Kriti Mehrotra
As a 3-part documentary series we can only describe as equal parts baffling and intriguing, Netflix’s ‘Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?’ lives up to its title in every way conceivable. That’s because it incorporates not just exclusive interviews with those close to the matter but also dramatic recreations as well as archival footage so as to really explore every avenue around it. Thus, it comes as no surprise there was significant mention of then-Boulder Police Department Detective Linda Arndt, whose statements concerning the matter raised a lot of controversy.
Linda Arndt Allegedly Believes She Was Face-to-Face With JonBenét’s Killer
Although not much regarding Linda’s early life or career is known as of writing, we do know she was a Colorado native who had joined the police force at a relatively young age to serve her people. Therefore, when Patsy Ramsey dialed 911 on the morning of December 26, 1996, to report her 6-year-old daughter missing, possibly kidnapped, she was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene. In fact, she was also the one who had asked patriarch John Ramsey and a family friend to check the house all over again a few hours later in case they missed anything, only for it to almost immediately yield JonBenét’s remains. She did so after the expected ransom call between 8 and 10 am didn’t come.
According to records, as the only officer present at the scene at the time, Linda thought this to be very strange as John had essentially bee-lined to where the young girl’s remains were. The father has since asserted he only went to the basement because he thought the most logical thing would be to work his way up, and it was by pure chance that he found his daughter, and in a state of panic, decided to carry her up the stairs. In Linda’s eyes, though, he not only disturbed the scene but also behaved in a manner she thought to be strange and possibly dangerous.
As per an ABC interview, Linda recalled John being “cordial,” but she had this feeling she was face-to-face with JonBenét’s killer when she was on her knees examining her body. In fact, her statements indicated she felt so strange about this entire ordeal that she even made a mental note of her shoulder holster, the gun within it, and the fact she had 18 bullets on her being. This implied narrative of the Ramseys being behind their own daughter’s murder is a theory that has persisted for over three decades, but no one has ever been arrested or charged with this matter.
Linda Arndt Prefers to Lead a Quiet Life Today
Considering the backlash the Boulder Police were facing for not properly securing the scene beforehand, several officers were removed from the investigation of JonBenét’s murder, amongst which was Linda. However, what’s even more imperative to note is that although she continued serving her city for a while to come, things soon changed for her, driving her to leave this life behind in 1999. She actually resigned in March, nearly a year after filing suit against former Chief Tom Koby and the city of Boulder on the grounds they violated her civil rights through a gag order that prevented her from defending her reputation/claims after being pulled from the investigation.
It’s actually unclear precisely how her suit against the former chief as well as the city concluded, yet we do know Linda left the police department for good on April 1, 1999. According to reports, she had been in the force for over 11 years, with eight of them as a proud detective. Nevertheless, in this case, while she never explicitly named the person she said she believed killed JonBenét, she did cast suspicion toward the girl’s father during her ABC interview. Since then, from what we can tell, this 60-something-year-old has preferred to lead a life well away from the spotlight. So, all we know is that she is currently likely surrounded by a family of her own in Penrose, Colorado.
Read More: Steve Thomas: Where is the Detective Now?
