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Who killed JonBenet Ramsey? TV series points to new suspect

The mystery of JonBenet Ramsey's death has captivated for 20 years.

The mystery of JonBenet Ramsey's death has captivated for 20 years. Photo: Nine Network

Twenty years after the murder of six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, investigators on a television documentary have named her older brother Burke as the prime suspect.

This revelation came a day after Burke Ramsey appeared on US talk show Dr Phil and denied any involvement in his sister’s death on behalf of himself and his parents.

In the second half of a two-part series titled The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey which aired on Channel Nine on Tuesday night, investigators agreed Burke Ramsey could have accidentally killed his sister without intent.

On Wednesday a lawyer for Burke threatened to sue CBS, the US network behind the show, for libel.

“CBS’ false and unprofessional attacks on this young man are disgusting and revolting,” attorney L Lin Wood said.

JonBenet was found dead in her parents’ basement in the US state of Colorado. She had been strangled and her skull was fractured.

The investigators suggested Burke, who was possibly resentful of the attention she received from their parents, may have struck his little sister with a flashlight after she took a piece of pineapple from him.

“I think we all agree on that,” forensic pathologist Dr Werner Spitz said, receiving a resounding ‘yes’ from all seven investigators.

The group, including former FBI agent Jim Clemente, suggested JonBenet’s parents Patsy and John then staged a cover-up to protect their remaining child.

Burke – who was nine years and 11 months old at the time of JonBenet’s death – would not have been charged under Colorado law, where the minimum age for prosecution is 10 years old.

Burke’s denial

On Monday, Burke made a rare appearance on talk show Dr Phil, answering questions from host Phil McGraw about whether he or his parents were involved in JonBenet’s death.

“Did you hit your sister over the head with a baseball bat or a flashlight?” Dr McGraw asked.

“Absolutely not,” Burke replied.

Burke told Dr McGraw he had always suspected an intruder was responsible and pointed to DNA evidence found on JonBenet’s body, which formally exonerated the family in 2008.

“What more evidence do you need that we didn’t do it?” Burke said.

“What more do you need to stop looking at us and to start looking for the person who actually did it?”

The Ramsey family.

The Ramsey family. Source: TND

Protective parents

John and Patsy Ramsey always maintained their eldest son was asleep at the time of JonBenet’s disappearance.

“I don’t remembering hearing anything,” Burke said in footage from a police interview featured in the documentary.

“Because I was sleeping you know … I always sleep real deeply … I can never hear anything.”

Burke

Burke Ramsey on Dr Phil.

In a round-table discussion, investigators agreed there may have been intent to mislead or cover up elements in the case from John and Patsy Ramsey.

“I think early on we discussed the lack of the family actually getting involved with the investigation to begin with,” FBI agent and statement analyst Stan Burke said.

“That is so atypical of what I see in a case where someone close to you has passed away, you’ll do whatever you can to get the case resolved, we didn’t see that here.

“But maybe we did. Maybe we saw it with her brother.”

Patsy and JonBenet Ramsey. Photo: Nine Network

Patsy and JonBenet Ramsey. Photo: Nine Network

They pointed to “telling statements” from Patsy’s interviews and press conferences in which she hinted at a need to protect her children as a “motive for a cover-up”.

Patsy said she and John “would do anything for their children” and claimed she “would have nothing left to live for if she lost Burke”.

This alleged cover-up included writing what investigators believe was a “staged” ransom note posing as a “small foreign faction” claiming to have kidnapped JonBenet.

According to forensic linguists featured in the documentary, this note showed mixed motives, extraneous language and was a “sales job” most likely penned by a female in her 30s.

The ransom note.

The ransom note.

The documentary also shared new audio from Patsy Ramsey’s original 911 call, allegedly recorded after Patsy believed she had hung up the phone.

Investigators believe they can hear Mr Ramsey’s voice saying, “We’re not speaking to you”, before Ms Ramsey allegedly asks: “What did you do? Help me, Jesus”.

The audio is also thought to contain the voice of Burke saying “What did you find?”, suggesting he was awake at the time of JonBenet’s disappearance.

The conclusion

“I think the most likely probability is that the adults in that family, John and Patsy Ramsey – this is consistent with what the grand jury wanted to indict them for – staged this to look like a monster predator had come in their house and killed their daughter,” FBI agent Clemente said at the conclusion of the documentary.

“It’s my opinion that the Ramsey family did not want law enforcement to resolve this case and that’s why it remains unsolved.”

The investigators involved in The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey.

The investigators involved in The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey.

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