The Boulder Police Department in Colorado has disputed a claim made by a convicted sex offender who confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey more than 20 years ago.
The Daily Mail published letters allegedly written by Gary Oliva, 54, who was convicted on child pornography charges, saying he accidentally killed the former child beauty pageant contestant.
The Boulder Police Department released a statement about Oliva’s letters, saying it is aware of the claims.
“The department routinely receives information on this investigation,” It added. “Information provided to the police department is reviewed along with the many tips and theories we receive. There are no new updates in this investigation and the department will not comment further.”
In another letter published by the Mail, he allegedly wrote, in part, it was “by accident she died and it was my fault.”
The letters were sent to music publicist Michael Vail, a former high school classmate of Oliva’s.
In 2016, Oliva was arrested after an investigator found child pornography images in an email account used by him.
“The focus on him has to do with this new case, we are not in a position at this point to say if he is being looked at in connection with JonBenet,” said Boulder city spokeswoman Sarah Huntley in 2016, according to reports at the time. “We are not comfortable ruling anybody in or out as a suspect in connection with JonBenet, including Mr. Oliva.”
Oliva was arrested in 2002. He told the Denver Post, “JonBenet’s murder touched me very deeply ... I feel she was an exceptional girl whose death was an exceptional loss. I felt the need to build a monument, a shrine, to remember this little girl.”
“I believe she came to me after she was killed and revealed herself to me,” he told the Daily Camera in 2002. “I'd like to see a memorial set up for her. I haven’t seen that, anywhere.”
No one has been charged in JonBenet’s death. Her father, John Ramsey, found her in the family home’s basement on Dec. 26, 1996.
Her parents were cleared in the girl’s slaying.
Officials have said she was likely killed on Christmas Day 1996.
Previous Confessions
More than 10 years ago, John Mark Karr, a 41-year-old elementary school teacher, was arrested in Bangkok on Aug. 15, 2006, when he apparently confessed to murdering JonBenet.When asked if he was innocent in her slaying, Karr replied, “No.”
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