Kit Roberts
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Investigators looking into an infamous cold case have announced a major update.
JonBenét Ramsey was just six-years-old when she was found dead in her family home just after Christmas in 1996.
A post-mortem examination found that her cause of death was strangulation, but the person responsible for her death has never been found.
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Since then, it has become one of the most widely known cold cases in the US, but now, people looking into the horrific killing have issued an update on the case.
Technology was very different when the killing happened on December 25, 1996, and advances could help to provide new information and insight.
Boulder Police Department provides an update on the case every year as the tragic anniversary of JonBenét's death approaches, with next year marking 30 years since her death.
The police remain clear that they are continuing to work on the case, saying that it is active.
This year, Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn issued the annual statement on the tragic case.
“Last year we gave you an update about a lot of the work that has been done to solve this crime, and those efforts have continued,” he said. “This case remains a top priority for our department.”
The police chief explained that they hope to exploit new technology in a big way to 'generate new leads' which may not have been open to them before.
“Techniques and technology constantly evolve," he said. "This is especially true with technology related to DNA testing.”
In a new update on the ongoing work that police are carrying out, Redfearn explained that detectives have 'conducted several new interviews as well as re-interviewed individuals based on tips we’ve received.'
The case became a national sensation after JonBenét’s body was found in the basement of the family home around seven hours after her parents reported her missing.
She had a fractured skull, and a garrote was still wrapped around her neck. Her death was determined to be a homicide, with the cause of death given as 'asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma'.
Sadly, detectives also found that her killer had sexually assaulted her, and the DNA of an unknown person was found under her fingernails and in her underwear.
Redfearn reiterated that people can come forward at any stage if they have information about the case.
He said: “It is never too late for people with knowledge of this terrible crime to come forward, and I urge those responsible for this murder to contact us."
The Boulder Police Department encourages anyone with any information to contact detectives at [email protected] or by calling the Boulder Police tipline at 303-441-1974.