27th Birthday Remembrance for JonBenét Ramsey (August 6, 1990 to December 25, 1996)

JonBenét Ramsey JonBenét Ramsey
Born	JonBenét Patricia Ramsey August 6, 1990 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Died	December 25 or 26, 1996 (aged 6) Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
Cause of death	Asphyxiation due to strangulation Craniocerebral trauma
Body discovered	Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
Resting place	St. James Episcopal Cemetery Marietta, Georgia, U.S. 33.95501°N 84.55637°W
Known for	Murder victim / child beauty pageants
Parents	John Bennett Ramsey (father) Patsy Paugh Ramsey (mother)
Relatives	Burke Ramsey (brother)

Jon Benét Patricia Ramsey (/ˌdʒɒnbəˈneɪ pəˈtrɪʃə ˈræmzi/; August 6, 1990 – December 25 or 26, 1996) was a six-year-old American beauty queen who was killed in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado, on December 25, 1996. A lengthy ransom note was found in the house, and her father, John Ramsey, found the little girl's body in the basement of their house about eight hours after she was reported missing. She sustained a broken skull from a blow to the head and had been strangled; a garrote was found tied around her neck. The official cause of death, as reported by the autopsy, was "asphyxiation due to strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma". Time magazine reported that it was officially ruled a homicide. The case generated nationwide public and media interest, in part because her mother Patsy Ramsey (herself a former beauty queen) had entered JonBenét in a series of child beauty pageants. The case still remains an open investigation with the Boulder Police Department.

The police suspected JonBenét's death was caused accidentally, either by Patsy or JonBenét's nine-year-old brother Burke, and believed the ransom note and appearance of the body were staged by the parents to cover it up. In 1998, both the police and District Attorney stated that Burke was not a suspect. The Ramseys gave several televised interviews, but resisted police questioning except on their own terms. In October 2013, unsealed court documents revealed that a 1999 grand jury had recommended charges against John and Patsy for child abuse resulting in death. However, the district attorney said there was insufficient evidence to warrant charges being filed. In 2003, trace DNA taken from the victim's clothes was found to belong to an unknown male, inducing the district attorney's successor in 2008 to send the Ramseys a letter of apology, declaring the family "completely cleared". In February 2009, the Boulder Police Department took the case back from the district attorney and reopened the investigation.

In addition to JonBenét's brief beauty pageant career, media coverage of the case has often focused on her parents' wealth and the unusual evidence found in the case. Media reports have also questioned the police's handling of the case. Ramsey family members and their friends have filed defamation suits against several media organizations.