A CONVICTED paedophile has admitted he killed six-year-old beauty pageant queen JonBenét Ramsey, it has been reported.

Gary Oliva, 54, is currently serving a 10-year sentence for child abuse images and has been a longtime suspect in the murder.

6 JonBenét Ramsey was found dead on December 26, 1996 Credit: Alamy

JonBenét’s death made national headlines in the US in December 1996 when she was found dead in her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado.

The child beauty queen was bludgeoned, strangled and hidden underneath a white blanket with a nylon cord around her neck, her wrists bound above her head and her mouth covered by duct tape.

Oliva wrote in his letter, seen by DailyMailTV, from a Colorado prison: “I never loved anyone like I did JonBenét and yet I let her slip and her head bashed in half and I watched her die. It was an accident.”

In another letter the paedo described the child’s “glowing beautiful skin” and “divine God-body”.

The JonBenét Ramsey case JonBenét Ramsey was found dead on December 26, 1996 in the basement of the family home in Boulder, Colorado. Her parents, John and Patsy, had a party the night before on December 25 and put their daughter to bed about 9pm. Patsy woke up at 5am to find a three-paged ransom note on the stairs claiming JonBenét had been kidnapped. She was found by her father in the basement and had been bludgeoned, strangled and hidden underneath a white blanket with a nylon cord around her neck, her wrists bound above her head and her mouth covered by duct tape. JonBenét's parents and brother were formally cleared of any involvement in 2008 with DNA evidence. Her brother Burker, who was nine at the time, was implicated in her death after a CBS documentary came out in 2016. He has since publically denied it.

6 Convicted paedophile Gary Oliva has reportedly confessed to the murder of JonBenét Credit: Boulder County Sheriff's Office

In a recent letter he reportedly claimed: "I pleaded guilty to the murder of JonBenét as well as countless charges of assaults and sexual abuse against many children, there were various agreements made by me and the court which I signed many pages."

The letters were reportedly sent to music publicist Michael Vail, who is a former high school classmate of Oliva’s.

Vail suspected Oliva was involved with JonBenét’s murder for 22 years and that the written confession is enough proof to have him charged with the crime.

The letters have now been shown to Boulder police.

Burke Ramsey breaks his silence about the murder of his sister JonBenet

6 The six-year-old beauty queen's death made national headlines in the US Credit: Rex Features

Police spokesperson Laurie Ogden said: "The Boulder Police Department is aware of and has investigated Mr Olivas’ potential involvement in this case.

"We have passed the additional information you provided on to investigators. We will not comment on any actions or the status of this investigation.”

Nobody has been charged with the six-year-old’s death since her body was discovered by her father John Ramsey in the basement of the family home almost 23 years ago on December 26, 1996.

Detectives believe she was murdered on Christmas Day.

The family were immediately thought of as suspects by police, but JonBenét’s parents and brother were cleared in 2008 by DNA evidence.

Oliva does not explain why he was at the Ramseys' home that night, but investigations show he was using an address just ten blocks away when she was murdered.

He was arrested in 2016 for possessing child abuse images on his phone and started sending Vail the letter from his cell in Limon Correctional Facility.

A police report from his arrest shows he had hundreds of photos of the beauty pageant queen on his phone when it was seized, it was reported.

JonBenet Ramsey's brother speaks for first time about sister's murder

6 The six-year-old was first thought to have been kidnapped based on the ransom note that was found Credit: Rex Features

A 23-year murder case DEC 26, 1996: JonBenét’s body is found in basement of family home in Boulder, Colorado. APRIL, 1997: Cops quiz her parents John and Patsy. OCT 1999: District Attorney Alex Hunter says not enough evidence for charges. JUNE 2006: Patsy dies of ovarian cancer, aged 49. AUG 2006: A school teacher falsely confesses to the murder. JULY 2008: Prosecutors clear parents and brother Burke. DEC 2016: A documentary on CBS suggests Burke may be the killer. He launches lawsuit. JAN 5, 2019: Burke settles his $750million defamation case. JAN 10, 2019: It emerges that Oliva has confessed to the killing in letter to an old pal.

Vail said his suspicions began when Oliva - due for parole in October 2020 - called him sobbing on the night JonBenét's body was found saying he had "hurt a little girl".

The 55-year-old said that they had kept in touch since high school and he tried to get more information out of him at the time, but would only say he was in the Boulder, Colorado area.

Vail said he called police again multiple times, but he never heard back from investigators.

He said he stayed in contact with Oliva in the hope he would someday confess to being involved with the little girl's death.

6 Oliva could be up for parole in 2020 Credit: Colorado Department of Corrections

Vail said: "I've continued this for decades now, even with him being in prison. But he has only just admitted to killing her. He is a danger to society.

"The day he walks free is the day I will be terrified for every child and family."

Lou Smit, a retired Colorado Springs homocide detective hired to help in the investigation, told CBS programme "48 Hours Investigates" in October 2002 that Oliva was a suspect.

Investigators theorise that several men, including Oliva, were involved in breaking into the Ramsey home.

Dr Phil discusses interview with JonBenet Ramsey's brother Burke

On the night of Christmas Day, John and Patsy Ramsey hosted a party and put their daughter to bed at about 9pm.

At 5am the next morning, Patsy found a three-page random note on the stairs claiming JonBenét was kidnapped and demanded £78,000 ($118,000 based on inflation).

Even though Oliva's handwriting reportedly doesn't match the ransom note, police believe it could have been penned by an accomplice.

Theories about who killed JonBenét have only brought more questions than answers.

6 Investigators believe more than one person was in involved in the child's death Credit: Getty - Contributor

A Netflix documentary in 2017 about the unsolved murder saw Australian director Kitty Green interview 200 people in 15 months.

At the time she said: "I went in open minded, spoke to 200 people but I'm no closer to the truth.

"I can't see us getting a conviction, it will remain unsolved. It left me with more questions than answers."

In September 2016, JonBenét's brother Burke spoke out to deny he was the killer after the two-part CBS sensational documentary 'The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey' claimed the evidence pointed to him.

Burke, who was nine at the time of his sister's death, categorically said "no" to murdering his sister during an interview with US host Dr Phil.

He said: "I don't know what to say to that, because I know that's not what happened.

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"There's been people who have said that's not even physically possible for a nine year old to do that.

"Like you won't find any evidence, because I didn't do it."

Burke later settled a £588million ($750million) defamation case against CBS.

FBI agent says JonBenet Ramsey crime scene was 'mismanaged'

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