Police respond after JonBenét Ramsey's father asked for more DNA analysis in his daughter's murder case

By Caitlin O'Kane

May 2, 2022 / 9:45 AM / CBS News

John Ramsey, the father of JonBenét Ramsey who was 6 years old when she was found dead in the basement of her Boulder, Colorado home in 1996, has made a plea to further analyze DNA to help solve the cold case. Now, the Boulder Police Department has responded.

During an appearance at a CrimeCon, a convention for true crime fanatics, in Las Vegas on Sunday, Ramsey was asked what he has done to help find his daughter's killer — who has yet to be identified 26 after the murder. He said he has offered to pay for the testing of DNA evidence, but has been turned down.

Following the event, the Boulder Police Department, which has been investigating in the headline-making case since 1996, responded to Ramsey's comments.

The department said in a statement that it was "aware of the recent request ... and wants the community to know that it has never wavered in its pursuit to bring justice to everyone affected by the murder of this little girl.

"Ever since Dec. 26, 1996, detectives have followed up on every lead that has come into the department, to include more than 21,016 tips, letters and emails and traveling to 19 states to interview or speak with more than 1,000 individuals in connection to this crime."

The police department said the case has been under constant review with federal, state, and local partners and they have met with these partners as well as DNA experts from around the country as recently as March.

Police said DNA from "multiple suspects" has been run through the system over the years. "As of this past December, [Colorado's Bureau of Investigation] has updated over 750 reference samples with the latest DNA technology," the police department said, adding DNA is regularly checked for new matches.

"We have a shared goal to bring justice—and hopefully some peace—to JonBenét's family and everyone who was impacted by her loss," Police Chief Maris Herold said in a statement. "Our investigation with federal, state and local partners has never stopped. That includes new ways to use DNA technology." Herold said state-of-the-art technology has been used and the investigation will continue to be a priority for the department.

JonBenét was a beauty pageant queen who was reported missing the day after Christmas in 1996. A ransom note was found inside the family's home, the Ramseys said.

concluded that an unidentified male was responsible for JonBenét's death, based on forensic DNA analysis of evidence. Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky commented that the documentary showed that an intruder "committed that sexual assault and murdered JonBenet"

Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky
Professor & Chairperson


Education

Post-Doc - Sloan Kettering Institute for Research
(Complement and Effector Biology Laboratory)
1977 PhD - The Graduate Center of the City University of New York
(Biology)
1971 MA - City College of New York (Biology)
1969 BS - City College of New York (Biology)
Bio

My research interests focus on developing sensitive methods of human identification using polymerase chain reaction methodology. My lab has developed methods to conduct RFLP of VNTRs, and PCR of Short Tandam Repeats (STRs). We have been working on high sensitivity methods to study low copy number DNA (less than 100 picograms) extracted from biological evidence. Developing a better scientific approach to crime scene investigation is also an interest. Counseling defense attorneys and prosecutors about DNA technology is underway. We are also helping laboratories in other countries develop the skills and knowledge to conduct reliable DNA analysis. I have worked with lab personnel from China, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, and others to improve their systems of criminal justice, especially where forensic science needs improvement.

Lawrence Kobilinsky, Ph.D.

Lawrence Kobilinsky, Ph.D., an internationally renowned forensic scientist and expert in DNA analysis, is the Chairman of the Science Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. At John Jay, where he is a full time professor, Dr. Kobilinsky has served as Acting Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Provost, and Science Advisor to the College President. He is also a member of the doctoral faculties in biochemistry and criminal justice at the Graduate Center of The City University of New York. A Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Dr. Kobilinsky is a Diplomate of the American College of Forensic Examiners and a Board Certified Forensic Examiner. His case experience is extensive and engages a number of issues of applied forensic science. He has served as advisor to criminal laboratories in Mexico, China, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. In the U.S., Dr. Kobilinsky is an advisor to the State Department regarding forensic science laboratories in the Ukraine. Dr. Kobilinsky is the recipient of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers’ "Civilian Award” and the New York Microscopical Society’s Ashby Award. Brazil awarded Dr. Kobilinsky the Medal of the City of Mogi das Cruzes for his efforts in establishing a forensic science laboratory as part of the city’s rape crisis center.

Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky is a renowned forensic scientist and an expert in DNA analysis. He is the Chairman of the Science Department at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He has been working on a high sensitivity methods to study low copy DNA extracted from biological samples.

Dr. Kobilinsky received his BS in Biology from City College in New York in 1969. He received his Masters in Bioilogy in 1971 and his PhD in 1977 from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Dr Kobilinsky has consulted on high profile cases such as the Casey Anthony murder trial, Michael Brown and JonBenet Ramsey.

In Daubert, seven members of the Court agreed on the following guidelines for admitting scientific expert testimony:

Judge is gatekeeper: Under Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, the task of "gatekeeping", or assuring that scientific expert testimony truly proceeds from "scientific knowledge", rests on the trial judge.
Relevance and reliability: This requires the trial judge to ensure that the expert's testimony is "relevant to the task at hand" and that it rests "on a reliable foundation". Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharms., Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 584-587. Concerns about expert testimony cannot be simply referred to the jury as a question of weight. Furthermore, the admissibility of expert testimony is governed by Rule 104(a), not Rule 104(b); thus, the Judge must find it more likely than not that the expert's methods are reliable and reliably applied to the facts at hand.
Scientific knowledge = scientific method/methodology: A conclusion will qualify as scientific knowledge if the proponent can demonstrate that it is the product of sound "scientific methodology" derived from the scientific method.[3]
Illustrative Factors: The Court defined "scientific methodology" as the process of formulating hypotheses and then conducting experiments to prove or falsify the hypothesis, and provided a set of illustrative factors (i.e., not a "test") in determining whether these criteria are met:

Whether the theory or technique employed by the expert is generally accepted in the scientific community;
Whether it has been subjected to peer review and publication;
Whether it can be and has been tested;
Whether the known or potential rate of error is acceptable; and
Whether the research was conducted independent of the particular litigation or dependent on an intention to provide the proposed testimony.[4]

In 2000, Rule 702 was amended in an attempt to codify and structure elements embodied in the "Daubert trilogy." The amended rule then read as follows:

Rule 702. Testimony by Experts
If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise, if (1) the testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data, (2) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and (3) the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case.

(As amended Apr. 17, 2000, eff. Dec. 1, 2000.)

In 2011, Rule 702 was again amended to make the language more clear. The rule now reads:

RULE 702. TESTIMONY BY EXPERT WITNESSES
A witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if:
(a) The expert's scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue;
(b) The testimony is based on sufficient facts or data;
(c) The testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods; and
(d) The expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.

(As amended Apr. 17, 2000, eff. Dec. 1, 2000; Apr. 26, 2011, eff. Dec. 1, 2011)

While some federal courts still rely on pre-2000 opinions in determining the scope of Daubert, as a technical legal matter, any earlier judicial rulings that conflict with the language of amended Rule 702 are no longer good precedent.

concluded that an unidentified male was responsible for JonBenét's death, based on forensic DNA analysis of evidence. Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky commented that the documentary showed that an intruder "committed that sexual assault and murdered JonBenet"

By CNN Newsource
Published December 26, 2021 8:51 AM
25 years after JonBenet Ramsey killing, investigators have tested almost 1,000 DNA samples

In a statement marking the 25th anniversary of the murder, Boulder police said they actively “use new technology to enhance the investigation” and check regularly for DNA matches in order to solve this case.

“Thanks to the huge advances in DNA technology, multiple suspects have been run through the system to check for matches. CBI (Colorado Bureau of Investigation) has updated over 750 reference samples with the latest DNA technology. The Boulder Police Department works closely with CBI on future DNA advancements.”