Losing a child is arguably the worst thing in the world. Losing a child to murder in a highly publicized crime that has you pinned as the prime suspect is unimaginable. That's what happened to Jon and Patsy Ramsey when their young daughter, JonBenét, was killed in their home in Boulder, Colo. on Dec. 26, 1996.
A new documentary on A&E is set to premiere Monday, Sept. 5 and will explore the truth about this explosive unsolved murder case and may possibly take the suspicion off her long-suffering parents once and for all. See the teaser below:
Almost immediately after the murder, John and Patsy Ramsey came under heavy suspicion. Seemingly one believed the two had nothing to do with it. That includes the police, who have taken criticism for looking so heavily at JonBenét's parents that they missed the evidence that suggested an intruder had committed the crime.
Speculation about their reactions (often described as "cool," or not what many expected of grieving parents) led to suspicion and years of hate and bullying that only ended for Patsy when she died of ovarian cancer 10 years after her daughter's death.
In recent years, the cold case has had many twists and turns. But in 2008, two years after JonBenet's death, the Ramseys were exonerated of the crime. The case remains one of the most talked about crimes in American history and is often criticized as being the beginning of "missing white girl syndrome," the idea that the media focuses more on the disappearance and murders of pretty, wealthy white women and girls over similar crimes that happen to minorities.
The documentary looks like it might explore some new avenues of thought about the case. The A&E special is one of several pegged to the 20th anniversary of the crime. Investigation Discovery will premiere its three-night special JonBenet Ramsey: An American Murder Mystery on Sept. 12. CBS had previously announced its six-hour series The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey, which will air on Sept. 18, 19, and 25. Additionally, Lifetime will air a JonBenét TV movie in November.
The Killing of JonBenét: The Truth Uncovered premieres Monday, Sept. 5 at 9 p.m. on A&E.
