What Is Burke Ramsey Up to Now? Inside His Life Decades After His Sister JonBenét's Murder

Burke Ramsey, the brother of the slain child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey, appears to work in the tech industry as a software engineer after earning a degree from Purdue University in 2010, according to public records. Decades after his sister's murder, he is said to be keeping a low profile in Michigan.

"He isn't really recognized where he is," a family member said of Burke in an interview with Us Weekly. "He's left alone and that's what he needed."

On November 25, the three-part documentary series Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey was added to Netflix's catalog. It dives into JonBenét's unresolved case nearly 30 years after she was found dead in the basement of her family's Colorado home.

Burke was relatively absent from the series, although their father, John Ramsey, and half-brother, John Andrew Ramsey, were involved in the production. The show also informed viewers that Burke denied the request for an interview, "citing his treatment by the media and online web sleuths."

Speaking with Today, director Joe Berlinger further explained Burke's lack of appearance in the docuseries.

"We tried to gain access through our relationship with John Ramsey and through (his) son, John Andrew Ramsey," said Berlinger. "But we didn’t want to pressure Burke and he didn’t want to talk to us, and he just didn’t want to participate. So we respected that."

Burke broke his silence on the case for the first time during a Dr. Phil episode, which aired in 2016.

In 2008, a DNA testing of JonBenét's clothing cleared Burke and his parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, of being suspects in the case.

He responded to findings in an interview with NBC affiliate KUSA-TV of Denver, sharing what he felt about the public alleging their connection in the killing.

"I think the people that are in charge of the investigation are focused on that, and that gives me a lot of comfort," Burke said. "Certainly we are grateful that they acknowledged that we, based on that, certainly could not have been involved."

He added, "But the most important thing is that we now have very, very solid evidence — and that’s always been my hope, at least in the recent past — that would lead us to the killer eventually."

Gary Oliva, a convicted pedophile who confessed to killing 6-year-old JonBenét, was released from prison in early 2024.

Although Burke did not participate in the Netflix docuseries, he previously appeared on Dr. Phil to "honor her [JonBenét] memory" as he did not want anyone to forget what happened.

Speaking about the rumors, Burke explained, "It blows my mind. What more evidence do you need that we didn’t do it? You won’t find any evidence because that’s not what happened."

In 2016, CBS released a two-part special about a theory about Burke killing JonBenét because she ate some of his snacks.

In response, he sued CBS and the producers and hosts of the special for $750 million for allegedly conspiring to defame him for publicity and profit, the Associated Press reported.

"The accusation that Burke Ramsey killed his sister was based on a compilation of lies, half-truths, manufactured information, and the intentional omission and avoidance of truthful information about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey," his attorneys said in the lawsuit.

Burke and CBS settled the case for an undisclosed amount in 2019.