who maybe does make this a priority and who has the chops. Do you know if they have enlisted labs like Othram? And I bring up Othram because it's famous for having solved the Idaho murders.

John Ramsey (7:22)

Yeah. No. Othram is one of the few cutting edge labs that can do investigative genetic genealogy. IGG is the term for. And we've been advocating that the border police do that, use that technology in our case. I think if they do, we've got a probably a 70, 80% chance of getting an answer. It's been very successful in solving old cold cases. It's kind of the latest and greatest use of technology and DNA to solve crimes.

Ashley Banfield (8:01)

You know, I'm going to tell you something. When I saw the posting of Chief Redfern I went deep down in the comments and I was reading the comments and John, I'm not going to lie. I was so disheartened to see how many people out there still believe you had something to do with it despite the fact. And let me repeat this loud and clear that the Boulder police and everybody else involved in investigating the murder of your daughter, they have cleared you over and over and over again and they've gone so far as to apologize for having left you under that umbrella of suspicion for so long to the point where Patsy died before she was cleared from that umbrella of suspicion. So for anybody watching, if you're one of the commenters, do your research before you make such painful comments about John and his family. Okay? That aside, I will say this because you brought it up when we, I think, spoke at CrimeCon that you wish that they would ask you to re interview you wish that they would bring you in so that you could once again tell them everything that they might want to know. Is that I know you got the meeting in January. Is that on the agenda?

John Ramsey (9:04)

Well, we haven't put on the agenda yet, but we're going to ask for a meeting again in January for an update. And they've always been, at least with Chief Redfern, very cordial and in honoring that request. So, you know, they've been fairly quiet about what they're doing. I think if I read between the lines of his latest report that he issued, there's some encouraging words there. And so I'm, I'm more optimistic than I've been a long time, certainly with new leadership. You know, the problem with the old leadership, it was the old guard. These people that were in that police department had never investigated a murder. They decided on day one that we were guilty, literally day one. And, and that became the conclusion that they tried to fit the evidence to and of. They ran into problems because they couldn't fit the evidence.

Ashley Banfield (10:00)

I should mention as well, just for those who might be dabbling in the case and thinking that they know more than the average Joe, there is unknown male DNA on JonBenet's clothing. Multiple different parts of her clothing, not just one piece. Multiple different pieces of her clothing have the same unknown male DNA, meaning in it's the same DNA from the same person. So that's a critical piece of this, you know, of this mystery. Joan, have they said to you anything about what new evidence they're referring to and what new interviews they've conducted?

John Ramsey (10:38)

No, they haven't. And of course that's one of the questions we'll ask is, okay, what, what new evidence do you have? Did you test the DNA in the latest format that's necessary to do igg investigative genetic genealogy. And that would be very encouraging to us if they've done that. This new technology, it's been around for three or four years, is really truly an investigative tool that allows police to investigate and look for the killer. The, the CODIS federal database of DNA is, it's for 30 years. It's frankly a little obsolete, in my opinion.

Ashley Banfield (11:24)

And so you know, why you got to have a criminal. And as we know from the Golden State Killer, that guy wasn't a criminal. He was a cop. And so he was caught in genetic genealogy because he wasn't in codis, but he was in the family tree of all those folks who've, you know, tested their DNA. John, I say it every year. I'm going to say it again. I pray for you, I pray for you in Jan that you will get resolution, you will get justice. And I'm feeling that it's, you know, getting closer, especially with the positive vibes you're getting from the Boulder police. Let's just put our hands together and pray together that you finally get this answer in 2026.

John Ramsey (12:01)

Well, thank you, Ashley. I'm very optimistic at this point. I really am.

Ashley Banfield (12:07)

I'm glad to hear that in your voice because it's been a long 29 years. John, thank you for this and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

John Ramsey (12:13)

Well, thank you. Merry Christmas to you, Ashley. Thank you.

Drop Dead Serious Narrator (12:17)

Nearly three decades later, investigators say they are not done. And JonBenet's family still believes that a breakthrough is coming. And you can believe that we will be watching this case, this story and these developments. I'm Ashley Banfield. Thank you so much for listening.

Ashley Banfield (12:35)

Thank you so much for watching.

Drop Dead Serious Narrator (12:36)

And remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious.

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