Timeline to Mid-2006. AP has posted a Timeline of John Mark Karr between 1996 and 2006. Guardian Unlimited also has a timeline.
Known Addresses Since 1988. Karr's known addresses have been posted by Internet poster Jameson.
Arrest in Thailand. John Mark Karr was arrested for the murder of JonBenet Ramsey on August 16, 2006 at approximately 6:00 am in Bangkok, Thailand. He was flown to
LA where he was booked and subsequently flown to Boulder. Details of how Karr was apprehended are contained here. A fairly detailed and complete story of the
investigation that led to his arrest and extradition is contained in the affidavit for a search warrant (attached to DA response to request for public records).
Employed as Teacher. According to Boulder DA Mary Lacy, "Mr. Karr was living in Bangkok. He began his employment as a second grade teacher in a Bangkok international school on Tuesday of this
week. Mr. Karr has traveled extensively since leaving the United States several years ago. The suspect reportedly is a 41 year old teacher from the United States. His resume has been posted.
Nature of Ramsey Connection Unknown.
Former Georgia Resident. The Modesto Bee reports "Karr was a teacher who once lived in Conyers, Ga., according to Wood. The attorney Lin Wood said the Ramseys gave
police information about Karr before he was identified as a suspect. Wood would not say how the Ramseys knew Karr. But JonBenét was born in Atlanta in 1990, and the
Ramseys lived in the suburb of Dunwoody, about 30 miles northeast of Conyers, for several years before moving to Colorado in 1991."
National Sunburst Competition. JBR won 2nd place at this competition on August 13, 1996, in Atlanta, GA. As a pedophile, it would not have been illogical for Karr to have
attended such an event and/or read news about it later. This may have put JBR in his headlights. Any news about this might well have mentioned that JBR had earlier lived in
Atlanta (they moved to Boulder in 1991) and even mentioned Access Graphics. Karr was very net-savvy and may have been able to learn a lot about Access Graphics
remotely without having to travel from Alabama to do so.
Timeline Since Mid-2006
Charges in JBR Killing Dropped. On August 28, all charges were dropped when Karr's DNA was found not to match.
Extradition to California. After being cleared in the Ramsey case, Karr was extradited to California to face misdemeanor child pornography charges; these too were dropped because Karr's computer on
which evidence of this offense was contained was lost by local law enforcement authorities.
Move to Chastain. Internet poster Greenleaf has posted a notice issued by the Chastain Park Civic Association on October 20, 2006 warning neighbors that John Mark Karr had moved into the area.
Internet poster Mame has posted a story indicating that Karr was seen shopping at the Walmart of his former hometown of Hamilton, AL. It is unclear whether he is planning to live there.
On October 28, 2006 it was reported: "John Mark Karr has apparently left his father's Sandy Springs home, driven away by pressure from neighbors, his father said Friday. His departure came about a
week after an e-mail announcing the arrival of Karr circulated through several neighborhoods in north Atlanta and Sandy Springs. "I don't know nothing. I'm not hiding anything. ... He's not here," said his
85-year-old father, Wexford Karr." ....During the past week, Karr and his son visited Hamilton, Ala., where they have relatives, to see whether John Mark Karr would be more welcome there. But after John
Mark Karr stopped at a local Wal-Mart, word got out around town about his arrival, the father said. The two returned to Atlanta."
Living in Grant Park, GA. Internet poster Pugs reported on 11.26.06 that "A local (Atlanta) tv station interviewed John Karr last night. He is living in Georgia, perhaps in a house owned by his father.
The area (Grant Park) is very close to both the Atlanta Zoo and the Atlanta Pen."
Domestic Dispute.
New Girlfriend Brooke Simmons. Karr's new 22-year old girlfriend is Brooke Simmons, a divorced mother of a young little girl. She had begun corresponding with Karr in late 2006. The Glenn
Beck show had an extensive discussion on the psychology of women who are attracted to men who are in trouble with the law.
