In an exclusive report from Fox News, John Ramsey, the father of the tragically murdered six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, has made a public plea to President Donald Trump.
Ramsey is urging the President to apply pressure on Colorado authorities to intensify their efforts in solving the notorious 1996 murder case.
According to Fox News, Ramsey has previously expressed his dissatisfaction with the Boulder Police Department's attempts to crack the case. He has even offered to raise funds to pay for investigative genetic genealogy, a cutting-edge technology that has been instrumental in solving high-profile cold cases such as the Golden State Killer.
"I told the DA that money should not be a restrictor here," Ramsey revealed to Fox News Digital during an interview at CrimeCon in Denver. "I need to get Donald Trump on them. He'll stir things up one way or the other, but somehow we've got to get them to do that."
Ramsey further emphasized the gravity of the situation by comparing it to Trump's criticism of the restaurant chain Cracker Barrel's brief logo rebranding. "This is a whole lot of a bigger deal than the Cracker Barrel. Help us. So that's the bottom line," he stated.
The White House, when asked to comment on Ramsey's remarks, directed Fox News Digital to the Justice Department. It's worth noting that President Trump has previously commented on and intervened in criminal cases.
In July, he shared his thoughts on the plea deal sparing Bryan Kohberger's life for the murder of four University of Idaho students in 2022.
"These were vicious murders, with so many questions left unanswered," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "While Life Imprisonment is tough, its certainly better than receiving the Death Penalty but before Sentencing, I hope the Judge makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders."
Ramsey, while critical of the Boulder authorities' handling of the murder investigation, expressed optimism about the direction the police department is taking after meeting with its new leadership. He is convinced that genetic genealogy could be the key to unlocking the case.
"I am absolutely convinced that's the gold standard today," Ramsey said. "So I've been pushing that pretty hard in terms of what I think ought to happen. And I don't know that they're doing it. I know they listen, but I don't know where they are mentally in terms of making that happen."
Ramsey recently launched a petition urging Colorado lawmakers to align state law with the federal Homicide Victims Families Rights Act. This act grants victims the right to request a cold-case review in federally managed investigations that remain unresolved.
"I was shocked by how the system works in our country," he said. "We have 18,000 police jurisdictions. Each one is a little island of authority and if that chief of police of an island doesn't want help, help can't come in. They have to be invited. That's primitive in my opinion."
At a previous CrimeCon in Las Vegas, Ramsey initiated a petition asking Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to permit an independent agency to conduct modern DNA testing in the case, rather than the Boulder Police Department.
JonBenet was reported missing by her mother, Patsy Ramsey, on Dec. 26, 1996, after discovering a ransom note demanding $118,000. John Ramsey found her body later that same day in the basement of their Boulder home. An autopsy revealed that JonBenet died of strangulation and a blow to the head.
Ramsey has persistently criticized the department for its "arrogance," "pride," "ego" and inexperience at the time his daughter was killed. The department has responded by stating that investigators assigned to the case have followed up on more than 21,016 tips, letters, and emails and traveled to 19 states to interview or speak with more than 1,000 individuals.
Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn, in a November 2024 video message, affirmed the department's commitment to the case. "The killing of JonBenet was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left our hearts," he said.
"We are committed to following up on every lead and we are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved. This investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department."
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