‘Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey’: What to Know About Netflix’s New Docuseries

It’s been almost 30 years, but the search for answers in the murder case of then-6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey has never stopped. 

Now, a new Netflix docuseries aims to get to the bottom of the investigation and find out where it all went wrong — and shed light on the impact the media scrutiny had upon the two surviving members of the Ramsey family. 

Here’s what to know about Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey. 

When does the docuseries premiere?

Netflix will debut all three 50-minute episodes of the docuseries on Monday, November 25.

What should audiences know about the new docuseries?

The logline for the docuseries is as follows: “On December 26, 1996, John and Patsy Ramsey woke up the morning after a loving family Christmas to discover their youngest child, six-year-old JonBenét, was missing, a chilling ransom note left downstairs. Later that day, John Ramsey discovered his daughter’s body in the basement, revealing the shocking truth that JonBenét had not been kidnapped, but was instead sexually assaulted and brutally murdered in their own home. The Boulder, Colorado police, who had little practical experience in homicide investigations, quickly cast suspicion on JonBenét’s family as the most likely suspects, fanning the flames of media scrutiny and largely one-sided reporting, turning the case into a national obsession. Twenty-eight years later, that obsession — and finger-pointing — hasn’t gone away, and the murder of JonBenét Ramsey remains unsolved. From Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated director Joe Berlinger, this three-part docuseries investigates the mishandling of the case by law enforcement and the media.”

While it is hardly the first docuseries to explore the truth about Ramsey’s murder case, this docuseries promises something unique: It will feature new interviews with her father and brother about the events that transpired. As director Joe Berlinger wrote on Instagram, his “goal with this series was to examine law enforcement and the media’s mishandling of the case and show how this crime can still be solved, despite almost three decades of controversy,” and it includes “unprecedented access to key people from the crime and original investigation, including JonBenét’s father, John Ramsey and JonBenét’s brother, John Andrew.”

Berlinger also said the series will be sympathetic to the Ramsey family members who were accused of the sexual assault and murder of JonBenét Ramsey, as he wrote, “Many people think they know this story and have played armchair detective for three decades, often callously pointing a finger at the very people who suffered such an unthinkable loss. We reveal the deep flaws in how the case was originally handled, resulting in a sea of conspiracy theories that nearly destroyed the Ramsey family for a second time.”

Is there a trailer for Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?

Yes. Netflix has revealed the first look at the three-part docuseries (embedded above). It includes home footage of the family snippets of the Ramsay family interviews, including John Andrew saying, “Prior to Christmas Day of 1996, we were just a regular family. And of course, then, that all changed.” 

The trailer also features audio footage of Patsy Ramsey’s chilling 9-1-1 call, which took place before John Ramsey found JonBenét’s body in the basement, in which she claims her daughter had been kidnapped, with a written ransom note and demand for $118,000 left in their home. It also features behind-the-scenes footage of the police department’s investigation of the crime scene as well as footage of the media circus that may have jeopardized the case.

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Margo Martindale Joins 'JonBenét Ramsey' Series as Patsy Ramsey's Mother

How is this different than the other new JonBenét Ramsey series on the way?

Paramount+ will also soon debut a series about the case, but instead of being a docuseries, theirs is a drama, with several A-list stars portraying the real-life counterparts of the case. Find out more about that true-crime-based drama right here. Other dramatizations of the case include the 2000 miniseries Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, the 2000 TV movie Getting Away with Murder: The JonBenet Ramsey Story, and the 2016 Lifetime film Who Killed JonBenet. 

It is also distinct from Netflix’s other docuseries related to the case, Casting JonBenét. That 2017 series centered on local actors reflecting on the case as they auditioned to portray the people involved for a recreation. 

What else should audiences know about the JonBenét Ramsey case?

JonBenét Ramsey was discovered missing on the morning of December 26, 1996, and after her mother called for the authorities, her father found her body in the basement. Her body showed signs of sexual assault and death by asphyxiation as well as a broken skull. The police initially suspected that the ransom note was written by Patsy and that she and John were colluding to cover up a rage killing by her then-9-year-old brother Burke. However, DNA evidence later collected from the child’s clothing exonerated her family members, leading to a formal apology from the district attorney. The case remains open at the Boulder Police Department.

Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, Premiere, Monday, November 25, Netflix

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network‘s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.