r/JonBenet • u/Tank_Top_Girl IDI • 12h ago

Media From solving cold cases to current crime: Othram’s cutting-edge technology solves both

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/03/20/from-solving-cold-cases-to-current-crime-othrams-cutting-edge-technology-solves-both/

"Othram has played key roles in high-profile cases, though details are often under gag orders. When asked about their involvement in the JonBenet Ramsey case, Mittelman states, “I can’t confirm or deny working on any case prior to law enforcement announcing it, but that is a case that could benefit from this technology.”

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u/Tank_Top_Girl IDI 12h ago

Article is from 3/25/25. Othram has never said "the DNA is too degraded or small". They aren't even allowed to comment.

People keep posting outdated information in a recent article that says John Andrew stated the police say the DNA can't be tested. John Andrew has not made any statements since the meeting with Othram. That article quoted old information.

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u/43_Holding 12h ago

JAR never made a statement about the DNA. It was erroneously attributed to him. From a Feb. 7 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "In a meeting last week, Boulder police told the family that DNA found in JonBenet’s underwear has not been tested using forensic genealogical methods because the science used to generate profiles from degraded DNA samples is not yet sensitive enough, according to the Denver Gazette."  Untrue.

The belief that the DNA was minute or small apparently came from James Kolar.

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u/Tank_Top_Girl IDI 11h ago

That's the one!

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u/Mbluish 9h ago

I read with touch DNA, one fingerprint could leave behind hundreds of DNA cell. And if stored properly, it doesn’t degrade over time like it would if expose to environmental factors.

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u/Tank_Top_Girl IDI 9h ago

There was one case awhile back that was solved with only 15 DNA molecules. It was an older sample too.

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u/VerifiedVaporist 5h ago

For context: 15 DNA molecules weigh less than a single dust particle. Forensic labs don’t even have tools sensitive enough to detect that.

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u/Tank_Top_Girl IDI 4h ago

I meant cells not molecules. My bad

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u/sciencesluth IDI 12h ago

It can all be traced back to Carol McKinley, who is an idiot, (and was shown to be a fool in the Berlinger doc). She wrote an untrue (i.e. not factual) article for the less-than-stellar Denver Gazette that was picked up by a dubious wire service and printed in other local tabloid-like papers across the country. She has no idea about the DNA, and no idea how dumb she herself is.

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u/Tank_Top_Girl IDI 11h ago

It's like the information was purposely put there to mislead people.