Convicted criminal confesses to murder of pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey

A convicted paedophile has confessed to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, who was just six when she was found dead in her family’s basement in December 1996.

Gary Oliva, 54, is currently serving a 10-year sentence for child pornography. He was living just 10 blocks away from JonBenet’s family home when she was murdered.

He wrote letters admitting to the crime, which he sent to music publicist Michael Vail, a former high school classmate of his.

Boulder Police Department released a statement saying they are aware of Gary Oliva's "confession", reportedly included in a letter he'd written from his jail cell, but would not necessarily act on it.

“[The department] has investigated his potential involvement in this case, including several previous confessions," the statement reads.

"Information provided to the police department is reviewed along with the many tips and theories we receive. There are no new updates in this investigation and the department will not comment further."

Lou Smit, a retired Colorado Springs detective hired to help investigate the killing for CBS' 48 Hours Investigates program said he believed Oliva was a suspect in the crime.

He added that he believed Oliva did not act alone, but that several other men were also involved in the crime.