The father of JonBenét Ramsey, that young 6-year-old whose tragic fate was discovered in the basement of her family's Colorado home nearly three decades ago, has now received an apology from journalist Geraldo Rivera. This apology comes in the wake of the mock murder trial that Rivera staged on TV. On Monday, December 2, during NewsNation's Cuomo, Rivera extended his sincere apology to John Ramsey. He said, "I deeply apologize to you for what you and your family have suffered." Rivera's "jury" had found the parents liable for their daughter's death, according to NewsNation. He further added, "No one deserves to go through what you went through. That's my bottom line. And when I walk around and it is with stories like yours in my head over the last 54 years of my career, I, it is a burden to me. It’s a soulful burden. And again, man to man, to you, I apologize, and I am sorry for everything you have gone through, John." John responded with, "Geraldo, I accept your apology and thank you."

John Ramsey's Openness about Authorities' Missteps

John has long been vocal about what he perceives as missteps made by the authorities during the investigation of JonBenét's murder. In the midst of an international media frenzy, he believes these missteps only exacerbated the situation. Along with his wife Patsy, who has since passed away, they quickly became persons of interest after their daughter was found beaten, sexually assaulted, and strangled to death on December 26, 1996. Earlier that morning, Patsy had discovered a ransom note demanding $118,000 in exchange for JonBenét's safe return. 2: The Ramsey family has endured a long and arduous journey without any charges being filed. Despite several people coming under suspicion, no arrests have been made in connection with this tragic case. This has left the family seeking answers and justice.

The Impact of the Netflix Docuseries

The infamous cold case has once again come into the public eye following the November release of the Netflix three-part docuseries Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey? Ahead of its release, John spoke with PEOPLE about the necessary steps to make progress in finding his daughter's killer. 2: He expressed his desire for state-of-the-art labs that utilize genetic genealogy and other advanced DNA technology. By examining seven items from the crime scene that he claims have never been tested or were examined with outdated methods, he hopes to crack this cold case. He said, "We’re begging the police to engage." He added that there are cutting-edge DNA labs that are eager to help and believe they can move the case forward.

The Boulder Police Department's Response

However, the Boulder Police Department has recently disputed any claims that they are not pursuing all leads. They have stated that progress is being made in the investigation. 2: In a November 26 post on X (formerly Twitter), the department said, "The assertion that there is viable evidence and leads we are not pursuing — to include DNA testing — is completely false." They also added that it was the Boulder Police Department, not the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, who convened the Cold Case Review Panel in December 2023 as part of their investigation efforts. Boulder Police Public Information Officer Dionne Waugh told PEOPLE on Monday, December 2, "It’s obvious that the Boulder Police Department wants to solve this case and the only reason is to bring justice to the victim JonBenét Ramsey."