Warning: This article contains mentions of disturbing content such as child abuse/death.
In Netflix’s new true crime docuseries, Cold case: who killed JonBenét Ramsey?Investigators reopen the murder of JonBenét Ramsey and discuss one of the case’s notable suspects, John Mark Karr. JonBenét Ramsey was a 6-year-old Colorado girl who was murdered on Christmas Eve in 1996. Ramsey was a beauty queen and the youngest son of Patsy and John Ramsey. Not only was Ramsey’s murder disturbing, but the crime scene itself raised many questions about what really happened to the child. Although many suspects have been named, the culprit has not yet been found.
After Ramsey’s death, several individuals became suspects. Namely, JonBenét Ramsey’s parents were under suspicion due to the fact that elements of the crime scene appeared staged. Some even believe the Ramseys’ 9-year-old son committed the crime. However, the Ramseys were eventually canceled as suspects due to DNA evidence. This left one man unidentified as the killer and to this day authorities still do not know who carried out the brutal murder. However, in Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey? one suspect in particular is explored: John Mark Karr.
John Mark Karr confessed to killing JonBenét Ramsey in 2006
Who is John Mark Karr
Among the many suspects in the JonBenét Ramsey case is John Mark Karr. In 2006, Karr was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, after confessing to Ramsey’s murder. Karr claimed he drugged, sexually assaulted and then accidentally murdered Ramsey. Apparently, Karr wrote a series of diary entries about the crime in which he claimed to love Ramsey and watched “[her] eyes closing slowly“, (Yahoo.) However, there were a number of discrepancies between Karr’s story and the actual crime.
Karr eventually left the area after being charged with five counts of possession of child pornography.
At the time of his arrest, Karr was a 41-year-old former teacher. Before living in Thailand, he lived in California with his wife. Karr eventually left the area after being charged with five counts of possession of child pornography. In this way, Karr was not a completely innocent individual, regardless of whether he murdered Ramsey or not. Ultimately, Karr’s true crimes offer an explanation for why he would confess to the unsolved murder of JonBenét Ramsey even though he actually didn’t.
How John Mark Karr Was Ruled Out as a Suspect in the JonBenét Ramsey Case
Why Karr Made a False Confession
Despite his confession, it was soon discovered that Karr was not Ramsey’s killer. The most notable piece of evidence that nullified Karr was the fact that his DNA was not the same as that found at the crime scene. Furthermore, Karr was unable to provide new details about the crime.and instead just reiterated what had already been released to the public. Thus, his diary entries and his confession were fabricated and Karr was ultimately exonerated.
It appears Karr made a false confession to get attention. Considering his past with child pornography, the Ramsey murder case might have intrigued him, and he might have become attached to the case. In short, Karr probably wanted to take responsibility for a crime he admired, even though he didn’t commit. Unfortunately, as shown Cold case: who killed JonBenét Ramsey?, JonBenét Ramsey’s case is still unsolved.