Domestic Dispute Allegations. On July 7, 2007, "Karr and a woman police identified as his girlfriend were arguing at Karr's father's residence in Sandy Springs, Zgonc said. Karr's father became
involved, and the argument between the two men became "physical," Zgonc said. When a 911 telephone call from the residence was made, Karr threw the phone on the floor, Zgonc said. Zgonc did
not know who made the phone call." CNN report. However, it was also reported that "His father said the fight was minor and doesn't believe his son should be in custody. "Nah, he didn't hurt me,"
Karr said. "I'm too tough for a little whippersnapper kid to hurt me."
Domestic Abuse Charges Dismissed. On July 13, 2007, "Fulton County Magistrate Judge Stephanie Davis said Friday that she would dismiss those charges provided Karr gets six months of
domestic violence counseling and has no violent contact with his father or girlfriend." CNN report.
Current Whereabouts. According to a 2010 report by the Daily Beast, Karr is now living a new identity – and a new gender – in the Pacific Northwest.
Legal Documents Related to John Mark Karr.
On-line Discussion. See Webbsleuths.com forum chat for further discussion.
What Happened According to Karr
Entry at 5:00 PM. Karr claims he entered the house at 5:00 when the Ramseys left for the White's.
Killing was "Accidental." Karr has said publicly he was with the 6-year-old when she died and called her death “an accident” See video. A preliminary transcript by Internet poster Margoo is here.
According to the Modesto Bee, "Thai officials held a news conference, at which Karr appeared briefly. Suwat said Karr insisted his crime was not first-degree murder. "He said it was second-degree
murder. He said it was unintentional. He said he was in love with the child," Suwat said. The Thai officer quoted the suspect as saying he tried to kidnap JonBenét for a $118,000 ransom but that his plan
went awry and he strangled her to death."
Full Details. The arrest warrant provides full details of the account provided to Michael Tracey via an extended series of emails. Karr claims a) to have entered through the basement window; b) carried
JBR from her bed (without using a stun gun); c) hung her in the basement vertically while he asphyxiated her with a garrote while sexually assaulting her orally; d) accidently killing her in the process
because in his passion, he hadn't paid attention to the length of time she was being asphyxiated; e) then deliberately striking her with a head blow to be certain she was dead (for fear that she might
awake and suffer once he left or might be brain-injured); f) placing on her mouth a piece of duct tape from the flashlight he had brought (and then unexpectedly had to use to kill her); g) piercing her
vagina 3 times so he could taste her blood; h) then walking upstairs to leave the RN in her bed, but upon hearing a noise upstairs instead left the note on the stairs and quickly hurried back to the
basement, h) abandoned his plans to take her body with him for fear of detection; i) undressed her when he saw she had urinated, putting on oversize panties and taking with him her "knickers"; and j)
exiting through the basement window and taking with him the flashlight. This account "ties together" much of the evidence at the crime scene, though not a single detail of this was unknown to those who
have followed the case for years, as Karr did. One inconsistency is that no marks were found on JBR's wrists, suggesting the claim she had been hung for an extended period by her wrists to be a
fabrication.
What May Have Happened
Karr and Accomplice. Internet poster vaughancauthen(posted 1:39 PM,, 9/29/06) has postulated that Karr was at the crime scene with a female accomplice but he did not actually do the killing.
Incriminating Evidence
Confession
Reuters reported that Karr had confessed to elements of the murder that were not available to the general public, but these details have not yet been released to the public.
In his second interview with a Boulder investigator while still in Thailand, Karr allegedly said "If you don't let me plead guilty, how will you feel? How will you live with yourself when I kill a little girl?"
Readers can judge the credibility of the confession from the video.
Change in Demeanor. According to 48 Hours, November 25, 2006, Homeland Security investigators report that when Karr described how he delivered the head blow, his demeanor changed markedly.
