Posted on 08/16/2006 6:37:04 PM PDT by PghBaldy
AN ARREST in Bangkok raised hopes last night of a breakthrough in the decade-old murder of JonBenet Ramsey, the American child beauty queen. An American primary schoolteacher was taken into custody in the Thai capital as a possible suspect in the strangling of the six-year-old girl at her home in Colorado on the night of Christmas Day 1996.
US reports said that John Karr, 41, had been in custody in Thailand on unrelated sex charges.
The case provoked a media frenzy in 1996 because of the spotlight it shone on the affluent parents and their daughter’s participation in child beauty pageants.
JonBenet followed in the footsteps of her mother, Patsy, who was crowned Miss West Virginia 1977, to win a host of child beauty titles such as Colorado’s Little Miss Christmas, Colorado State All-Star Kids Cover Girl, and National Tiny Miss Beauty.
America’s newly competitive cable television news networks aired around the clock home-video of the tiny blonde girl competing in the contests.
Patsy Ramsey summoned police to the family home in Boulder on Boxing Day, saying that she found a rambling three-page ransom note demanding $118,000 (£62,000) for her daughter.
Investigators, believing that the girl had been abducted, trampled through the crime scene before the girl’s body was found garrotted in the basement. The killing became America’s most notorious Whodunnit? JonBenet’s parents fell under an “umbrella of suspicion”, the local prosecutor said, and they were questioned by police. JonBenet’s brother, Burke, who was nine at the time of her death, was also interviewed.
But the family always protested their innocence. JonBenet’s parents eventually wrote a book called The Death of Innocence before Patsy Ramsey died of ovarian cancer in June this year at the age of 49.
In 2003 a federal judge in Atlanta concluded that the weight of the evidence was more consistent with the intruder theory than with the theory that Mrs Ramsey killed her daughter. The following year a DNA test found traces of male genetic material on JonBenet’s underwear that did not match any suspects on an FBI list of violent offenders.
Mary Lacey, the Boulder District Attorney, said yesterday that the arrest came after several months of investigation.
John Ramsey, JonBenet’s father, said: “The investigation of the individual arrested in connection with JonBenet’s death was discussed with Patsy and me by the Boulder district attorney’s office prior to Patsy’s death in June.
“So Patsy was aware that authorities were close to making an arrest in the case and had she lived to see this day, would no doubt have been as pleased as I am with today’s development almost ten years after our daughter’s murder.”
In an interview with Colorado’s KUSA-TV, he said that he did not believe he knew the suspect in Bangkok. “To my knowledge, no, I didn’t,” he said.
The suspect, who had lived in Atlanta, was visiting Thailand. The Ramseys lived in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody before moving to Colorado in 1991, a year after JonBenet was born. The suspect is expected to be brought back to the United States by the weekend.
The Ramseys’ old Tudor-style house in Colorado recently came up for sale for the fourth time since the killing at a reduced price of $1.7 million. Similar homes sell for $2 million or more.
I too suspect you are right...too many coincidences here to not make one wonder. He lived in the Atlanta area, the family lived in Atlanta. The family moved to Colorada and the suspect moved to Colorada. The suspect knew just how much to ask for in his ransom note...the amount of the bonus. The Police supposed to search the home but SENT the father and a neighbor to look in the basement...
Could we please try him over there and pay to have him housed in their prisons?
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No doubt his desire to be extradited has everything to do with the Thai judicial and penal system.
Among a few.
I'm Baptist and have never bashed Catholics, here or any place else. As a matter of fact I try to respect all religions but one and it is difficult to have any respect for that one because it teaches hate and murder.
You know I thought about that and the only explanation that comes to mind is to throw off the cops and pin the murder on the parents so that it would be difficult to find him. The bungling cops fell for it too. It's beginning to make lots of sense now!
In April of 2001, Karr was arrested at a school in Napa on five counts of possessing child pornography. He did serve some time in jail, but was released on his own recognizance in October and later failed to show up in court. He is wanted in Sonoma County and a warrant is still out for his arrest for failure to appear on those charges.
Thailand?
I didn't see it anywhere else on the thread......
Huh? What religion other than Islam teaches hate and murder? Please give us some more details...
"why the ransom letter written with Patsy's distintive "M" and a ransom amount for the exact odd dollar value of John's last bonus? Why lie about the timing of her last meal, which was timed by how much pineapple was in her stomach? Why all of a sudden did John know where to find her in the house"
Who cares, the innocent don't need an alibi, if this dirtbag did it, then they dont have to answer question 1!
They should study this. One component is if an individual leans toward pedophilia, teaching is a very obvious road to take. Any kind of occupation or interest that would bring one in contact with children would be their natural inclination - thus, Gacy was a "clown" and the list goes on and on: teachers, boyscout leaders, etc.
bump
If only they let teachers marry this wouldn't have happened.
Oh brother. I don't think the FBI will be hiring you anytime soon.
None that I am aware of.
You don't need any more details than that do you?
Good points.
If John Douglas, the guy who developed criminal profiling, says the parents did not do it....that is all I need to know. The guy is brilliant and has years of experience.
That is funny:)
No, I thought your post was referring to some other religion. I didn't understand your point, sorry.
He can share a cell with rocker "Garry Glitter"
Pedophiles find work and hang out where there are children. This sick creep probably had all the kids that money can buy in Thailand.
Why do wolves chase sheep? Teachers aren't necessarily child abusers, but child abusers frequently seek jobs where they can be around children. Teachers, scout leaders, youth workers in church, etc., have to be very careful, because there are always wolves trying to get around the sheep. When I worked with children as a missionary, I was very careful to NEVER be alone with any child for any reason. Even teaching college, I don't talk with students with the door to my office closed. If it is a necessary confidential conference, I have a female associate present if I'm working with a female student, and a male associate present if I'm working with a male student. There's a window in my office door, also, and NOTHING to cover it (no shades, curtains, nada.)
Whenever you're working with young children, if you see another worker who tries to get alone with children, watch them closely. If they just appear naive about the trouble they could get into, warn them. If there seems to be a deliberate attempt to get a child alone, start watching them closely and take action, if necessary. BTW, way too many places do no background checks at all.
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