There has been a resurgence of public interest in the nearly three-decades-old unsolved murder of JonBenet Ramsey, a 6-year-old beauty pageant queen found dead in her parents' Boulder, Colorado home on the morning after Christmas in 1996.

The Boulder Police Department, which has faced scrutiny and criticism over its handling of the case, confirmed on Monday that they remained committed to finding the little girl's killer, NBC News reported.

However, the department declined to verify whether it had received or followed up on any new leads or tips provided by the public about who may be responsible for the untimely death.

The unsolved murder of JonBenet Ramsey

The renewal of public interest in the unsolved 1996 murder stems at least in part from the recent premiere of a new Netflix docuseries titled "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey," which first aired last week after being heavily promoted ahead of time.

The three-part series aims to expose how "Police missteps and a media circus derailed the JonBenét Ramsey murder case," and also "chronicles the decades-long quest for justice" by the devastated family that was initially viewed as the primary suspects in the girl's death.

The girl's father, John Ramsey, among others, has accused the Boulder Police of mishandling the crime scene and evidence gathered and of not properly testing unknown DNA samples that were recovered from the house almost 30 years ago.

Unnamed source claims new leads are being pursued

According to NBC News, an unnamed spokesperson for the Boulder Police told the outlet on Monday, "It’s obvious that the Boulder Police Department wants to solve this case and the only reason is to bring justice to the victim."

Yet, the spokesperson notably declined to answer questions about whether the department had received and followed up on any tips or new leads provided by the public or outside investigators and instead referred to a statement released by the department's chief last week.

However, ABC News reported that an unidentified law enforcement source briefed on the current status of the investigation revealed that progress has been made and that recently received tips have been followed up on, which they contrasted with prior years of "limited detective work" on the unsolved case.

The outlet further noted that the FBI confirmed that it continues to work with various state and local agencies on the Ramsey case but that the Boulder PD remains the lead agency on the investigation.

Department's "commitment" to finding the killer "has never wavered"

As for the prior statement from Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn that NBC News was referred to, he said in an X video last week, "There are a number of things that people have pointed to throughout the years that could have been done better, and we acknowledge that is true. However, it is important to emphasize that while we cannot go back to that horrible day in 1996, our goal is to find JonBenét Ramsey’s killer. Our commitment to that has never wavered."

"The killing of JonBenet was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left our hearts," the chief said at another point in his remarks. "We are committed to following up on every lead and we are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved. This investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department."

Notably, though, Redfearn also pushed back against the "completely false" allegations that the department was not pursuing leads or testing "viable evidence," including DNA, and pointed out that it was his department, and not a larger state agency, that had convened a Cold Case Review Panel in late 2023 to bolster the incomplete investigation.

The annual statement and update on the Ramsey case from the Boulder PD was released about a month earlier than usual this year, and while the Netflix special was not directly mentioned, the department did acknowledge that it was "sharing our update earlier due to the increased attention on this investigation."