Who is JonBenét Ramsey’s brother Burke? He was just 9 when his sister was murdered and he refused to appear in Netflix’s Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey – but he spoke to Dr Phil in 2016
Burke Ramsey is a software engineer who stays out of the public eye – but he sued CBS in 2016 for US$750 million for alleging that he may have been responsible for his beauty queen sister’s slaying
Netflix’s latest crime documentary Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey delves into the shocking murder of the six-year-old beauty queen in her family home in Boulder, Colorado, in December 1996.
The girl’s parents, Patsy and John Ramsey, discovered a ransom note on the morning of December 26, 1996, demanding US$118,000 for their daughter’s return.
The Ramseys immediately filed a missing child report with the police, who failed to properly secure the scene on arrival. Hours later, John Ramsey went into the basement of their home and discovered his daughter’s body. She reportedly had a rope around her neck and a fractured skull. The DNA of an unidentified male on her underwear and bleeding on her body indicated that she might have been a victim of sexual assault. According to autopsy reports, she died of “suffocation in conjunction with forcible trauma” to the skull.
The six-year-old’s participation in beauty pageants led to the case being sensationalised in the media. Just a week before her death, JonBenét took part in a Christmas parade in Boulder, where her face and name were prominently featured. Her father later said that this was “a mistake”.
Although the killer was never found, investigators had two plausible theories: JonBenét was either murdered by a family member or an intruder. JonBenét’s family members have maintained their innocence over the years – although her parents, Patsy, who died from ovarian cancer in 2006, and John were prime suspects initially. Her brother Burke also came under suspicion.
As Netflix’s new documentary revisits the still unsolved murder, here’s a closer look at JonBenét’s older brother, Burke Ramsey.
His family were cleared as suspects in 2008
