Murder of JonBenet Ramsey

by Marilyn Bardsley

It took a mere seven years for the Boulder law enforcement community to send the FBI the DNA sample that was found in JonBenet's underpants. It was determined a long time ago that this DNA sample did not belong to anyone in the Ramsey family.

Boulder Police Department explained that the quality of the DNA had not been of sufficient quality to have been put into the law enforcement data banks. However, in late December of 2003, the Ramseys' attorney indicated that one part of the sample, taken from blood on JonBenet's undergarments, was determined by the FBI to be of sufficient quality to be put into the DNA Index System.

The DNA will be compared with other samples from the databank to see if there is any match with DNA samples from other violent crimes or criminals.

With a new District Attorney, Mary Keenan, in charge, there are hopes that more objectivity will attend the famous murder investigation.

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Also in December of 2003, the Ramseys filed a $12 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News Network. In December of 2002, Fox News aired a story on the case with points of view that the Ramseys felt were incorrect.

In October of 2003, the Ramsey case found its way into court again when Ramseys former nanny, Linda Hoffmann-Pugh, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to permit her grand jury testimony to be used in her upcoming book called The Death of an Innocent.