JonBenét Ramsey Murder Investigation’s Lead Detective Reassigned as Dad Calls New Developments ‘Encouraging’

Police in Boulder, Colo., have been stumped by the JonBenét Ramsey murder case for 27 years. But now the department hopes drastic personnel changes will finally yield answers in the mystery of the 6-year-old beauty pageant queen's death.

"The Boulder Police Department went through a fairly major shakeup in the last year," JonBenét’s father, John Ramsey, told Ashleigh Banfield during an appearance on her NewsNation show Monday night.

"They brought in a new chief of police, a new Assistant Chief from the outside of the department. The Citizens' Review Board recommended five or six of their detectives be terminated. The detective that was responsible for our case for the last 25 years was not terminated, but put on night patrol.”

A spokesperson for the Boulder Police Department declined to comment on personnel issues, but an investigative source within the department confirms to The Messenger that the lead detective has been reassigned.

"They thought it was time for new eyes to look at the case," says the source. "They’re hoping that maybe we can use the new DNA, the new technology, and brand new people. It’s almost like starting fresh."

For years, the case has been a dark stain on the department's reputation.

"When you think of the Boulder Police Department, you think about JonBenét Ramsey," says the source, who has done tangential work on the investigation.

"It's embarrassing. Everybody thinks that the department f—-ed it up. And you know what? We did. At least back in 1996, we did. So the new chief feels like the best way to fix our legacy and to turn things around is to solve this case."

The mystery has baffled investigators since it began on Dec. 26, 1996, when JonBenét's family reported her missing.

John found his daughter's body in the basement of their sprawling Boulder home seven hours later.

She had been strangled. A garrote was found around her neck. She also had a broken skull from the blow to the back of the head. An autopsy stated her official cause of death was "asphyxia by strangulation."

A handwritten ransom note was also found at the scene.

Investigators have shifted their focus over the years. John, his wife Patsy and their son Burke, who was 9 years old at the time, were all once under an umbrella of suspicion before they were cleared.

But authorities never brought charges against anyone.

Though the case has never been solved, Boulder police say they have never stopped investigating JonBenét's murder.

By 2021, the department said it had analyzed nearly 1,000 DNA samples and sent detectives to 19 states to interview or speak with more than 1,000 people in connection with the crime.

Earlier this year, police began using new DNA technology to test at least five pieces of previously unexamined evidence.

They have also isolated new persons of interest, The Messenger recently reported.

"There are a lot of good things happening in terms of the leadership and basically straightening out the police department," John told Banfield.

"We had the opportunity to meet with the chief of police and her assistants and the district attorney about two or three months ago," he added. "I was impressed with their professionalism, and believe in their commitment to get this solved. So that's encouraging."