Shock development in the JonBenet Ramsey case

JonBenet Ramsey was murdered by members of a sex ring, but Boulder, Colorado police blew their chance of bringing the ringleader to justice, US magazine Globe is sensationally reporting today.

After a lengthy investigation, the publication alleges law enforcement officials covered up their mistake for two decades.

The 6-year-old pageant princess was found apparently molested, garrotted and struck with a baseball bat in the basement of her family’s home on December 25, 1996.

According to Globe, the real killer is now serving a 32-year sentence in Colorado’s Crowley County Correctional Facility for sexual assaults committed in 1993 and 1996. He made a plea bargain for his other sex crimes that prevents authorities from testing his DNA to see if it matches that found on JonBenet’s underwear.

“Her killer may have protected himself from prosecution by going to jail,” Globe’s source says. “At least one Ramsey investigator had his name on his suspect list.”

But the killer, whose name isn’t being released, “wanted a total encompassing deal where authorities couldn’t come back at him for his crimes. They do stupid deals like this all the time,” says the source.

This story originally appeared in New Idea.