JonBenét Ramsey’s Father John Defends Former Housekeeper in Case of Child Beauty Queen’s Murder Mystery

Former housekeeper Linda Hoffman-Pugh, who had once been publicly entangled in suspicion surrounding the 1996 killing of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey, has been posthumously defended by John Ramsey after her death in May 2026. Hoffman-Pugh worked for John Ramsey and Patsy Ramsey when JonBenét was found strangled in the basement of the family’s Boulder, Colorado home on December 26, 1996, in a case that has remained unsolved for nearly three decades. She was initially viewed with suspicion because of her close access to the Ramsey household, but investigators eventually cleared her.

The renewed attention comes as John Ramsey, the child’s father, said he does not believe Hoffman-Pugh was involved in the murder, despite earlier speculation that linked her to the case. He recalled that Patsy Ramsey had told him early in the investigation that if Hoffman-Pugh had been involved, she would never have harmed JonBenét. Hoffman-Pugh, however, long believed that Patsy had been among the first to point investigators toward her as a possible suspect.

The dispute escalated after John and Patsy Ramsey published their book, The Death of Innocence: The Untold Story of JonBenét’s Murder and How Its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth. Hoffman-Pugh later filed a libel and slander lawsuit, claiming the book portrayed her as if she may have been involved in JonBenét’s death. Her attorneys alleged that the Ramseys made deliberate false statements against her. The case was dismissed, and her appeal was unsuccessful.

The Ramsey family itself was also subjected to intense scrutiny. Police investigated whether John and Patsy Ramsey had any role in the crime, and Patsy was suspected by some investigators of writing the ransom note found in the home. Authorities theorized that the note may have been intended to divert suspicion away from the family. A grand jury later voted to indict the Ramseys on child abuse resulting in death and accessory charges, but the district attorney declined to proceed with the indictment.

Over the years, the investigation produced conflicting interpretations of DNA evidence. At one point, officials said trace DNA from an unidentified male helped clear the family, though a later district attorney argued that the earlier letter stating they had been exonerated had no legal effect. In January 2026, Boulder police quietly assigned former Alabama deputy sheriff Kenny Beck as the new lead investigator, reportedly to review the case with fresh eyes and work alongside private investigators.

Hoffman-Pugh died on May 2, 2026. Her obituary did not mention the Ramsey case and instead remembered her as a devoted mother and grandmother who enjoyed family, puzzles, crosswords, reading, game shows, bowling and latch hook. It also described her as kind, hardworking and caring, especially toward elderly clients.