BOULDER, COLORADO: In a significant development in the cold case murder of JonBenet Ramsey, investigators have reportedly identified new "persons of interest" in the murder probe.
"There are several people on the radar, new persons of interest. And we are seeing if any of them are the key to solving this case. Time will tell if we get the answers we need," disclosed an unnamed police officer from Boulder, Colorado.
"This is a marathon, not a sprint," the officer added, according to The Independent.
Are there any new arrests in JonBenet Ramsey's case?
While the revelation of the new persons of interest offers hope in the case, officials have stated that there are no expectations of arrests.
The six-year-old beauty pageant's half-brother John Andrew Ramsey took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share that their family was not aware of any new developments in the case.
"I don’t like whispers. 26+years. Put your cards on the table and let’s go," wrote John Andrew.
How did JonBenet Ramsey die?
JonBenet was first reported missing on the morning of 26 December 1996. Seven hours later, her father John Ramsey discovered her body in the basement of their family home located in Boulder.
The investigation into the young child's murder soon gripped the nation's attention at the time.
An autopsy revealed that JonBenet had been strangled with a garrote, and her skull had been fractured from a blow to the back of her head.
The cause of death was determined as asphyxiation by strangulation.
Did DNA analysis help in the cold case murder of JonBenet Ramsey?
Initially, the investigation centered on the murdered child's father John and mother Patsy. However, DNA testing later exonerated them.
Subsequently, the Boulder police have been on a relentless search for the perpetrator behind the crime.
Over the years, advancements in DNA analysis which is known to be crucial in cold case investigations gave hope to investigators of JonBenet's killing.
In 2021, the department made an analysis of 1,000 DNA samples and interviewed over 1,000 individuals across the country who could be potentially linked to the case.
The pursuit continued into this year when investigators used DNA analysis to test five previously unexamined pieces of evidence.
In 2022, a statement was released by the Boulder Police Department to confirm that their officers are working "in consultation with DNA experts from around the country" to solve JonBenet's murder.
"The Boulder Police Department... wants the community to know that it has never wavered in its pursuit to bring justice to everyone affected by the murder of this little girl," read the department's statement.