1997 Confession? Internet poster Evening2 saw a clip on Rita Cosby on 8/25/06 in which they interviewed Wendy Nichols, a school bus driver who wrote to Boulder DA on August 19, 2006. Evening2
states: "In spring, 1997, while she and John Karr were visiting, in her home, about computers, he went from being totally relaxed until something came on the TV about the Ramsey case at which point it
seemed like he was arguing with the TV, and he turned into a different person, arguing with the TV, you are so stupid, I can tell you about footprints in the snow, I can tell you, I know, I was there. He
didn't say he killed JonBenet but said he was there." A NY Post account is here.
No Retraction as of 2017. Despite being released by Boulder authorities due to lack of DNA corroboration and evidence showing Karr was out of state at the time of the murder, Karr--who now is
living as a transgendered female named Alex Reich--continues to insist that (s)he was with JonBenet at the time of her death and that the death was accidental.
Key Evidence "Explained" by Confession. Karr's confession on the phone conversations "explain" many puzzling details that heretofore did not seem to "hang together" especially with respect to an
intruder:
1. Time to Write RN. Karr confirmed what others had speculated, that he was in the house several hours and had plenty of time to write note prior to taking JBR from her bed.
2. Sloppiness of Handwriting. Karr reports writing the note in the dark in John and Patsy Ramsey's bedroom; moreover, by self-report, he normally has very precise handwriting, so he deliberately sought
to use a style that would not be recognized.
3. Deliberate Misspellings. Many have viewed some of the sophisticated language of the note (e.g., attache) with misspellings and "tough talk" as evidence that the note was fabricated by someone with
more education. Karr is highly intelligent and was simply writing a ransom note in the style he presumed would be typical. He thought the allusion to a "foreign faction" and "beheading" would be taken
seriously. All the language about "monitoring" and "early pickup" was just a fabrication. Karr had no plans or capability of following up on these threats.
4. Kidnapping Intentions. At the time he wrote the note, Karr claims not to know whether he would take JBR or not; it was definitely a possibility; even after she was dead, he was still considering this
option (even though he hadn't worked through the details), but abandoned it when he thought he heard voices while he had returned to the kitchen to leave the ransom note.
5. Animosity Towards John. Karr's background "explains" many of the elements in the RN. He claims to have grown up in a family wealthier than the Ramseys and to have known Ramseys in Georgia,
hence the allusions to "fat cats" and "good southern common sense" are very consistent with his frame of mind. Likewise, he reports never liking the fathers of little girls and in many cases being able to
"bond" with their mothers, hence it made much more sense to target the note at John rather than Patsy or even both of them.
6. Getting Her Out of Bedroom. Karr reports that she slept the entire way from bed to basement,hence there is no need to explain why she didn't resist or cry out. In addition, while there is no
independent corroborating evidence that he had met JBR before that night, his account taken at face value implies that when she did wake up, she was not alarmed because she knew and trusted him
already.
7. What Happened to Panties. JBR was found in panties that were obviously over-sized. Given the trauma to her vagina, it was clear she had been re-dressed. If she were killed by an intruder, why
redress her at all and why use the wrong size panties? Since JBR allegedly was asleep when she got home, she was wearing to bed the same panties she'd worn to the party; but it would make no sense
for her to wear such obviously over-sized panties as they either would make her uncomfortable or her mother would insist on her changing them to avoid public embarrassment. It didn't really make sense
for either an intruder or the parents to put her in wrong-sized panties, but if they had, what happened to the correct-sized pair presumably worn to the party? Karr's account explains this. He had always
intended to take the panties as a souvenir (he allegedly had an entire collection from other trysts with little girls) and hence while waiting for Ramseys to return had gone into her drawers to pick out a pair
to re-dress her in. It wasn't until he tried to put them on in the basement that he realized they were the wrong size and it was too late to switch. This did not deflect him from his plan to take away her
original panties, which he allegedly did in his Gothic Box.
