A 6-year-old girl, last year's Little Miss Colorado, was found strangled in the basement of her home hours after her mother discovered a ransom note indicating she had been kidnapped.
Police were attempting to comply with the note's instructions when a family member found JonBenet Ramsey's body, which had been concealed.John Eller, commander of the police detective division, said the ransom note demanded money and indicated there would be further instructions.
No suspects had been identified and Eller revealed few other details about the investigation. The girl's body was found Thursday and an autopsy Friday found the girl had been choked to death.
JonBenet's parents and their 10-year-old son, who also lives in the home, were taken to an undisclosed location, where a police officer remained with them "for security purposes," Eller said.
"It's still a rather delicate and sensitive investigation, and we want to preserve as much of our potential evidence as we can," Eller said. "This was a beautiful, young girl . . . . The parents are going to go through a tremendous grieving process."
JonBenet was the daughter of John and Patricia "Patsy" Ramsey. Her father is president of Access Graphics, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp. Police said there was no indication the slaying was linked to the father's employment.
Patsy Ramsey called police early Thursday after she discovered a ransom note in her home, Eller said. About seven hours after police and FBI agents began a kidnapping investigation, they conducted a thorough search of the home, and a family member found the child's body, Eller said.
On Friday, investigators looked for footprints and other clues around the house, which is in a close-knit, upscale neighborhood.