DENVER (KDVR) — The father of JonBenét Ramsey has sent a letter to Gov. Jared Polis with a plea to let a private company test the DNA evidence.

It’s been nearly 26 years since Ramsey was killed in her home in Boulder, and police appear no closer to solving it now than they were back in 1996. Now, the girl’s father, John Ramsey, told Polis that time for answers is running out, and he wants justice.

At the heart of John Ramsey’s letter is the ongoing DNA testing debate. There’s a limited amount of DNA evidence in the case, and investigators have been reluctant to let a private lab test it.

But John Ramsey and many experts say the labs have technology and resources the state does not, which can likely analyze and sequence the DNA. The goal would be to match it with all of the government and private DNA databases.

John Ramsey appeals to Polis on DNA evidence

On top of that, John Ramsey appealed to the governor on a personal level.

“Solving the murder of my daughter will not fill the void in my heart but it will identify and remove a demented and dangerous person from our midst and, in doing so, potentially protect the lives of other children,” Ramsey wrote in part. “There is no higher responsibility of a governor than that. As an elected leader, but more importantly, as a father, I respectfully ask you to do the right thing.”

On Wednesday, the governor’s office confirmed that it received John Ramsey’s letter. The governor did not say if he’ll release the DNA but said investigators are talking with them, and “the Boulder Police Department will be consulting with the Colorado Cold Case Review Team in 2023. The Cold Case Review Team is comprised of professional investigative, analytical, and forensic experts from across the state.”

JonBenét Ramsey was 6 years old when her father found her body in the home’s basement.
She was strangled and beaten. This was shortly after her mother found a ransom note demanding $118,000 to get the girl back.