NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

New claim suggests JonBenet Ramsey was murdered by 'child porn ring'

NZ Herald
24 Apr, 2017 10:15 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

JonBenet Ramsey. Photo / Supplied

JonBenet Ramsey. Photo / Supplied

A new documentary is set to explore the possibility child beauty pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey was murdered by a Colorado "child porn ring".

The shocking new film, Casting JonBenet, features actors from around Boulder - where the Ramsey family lived - auditioning to play the roles of the central figures in the murder mystery.

One of the local would-be movie stars, according to The Sun, says in the film: "There was a lot of talk that there was a child porn ring going on in Boulder."

At other points in the movie, which will be released by Netflix this Thursday, residents who lived near the family discuss wild theories and conspiracies surrounding JonBenet's death in 1996, Daily Mail.

"This is Boulder, that is what you have to deal with, but I thought there was some sort of sexual escapade that got out of hand," one local says in the documentary, according to the newspaper.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's always somebody you know, nine times out of 10 it's always somebody you know," another person is heard saying.

The newspaper reports another person asks in the film: "What you find is a lot of white collar crime, and possibly the child porn angle with everybody was just like 'why isn't this investigated?'"

The documentary is the second feature piece from Australian director Kitty Green. It is described as a new look at, "the world's most sensational child murder case".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Some of the roles different local performers audition for are: JonBenet, her brother, Burke, her father John, and her now-deceased mother, Patsy.

Patsy Ramsey died in 2006 from ovarian cancer.

No one has ever been charged over the death of the six-year-old girl, who was found dead inside her family home on December 26, 1996.

Several hours before the youngster's body was found under a white sheet, Patsy Ramsey had called 911 and reported her daughter missing.

Discover more

World

JonBenet case takes another turn

14 Dec 11:06 PM
World

JonBenet's mum 'wrote' ransom note

16 Dec 11:05 PM
Entertainment

Director shuns facts in quest for truths

30 Apr 05:00 PM
Entertainment

JonBenet murder 'will remain unsolved'

01 May 04:00 AM

JonBenet had a fractured skull and it appeared as though she had been strangled.

Male DNA was found on her underwear, but authorities have never been able to match it to a suspect.

The 1996 murder of 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, seen here with her mother Patsy, made international headlines and captivated the nation. Photo / AP
The 1996 murder of 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, seen here with her mother Patsy, made international headlines and captivated the nation. Photo / AP

When John and Patsy called police they told them they found a ransom note demanding a payment of $118,000 - but said they could not tell authorities about it.

Despite being told about the note, police arrived to their home shortly after in clearly marked vehicles.

John and Patsy would remain the primary suspects in their daughter's death for more than a decade, and it was not until 2008 that police finally cleared them of any wrongdoing.

At that time, Patsy had been dead for two years.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

John and Patsy would remain the primary suspects in their daughter's death for more than a decade, and it was not until 2008 that police finally cleared them of any wrongdoing.

At that time, Patsy had been dead for two years.

Late last year, Burke Ramsey filed a $750 million lawsuit against CBS a production company and seven consultants who all worked on a television special that suggested he killed his sister.

Viewers were puzzled by Burke Ramsey's demeanour in an interview on DrPhil about his sister's murder. Photo / Supplied
Viewers were puzzled by Burke Ramsey's demeanour in an interview on DrPhil about his sister's murder. Photo / Supplied

The lawsuit pertains to the CBS special The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey which aired last September.

In the special, investigators conclude Burke - who was nine years old at the time of the murder - killed his six-year-old sister by hitting her over the head with a flashlight.

According to the lawsuit, Burke is demanding $250 million in compensatory damages and $500million in punitive damages for "permanent damage to his reputation" resulting from the TV special's "false accusation that he killed his sister".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The suit was the second he had filed in relation to the TV special, after earlier a $150million lawsuit against Dr Werner Spitz, a crime expert whose interview about the case was used on the show.

Burke was exonerated by DNA evidence in May of 1999, a little over two years after the murder.

- Daily Mail

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues

17 Jun 01:08 AM
Entertainment

Doctor to plead guilty in Matthew Perry drug case, faces 40 years

16 Jun 11:30 PM
Opinion

Why 'Prime Minister' is a must-watch for political enthusiasts

16 Jun 06:00 PM

It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues

Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues

17 Jun 01:08 AM

Justin ended a friendship after a friend criticised his anger.

Doctor to plead guilty in Matthew Perry drug case, faces 40 years

Doctor to plead guilty in Matthew Perry drug case, faces 40 years

16 Jun 11:30 PM
Why 'Prime Minister' is a must-watch for political enthusiasts

Why 'Prime Minister' is a must-watch for political enthusiasts

16 Jun 06:00 PM
The rise of Synthony: Behind the scenes with DJ Dick Johnson

The rise of Synthony: Behind the scenes with DJ Dick Johnson

16 Jun 05:00 PM
Sponsored: Embrace the senses
sponsored

Sponsored: Embrace the senses

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP