JonBenét Ramsey was found dead in her home on December 26, 1996. The true identity of her killer or killers remains unknown. However, in 1999 a grand jury voted to indict John and Patsy Ramsey.
The grand jury was presented with evidence suggesting the 6-year-old was abused. They eventually voted to indict the parents, deciding the abuse led to JonBenét’s death.
News of the indictment was originally reported by Daily Camera in January. The article blames former District Attorney Alex Hunter for refusing to sign the indictment. His decision halted prosecution of the case.
If the prosecution went forward, JonBenét Ramsey’s parents would have faced a second degree felony and up to 48 years in prison.
Hunter says there was not enough evidence to convict the parents of murder. In a 1999 press conference, the former District Attorney said the “prosecution task force” did not collect enough evidence to convict anyone in the crime.
A lawsuit has now been filed, demanding access to the indictment. The lawsuit was filed by reporter Charlie Brennan the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Brennan wrote the original article as a staff writer for Daily Camera .
As reported by Huffington Post , the lawsuit claims the indictment “is subject to mandatory disclosure ” to the media and the public .
Although nobody was convicted in the crime, John and Patsy Ramsey were the subject of continuous rumors and speculation.
In 2006, Patsy Ramsey died of ovarian cancer. Two years later, former District Attorney Mary Lacy cleared the Ramseys of any involvement. Lacy cited DNA evidence found at the scene.
In 2010, the case was relaunched by investigators. Although they conducted numerous interviews, they were unable to reach a conclusion.
DNA evidence found at the scene identified an “unexplained third-party.” However, the identity of that person remains a mystery.
JonBenét Ramsey’s death has haunted the nation for 17 years. Unfortunately, her murder will likely remain unsolved.