How did Patsy Ramsey die? More about JonBenet Ramsey’s mother from Cold Case Files on Netflix

Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey? digs into the case of JonBenét’s murder, including new insights into her mother, Patsy Ramsey. This new Netflix docuseries aired on November 25, 2024.

JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old girl, was found dead in her family’s Boulder, Colorado home on December 26, 1996. Patsy Ramsey, JonBenét’s mother, passed away from ovarian cancer in 2006 at the age of 49. Patsy Ramsey died without closure four years after her daughter's murder and her death unfortunately put an end to her relentless fight to uncover the truth.

Patricia died at her father's Georgia home after her condition worsened despite treatment.

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The struggle Patsy Ramsey had with cancer

When Patsy Ramsey first developed ovarian cancer in 1993, her life was severely disrupted. She went through a year of intensive chemotherapy. But the cancer returned in 2002, nine years after she went into remission. Her health had gotten noticeably bad but Patsy was determined to find her daughter's killer.

Patsy underwent palliative care in 2006 when it became evident she would not survive. Though he did not tell Patsy of it, her husband John Ramsey revealed in interviews that he had decided to stop her cancer treatments.

Her cancer had progressed to her brain at the time, and she lost complete awareness of her state. On June 24, 2006, she breathed her last, surrounded by family.

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JonBenét Ramsey's mysterious death

On December 26, 1996, the young beauty queen was found dead in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. This was just hours after her mother found a note demanding money to get her back safe.

Patsy and John Ramsey were never convicted of murdering their daughter, despite being a major suspect. A 1999 grand jury indicted the Ramseys for child abuse resulting in death and accessory to murder, but insufficient evidence led to their 2000 acquittal.

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Patsy Ramsey's last years and efforts to find justice

Patsy anticipated JonBenét's final justice. Her emotional struggle with her daughter's death and terminal illness is shown in the Netflix documentary. She wanted the killer caught before she died, said detectives like Lou Smit. Towards the end, she begged Smit to find JonBenét's killer.

She investigated what happened to her daughter throughout her tenure of battling cancer. She strongly denied involvement in her daughter's death and claimed the family was innocent. Her final moments were filled with hope that justice would prevail despite the obstacles.

In her 2000 interview with Larry King, Patsy discussed the impact JonBenét’s death had on her, expressing the grief of losing her daughter while also speaking about her faith.

She mentioned,

"She was just a little angel herself. So I think it’s befitting that all of the angels that started appearing on the tree — the dogwood tree above her gravesite."

Patsy believed that JonBenét was now in heaven and that she would be reunited with her daughter one day.

In 2000, Patsy and her husband, John, co-wrote The Death of Innocence: The Untold Story of JonBenét’s Murder and How Its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth. Patsy also defended JonBenét’s involvement in beauty pageants, explaining that her daughter had eagerly wanted to participate.

She mentions,

“I decided if this was what she liked to do, then I would see if I could make it possible. I always worried that my cancer would return someday, so I was glad to have found an activity that we could have fun with together,”

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The documentary Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey? is available on Netflix.