JonBenet Ramsey's murder may be linked to her dance classmate's 1997 assault, according to John Ramsey.

John Ramsey, father of JonBenet Ramsey, believes that the unsolved murder case of his daughter in 1996 may be linked to a separate unsolved assault case from 1997, which involved a victim who attended the same dance studio as JonBenet.

Since 1996, when 6-year-old JonBenet was discovered dead in her family's Boulder, Colorado, home, authorities have been unable to identify the individual responsible for her murder.

The murder of JonBenét Ramsey has led to renewed attention on an assault case involving a girl who attended her dance studio.

"John Ramsey stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that there is a strong possibility of a connection between the two incidents, despite the police initially dismissing it. The police chief at the time argued that the second incident's victim was not murdered, which Ramsey found absurd."

Ramsey expressed his viewpoint that "it could have been the same individual."

In 1997, an unknown assailant broke into a girl's home, which was located two miles from the Ramsey home, and attacked her in her bedroom. The victim's mother heard whispers and confronted the attacker, who escaped through her daughter's window. This was reported by 48 Hours in 2004.

The victim's father stated to 48 Hours that he believed his son entered the house while they were away and concealed himself within it, potentially remaining undiscovered for a duration of four to six hours.

The victim's father himself noted similarities to the Ramsey case.

"The girl's father told "48 Hours" that the first thing that came to mind was the similarity to the Ramsey case because the situation was identical. He believes that someone targeted her and had them under surveillance without their knowledge."

John Ramsey stated that the "method of operation" was consistent in both incidents.

"Ramsey stated that he believed his daughter's killer was in their home when they returned from dinner with friends. They went to bed, and he waited until they were asleep before attacking JonBenet. In the second scenario, the parents had gone out and set the burglar alarm upon their return. The mother heard a noise and went into the child's bedroom, where she found a person standing over her bed. Since they had set the burglar alarm, the person must have been in the house when they returned. Therefore, he couldn't have entered the home otherwise."

Previously, Boulder police stated that there was no link between the two cases, despite some individuals suggesting similarities.

"The Dallas Morning News published a report this morning suggesting that the murder of JonBenét Ramsey may be linked to an unsolved sexual assault on a 14-year-old Boulder girl that took place nine months later, in September 1997. Boulder Police have been aware of this case for two years and previously examined the sexual assault in relation to the Ramsey murder. However, detectives were unable to establish a definitive connection between the two cases at the time."

According to the update, Beckner stated that the two cases had more differences than similarities at the time.

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"Never rule anything out until you've answered all the questions," he advised at the time. "I don't want to jeopardize this opportunity to talk with the parents."

Since then, Boulder police have not suggested any possible connection between the two cases.

Since 1996, BPD Chief Stephen Redfearn is the fifth police chief to handle the case, and he was officially appointed in September after serving as the interim chief for the Boulder Police Department starting in January. BPD detectives have followed up on over 21,000 tips, emails, and letters and traveled to 19 states to interview or speak with over a thousand people in connection with the case.

"Redfearn stated in a November statement that the murder of JonBenet was an unspeakable crime and this tragedy has never left their hearts. They are committed to following up on every lead and continuing to work with DNA experts and law enforcement partners until the case is solved. The investigation will always be a priority for the Boulder Police Department."

The FBI and DNA experts from across the country have partnered with local authorities, as stated in a November update from the Department.

The BPD has received a list of tips from the Colorado Cold Case Review team, along with 2,500 pieces of evidence, 40,000 reports, and over a million pages of documentation for the investigation.