JonBenét Ramsey's father still clings to the hope that his daughter's killer can be caught, saying Thursday he welcomes new pop culture attention on the nearly 28-year-old slaying.
John Ramsey, 80, said advances in DNA technology can help police in Boulder, Colorado, take a fresh look at the murder of the 6-year-old girl that garnered international attention around Christmas 1996.
"So we want to keep the case alive and in front of people," he told NBC's 'TODAY" show. "I believe it can be solved if the police accept help from outside their system. That's been the flaw for 25 years."
Ramsey spoke on "TODAY" along with Joe Berlinger, the director of the upcoming Netflix docuseries “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey,” which comes out next week.
While the JonBenét murder case is seared into the minds of Gen X and Baby Boomers, Gen Z and younger millennials might not be as aware, Berlinger said.
"There's a whole new generation of true-crime fans that have rediscovered the story, going down these rabbit holes on Reddit and message boards, continuing to blame the family, continuing to spin conspiracy theories," he said. "So I really wanted to set the record straight. It's a very clear-eyed examination of how it's so obvious that this was an intruder."
While renewed attention on his child's killing can also spawn conspiracy theories, Ramsey said, there's a net benefit of new eyes on this unsolved murder that has captivated much of the nation for nearly three decades.
"It's a double-edged sword," he said. "We're grateful that the public, and frankly the world, cares about the murder of our child."
Memories can still be jogged, even 28 years later, to create a case-cracking tip, according to Ramsey.
"Hopefully there's someone who knows something that would come forward," he said.
JonBenét, who had competed in beauty pageants, was found dead in the early hours of Dec. 26, 1996, in the basement of her family's home in Boulder. The mystery of who strangled the child has remained unsolved.
Ramsey has long blamed Boulder police for failing to accept the help of outside law enforcement agencies. But the father said he's met with recently appointed Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn and is confident the department will be open to any outside assistance.
“The killing of JonBenet was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left our hearts,” Redfearn said in a statement.
“We are committed to following up on every lead and we are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved. This investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department.”
John Ramsey, whose wife, Patsy Ramsey, died of ovarian cancer in 2006, said members of his family have been wrongly blamed for nearly three decades.
"I'm doing this for the sake of my children and my grandchildren. This cloud over our family’s name needs to be lifted," he said. "They need to be able to go on and close this chapter and go on with their lives."
