US detectives reopen JonBenét murder case

The murder of six-year-old beauty pageant contestant JonBenét Ramsey 13 years ago in Boulder, Colorado, is to be reopened as a "cold case".

Boulder police chief Mark Beckner today said all the evidence and actions taken by his officers in 1996 will be reviewed afresh. "Some cases never get solved, but some do. And you can't give up," said Mr Beckner, whose department was criticised over the inquiry.

JonBenét was found dead in the basement of her parents' home nearly eight hours after she was reported missing. After several grand jury hearings, the case remains unsolved.

The girl's parents, John and Patsy, and her brother were cleared of the killing last year. Prosecutors told the family they were "deeply sorry" for putting them under a cloud of suspicion for 12 years. DNA tests were said to point to a mysterious outsider. Patsy Ramsey died in 2006 of ovarian cancer, aged 49.

Mr Beckner said he has invited a team of veteran investigators from state and federal agencies to join an advisory taskforce that will "explore all possible theories about what happened the night JonBenét was killed".