While some pointed to Hoffman-Pugh, the Ramsey family wasn’t completely forgotten. The parents were early suspects by police, who suspected Pasty of writing a ransom note found at the home. Their son, Burke, who was just 9 years old at the time, was ruled out. Investigators theorized the note was a means to deflect blame from themselves.
A grand jury voted to indict the Ramseys for child abuse resulting in death and for accessory to a crime, but the district attorney at the time declined the indictment. John later spoke out in frustration, claiming the police falsely painted them as suspects.
A later investigation revealed trace DNA evidence of an unidentified man. As a result, the district attorney wrote a letter stating that her parents were allegedly cleared. However, the couple’s status in the case remains debated among internal investigators, who did not believe the district attorney had such authority and asserted the letter was not binding.
The case remains unsolved. However, a new suspect was briefly arrested after his ex-wife insisted he was responsible. Ultimately, though, he was released in December 2025.
In January 2026, a new cop was tapped to continue the investigation.