At a press conference Thursday, Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said although it issued no indictments, the grand jury had helped advance the probe. We still have forensic evidence we are working on. Neither prosecutors nor police would give details about the evidence in the case or about the grand jury investigation. Speaking candidly about the facts of the case would hinder further investigation, they said. An autopsy revealed she had suffered a skull fracture, was strangled and beaten, and may have been sexually assaulted.
Critics believe the investigation was compromised before the body was even found.
The investigation also suffered from infighting between police and prosecutors. Lab tests concluded the ransom note was written with a pen and pad that belonged to the Ramseys. Handwriting experts ruled Ramsey out as the author, but Mrs. Ramsey's writing samples were inconclusive. Investigators were said to conclude that four fibers on the duct tape allegedly taken from JonBenet's mouth were consistent with a jacket her mother wore Christmas night. Evidence pointing to an intruder includes a broken basement window and an apparent pry mark found on a kitchen doorjamb, but there were no signs of forced entry.