A mysterious ransom note. A wealthy family. A child found dead in her own home’s basement. These elements may sound like the start of a murder mystery novel, but they’re the haunting reality of one of America’s most notorious cold cases. Now, after decades of investigation, everyone still wants to know: who killed JonBenét Ramsey?
In the early hours of December 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey discovered a three-page ransom note demanding $118,000 for the safe return of her 6-year-old daughter, JonBenét. The former child beauty pageant star’s body was later found in the basement of their Boulder, Colorado home—she had been struck on the head and strangled with a makeshift garrote. The haunting discovery would eventually launch decades of investigation, countless theories, and a media frenzy that continues to this day.
The initial investigation into JonBenét’s death was complicated by several factors: the crime scene had been contaminated by friends and family who gathered at the house after Patsy’s 911 call, critical evidence was potentially compromised, and police faced criticism for not immediately securing the scene. The case would come to involve multiple law enforcement agencies, private investigators, and even psychics, all trying to answer the question of who killed JonBenét Ramsey.
Who killed JonBenét Ramsey?
While no one has ever been charged with JonBenét’s murder—and DNA evidence has failed to conclusively identify her killer—numerous suspects have emerged over the years. From family members to local figures to distant confessors, each person of interest has added another layer to this complex case. Below, we’re taking a look at all of the major suspects in one of America’s most infamous unsolved murders.
John Ramsey
As JonBenét’s father and a successful businessman, John Ramsey faced intense scrutiny in the wake of his daughter’s murder. He was the one who discovered JonBenét’s body in the basement wine cellar, hours after the initial search of the home. Police initially viewed his behavior during the discovery as suspicious—some investigators noted he carried her body upstairs and laid her down, potentially compromising the crime scene.
The investigation also revealed John had received a Christmas bonus of $118,000—eerily close to the ransom note’s demand of $118,000. However, despite early suspicions, DNA evidence eventually cleared both John and his immediate family members. In subsequent years, John has remained active in seeking justice for his daughter, frequently advocating for new investigations and the use of advanced DNA testing techniques.
Patsy Ramsey
A former beauty queen herself, JonBenét’s mother Patsy Ramsey came under particular scrutiny as the person who discovered the lengthy ransom note and called 911. Some investigators found it suspicious that the three-page ransom note was written on paper from a pad found in the house, using a pen from the house. Handwriting analysts spent months studying the note against Patsy’s writing samples, though results were inconclusive.
Police were also puzzled by Patsy being fully dressed in the same clothes from the previous day when she made the 911 call. However, like her husband, Patsy was eventually cleared by DNA evidence. She maintained her innocence until her death from ovarian cancer in 2006.
Burke Ramsey
Nine years old at the time of his sister’s murder, Burke Ramsey has faced persistent speculation about his possible involvement in the case. Some investigators pointed to his behavior during interviews—including smiling while discussing his sister’s death—as concerning. However, child psychology experts have noted that children often display unexpected reactions to trauma.
The speculation reached new heights in 2016 with CBS’s docuseries The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey. During this time, forensic pathologist Werner Spitz made explosive claims about Burke’s involvement. “It’s the boy who did it, whether he was jealous or mentally unfit or something. I don’t know the why, I’m not a psychiatrist, but what I am sure about is what I know about him,” Spitz said in an interview with CBS Detroit, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Burke responded with legal action, filing a $150 million defamation lawsuit against Spitz, followed by a $750 million suit against CBS. These suits demonstrated how serious allegations against Burke had become—and how intensely he defended his innocence. Like his parents, Burke was eventually cleared by DNA evidence.
Gary Oliva
Convicted sex offender Gary Oliva was living in Boulder when JonBenét was found strangled to death after what looked like a potential sexual assault, given that there was a droplet of blood on her underwear. In 2000, police discovered a magazine cutout of JonBenét in his backpack during a drug-related arrest.
The case took an interesting turn when Oliva’s high school friend, Michael Vail, came forward with a chilling account. Speaking to InTouch magazine in 2018, Vail revealed that Oliva had called him shortly after the murder, reportedly saying “I hurt a little girl. I hurt a little girl.” What particularly disturbed Vail was a haunting detail about the crime scene: the knots used in JonBenét’s case were eerily similar to those used in a previous incident where Oliva had attempted to harm his own mother with a telephone cord. “My blood ran cold when I read that,” Vail told the magazine about his troubled friend.
Michael Helgoth
A 26-year-old electrician by the name of Michael Helgoth emerged as another person of interest. Private investigator Ollie Gray described Helgoth, who worked at a local auto salvage yard, as a “hellraiser” and pointed to a possible property dispute with the Ramseys as potential motivation. The investigation took a dark turn when Helgoth died by suicide just two days after a 1997 press conference where the Boulder DA announced they were closing in on a suspect. While a boot print similar to his was allegedly found near the Ramsey home, DNA evidence ultimately cleared him, too.
John Mark Karr
Former schoolteacher John Mark Karr became one of the case’s most notorious suspects after his shocking 2006 confession. Arrested in Thailand, Karr provided disturbing details about the crime in a series of diary entries. In one particularly chilling account, writing under the name “Daxis,” Karr wrote, “Close your pretty eyes, sweetheart. Daxis loves you so much. Oh God, I love you, JonBenét. And my lover’s eyes are slowly closing…”
However, Karr’s DNA ultimately didn’t match evidence found at the scene, and investigators couldn’t verify he was ever in Boulder. His confession was ultimately dismissed as an attempt to gain notoriety.
Linda Hoffman-Pugh
The Ramseys’ housekeeper found herself under scrutiny due to her access to the home and familiarity with the family’s routines. During the investigation, she testified for eight hours before a grand jury, where she made notable statements about Patsy Ramsey’s behavior, saying, “I think she had multiple personalities. She’d be in a good mood and then she’d be cranky. She got into arguments with JonBenét about wearing a dress or about a friend coming over. I had never seen Patsy so upset.”
Bill McReynolds
Known as “Santa Bill” to the neighborhood children, McReynolds had played Santa at a Christmas party at the Ramsey home just days before the tragedy. While initial speculation swirled around his relationship with JonBenét—including stories about him keeping a vial of her gifted glitter—he was ultimately cleared of any involvement. Local coverage of McReynolds appeared to be more sensational than substantial, and no evidence ever linked him to the crime.
The Unnamed Intruder
One of the most compelling potential connections to JonBenét’s murder emerged nine months after her death, when another terrifying incident occurred just two miles from the Ramsey home. A masked intruder broke into the house of a 12-year-old girl who, like JonBenét, attended a local dance studio. The suspect assaulted the child before being scared off by the girl’s mother.
John Ramsey sees striking similarities between this attack and his daughter’s murder. “To me, it could easily have been the same person,” Ramsey told People in an interview ahead of Netflix’s Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey? documentary in November 2024. “I think the method of operation was exactly the same. I believe the killer was in the house when we came home, waited til we went to sleep.”
The parallel circumstances are chilling: in both cases, the intruder was seemingly already inside when the families returned home. In the second incident, the family had even set their burglar alarm, unaware of the danger lurking inside. “They came home, set the burglar alarm, and the killer was already in the house. A very similar method, and yet the police blew it off. It was the same investigator as our case,” Ramsey explained to People.
Despite these similarities, investigators dismissed any connection between the two cases. The father of the 12-year-old victim shared John’s frustration with law enforcement’s handling of the situation, telling Ramsey, “On a scale of one to 10, I rate the police minus five.” This dismissal of a potential lead has remained a point of contention for John Ramsey, who maintains, “Yes, I think that was very possibly the same person.”