Steve Ainsworth spent over three decades with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office Investigations Section, establishing himself as a leading authority on homicide investigation and death scene examination across the American West.

During his tenure, Ainsworth investigated more than 2,500 deaths of all causes and manners—a career marked by meticulous casework and an unwavering commitment to solving the unsolved. For the final 16 years of his time with the Sheriff's Office, he focused exclusively on major crimes against persons, with particular emphasis on homicides, cold cases, and fugitive investigations.

Beyond investigative work, Ainsworth became a sought-after instructor and mentor. He taught crime scene investigation at the Colorado Coroners Association Conferences, Wyoming Coroners Association, and Indiana State Coroners Association. Within his own agency and across Colorado's law enforcement training infrastructure, he led in-service programs on investigating death, robbery, and assault cases—the Colorado Sheriffs Training Institute and LEEPAC group among his training partners.

His expertise caught the attention of major case commissions and professional organizations. Ainsworth holds membership in the Colorado Association of Homicide Investigators, the International Association of Homicide Investigators, and serves on the State of Colorado Cold Case Homicide Review Team.

**The JonBenét Ramsey Connection**

Ainsworth's career intersected with one of America's most infamous unsolved murders: the 1996 death of JonBenét Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado. In 2001, Ainsworth and former prosecutor Trip DeMuth jointly stated that the investigation warranted a more aggressive pursuit of the intruder theory. The case—which involved trace DNA from an unidentified male found on the victim's clothing in 2003—remained open as of 2009, representing the kind of high-profile cold case that would define conversations about investigative strategy in Ainsworth's community.

**Modern Chapter: Forensic Genealogy Pioneer**

Rather than retire into obscurity, Ainsworth transitioned into a new frontier of criminal investigation. He now serves as Law Enforcement Liaison for Othram, a DNA laboratory specializing in forensic genetic genealogy. In this role, he bridges the gap between law enforcement agencies and cutting-edge genetic investigation, consulting with detectives, coroners, and medical examiners on unsolved violent crimes and unidentified remains.

This position allows Ainsworth to leverage his three decades of investigative experience alongside emerging DNA technologies—tools that were unavailable for much of his career but now offer new possibilities for resolving old cases.

**Recent Work**

Ainsworth's contemporary investigations include work on cold cases examined through television documentary formats. He reexamined evidence in the Fox Hollow Farm murders, uncovering clues about a potential accomplice in a case explored in the 2025 documentary series "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer."

Steve Ainsworth's career trajectory—from the homicide squads of Boulder County to the forefront of forensic genealogy—reflects the evolution of American criminal investigation itself. His 30-year commitment to death investigation, combined with his current work integrating DNA breakthroughs, positions him as a bridge between traditional detective work and the genetic revolution reshaping cold case investigations.

**Sources**

https://www.crimecon.com/cc25guests/Steve%20Ainsworth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_JonBen%C3%A9t_Ramsey

https://www.storymania.com/cgibin/sm2/smreadtitle.cgi?action=display&file=nonfiction%2FGainesL-InterviewWithDetectiveSteveAinsworth.htm

https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/answer-the-riddle/umc.cmc.1ayu0n6qwhqtog6qj9oe6osgh?showId=umc.cmc.6la84uvfquospljwombshfilx