JonBenét Ramsey’s death has been a cold case ever since the 6-year-old pageant star was found dead in the basement of her family’s home during the 1996 winter holiday season. Although the case was ruled a homicide, police still can’t figure out who killed JonBenét. Many suspected that her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, in addition to her brother Burke Ramsey were behind her death, but it remains a mystery. To find out where the Ramseys are today, keep reading.
Where Is JonBenet’s Brother Burke Today?
Burke, now 36 years old, reportedly attended Purdue University and works as a software engineer. In addition to Burke, JonBenét has another older half-brother named John Andrew Ramsey.
In the years following his sister’s murder, Burke has opened up about the overwhelming media scrutiny and public attention he faced from adolescent through adulthood. He sat down with Dr. Phil in 2016 and insisted that he did not strike JonBenét over the head with any weapon. As for why he was downstairs the night of her death, Burke explained that he was playing with a toy.
“Yeah, I had some toy that I wanted to put together. I remember being downstairs after everyone was in bed … wanting to get this thing out,” he explained, before posting out that he didn’t remember anything else. “I just remember being downstairs with this toy.”
Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?
It is still unclear who killed the young pageant queen. On December 26, 1996, Patsy noticed that JonBenét was missing from the family home in Boulder, Colorado, and discovered a ransom note demanding $118,000.
The letter read, “At this time, we have your daughter in our possession. She is safe and unharmed, and if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter. … Don’t underestimate us John. Use that good southern common sense of yours. It is up to you now, John! Victory! S.B.T.C.”
The only ones that were known to be in the house that evening were the Ramseys. Even though the letter warned the Ramseys not to call the police, Patsy did anyway and also notified friends and family. Authorities found no sign of forced entry.
John was the one who discovered his daughter’s body in the basement. After picking her up and carrying her upstairs, the crime scene was contaminated. The cause of death for JonBenét was determined to be strangulation and a skull fracture.
After conducting an autopsy, officials found pineapple in JonBenét’s system. Crime scene photographs revealed a bowl of pineapple was on the kitchen table from that night, but Patsy and John claimed they didn’t feed their daughter the fruit. Burke’s fingerprints were found on the bowl.
Police found an unidentified male’s DNA on JonBenét’s underwear.
In 2006, Alexis Val Reich falsely claimed he killed JonBenét, even though officials could not find anything that linked him to the crime scene.
Where Are JonBenet’s Parents?
Patsy died from ovarian cancer in 2006. She had been in remission for nearly a decade after she was diagnosed in 1993. However, the cancer returned in 2002. Patsy — who was also a former pageant star — is buried next to her daughter.
For John’s part, he has tried to keep a low profile since the extensive media criticism brought him unwanted attention. In 2004, John ran for a seat in Michigan’s House Of Representatives.
Following his wife’s death in 2006, John reportedly dated Natalee Holloway’s mother, Beth Holloway, but he insisted that they were only friends. In 2011, John married his third wife, Jan Rousseaux, and moved to Michigan.