Police have cleared JonBenet Ramsey's adult half-brother and half-sister in her slaying.
Police spokesman Kelvin McNeill said Thursday that John Andrew and Melinda Ramsey are being eliminated as suspects "to relieve them of stress caused by inappropriate speculation." John Andrew, 20, and Melinda, 25, are John Ramsey's children by his first wife.Thursday's announcement - which came at the city's weekly status update on the 10-week-old investigation into the young beauty queen's brutal murder - marks the first time anyone has been officially scratched as a suspect.
JonBenet's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, have said through family spokesman Patrick Korten they believe they are considered suspects. They have declined a formal police interview but have hired a team of criminal defense lawyers and other experts to conduct their own investigation.
In other developments:
- McNeill said a third handwriting sample provided by Patsy Ramsey on Feb. 28 was needed because prior samples were unsatisfactory because she was on medication. The samples are being compared to the 21/2-page ransom note Patsy Ramsey found.
- Detectives are traveling outside the state for the third time, but their destination and purpose of the trip weren't disclosed.