(NECN/NBC News: Leanne Gregg, Boulder, Colo.) - Close to two decades after the death of JonBenet Ramsey, previously sealed documents in the little girl's Christmas murder have been revealed. Those documents, released on Friday, say that a grand jury considered charges against the child's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey.
The Ramsey’s were cleared years ago, but documents say the grand jury wanted to indict them in connection with their daughter's death.
Documents from a grand jury that convened three years after her death say jurors wanted to indict both her parents of child abuse leading to death, accusing them of hindering the investigation and helping whomever killed their daughter.
The district attorney at the time declined to pursue charges, saying there was not enough evidence.
"Grand jury did not indict for murder, the grand jury indicted for child abuse resulting in death, which is easier to prove,” said a former Denver, Colo. district attorney.
The grand jury's burden of proof is lower than what's required for a district attorney to file charges, and after the investigation, the D.A. at the time announced he had no case.
"We do not have sufficient evidence to warrant the filing of charges against anyone,” said Alex Hunter in 1999, the former Boulder County DA.
Ramsey’s repeatedly maintained their innocence.
"I did not kill my daughter, JonBenet. I did not have anything to do with it,” said John Ramsey in 1996.
Patsy Ramsey died of cancer in 2006. Two years later, a DA exonerated both of them, based on new DNA evidence pointing to an unknown male suspect- not a family member.
"It is the DNA of the person who was in that basement that night that molested, sexually assaulted and brutally murdered this young child,” said Lin Wood, the Ramsey family attorney.
John Ramsey earlier this week asked the court to release the entire grand jury record, if the unprosecuted charges would be made public. But the judge ruled to release only the indictment, despite arguments it would further defame Ramsey and his late wife.
Only 4 pages of the grand jury records were released today. There was no information regarding evidence. JonBenet would have been almost 23.
