Posted on 08/25/2006 3:02:36 PM PDT by Graybeard58
If John Mark Karr didn't kill JonBenet Ramsey, why would he say he did?
It wouldn't be the first time someone made a false confession in a high-profile murder case. More than 200 people took credit for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's baby son in 1932. Serial killer Henry Lee Lucas claimed he killed hundreds in the 1970s.
Lucas was convicted of 11 murders, and police discredited much of what he claimed from his prison cell, where he died in 2001.
"If you look at DNA exonerations, that is just the tip of the iceberg," said Saul Kassin, a psychology professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and co-author of "Confessions in the Courtroom."
Much of what Karr claims will rest on pending DNA evidence. Karr said he drugged, strangled and assaulted 6-year-old JonBenet. But an autopsy report from the 1996 murder showed no signs of drugs in her body. Karr's ex-wife also claims he was with her in another state the day of the crime.
Dr. Jerry Labriola, a retired pediatrician from Naugatuck who has written about forensics, said Karr could be looking for "his moment in the sun."
"It's not that unusual for people to take advantage of the notoriety of a situation, and he seems like the type who might do that," Labriola said.
Dr. Dennis Gibeau, a psychologist at the Center for the Treatment of Problem Sexual Behavior in Middletown, said he doesn't know what to make of Karr if he is innocent.
"Usually, (sexual deviants) say they didn't do anything," he said. "It's hard enough to get them to admit to the things they have done."
But Kassin said it's possible Karr is seeking attention.
"There's some pathological need for fame or recognition, and in some cases, you find someone with a psychiatric problem who is delusional and might actually believe they committed this crime," he said.
Waterbury State's Attorney John Connelly said he has never come across a false confession in a murder case. It's not easy to do, he said.
"Especially in a murder case, investigators know intimate details about the case," he said. "They have to corroborate what someone says with the case."
There are many reasons a person would admit to a crime they did not commit. Some people take the blame to protect a relative or friend. A false confession could also be motivated by a subconscious need to be punished, psychologists say. Either way, confessions are voluntary or coerced, Kassin said.
In sexual assault cases, a good police investigator can suggest why a suspect might commit a crime, said Cara Eschuk, Waterbury senior assistant state's attorney.
"Some people want to unburden themselves and some want to justify themselves," Eschuk said. "An interviewer might say, 'Was she trying to turn you on?' or 'Was she sexually provocative?' and the kid was 6, but the person wants to believe that's what happened."
Kassin said he is jarred by the word "accident" in the statements Karr has made to the media.
"I found it very interesting that he used that word," he said. "We've learned that criminals, in order to avoid culpability, the word they use is 'accident.' And 'accident' is very often used as part of taking a confession. (Interrogators) make it easy to confess. And we don't have a full confession yet.
"There are these public admissions, and we are assuming behind that veneer is a confession he gave to police, but we don't know how much pressure was put on him (during interrogations)."
The DNA is compromised, key elements of his story that don't conform to known facts, a question about his whereabouts at the time of the murder, etc..
Was he just trying to get a free trip home to the states???
Well everybody is saying diff.stuff..Some say he knows things only the killer knew and was never made public so Im just waiting and seeing..But it smells bad to me
I wonder if he ever discussed the concept that maybe it was an accident in any of his communications?
Ransom note: Left his own evidence of an accident??? Because if it was deliberate, why would you leave a ransom note??
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.