John Ramsey Claims to Feel Enormous Guilt Over Jonbenet’s Death, According to a New Podcast
It has been more than 23 years since the body of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was discovered inside her parent’s sprawling Boulder, Colorado home. A ransom note found insider the mansion, advised John and Patsy Ramsey to collect $118,000 to secure their daughter’s safe return. While police and family friends swarmed the property, JonBenét’s body was in the basement all along. A media firestorm soon followed, Patsy Ramsey, who died of ovarian cancer in 2006, was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, but JonBenét’s real killer has never been found. Now, in a much-anticipated podcast, John sat down to talk about the death of his child, and he admits to feeling a tremendous amount of guilt.
John Ramsey is consumed by guilt, 23 years after JonBenét’s death
The death of the child beauty queen gripped the nation back in 1996. While it has faded from the mainstream media, a dedicated team of citizen detectives has continued to discuss the case, mostly on online forums. They’ve poured over evidence, and while many have their own theories, the elder Ramsey seems to believe one thing to be true about the case; he and JonBenét were targeted.
In the much-anticipated podcast, The Killing of JonBenét: The Final Suspects, Ramsey reportedly told producer, Dylan Howard, that he’s sure that JonBenét was killed because of him. Howard, speaking with In Touch, alleges that Ramsey told him, “I live every day knowing that my daughter was killed, likely, because of me.” Howard stated that the admission broke his heart.
Ramsey’s belief is rooted in the fact that he may have inadvertently put eyes on his family. Ramsey had sold his technology company to Lockheed Martin, a sale that placed his net worth at around $6.4 million back in 1996, according to Romper. The deal was big news, and Ramsey seems to think someone may have been jealous of his success, or that an individual may have felt compelled to try and cash in on the Ramsey family’s fortune. Who that someone is, he doesn’t seem sure.
What are the facts of the case?
JonBenét was found dead inside her home on December 26, 1996. The family was supposed to be heading out on a vacation the morning that JonBenét was murdered. The Ramseys claimed they found a ransom note on their steps when they awoke that morning. Police were called immediately, while their older child, Burke Ramsey, slept upstairs.
The official autopsy revealed that the child, who was bound when found, had a fractured skull at the time of her death, according to CNN. The Ramseys sat down for their first official interview with police in April 1997. In December 1997, police announced that the Ramseys were under a cloud of suspicion. They have since been cleared by police, but public doubt remains.
While a lead materialized in 2006 when John Mark Karr implicated himself in the case, nothing came of it. He was arrested in Bangkok, then extradited to the United States. Karr was released when a DNA sample didn’t link him to the crime. No further leads have been announced.
The Killing of JonBenét: The Final Suspects joins a crowded lineup of true crime podcasts
The true-crime genre has grown exponentially as the popularity of podcasts has increased. In fact, it may be one of the fastest-growing genres in recent history. Investigations into unsolved mysteries in podcast form have gripped the nation for years. First came Serial¸which began with a deep dive into the conviction of Adnan Syed for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.
Missing Maura Murray joined the ranks. In that podcast, two filmmakers investigate the mysterious disappearance of a college student, Maura Murray, back in 2004. Up and Vanished burst onto the scene to investigate the disappearance of Tara Grinstead, a Georgia high school teacher and beauty queen. The investigation renewed interest in the case and eventually led to the arrest of two individuals who are believed to be responsible for her death.
