JonBenét Ramsey case gets renewed attention 28 years after her murder

Advancements successful DNA exertion and a surge of nationalist involvement are rekindling anticipation for breakthroughs successful the long-unsolved execution of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey, a lawsuit that has remained a haunting enigma for astir 28 years.

As caller techniques look and caller attraction is drawn to the evidence, galore are anxious for answers that could yet bring closure to this tragic story.

JonBenét, who was recovered dormant successful the basement of her Boulder, Colorado, location successful 1996, remains frozen successful time. Her father, John Ramsey, has endured astir 3 decades without justice, answers oregon his daughter.

"JonBenét's inactive my 6-year-old blond-headed girl who I emotion dearly," Ramsey told ABC News. "I did tally into 1 of her small friends connected the thoroughfare who is now, you know, 30 and an adult. And it was, it was a small spot of a shock. This small miss played with JonBenét astatine our location each the time. And that was a small spot of a jolt to think, wow, that could person been JonBenét."

Watch the afloat communicative connected the "20/20" episode, "Forever Young: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?" featuring a caller interrogation with John Ramsey and never-before-seen footage from the iconic Barbara Walters interrogation with parents John and Patsy Ramsey.

Ramsey, present 81 years old, has renewed anticipation that his daughter's slayer tin yet beryllium found. He is assured that advances successful DNA technology, including familial genealogy that has helped to lick respective high-profile acold case, are the cardinal to solving this mystery.

"Let's bash a reverse household histrion and spot if helium had a comparative surviving successful Boulder successful 1996. The absorbing happening astir these acold cases," Ramsey said. "The eventual archetypal apprehension came retired of nowhere. They were connected nary one's radar. They've done this horrible transgression and cipher said that that guy's a suspect. That's what we're asking the constabulary to do."

Over the years, Ramsey expressed vexation with the constabulary for not solving his daughter's case. He was unhappy with being a premier fishy for 12 years and that the section rejected offers of assistance to find viable evidence.He precocious took portion successful a caller Netflix docuseries, "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?" The bid dives into lingering mysteries surrounding the tragic case, exploring evidence, interviews and theories that person emerged implicit the years.

Ramsey collaborated with manager Joe Berlinger, who aimed to illuminate what helium described arsenic 1 of the astir victimized families successful American history.

"Obviously, helium wasn't legally wrongfully convicted, but helium was wrongfully convicted," Berlinger said. "And his woman Patsy -- the household were wrongfully convicted successful the tribunal of nationalist opinion."

The fashionable docuseries ignited a caller question of involvement among viewers.

Ramsey is hopeful that caller changes successful the Boulder Police Department's enactment and amended connection with his household whitethorn pb to a solution successful the case.

The Boulder constabulary section has addressed the caller scrutiny. Last month, the existent constabulary main released a video statement.

"So overmuch of however instrumentality enforcement works has changed successful the past 30 years," Stephen Redfearn said. "There are a fig of things that radical person pointed to passim the years that could person been done amended and we admit that arsenic true. However, it is important to stress that portion we cannot spell backmost to that horrible time successful 1996, our extremity is to find JonBenét Ramsey's killer."

That tragic time successful 1996 began successful the picturesque Boulder vicinity wherever the Ramsey household lived. On Dec. 26, John and Patsy Ramsey woke up to find that JonBenét, a kid quality queen, was missing.

A handwritten ransom enactment demanding $118,000 -- the nonstop sum of John's bonus that twelvemonth -- was discovered connected the room stairs. Seven hours later, John recovered his daughter's lifeless assemblage successful a tiny basement room.

An autopsy determined JonBenét was sexually assaulted and strangled, and her skull was fractured. Unknown DNA was recovered nether her fingernails and successful her underwear.

The Ramseys rapidly became suspects, adjacent though nary grounds connected them to the crime.

The household has ever denied immoderate engagement successful JonBenét's murder. However, the Boulder District Attorney's Office took 12 years to afloat exonerate the Ramseys and their lad Burke, who was 9 years aged erstwhile his sister died.

As weeks went by without immoderate arrests successful the case, a media frenzy began to build, fueled by relentless tabloid images of JonBenét participating successful quality pageants.

A fig of leads emerged, including a antheral named John Mark Karr, who confessed to the sidesplitting successful 2006. However, his DNA did not lucifer the grounds and helium was not successful Boulder astatine the clip of the murder, truthful helium was eliminated arsenic a suspect. The lawsuit remained unsolved.

John Ramsey believes that a unreality inactive hangs implicit his family, arsenic helium thinks determination are radical successful the state who deliberation helium and his precocious wife, Patsy, who died successful 2006, are liable for JonBenét's murder.

Investigator Lou Smit, who was initially brought into the lawsuit by Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter, came to judge aboriginal successful his probe that the Ramseys were innocent. He thought that the constabulary should beryllium looking astatine the anticipation of an intruder.

"I'm not saying parents don't termination their kids ... parents bash termination their children," Smit said successful his tapes. "But [the police] are trying to accidental Patsy did it. ... Their actions before, during and aft [JonBenét's death] are each accordant with guiltless people. ... They didn't bash it."

As the probe progressed Smit became progressively acrophobic that authorities had wholly ruled retired the accidental of an intruder being liable for JonBenét's death. As a result, they weren't searching for grounds that mightiness enactment this possibility.

Smit continued to support that an unidentified intruder was liable for JonBenét's murder. However, helium was moving retired of clip owed to his colon crab diagnosis successful 2010.

Before Smit died connected Aug. 11 of that year, helium diligently compiled a elaborate database of persons of interest, hoping that his years of investigative enactment would yet wage off. Smit passed his files to his surviving children, including a spreadsheet with 887 names of imaginable suspects to beryllium investigated.That database is extensive, but Smit's household is determined to proceed their search. Since his death, the squad has cleared respective individuals from that list, according to Smit's granddaughter Jessa Van Der Woerd. However, the process is dilatory owed to the clip and costs progressive successful locating each person, obtaining their DNA and investigating it.

"We've fto the slayer locomotion for much than 28 years," John Ramsey said. "I deliberation it's imperative that we analyse each credible fishy that's been provided."