JonBenét Ramsey’s father insists his daughter’s 28-year-old murder will still be solved

JonBenét Ramsey’s father still clings to hope that his daughter’s killer can be caught, saying Thursday he welcomes new pop culture attention on the nearly 28-year-old slaying.

John Ramsey, 80, said advances in DNA technology can help police in Boulder, Colorado take a fresh look at the murder that garnered international attention around Christmas 1996.

“So we want to keep the case alive and in front of people,” Ramsey told NBC’s ‘TODAY” show. “I believe it can be solved if the police accept help from outside their system. That’s been the flaw for 25 years.”

Ramsey spoke on “TODAY” along with Joe Berlinger, the director of the upcoming Netflix docuseries “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey,” which comes out next week.

“There’s a whole new generation of true crime fans that have rediscovered the story, going down these rabbit holes on Reddit and message boards, continuing to blame the family, continuing to spin conspiracy theories,” Berlinger said. “So I really wanted to set the record straight. It’s a very clear eyed examination of how it’s so obvious that this was an intruder.”

While renewed attention on his child’s killing can also spawn conspiracy theories, Ramsey said there’s a net benefit of new eyes on this unsolved murder that has captivated much of the nation for nearly three decades.

“It’s a double edged sword,” Ramsey said. “We’re grateful that the public, and frankly, the world, cares about the murder of our child.”

The young beauty queen JonBenét was found dead in the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996 in the basement of the family’s home in Boulder. The mystery of who strangled the child has remained unsolved ever since.

“We are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved,” Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said in statement to NBC News.

John Ramsey, whose wife Patsy died of ovarian cancer in 2006, said members of his family has been wrongly blamed for nearly three decades.

“I’m doing this for the sake of my children and my grandchildren. This cloud over our family’s name needs to be lifted,” he said. “They need to be able to go on and close this chapter and go on with their lives.”