Her daughter JonBenét went missing on the morning after Christmas Day 1996. A lengthy ransom note claimed that she had been kidnapped, demanding $118,000 for her return; Patsy reported finding this note at the foot of the stairs. Seven hours after Patsy contacted authorities, JonBenét's body was found in an isolated area of the Ramseys' basement. She had been killed by strangling and a blow to the head. After the homicide of JonBenét was discovered, Boulder law enforcement officials declared that Patsy and her husband were "under an umbrella of suspicion" because of their possible involvement in the crime. The couple spent the next 10 years defending themselves against the allegations by insisting that an intruder killed their daughter.