Where is Steve Thomas now? Details about JonBenet Ramsey's case detective explored

Detective Steve Thomas was a Boulder Police Department detective who was at the center of JonBenét Ramsey's murder in 1996. The six-year-old was found dead in her Boulder, Colorado home, and her case faced significant challenges, including conflicting leads and limited physical evidence.

While Thomas retired from law enforcement in 1998, he was closely associated with the case, especially for his controversial theory about JonBenét's killer. He alleged that it was Patsy Ramsey, JonBenét's mother, who killed her. Detective Thomas' allegations led to a lot of legal battles and public debate that made him a key investigator in the case.

Following his retirement from law enforcement, the former detective wrote a book JonBenét: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation. The book fed public debate about the Ramsey family's involvement after DNA evidence exonerated them. The detective now lives in Colorado, working as a carpenter.

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Steve Thomas's early career and involvement in the JonBenét Ramsey case

Steve Thomas was born in Colorado to a family of people who were in the US Navy. When he met a police officer in high school and heard them describe their life in the police force, Steve reportedly realized that it was what he wanted to do.

Thomas was accepted to the Boulder Police Department after completing the police academy and working as a patrol officer. He transferred to the narcotics unit and was known for his strong work ethic. However, he was not experienced with homicide investigations. He reportedly found out this when he was assigned to the JonBenét Ramsey case.

Thomas was one of the detectives who worked on JonBenét's case and was under a lot of pressure due to the case's high-profile nature. As he continued with the investigation, he was convinced that Pat accidentally killed her daughter in anger after the six-year-old wet her bed.

Thomas assumed that the Ramsey family staged the crime scene together with the ransom note to conceal Patsy's involvement. The detective's 2001 book sparked intense debate in the public about possible involvement by the family members, even though DNA later cleared them of any guilt.

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Controversial accusations and resignation

Steve Thomas made his allegations against Patsy Ramsey public in 1998 after he resigned from the Boulder Police Department. He was frustrated with what he perceived as prosecutorial inaction, believing that the Ramseys were being shielded from justice.

In 2001, he wrote JonBenét: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation and alleged that JonBenét was killed due to a domestic incident gone wrong. According to his hypothesis, Patsy Ramsey hit JonBenét when she was frustrated with something.

However, an autopsy showed that Thomas' hypothesis was incorrect as the girl was killed due to asphyxiation. That being said, there were also injuries on her skull, showing that it had been cracked. The report further indicated that she was r*ped, a finding Thomas's hypothesis could not explain.

The Ramseys denied the allegations brought by Steve Thomas, and they filed a civil defamation case against him, claiming that the accusations were false. The case was settled out of court, but the terms of the settlement are not known.

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Steve Thomas's life after law enforcement

Steve Thomas retired from law enforcement in 1998 and he reportedly pursued a quieter career in carpentry and started his own business in Colorado. He was at the center of the media frenzy while he was handling the JonBenét case.

JonBenét: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation (Image via Amazon.com)

Although Thomas maintains he has a theory, in recent years, he hasn't said much about it and reportedly avoids discussing it with others. He was also reportedly rebuffed interview requests on the Netflix series Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey.

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Steve Thomas's involvement in the JonBenét Ramsey case left a mark that both the investigation and the public would never forget. He made accusations against the Ramseys, and those accusations formed much of the early narrative surrounding the case. However, with the DNA evidence later clearing the family, his claims were called into question.

The case remains unsolved, and investigators pursue every new lead and advancement in forensic technology. Meanwhile, Steve Thomas's book and the public statements continue to add a contentious chapter in the story about the difficulties of solving such high-profile crimes.

The Netflix series Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey is available for streaming on the platform.