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John Ramsey is urging Boulder police to pursue additional DNA testing and use genealogical research to work backward through a family tree. He has not publicly identified a specific evidence item for testing, and police have not disclosed which items they have tested or what the results showed. The request is an advocacy position, not an announced police plan.
What John Ramsey is asking police to do
John Ramsey has proposed using genetic genealogy to search for a possible connection between the killer and someone living in Boulder in 1996. ABC News quoted him saying: “Let’s do a reverse family tree and see if he (the killer) had a relative living in Boulder in 1996. That’s what we’re asking the police to do.”
That describes the approach he wants investigators to consider; it does not name a particular sample, establish that a suitable sample exists, or show that police have adopted his proposal. The cited public statements do not establish that further testing or genealogical research will identify a killer.
What the Netflix documentary says—and what it does not establish
Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey is a three-part Netflix docuseries. Director Joe Berlinger presents it as a call to action for Boulder Police and advocates more advanced testing. Netflix’s Tudum article quotes Berlinger saying, “There is zero chance that the family had anything to do with this horrendous crime.” That is Berlinger’s opinion and the series’ framing, not a new official finding.
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What Boulder Police says about testing
Boulder Police describes the investigation as open and ongoing. In a 2024 statement reproduced on the City of Boulder case page, the department said: “The assertion that there is viable evidence and leads we are not pursuing—to include DNA testing—is completely false.”
In its December 2025 update, the department said detectives had conducted new interviews and re-interviews based on tips, collected new evidence, and tested and retested other evidence to generate leads. Police Chief Stephen Redfearn noted that techniques and technology evolve, particularly for DNA testing. The department has not publicly specified which evidence items were tested or disclosed the results in that update.
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- A FEW SIMPLE STEPS: Simply activate your DNA kit online and return your saliva sample in the prepaid package to our state-of-the-art lab. Your results will be available online in roughly six weeks.
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What is known about the case—and what remains unresolved
JonBenét Ramsey was six when she was reported missing from her Boulder home on December 26, 1996. She was later found dead in the home; the City of Boulder identifies strangulation as the cause of death.
The Associated Press reported that in 2008 then-district attorney Mary Lacy cleared John and Patsy Ramsey and their son Burke based on DNA evidence pointing to an “unexplained third party.” AP also reported that Lacy described the Ramseys as “victims of this crime.” That account did not identify a perpetrator or solve the case.
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What the public record can—and cannot—show
The City of Boulder case page reports that police have received more than 21,016 tips, letters, and emails and have interviewed or spoken with more than 1,000 people across 19 states. These are agency-reported cumulative figures, not evidence that the case has been resolved.
The available official update establishes that police report ongoing investigative work, including evidence testing and retesting. It does not reveal the specific materials tested, their results, or whether any item is suitable for genealogical analysis. Those unanswered questions are why Ramsey’s request and the department’s public account should be read as distinct: he is advocating a particular direction, while police describe work underway without releasing case-specific testing details.
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Sources
- City of Boulder: JonBenét Ramsey homicide case page
- Netflix Tudum: Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey
- ABC News: John Ramsey urges genealogical DNA testing
- Associated Press: report on Mary Lacy’s 2008 statement
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