by Gabrielle Levy)
JonBenet Ramsey was killed 17 years ago this week, but the unsolved mystery still commands fascination.
Now, a new book on the murder of the six-year-old beauty queen and the resulting investigation is on the way from longtime investigative reporter Paula Woodward, written with the cooperation of JonBenet's father, John Ramsey.
Woodward acknowledges that many people felt she was convinced of the innocence of John and Patsy Ramsey in their daughter's death.
"That case was full of misperceptions, and nobody knows what I thought then and after reviewing it for four years, nobody knows what I think now," Woodward said. "I have cooperation from John Ramsey, from law enforcement people, from Ramsey attorneys, from people involved on the periphery. A lot of people seemed willing to talk."
The Ramseys were both indicted by a grand jury that disbanded in October 1999 after 13 months of deliberations, but neither was charged. The indictment remained sealed until this year, when a Weld County judge ruled for it to be disclosed.
And while many in the public remain convinced the Ramseys were involved, reexamined DNA evidence led former District Attorney Mary Lacy to issue a letter exonerating them both.
Officials who were involved in the case said they were skeptical Woodward's new book would bring any new light to the long-cold trail.
"I think at this point, not much that can be said about the case or reported about the case or written about the case has any effect anymore," said Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner, who declined to be interviewed for the book. "This is really a cold case. Too much time has passed; too much has already been made public."
District Attorney Stan Garnett, who inherited the case when Lacy left in 2009, agreed.
"There has been far too much speculation about this case, in the press, in books and on the Internet about what the evidence means, or doesn't mean," he said. "My views of that evidence, however, will only be stated in open court if a case is filed. Otherwise, my staff and I have nothing to say about another book on the Ramsey case."
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