Murdered Girl’s Siblings Cleared; Parents Still Seek Dual Interview

Police investigating the Christmas night murder of 6-year-old beauty-contest winner JonBenet Ramsey said Thursday that they have ruled out her half brother and half sister as suspects.

“Based on the information Boulder police have to date, police are now able to eliminate John Andrew and Melinda Ramsey as potential suspects,” Boulder spokesman Kelvin McNeill told a news conference. The announcement marks the first time Boulder police have publicly ruled out suspects in the murder, and McNeill said they did so “to relieve them of stress from inappropriate speculation.”

John Andrew Ramsey, 20, and Melinda Ramsey, 25, are the children of JonBenet’s father, John Ramsey, from an earlier marriage.

Boulder authorities also said Thursday that they obtained a third handwriting sample from JonBenet’s mother, Patsy Ramsey, last week after earlier samples proved unsatisfactory because of medication she is taking. McNeill refused to elaborate on what the medication was or how it might have affected her ability to provide a handwriting sample.

Ten weeks have elapsed since the strangled body of JonBenet Ramsey was discovered Dec. 26 in the basement of her family’s home here. Her parents and city police remain in a standoff over the conditions under which the couple will submit to a formal interview with homicide investigators.

The Ramseys have insisted that they be questioned together, a condition that would violate standard interview procedures used by most police departments.