What Happened To JonBenét Ramsey’s Brother, Burke

In Netflix’s new documentary, Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, several individuals were questioned, including her older brother, Burke. Directed by Joe Berlinger, the documentary explores one of the most infamous murder cases in American history and the miscommunications and misrepresentations by the media that impacted the unsolved murder of JonBenét Ramsey. The three-part documentary includes interviews from detectives who worked on the case, as well as prominent members of JonBenét Ramsey’s family.

Since 1996, there has been public speculation about the Ramsey family’s potential involvement in JonBenét’s murder. While he declined to be interviewed, Burke Ramsey’s statements to the police are shown throughout the Netflix docuseries, where he is questioned about the events related to his younger sister’s death.

Why Burke Ramsey Wasn’t A Suspect In The Murder Of His Sister, JonBenét

Burke Ramsey Was 9 Years Old When His Sister Was Murdered

Throughout Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, former detectives and news reporters discussed the events that led to the murder and the media attention devoted to the case. The docuseries, set to become one of Netflix’s best true-crime series, also contains previous interviews and statements from JonBenét’s parents, John and Patsy, who passed away from cancer in 2006. In video footage from 1998, Burke Ramsey was questioned by police about JonBenét’s death; in the interviews, Burke revealed that he was simply told by his parents that “JonBenét was in heaven,” to protect him from the horrific details.

In 1999, the District Attorney came forward and stated that Burke, who was 9 when his sister died, was not a suspect in the murder. This statement was made in the aftermath of a lawsuit against Star Magazine, which published an article that alleged that Burke murdered his sister (via The Daily Camera). Burke was ruled out as a suspect, owing to the length and details of the ransom note found by his mother, and the horrifically violent nature of the crime. His older half-brother, John Andrew, stated in the Netflix series that “it’s just absolutely absurd to think, ‘Oh yeah, he could’ve killed his sister and delivered this level of violence’” (via USA Today).

Where Is Burke Ramsey Now?

Burke Ramsey Works In Technology In Michigan

Burke Ramsey stayed out of the spotlight for 20 years, before finally breaking his silence in an interview with Dr. Phil in 2016. In his only interview, Burke discussed the conspiracy theories regarding JonBenét’s murder, and how the death of his sister impacted him as a child. As shown in the Netflix series, in 2016, Burke Ramsey sued CBS for defamation, alleging that their documentary The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey accused him of murdering his sister in a fit of anger; the defamation lawsuit was settled in 2019.

Since his interview with Dr. Phil, Burke Ramsey maintains a low profile, and now lives in Michigan, where he works as a software engineer. According to US Magazine, he has no interest in participating or watching documentaries that cover his sister’s death as they are “triggering” and he also doesn’t discuss JonBenét with anybody. As shown throughout Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, the case significantly impacted Burke Ramsey and his family, and remains one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history.

Sources: USA Today,The Daily Camera, US Magazine