This one still bothers me. I think they’ve got trace unknown male DNA from her fingernails and clothing but no match to anyone connected to her. I suppose the perp could be dead by now.🤷‍♀️ Agree it would be good for her dad and brother to get the answer.

It is one of those cases that still captures maximum interest. So many unanswered questions. If the perpetrator is alive, it seems likely he would have continued to offend and his DNA would have been in the database by now. I’ll be interested to learn if they have used that latest technology to use genealogy DNA to trace him I would guess so, but wonder why it’s not been successful.

One gets the sense that the perp was hanging out in their home for a while. Shilling.

IIRC the police messed up the crime scene as did the Ramseys — naively inviting people over for support. They seem(ed) like decent people and not ostentatious, but simple.

olychick, who knows. I suppose it’s possible someone intent on hurting the Ramseys could’ve been a one-time offender. The bizarre ransom note asking for $118K, the exact amount of John Ramsey’s Christmas bonus, always made me wonder about someone specifically focused on him. I never thought her parents or (9-year-old!) brother were involved.

They'll figure it out right about the time they figure out the zodiac killer identity. Meaning? They'll both be unsolved forever. Unfortunately.

BTW, does anyone have the link to that post Elmer made a few months ago about the Zodiac killer? I had it opened, but my device burped and I lost my tabs.

I think it's pretty interesting that they said that if everybody opted into the police can check my profile on genealogy websites, that every cold case would be solved. That's more important than the zodiac killer or anything else. What does anybody think about that? I mean I find it to be a fishing expedition... But maybe it's a good idea?

Living in Colorado I hope this case will finally be solved.

I watched the show and all my questions about the genealogical DNA tracing were answered. So interesting. One thing I learned tonight was that Ramsey's oldest son and DIL were visiting over Christmas. I don't know if they were staying in the house or had already left. They also mentioned a climbing rope found in the guestroom, a special type of rope used in rock climbing, then dad mentioned that Jonbenet had just begun rock climbing, but that no one in the home recognized it.

Another thing I hadn't heard before was a break-in at a house not too far away where a little girl awoke her mother, screaming from her bedroom and there was a strange man in there, who was scared away by the mom. That little girl went to the same dance studio as Jonbenet, but I suppose that might not be that unusual if it's the one closest to their neighborhoods. But I hadn't heard this before.

Looking again at the labrinth of getting from Jb's bedroom to that room in the basement, it seems unlikely that someone who was unfamiliar with the layout of the home could have maneuvered it all.

I wondered, with the length of that note, if someone hadn't stayed in the house during their Christmas party or broken in when they left for the evening and wandered around, maybe even hiding in the basement writing the note until they came home. They had to be pretty confident no one would come home (or come downstairs during the night) during the time they took to write it. Or maybe they came to the house party and stole the tablet and wrote the note at home and brought it back with them?

I should be a detective, lol!

@petalique I didn't know what thread about the zodiac killer you mentioned, I doubt I read it, but I just searched and this one came up. I didn't read it all but there is a mention of Zodiak in the first paragraph. https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6591514/interesting-new-podcast-produced-by-an-always-interesting-person#n=21

Thanks, Oly. I think that is the post.

I was nodding off after the first half of the program, but think it’s on the dvr. I have a lot of questions, but realize this was just a ‘lite’ magazine piece.

🔹If a full DNA profile is obtained, it is my understanding (via true crime, forensic files) that scientists can learn a lot about the contributor. Hair and eye color, ethnicity of geo-ethnicity, blood type, risk of certain heritable conditions….Sometimes researchers have attempted to produce a face sketch.

🔹When Patsy said that JB had even learned to rock climb, I think this was likely a simple faux rock climb lesson, not real world genuine rock climbing. Was she 7 years old or younger?

I don't remember which case off the top of my head, but they actually have created a sketch from DNA that matched the perpetrator before. Crazy!

Here's one: https://allthatsinteresting.com/police-sketch-dna-sample

“Was she 7 years old or younger?”

She was 6, and you’re likely right about the faux rock climbing. Hard to believe she’d be 36 now.

Yes, it’s amazing how much a DNA profile can provide. I think I read the male DNA found on JB was ”trace/touch.” I had to look this up…FWIW.

Key Challenges and Limitations

• Secondary Transfer: DNA can transfer indirectly-for example, if person A touches an object, and person B touches that same object or shakes hands with person A, person A's DNA can end up on a surface they never actually touched.
• Contamination Risk: Because the samples are so minute, crime scene equipment (like fingerprint brushes) or handling in the lab can accidentally transfer skin cells.
• Shedder Status: People shed skin cells at different rates. A person labeled a "good shedder" might leave heavy DNA traces after a brief touch, while a "poor shedder" might leave little to no trace even after holding an item for a long time.
• Legal Interpretation: Forensic scientists caution that finding someone's trace DNA on an object proves contact happened at some point, but it does not automatically prove when it happened or how it got there.

I watched the show and heard things I never knew, like the climbing rope, the rest of the family who were there for Xmas, and the case a few blocks away involving another little girl until her mother screamed.

Burke turned into a lovely, handsome young man. The trauma he had to endure is so sad. The perp, who might not have been young, is probably dead by now, 30 years later, but maybe they can pull up a pic of him using the Parabon technique

d

“Burke turned into a lovely, handsome young man.”

