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Inside the latest theory circulating on TikTok about who killed JonBenét.
By Alice Kelly — Written on Jul 13, 2021
An investigator and criminal psychologist has revealed clues that suggest JonBenét Ramsey was killed by an intruder, according to a woman who shared what she learned during a lecture with followers on TikTok.
The woman says John Philpin, an independent criminal profiler and retired psychologist who was guest speaker in one of her college courses has disclosed unreleased evidence that could debunk the widely held theory that JonBenét was murdered by one of her parents or a family member.
What happened to JonBenét Ramsey?
The case of 6-year-old child pageant star's murder remains unsolved despite widespread speculation about who was responsible for her 1996 death.
JonBenét was found dead in the basement of her family home on Christmas Day, just 7 hours after her family reported her missing.
Over the years, investigators and others following the case have speculated that JonBenét’s mother Patsy wrote the ransom note found in the family home that day. Others say her husband, John Ramsey, acted suspiciously in the early stages of the investigation.
Then there’s the theory that JonBenét’s older brother, Burke, killed her and his parents covered up the crime.
Now a video circulating on TikTok claims an investigator has evidence that an intruder killed JonBenét Ramsey.
In the video, the woman details some of the lesser-known evidence put forward by Philpin that appears to imply that an outsider broke into the Ramsey home and murdered JonBenét.
Let’s break it down.
JonBenét was strangled and beaten.
The woman argues that a then 8-year-old Burke would have been unable to cause the injuries his sister sustained during her murder. This evidence does not, however, rule out JonBenét’s parents.
JonBenét had sustained a broken skull and is believed to have been strangled with a garotte fashioned partially from a paintbrush taken from Patsy’s art supplies, which were stored in the basement.
JonBenét's official cause of death was listed by the coroner as "asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma."
DNA evidence found on JonBenét's underwear does not match any of the Ramseys.
The woman states JonBenét "was sexually assaulted, which I don’t think a lot of people know about the case.”
In a follow-up video, she adds that DNA found in JonBenét’s underwear did not match that of the Ramsey family.
All three members of JonBenét’s immediate family were exonerated of the crime in 2008 after DNA evidence cleared them.
Whether or not JonBenét was sexually assaulted has been a contentious issue in the case. Early coroner reports noted vaginal injury but no semen. Other reports imply JonBenét may have been abused sexually prior to the day of her murder.
In 1999, a grand jury found that there was sufficient evidence to believe JonBenét had been sexually assaulted in addition to the contusions that led to her death.
An intruder could have written the ransom note.
Also in the video, the woman addresses the controversial ransom note some suspect was written by Patsy Ramsey.
The suspicious ransom note asked for “$118,000.00 from your account. $100,000 will be in $100 bills and the remaining $18,000 in $20 bills.”
The amount requested exactly matches John Ramsey’s Christmas bonus, leading to further speculation that someone in the family wrote the note.
However, the TikTok video claims Philpin found evidence that John’s bank statements were left out on his desk on the day of JonBenét’s death, meaning an intruder could have seen the amount.
That said, handwriting experts have also implied Patsy Ramsey wrote the note.
The Ramsey’s basement window was smashed.
The video claims an intruder could have entered or exited through a basement window in the Ramsey’s house.
The woman claims that the grate and shrubbery above the widow had been moved on the night of the murder and adds that the window was smashed.
However, investigators in the case noted that a spider web had formed on the grate by the time JonBenét’s body was discovered. John Ramsey also revealed that he had smashed the window long before the murder after getting locked out of the house.
So who killed JonBenét Ramsey? There are three possible suspects based on the intruder theory circulating on TikTok.
1. Gary Oliva, a convicted pedophile.
Convicted pedophile, Gary Oliva claimed to have killed JonBenét in a confession letter.
The theory of his possible involvement was dismissed by police, as DNA evidence did not link him to the crime.
2. Keith Schwinaman, also a convicted pedophile.
While in prison for sexually assaulting a different child, Keith Schwinaman claimed he would most likely be charged with JonBenét’s murder, alleging that he was being interviewed by investigators.
Schwinaman was allegedly living and committing crimes in the Boulder area where JonBenét was murdered, however, he denies any involvement in her death and was never charged.
3. Linda Hoffman-Pugh, the Ramsey family housekeeper.
Linda Hoffman-Pugh was briefly a suspect after Patsy Ramsey alleged the housekeeper had money problems in the time leading up to JonBenét’s death.
Hoffman-Pugh also had a key to the Ramsey home and would have been familiar to JonBenét.
Police did gather Hoffman-Pugh’s fingerprints and DNA samples, but no charges were brought against her.
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment. Keep up with her Twitter for more.