JonBenét Ramsey’s half-brother speaks out about the assassination of the pageant queen in a new TV special 20/20.
Six-year-old JonBenét was found dead inside the floor of her parents’ palatial home in Boulder, Colorado back in 1996, and the case caught the world.
Almost a generation later, the murder is still unsolved, but the new twice-episode 20/20 special – airing this Friday night on ABC – sheds new light on the issue, which remains interests Americans to this day.
JonBenét’s wealthy parents, John and Pasty, were considered key suspects in the initial stages of the investigation, but the pair complained of their innocence.
JonBenét’s eldest half-brother, John Andrew, was 20 at the time and did not live at home.
However, the now 45-year-old – who was one of three children from John Ramsey’s first marriage – firmly believes his father and stepmother had nothing to do with the death.
John Andrew also believes his half-brother, Burke, who lived at Ramsey’s residence, is innocent of the crime. Some suspected Burke may have killed JonBenét before their parents covered him.
John Andrew supported Lou Smit, a retired murder investigator to investigate the murder of a child beauty queen.
Smit was initially hired by the accuser but dismissed the case when his investigation confirmed that an outside attacker was responsible for JonBenét’s murder.
Six-year-old JonBenét was found dead inside the floor of her parents’ palatial home in Boulder, Colorado back in 1996, and the case caught the world
JonBenét Ramsey’s half-brother talks about the assassination of a pageant queen in a 20/20 TV special, bursting into a cup to mark his family’s finger
John Andrew was one of three children from John Ramsey’s first marriage. He is pictured above right with his father (middle), full sister Melinda (top left), step-mother Patsy (middle front), JonBenét (front left) and half-brother Burke (front right)
Lou Smit was initially hired by the prosecutor but dismissed the case when his investigation confirmed that an outside attacker was responsible for JonBenét’s murder.
‘Lou Smit was a legendary detective,’ says John Andrew in a preview of the 20/20 special, obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.
Smit stopped the case in 1998, but went on to work for Ramsey’s family to help establish their innocence.
He made extensive video diaries detailing his study – some of which will go on air for the first time on 20/20.
‘The evidence he has gathered over the years is a significant encyclopedia of the case,’ ABC News Law Inspector Jami Lloyd says in the 20/20 preview clip.
JonBenét’s wealthy parents, John and Pasty, were considered key suspects in the initial stages of the investigation, but the pair complained of their innocence. Their photograph is in 1997
‘The evidence he has gathered over the years is a significant encyclopedia of the case’: Lou Smit had been working on the case for more than a decade, and did not believe JonBenét’s parents were guilty of murder
Sadly, Smit died in 2010, before he could find the killer. However, he provided his family with a list of suspects who are continuing the investigation.
John Andrew believes that Smit’s work, along with advances in DNA technology, will bring the murderer to light.
‘I think it’s really important for people to understand that this issue can be resolved. We’ll find this kill, ’he announces triumphantly during a 20/20 special.
One expert says throughout the program: ‘DNA technology is constantly changing, so we are in a better position today than we ever were to solve JonBenét’ s case. ‘
JonBenét was found dead in the ground floor of his parents’ home on Christmas Day 1996; the issue has not been resolved and it still captures the world
JonBenet’s body was found in bloom and choked in her basement after she was reported missing on Christmas morning.
She was covered in a white blanket with nylon string around her neck, her wrists tied over her head and her mouth covered with duct tape.
John and Patsy had called the police to kidnap her and said they had found a note requesting a $ 118,000 counterfeit return for safe return, which instructed them not to contact the police. authorities.
Nevertheless, police arrived home shortly afterwards in vehicles with clear signals.
John and Patsy would remain the main suspects in their daughter ‘s death for more than a decade, and it wasn’t until 2008 that the police finally removed them from any abuse.
Patsy was suspected by members of the public of being the killer after reports surfaced that a handwriting on the ransom note was similar to her own, but after she gave a sample to the police to willing it was proved that she did not write the note.
Many were also suspicious of someone in the family, as they said there were no footprints in the snow around the house.
Several years ago, CBS released The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey, which ended with investigators revealing that, after an extensive investigation into the events that took place on the night of the murder, they were of the idea that Burke Ramsey was responsible for killing his sister.
Burke rejected the network and settled that case after claiming $ 750million in damages.
Sadly, Patsy Ramsey died in 2006.
The two-hour ’20 / 20 ‘tunes will be on Friday 15 January at 9:00 pm ET on ABC
This is a famous photograph of JonBenét Ramsey taken in 1995, the year before his assassination.
The home of the Ramsey family (above) where JonBenét ‘s body was found on December 25, 1996