04-16-2017, 10:35 PM
KUSA - Boulder police and prosecutors are planning a new round of DNA tests on key evidence in the unsolved 1996 murder of 6-year-old JonBenétRamsey, 9NEWS and the Boulder Daily Camera have learned.
The move comes in the wake of a joint 9NEWS/Camera investigation that uncovered serious flaws in the interpretation of previous DNA testing on the panties and long johns the girl was wearing when she was killed late on Christmas night in 1996, or early the next morning.
Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett and Boulder Police Chief Greg Testa both confirmed Tuesday that they and members of their staffs recently discussed the issue with Colorado Bureau of Investigation administrators, who are on the verge of unveiling new, more sophisticated DNA tests than their lab has ever used before.
The meeting took place shortly before Thanksgiving, Testa said.
"We did meet with CBI and the district attorney's office, and we had a general discussion about evidence in the Ramsey case, including new technology and DNA testing," Testa said. "And we are going to take a look at the new technology, and see how they may help us further this investigation."
"We should be doing all reasonable testing that we can do, and we will be," Garnett said.
The testing would be conducted with new, more sensitive "kits" required of crime labs by the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, the database that includes genetic profiles from more than 15.1 million known offenders and arrestees and more than 738,000 unsolved cases.
The 9NEWS/Camera investigation found that DNA evidence in the case doesn't support the controversial decision by former District Attorney Mary Lacy to clear the girl's family members from all suspicion in her death.
The move comes in the wake of a joint 9NEWS/Camera investigation that uncovered serious flaws in the interpretation of previous DNA testing on the panties and long johns the girl was wearing when she was killed late on Christmas night in 1996, or early the next morning.
Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett and Boulder Police Chief Greg Testa both confirmed Tuesday that they and members of their staffs recently discussed the issue with Colorado Bureau of Investigation administrators, who are on the verge of unveiling new, more sophisticated DNA tests than their lab has ever used before.
The meeting took place shortly before Thanksgiving, Testa said.
"We did meet with CBI and the district attorney's office, and we had a general discussion about evidence in the Ramsey case, including new technology and DNA testing," Testa said. "And we are going to take a look at the new technology, and see how they may help us further this investigation."
"We should be doing all reasonable testing that we can do, and we will be," Garnett said.
The testing would be conducted with new, more sensitive "kits" required of crime labs by the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, the database that includes genetic profiles from more than 15.1 million known offenders and arrestees and more than 738,000 unsolved cases.
The 9NEWS/Camera investigation found that DNA evidence in the case doesn't support the controversial decision by former District Attorney Mary Lacy to clear the girl's family members from all suspicion in her death.