JonBenét Ramsey’s father has spoken out about developments in his daughter’s 1996 murder investigation, days after Colorado police suggested there were new leads in the case.
John Ramsey told NewsNation’s “Banfield” that he has met with Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn three or four times since his appointment. John Ramsey said police dissuaded him from publicly talking about new evidence or recently conducted interviews.
“Now, knowing Chief Redfern from the outside… I’m impressed with him. I think he’s sincere and honest,” he told the news outlet.
On Friday, Redfearn said detectives have conducted several new interviews and re-interviewed other interviews due to tips they received. Redfearn said they have also collected new evidence and retested evidence in hopes of acquiring new leads.
Redfearn did not say who they interviewed in the past year regarding Ramsey’s unsolved murder. It is also unclear which new pieces of evidence were tested.
“Techniques and technology constantly evolve. This is especially true with technology related to DNA testing,” he said.
James Ramsey told “Banfield” that he feels optimistic that the recent change in police leadership may lead to a break in his daughter’s case. Redfearn was formally appointed as police chief in September 2024, after serving as interim police chief since January of the same year.
“The problem with the old leadership was the old guard. These people that were in that police department had never investigated a murder,” James Ramsey commented.
JonBenet Ramsey Investigative Update 2025
As we approach the tragic anniversary of the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, the Boulder Police Department is providing its annual update about the ongoing homicide investigation.
“Last year we gave you an update about a lot of the work that… pic.twitter.com/7zl45GpSKh
— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) December 12, 2025
Earlier this year, John Ramsey said he learned from police that degraded DNA recovered from his daughter’s underwear could not undergo genealogy testing because the technology is not advanced enough.
In 1996, JonBenét Ramsey, 6, was found bludgeoned and strangled in the basement of her Boulder home hours after she was reported missing and a ransom note was discovered at her residence.
Earlier this year, the slain girl’s father, John Ramsey, said he learned from police that degraded DNA recovered from his daughter’s underwear could not undergo genealogy testing because the technology is not advanced enough.
In 1996, JonBenét Ramsey, 6, was found bludgeoned and strangled in the basement of her Boulder home hours after she was reported missing and a ransom note was discovered at her residence.
John Ramsey has pressed Boulder police to retest evidence with updated genetic technology to obtain new leads in their daughter’s unsolved murder. He also urged the FBI to make child murder a federal crime — allowing the agency to automatically intervene in cases involving children 12 and younger.
Specifically, John Ramsey wants investigators to test external male DNA that federal authorities disclosed in 1997.
“That’s an important meeting. We’re going to have a representative with us for one of these cutting-edge labs to explain what they can and can’t do. Hopefully, he will accept their help,” he told Fox last year, referring to a meeting he was to have with Boulder police in December 2024.
John Ramsey continues to push investigators to work with Othram, a Texas-based laboratory known for its genealogy testing in missing person and homicide cases. He told NewsNation that there is a “70 to 80 percent chance” they will get answers with genealogy testing.
“It’s kind of the latest and greatest use of technology and DNA to solve crimes,” he said.
No arrests have been made in the 1996 slaying. The slain girl’s mother, Patsy Ramsey, died of ovarian cancer in 2006.
Anyone with information regarding JonBenét Ramsey’s murder should call or email the Boulder Police Department at 303-441-1974 or BouldersMostWanted@bouldercolorado.gov.
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[Feature Photo: Family Handout]