The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey: The Story Behind Netflix's True Crime Drama

One of the most peculiar and devastating true crime cases in history is that of JonBenét Ramsey. The precocious beauty queen, who competed in pageants during her short life, was born in August 1990. She died on Christmas night, 1996, at just six-years-old.

Over the years, the circumstances of her death have been shrouded in mystery. While some believe her family are responsible, others are convinced she was killed by an intruder in the family home. Either way, fascination in the case has been rife from the very beginning: a fascination that has been sustained by the unusual behaviour associated with the case along with its enduring mystery.

Ahead of it dropping in December, Netflix have released its first images of The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey, featuring Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen as JonBenét’s parents. Here’s what you need to know about the limited series. 

What Is The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey About?

The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey is, indeed, about the titular child’s puzzling murder case. The official logline for the series is as follows: “The series centers on one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history, and the devastating personal and public reckoning that followed the death of JonBenet Ramsey on Christmas night in 1996.”

In terms of the “personal and public reckoning” mentioned, this very likely refers to the publicity surrounding the case, and, in particular, the publicity surrounding JonBenét’s parents and suspicions about their own connection to the crime. 

With JonBenét’s pageant history, there was a lot of scrutiny targeted towards her mother especially, with many applying the ‘pageant mom’ trope to her. The police were also largely criticised in their response to the case. So, it’s likely that the series will go further than just recounting the murder — it will also examine the media circus that accompanied it. 

Who Was JonBenét Ramsey, and What Happened to Her?

JonBenét Ramsey was killed in her home in Boulder, Colorado on December 25, 1996. She was reported missing on Boxing Day, and her body was found a few hours later.

Before her body was discovered, the parents purportedly found a ‘ransom’ note. John was reportedly preparing to pay the ransom, which was priced at $118,000 — the same price as his Christmas bonus the previous year. When JonBenét’s body was found, she had a skull fracture and a makeshift garotte was tied around her neck. In turn, an autopsy found that she died due to a combination of asphyxiation and the head injury. Her death was ruled a homicide. 

There were many unusual aspects about the case that fascinated the public. Firstly, the ‘ransom’ note was written in such an odd way, with multiple exclamation points, that it was suspected to be staged by police and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). There were also no finger prints on the note apart from Patsy’s and law enforcement. Moreover, it was written using a pen and notepad from the house. Still, a federal court later ruled that it was unlikely that, as law enforcement suspected, Patsy herself had written the note in an attempt to cover up the cause of death.

Evidence was also arguably mishandled in the case. Because it was believed to be a kidnapping, only JonBenét’s bedroom was cordoned off. This means that any evidence that may have existed in the rest of the house may have ended up being contaminated, with visitors to the home purportedly wiping areas like kitchen surfaces. 

Even more bizarrely, in the initial police search of the house, a police officer apparently walked right up to the latched basement door before simply walking away from it. If he had opened the door, they would have found JonBenét’s body sooner. 

There’s also a lot of debate regarding the significance of the DNA and blood evidence recorded at the crime scene. As technology develops, DNA traces found at the scene are being continually retested.

The JonBenét Ramsey Case’s Legacy (& Ongoing Theories)

While there were over 1,600 people of interest in this case, JonBenét’s killer was never found. The three prevailing theories to this day include the idea that her parents killed her, her brother killed her, or that an intruder killed her.

As previously mentioned, the unusual ransom letter ended up arousing a lot of suspicion around JonBenét’s parents, along with the fact that they seemingly allowed the ransom deadline to pass before calling the authorities. While NewsNationNow reported that new DNA evidence from JonBenét’s clothes in 2008 suggested a ‘third party’ was involved, her parents remain prime suspects across popular culture, at least. 

There are two other suspicious moments that are widely-cited. Firstly, John was heard by the authorities planning to fly the family to Atlanta while the investigation was ongoing, Secondly, when officers arrived to the home and asked John to help them look for his daughter, he ran straight to the basement, where her body was found. Moreover, Vox report that fibres from the parents’ clothing was found on evidence like the duct tape on JonBenét mouth and on her underwear. 

It is also thought that Burke, JonBenét’s then-9-year-old brother may have been responsible for the killing. Typically, it is thought that he killed her accidentally over a clash to do with a bowl of pineapple (fruit traces were found in JonBenét’s stomach during the autopsy). A CBS documentary put forward the theory that the injury to JonBenét’s head matched a flashlight that was found at the scene, which led to suspicion that this could have been the weapon used. In turn, it was argued, and still is argued, that the parents staged the murder to keep their remaining child out of prison. 

There’s also the ‘third party’ theory, which has pointed to several individuals in the past. These include local sex offender, Gary Olivia, who had a fixation on JonBenét, Michael Helgoth, an electrician whose footprints apparently matched some found at the scene, Bill McReynolds, a man who dressed up as Santa at the Ramsey’s house a few days prior and John Mark Karr — a teacher who seemed to confess to the killing in an email to a University of Colorado Boulder professor who was making a documentary about the crime. In all these cases, there wasn’t enough evidence to conclude they were responsible for the crime. So, for now, the murder remains a mystery.

What to Watch Before the Netflix Series

Netflix’s documentary series, entitled Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét, was released in 2024. This documentary focuses on the various missteps that were purportedly made by the police investigating the murder along with the media frenzy surrounding the case. John Ramsey is interviewed as part of this documentary. 

Suburban Nightmare: JonBenét Ramsey, also includes cooperation with John and his ongoing quest for justice. Other previously-televised documentaries, like Getting Away with Murder: The JonBenet Ramsey Mystery and Perfect Murder, Perfect Town are available to watch on YouTube.