Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we examine the tragic and highly publicized death of six-year-old child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey, who was killed in her Boulder, Colorado home on December 25, 1996. We recount the chaotic timeline of events, beginning with Patsy Ramsey's discovery of an unusually long, handwritten ransom note demanding $118,000, and ending with John Ramsey finding his daughter’s body in the basement hours later. Listeners will learn about the brutal cause of death—asphyxia by strangulation using a garrote and craniocerebral trauma—and the immediate errors by police that allowed the crime scene to be contaminated by friends and family.

We also explore the fierce division between investigators regarding the two primary theories: the "family-member theory" and the "intruder theory". We discuss the suspicion initially placed on John and Patsy, including a 1999 grand jury vote to indict them for placing their child in a threatening situation, though the district attorney declined to prosecute due to insufficient evidence. Conversely, we analyze evidence supporting an intruder, such as an unidentified boot mark, a broken basement window, and DNA found on JonBenét's clothing that did not match family members. Finally, we cover the complex legacy of the case, from the 2008 DNA-based exoneration of the Ramseys to the false confession of John Mark Karr, leaving the investigation open and unsolved to this day.