US prosecutors say DNA tests have cleared the family of JonBenet Ramsey of child beauty queen's 1996 murder.

Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy said the tests pointed to an "unexplained third party".

Boulder police had previously said her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, were under an "umbrella of suspicion" in the case. Mrs Ramsey died in 2006.

Ms Lacy said no family member was now considered a suspect and apologised for any extra distress caused to them.

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She had been garrotted with a cord and her skull had been fractured.

Accusations

Ms Lacy released a copy of a letter sent to John Ramsey, in which she said: "To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you might have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry."

JonBenet's family, who later moved to Atlanta, Georgia, fought for years to clear their names of persistent accusations that they were involved in the death of their six-year-old daughter.

In 2006, a former teacher was arrested in Thailand after he claimed to have killed JonBenet, but DNA tests cleared him of the crime.

John Mark Karr had said he was with her on the night that she died, but that her death was an accident.

(BBC)

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