16 documented events · 3 mapped locations · unresolved case
Six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was reported missing from her family’s Boulder, Colorado, home on December 26, 1996, after her mother found a lengthy ransom note. Her father found her body in a basement room later that day. The coroner...
Six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was reported missing from her family’s Boulder, Colorado, home on December 26, 1996, after her mother found a lengthy ransom note. Her father found her body in a basement room later that day. The coroner ruled the death a homicide caused by asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma. The investigation has produced sharply disputed interpretations of the ransom note, physical evidence, unidentified DNA, and the compromised initial crime scene. A grand jury voted in 1999 to indict John and Patsy Ramsey on child-abuse and accessory counts, but District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to prosecute, saying the evidence was insufficient; neither parent was charged. A 2008 district-attorney letter said the family should no longer be considered suspects based on DNA testing, although later officials stressed that the letter was not a judicial exoneration and that the DNA must be assessed with the full record. Boulder Police continues to describe the homicide as open and ongoing.
Case record
JonBenét Ramsey crime scene photos have been revealed as her father, John Ramsey, continues search for her killer.BOULDER POLICE DEPARTMENT; CITY OF BOULDER; MEGA
Recent developments
Recent reporting and official developments, labeled by source and verification status.
Jul 1, 2026 · TheWrap
A completed limited series starring Melissa McCarthy as Patsy Ramsey and Clive Owen as John Ramsey moved from Paramount+ to Netflix, with release planned for winter 2026.
Context
The production is a dramatization, not a documentary or an investigative development, and its portrayal should not be treated as evidence.
The scale
Key figures are drawn from the published case record.
The case sequence
This selection follows the major progression of the case from its earliest documented event through the latest material development.
See all 3 mapped locations →Dec 26, 1996
Patsy Ramsey reported a ransom note and a missing child at the Ramsey residence in the 700 block of 15th Street; police initiated a kidnapping response.
Dec 30, 1996
Investigators continued extended processing of the house and enlisted the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for forensic analysis.
Mar 12, 1998
Police Chief Tom Koby and Commander Mark Beckner asked the district attorney to convene a grand jury, saying subpoena authority was needed to obtain testimony and evidence unavailable through ordinary investigative methods.
Jun 24, 2006
Patsy Ramsey, JonBenét’s mother, died at age 49 after a recurrence of ovarian cancer.
Feb 2, 2009
The Boulder County District Attorney returned primary investigative responsibility to the Boulder Police Department, which began a renewed cold-case review with outside assistance.
Dec 1, 2025
In its 2025 annual statement, Boulder Police said detectives had conducted new and repeat interviews, collected new evidence, and tested or retested evidence to generate leads while continuing to consult DNA experts.
How the record develops
Patsy Ramsey reported a ransom note and a missing child at the Ramsey residence in the 700 block of 15th Street; police initiated a kidnapping response.
Patsy Ramsey, JonBenét’s mother, died at age 49 after a recurrence of ovarian cancer.
In its 2025 annual statement, Boulder Police said detectives had conducted new and repeat interviews, collected new evidence, and tested or retested evidence to generate leads while continuing to consult DNA experts.
In its 2025 annual statement, Boulder Police said detectives had conducted new and repeat interviews, collected new evidence, and tested or retested evidence to generate leads while continuing to consult DNA experts.
Explore the visual record →Where certainty changes
Open each layer to see what the archive treats as core, contested, or unresolved.
Go deeper
This overview is the map. The case tabs hold the underlying events, people, media, locations, and source material.