8. Nature of Assault. The assault on JBR always was an odd mixture of brutality (the head blow) and "gentleness." There were sexual elements of the crime, yet no semen or signs of penile penetration of
the vagina, which would have been expected from a "standard" sexual predator. Conversely, pedophiles don't typically kill their victims, nor would conventional killers have any interest in penetrating her
vagina with a paintbrush. Karr's account only alludes to oral sex (consistent with the forensic evidence of saliva in JBR's panties), but he also provides an explanation for why the vagina was pierced with
the end of the paintbrush, drawing blood (so he could drink some: this account is nauseating to hear on tape, yet "rings true" in light of Karr's self-acknowledged oddness and Catholic upbringing; one can
imagine someone with Karr's sexual proclivities thinking in this fashion). The death itself was accidental--a sexual asphyxiation "game" gone awry, just as Cyril Wecht has always proposed (though he had
another perp in mind)--and the head blow was NOT intended as a cover-up but instead because Karr became preoccupied with a concern that JBR would be found brain-dead and be kept alive in a
persistent vegetative state; in short, it was a "mercy" killing motivated by love, not either the intentional act of a brutal killer or an accidental consequence of "toilet rage." The paintbrush penetration
occurred after her death, hence inflicted no pain etc.
9. Hair in Ligature. JBR's hair in the garotte was always "proof" that the ligature was tied while on her neck instead of the "conventional" way in which a professional killer would assault a victim, by
creating the ligature first and then looping it over the victim's head. Thus, it was always interpreted as proof of after-the-fact "staging." Since there would be no reason for an intruder to stage anything,
this was presumed to be important evidence pointing towards the parents. But in Karr's account of a love-making tryst, the ligature is a "necklace" put onto JBR with her permission and assembled (i.e.,
knots tied) much as a mother would braid a child's hair, from behind. JBR allegedly was preoccupied by playing with Karr's Gothic box and hence was in no way alarmed by or struggling against his efforts
to fasten the ligature.
10. Placement of Body. There always seemed to be a "disconnect" between the brutality of the crime and the care that appeared to go into redressing JBR and wrapping her papoose-like and placing her in
the wine cellar. Yet why would someone who cared so much also leave her in such a dark, dismal place with her hands still tied over her head? Karr's account explains all of this (though he never really
explains why he didn't at least untie her hands: perhaps he planned to do so upon his return). He did redress her (he enjoyed dressing little girls) and he also took care to wrap her in a blanket because he
didn't want her to be cold; he claims this was his "way" with little girls. He always took care to return them to their parents/homes in the same way that he found them. But he also describes placement in
the room as "temporary." He himself recognizes that it was irrational to think that anyone could possibly see JBR while he was gone for just a very brief time, but that's the way he was thinking at the
time. His plan after placing the RN was to return and take her with him, but that plan was thwarted.
11. Placement of RN. Many have thought it suspicious that the RN would be left on the back staircase normally used by Patsy rather than the main staircase to the second floor. How would a stranger
intruder have known Patsy's habits? Karr states that his original intention was to leave the note in JBR's bedroom (a more "logical" place); indeed, he says he would have had JBR herself leave it there had
he opted to take her. But his plans were thwarted by hearing a voice upstairs so he instead left it on the stairs.
Little "Retro-fitting of Available Evidence. Karr's confession is somewhat more believable in that he insisted on some "quirky" details that did not easily fit into some conventional views of the case,
suggesting he was not trying to "retrofit" his account to fit the known facts. These include:
1. No Stun Gun. His insistence that no stun gun was used and not being able to fully account for the marks on JBR's face and back.
2. No Hidden Meaning in SBTC. Karr said these were just nonsense letters that had no particular meaning.
3. No Movie Lines. Despite all the armchair sleuthing about which lines in the RN came from various movies, Karr insists that NONE of them knowingly did and expresses astonishment to learn that any did
etc.
4. Significance of $118,000. Many had speculated that this represented the amount of John Ramsey's bonus, an amount that Karr in theory would have had plenty of time to discover given the time he
was in the house. Instead, he explains the amount as being small enough to be readily affordable, i.e., $100,000 and then he tacked on another $18K because 18 was the age of consent (others have
pointed out the actual age of consent was much lower than 18, but the issue is what Karr believed at the time he wrote the note: given that he trafficked in 6 year olds, there's no reason he would have
needed to know the actual age of consent in Colorado, since 6 was obviously well below it).
