Berlinger says the series is aimed at those who have “played armchair detectives for three decades, often callously pointing fingers at the very people who have suffered such unimaginable loss.”

“Through unprecedented access and a comprehensive, multi-year investigation, we are uncovering the serious flaws in the original handling of the case that led to a sea of ​​conspiracy theories that nearly destroyed the Ramsey family a second time,” he said ahead of the show’s release.

Before the docuseries hits the streaming service, let’s take a look at what we know for sure about JonBenét Ramsey and those connected to the case.

Who was JonBenét Ramsey?

JonBenét Ramsey was born on August 6, 1990. She won numerous children’s beauty pageants, including “America’s Royal Miss” and “Little Miss Colorado.” She had been enrolled by her mother Patsy, who had regularly taken part in beauty pageants when she was young.

In the early morning of December 26, 1996, JonBenét was reported missing by her parents, who had found a $118,000 (approximately £93,000) ransom note to ensure their daughter’s safe return.

JonBenét’s father, businessman John Ramsey, claimed the amount demanded was about the same as his Christmas bonus, leading him to believe the kidnapper was someone who knew him.

While an initial search of the Ramseys’ elegant family home was unsuccessful, John discovered his daughter’s body in the basement during a second search of the property. JonBenét’s mouth was covered with duct tape, a cord was tied around her wrists and neck, and her body was covered with a blanket. An autopsy revealed that she had suffocated and suffered a fractured skull. Her death was ruled a homicide by investigators.

Who killed JonBenét Ramsey? Suspects and evidence

The Ramsey family

Suspicion immediately fell on the Ramseys themselves following the murder. Police investigating the murder expressed concerns about the ransom note left behind, as it was unusually long and was written with a notebook and pen already in the family’s home . The strange ransom sum also aroused suspicion.

Police also claimed that John and Patsy were unwilling to cooperate with police investigations. However, the family has rejected this, saying they do not want to be scapegoated and that the police must conduct a full investigation.

Both John and Patsy, as well as their son Burke, who was nine at the time of the murder, were interviewed by police. They also had to submit handwriting samples to prove they didn’t write the note. While John and Burke were acquitted, Patsy’s handwriting sample was inconclusive – but there was no evidence to support the theory that she had written the note.

No member of the Ramsey family was ever officially named as a suspect by authorities, and in 2000, John and Patsy were released The death of innocence about the murder of their daughter and strictly denied that they were involved.

In 2008, new tests found DNA on JonBenét’s clothing that suggested an “unexplained third party” in her death. This led Boulder District Attorney Mary Lacy to clear the Ramsey family of any involvement, claiming the family were “also victims of this crime.” The Ramseys’ release came two years after Patsy’s death from ovarian cancer.

Burke Ramsey is comforted by his father after Patsy’s death

Burke has also protested his innocence; In 2008 he sat down with American talk show host Dr. Phil and described how he grew up as part of a loving family.

There was physical evidence that suggested it was an intruder who killed JonBenét; In addition to the new DNA evidence, a boot print was found next to her body and a broken window in the basement, indicating a break-in.

John Mark Karr

In 2006, Thailand-based teacher John Mark Karr confessed to JonBenét’s murder. Karr, who was also facing child pornography charges in the US at the time, said he drugged the child before sexually abusing her. Karr claimed he killed her accidentally.

However, many of Karr’s claims were quickly refuted upon close examination; JonBenét’s autopsy revealed that she was not drugged and Karr’s DNA did not match any of that found in the body. The only details Karr revealed about the case were already public knowledge, and his confession was quickly discredited.

Gary Oliva

In recent years, convicted sex offender Gary Oliva has emerged as a suspect. In 2016, he was arrested after it was discovered that he was using public Wi-Fi to upload images of children being sexually abused. He also had several pictures of JonBenét – including 19 pictures of her autopsy that had previously been leaked to the press.

While he was serving a 10-year prison sentence (he was released on parole earlier this year),

Oliva wrote to a school friend, Michael Vail, claiming that he had killed JonBenét.

In 2019, he wrote: “I have never loved anyone as much as JonBenét and yet I let her slip away, her head was smashed in half and I watched her die.” It was an accident. Please believe me. She wasn’t like the other kids.”

Oliva was living in Boulder, just 13 houses away from the Ramsey family, at the time of the murder.

Vail also claims that Oliva called him the night JonBenét was murdered, before her death was made public, and claimed that he had “hurt a little girl.” Although Vail reported the call to Boulder authorities twice, he claimed they never responded.

Oliva’s DNA did not match the DNA from JonBenét’s body – but his handwriting is believed to be similar to that on the ransom notes. Despite the developments, Oliva was never charged in connection with the case.

Boulder police reopened the case in 2010 and have since claimed more than “21,000 tips, over 1,000 interviews conducted in 17 states and two foreign countries, and samples from more than 200 different individuals, including handwriting, DNA, fingerprints and shoe prints , to have checked.” .”

The file consists of almost 2,500 pieces of evidence and around 40,000 reports, with more than a million pages documenting the investigation.

“Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?” is now available to watch on Netflix