The man dressed as Santa: Bizarre details emerge on forgotten JonBenet murder suspect.

Following the release of The Case of JonBenet Ramsey, there has been renewed speculation around Burke’s role in the death of his six-year-old sister 20 years ago.

However, a number of other new documentaries exploring her murder focus on other long-forgotten suspects.

In JonBenet: An American Murder Mystery, a man called Bill McReynolds is highlighted as a former key suspect.

McReynolds, infamously been dubbed the “Santa Claus” suspect, was a close friend of the family when the six-year-old died.

Initially, it was JonBenet’s father, John, who led the police to investigating McReynolds.

McReynolds as Santa. Image via Youtube/Hard Copy.

Before the girl was found dead on Boxing Day 1996, McReynolds had been dressing up as Santa Claus at parties with the family.

He left a personal note to JonBenet saying she was going to get a "special gift" after Christmas from him. The note was eventually found in the bin of his family home, unknown whether it was given to her or not.

The relationship between JonBenet and McReynolds was described by a neighbour as very close.

"The children loved him. It was obvious that JonBenet and Burke loved him a lot," Judith Phillips said.

In an interview the man also detailed his even closer connection with the beauty pageant queen.

"All children are special to Santa," he said in old TV footage, according to news.com.au.

"She just happened to be extra special to me. She was very thoughtful, a very caring little girl and she actually gave Santa a present. You can imagine how rare that is."

He also told the Denver Post: "I don't really have other children that I have this special relationship with - not even with my own children or my own grandchildren."

"When I die, I'm going to be cremated. I've asked my wife to mix the star dust JonBenet gave me with my ashes."

The case against McReyonlds only grows more complex after it was revealed McReynolds and his wife, Janet, had suffered a similar offence with their own daughter.

Twenty-two years before JonBenet's murder, their own daughter had been abducted on Boxing Day, and witnessed her friend being sexually assaulted.

Janet McReynolds then went onto pen a real-life play in 1978 based on the murder of a different 16-year-old girl, who was molested and tortured before her body was dumped in a basement.

McReynolds was dismissed as a suspect by police after his alibi for the night of JonBenet's death, saying he was having dinner with family, was confirmed. Detectives also stated his poor health would rule him out of the case.

He has since died, in 2002.

The housekeeper - Linda Hoffmann Pugh - has also been brought back into the spotlight as a suspect.

Details including Pugh asking to borrow $US2000 from the family soon before JonBenet's death and matched masking tape on her mouth found in their home, made her one of the first prime suspects.

Pugh ended up testifying in court that JonBenet's mother, Patsy, killed her little girl.

Feature image via Youtube/Hard Copy.