Disturbing Emails
1996 Usenet Postings. About 40 posts were made from powerwurks.com users during early to mid 1996. There is strong evidence these posts were by John Mark Karr (links to the full set of posts is
provided at the link shown).
2002-2006 Karr-Tracey Emails. For more than four years, Karr communicated extensively by email with University of Colorado professor Michael Tracey who subsequently shared these with
authorities, culminating in Karr's arrest.
1. december251996@yahoo.com. Karr originally had used december251996@yahoo.com as his email address in his earliest correspondence with Tracey.
2. Daxis. By the end of his correspondence with Tracey, Karr was signing his emails Daxis, a name he claimed to have made up. Blogger Steve Huff at CrimeBlog.US stated: "In those e-mails that troubled
Tracey, that may have marked the beginning of this most recent media circus, Karr signed the name “Daxis,” and he claims he made that up. Karr also claims on his various resumes that he spent time in
the Netherlands, and http://www.daxis.nl is apparently a pretty popular ISP in the Netherlands. From their site (if you speak Dutch, forgive the clumsy translation): "We sell hardware and software, as well
as services in the field of Internet access, hosting, e-commerce, and infotainment…" Daxis has been around for a while, according to the website. A number of Usenet posts to groups apparently dedicated
to subjects as disturbing as bestiality came from Daxis addresses — Karr would have known of the service, I’m almost certain. The first thing that occurred to me after looking this information up was that
Karr was proving himself a liar again if he claimed he made the name up, didn’t borrow it from something else (the word Daxis appears as both a proper and a place name in Star Wars-based stories as
well)."
Knew Nedra Paugh's Nickname. According to 48 Hours, November 25, 2006, Karr knew nickname of Nedra Paugh was "Neddie" and that piece of "insider" information intrigued investigators.
1. We now know that Karr's family lived very close to Ramseys in Atlanta, so this is a bit of intelligence Karr might have picked up after the crime; but at the time Tracey was trying to snare Karr, this was
not known.
2. There also is mention of "Neddie" on a now-defunct discussion board, JusticeWatch (see very bottom of page: it is clear from the earlier posts in the thread that the allusion to "Neddie" refers to Nedra
Paugh.
3. Neddie is a common nickname for Nedra, which is a feminine version of Edward (with Ned being another form of Edward).
Picture of Santa Bear? One of the emails included a picture that purported to be Karr as a young child with a "Santa bear" allegedly identical to the one found on JBR's bed; however, while the origins
of this bear originally were a mystery for years (and hence subject to speculation that an intruder had brought the bear perhaps to entice JBR downstairs), the "mystery" subsequently was solved when it
was determined the bear was won by JBR in a beauty pageant just weeks before her death. Since Karr allegedly was a well-informed student of the case, it is not clear what his motivation might have
been in sending that picture.
Posted as BSADCOCK? Internet poster sissi states: "I read this morning that Karr's mother had tried to kill him, and was later institutionalized. Her name was Patricia Adcock. This rang a bell, as I had
received an e mail with a CC to BSADCOCK, concerning another suspect. It was a heads up letter from the "prophet" in Boulder. Maybe nothing? Or is it possible Karr was using bsadcock as a screen name
in 1998?" (see Tue Aug 22, 2006 1:16 pm post)The Prophet was a suspect in the JBR killing based in part on his Web postings related to serial killers.
Author of Patricia Letters? Some believe Karr authored the "Patricia" letters, allegedly written by Patsy Ramsey, but long regarded as a hoax. In those letters, she speaks of a mysterious friend who is
her knight protecting her. However Internet poster Gsquared who brought the original Patricia letters to light, categorically denies this possibility since she received another post from a Patricia email
address while Karr was in custody.
Disturbing Audiotapes
A woman in California was able to tape several hours of conversation with Karr in 2001; these tapes reveal a deep obsession with JBR.
A complete set of calls Karr made to Michael Tracey in 2006 has been posted on-line. Some of these are several hours long.