Agree. I remember some questions regarding his possible involvement in the murder. So ridiculous!

I suppose it’s very possible the perp could still be alive, depending on his age in 1996.

Thanks, rob. Interesting. I believe I heard recently that there was litigation brought by someone against a company or agency that published a similar forensic CGI image of a suspected perp.

Rob, your post 2 up looks like you composed it when you were very tired. Not like your usual writing. I think I understand the point you were making. Not all genealogic sites give access to LE (law enforcement). This is good. I would not assume all LE are wholesome. I’ve had experience with bent ones.

chloebud — thanks. Very interesting.

Think about when people touch items in a store, or try clothing on but decide not to buy. These customers are leaving some measure of their DNA on items that will likely be purchased by others. Or what of the situations where people inadvertently (or not) brush up against others and their belongings or clothing? Ever peruse a book or magazine in a store?

PS And think of all the hands touching an item as it is manufactured, packaged, placed on a store shelf. I must have left my DNA on a knife set that slipped out of a box and cut me. Lots of bleeding from me. No apparent blood on the knife/s. The knives were put back into the box and returned to the store shelf. 😳😱

It sounded like they will make a decision soon whether to try to use current technology to process the DNA to see if they can get a match. Sounds like they are risking using the precious little they have and if they don't get a match, future, better technology could be useless.

I think they should leave that decision to the Ramseys. Father and son. If they put it off, John might not live to see a possible positive result. But if they use all the DNA and don't get an ID, then there might never be a resolution for her brother. But if they use it and can trace the killer now, John will have some peace before he dies. Tough call, but I think it should be theirs.

I don't know which post you mean, not sleepy? Based on?

I meant them both. The police said they could solve all of the cold cases of they could search all of the DNA in the current banks. And they did solve a case, using DNA to make a sketch.

Maybe you're tired? Dunno!

I am being logical.

The cops really screwed this up from the beginning.

Of course the notepad had Patsy’s fingerprints on the pages. Ever have, say, one of those yellow legal pads (bound only at the top) or any similar pad of notepaper. Have it get knocked onto the floor, pages askew. You might well touch unused open pages.

I remember them saying forensic analysis of the note could not rule out Patsy but did rule out John. They said there were ”stylistic similarities” in the note to Patsy’s writing. That poor woman lost her little girl, had to deal with the accusations then lost her own life. I can’t even imagine.

I think hey said on last night’s program that the Boulder PD…

The Boulder PD is still handling the investigation? Why not the FBI, esp because the BPD seems to have botched things from the start.

Ed

.

petalique, I think you were talking about lily, not rob. Lily's post seems to have drifted off.

I was kind of thinking too that she said she fell asleep during part of it or drowsed off... On the TV show, the police did actually say that they could solve all the cold cases. Maybe she slept through that?

I admit I fell asleep during the show too...............

I too dozed off and must have missed the part about the little neighbor girl and the strange man.

I thought the show was leaning toward someone with an extreme dislike toward John, the dad. Because of the $118,000 request. What could possibly be worse for John than destroying his tiny, innocent daughter in the most vile way he could? It might be someone John knows or a person that person HIRED for the job. Seems like a professional crime to me. Remember the horse in The Godfather?

OR, someone filled with rage toward stage mother Patsy, wanting little Jonbenet to never win another pagent. Again, a hired professional to destroy that girl.

Nearly anything ypur heart desires is possible if you have enough money.

I watched all of the JBR 20/20 program. I also had it on DVR.

My comment was about rob333’s post, sentence structure and wording, particularly the first sentence. I will paste it below:

~~~

rob333 wrote on 11-7-2026

yesterday last modified: yesterday

I think it's pretty interesting that they said that if everybody opted into the police can check my profile on genealogy websites, that every cold case would be solved. That's more important than the zodiac killer or anything else. What does anybody think about that? I mean I find it to be a fishing expedition... But maybe it's a good idea?~~—

~~~

I have bolded the first sentence which is what I found confusing.

“… if everybody opted into the police can check my profile on genealogical websites…”

I have to make assumptions about what she means and is trying to say. Why not write clearly if you can think clearly.

And if one LE person declares that (if ??) ”… that every cold case would be solved.”

Oh, so this must be true as one law enforcement person said so for under (???) conditions. Nice spin try by the police or FBI person — they have their agenda. Don’t take that comment as fact.

Imprecise thinking. Furthermore, not all cold cases involve DNA or genealogy.

As far as I know (some of my family members work with genealogy), some websites such as Ancestry dot com do not contain the DNA information, but familial (family tree) relationships.

A lot of them choose not to be accessible by LE, this is as it should be.

Edit. NOT all cold cases involve…

I think a lot of people wanted to find Patsy guilty because of that whole beauty queen thing.

Little JonBenet was put into that competitive world as a toddler, with dyed hair, tarted up with make-up and fake teeth, taught flirtatious moves, how to tilt her head at the judges.

Also, did they investigate other moms with daughters in the competition? Emotions run fierce with those competions, and perhaps another pageant mom wanted to eliminate the kid who might win over their own child. Beauty competitions can be very expensive. Maybe Patsy bragged to the wrong mom about her husband's bonus.