Burke Ramsey

Burke Hamilton Ramsey is the brother of JonBenét Ramsey, who was found dead in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado, on December 26, 1996. Nine years old at the time of his sister's death, Burke Ramsey was in his bedroom when police were first called to the home. Early that morning he was sent to the home of a family friend.

Some investigators, such as James Kolar, have suspected Burke Ramsey of involvement in his sister's death. The theory that "Burke did it" has gained popularity since the airing of a CBS documentary in 2016.

Personal Background
Burke Ramsey was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

Account of Christmas Night
Text

Suspicion of Burke Ramsey
"text"

- James Kolar

James Kolar, who was appointed by the District Attorney's office in 2005 to review the entire casefile, has expressed suspicion that Burke was the culprit. The BDI theory also received coverage in a popular CBS documentary.

Evidence Potentially Implicating Burke Ramsey
Text
 * The presence of his fingerprints on the bowl of pineapple
 * The presence of his Hi-Tec footprint in the basement
 * The presence of his DNA on the nightgown.
 * The fact that Burke had undiagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder at the time of the killing could potentially be linked to an impulsive outburst.
 * The allegations of fecal smearing, if true, could point to potential behavioral problems
 * His apparent inability to recognize a bowl of pineapple in his 1998 interview could be indicative of deception.
 * James Kolar considered it "unusual ... that Burke, who reportedly had not witnessed any of the events surrounding JonBenét’s kidnapping or death, was still being treated professionally [by a psychologist] nearly a year and a half after the event".

After the Murder
Text

Was Burke a Suspect?
DA Hunter claimed Burke was not a suspect.

According to James Kolar


 * Bill Nagel stopped by my office [...] He apparently had been giving my theory some additional thought. Bill advised me that no one had really taken a very close look at Burke and that Ramsey attorneys had campaigned Hunter’s office to publicly clear him of any involvement in the case. All eyes were focused elsewhere, and Hunter eventually caved on the request.


 * It made sense to me. I recalled having seen a handwritten note on attorney letterhead that had been faxed to the D.A.s office. It was my impression that Hunter’s subsequent announcement to the media, which cleared Burke Ramsey as a potential suspect in the case, read nearly verbatim to the content of the note sent to him by Ramsey attorneys.