Police Investigation
According to Boulder DA Mary Lacy, "the District Attorneys’ Office in conjunction with many other law enforcement agencies have spent the past few months locating, identifying and yesterday, arresting
Mr. Karr. Much work has been done in those efforts."
Prior Record
2001 Child Pornography Charges. It is reported that "Karr was arrested April 13, 2001, and charged with five misdemeanor counts of possession of child pornography. A computer seized from Karr's
home reportedly contained pornographic images."
Sex Offenses. In addition, it has been reported that "An official with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said that Karr has a criminal record of sex offenses in Southern states near his former homes in
Alabama and Georgia."
Website Postings. Karr also reportedly "may have operated a Web site for troubled kids and posted dozens of notes on Internet message boards for young people - some asking them about sex - in the
months before JonBenet's death." A list of Karr's posts to this site has been posted.
Early Interest in Young Girls. Karr is remembered as having an interest in junior high school girls while in H.S.; he also married teen brides on two different occasions.
Handwriting Evidence
Writing Samples. Samples of Karr's handwriting from his yearbook have been posted. A larger version is here. See also JMK Handwriting Comparison at Webbsleuths forum chat.
Expert Opinions
1. Bart Baggett. Baggett, the President of Handwriting University.com, asserted on his Website: "I'm sitting here looking at John Mark Karr's known writing, attempting to make a positive match with the
famous Ramsey Ransom note. There are a few very strong similarities in the capital letters, but not an obvious, clear smoking gun match, at this point."
Curtis Baggett. However, Bart Baggett's father, Curtis Baggett, reportedly "said he is 99.9 percent certain that John Mark Karr wrote the JonBenet Ramsey ransom note." Baggett is said to be "one of the
nation's most well-known document examiners" and according to his own self-report, "he has testified in more than 2,500 cases and was successfully disqualified in only about four. He said he has never
been disqualified when he has appeared at trial."
1. Views of Other Document Examiners Regarding Curtis Baggett Opinion. According to the Rocky Mountain News, "Several other document examiners have said they are strongly leaning toward
Baggett's conclusion based on a comparison of Karr's writing in a high school yearbook with the three-page note left on the Ramsey family stairway on the day JonBenet was reported missing." However,
"Texas document examiner Linda James, however, said that while there are similarities between the yearbook writing and the ransom note, more evidence is needed. 'There are too many other things to
consider," she said.' She also said Baggett had considered similarities, but not dissimilarities."
2. Baggett Disqualified by Federal District Court Judges. According to the Rocky Mountain News, "Georgia Federal District Court Judge Clay Land wrote that analyst Curtis Baggett was not certified by
several industry groups, had not undergone proficiency tests and had not authored texts in the field of handwriting analysis.
In comparison to another expert witness, Land said Baggett's qualifications "are clearly paltry." Similarly, "in 2004, a federal magistrate in Maine also challenged Baggett's credentials and excluded his testimony
in a civil case there." Baggett reportedly "attributed the Maine and Georgia disqualifications to inadequate information about his credentials given to the courts in his absence."
Don Lehew. Likewise, Don Lehew, a handwriting expert in Jacksonville, TX claims “I have seen enough similarities in the samples and the ransom note to be convinced that the person who wrote this
(the yearbook entry) is the same person who wrote this (the ransom note),” Lehew said. “A colleague of mine and I spoke together about the samples, and we found 13 separate similarities that are, in
many cases, very unusual, and that makes it a match to me. It certainly indicates to me that John Karr did write the ransom note.”
On-Line Analysis. Another analysis has been posted on-line by someone who is certain Karr is guilty of the murder.
Extensive Travels
Internet poster vaughancauthen(posted 3:24 AM,, 9/30/06) notes:
"Check out John Karr's resume. The last point was, World Traveled: London, Paris, Amsterdam, Zurich, Milan, Bologna, Stuttgart, Munich, Sydney Australia, Taipei, Singapore, Seoul Korea, Osaka Japan, Istanbul,
Reunion Island off the coast of Madagascar, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and a host of other cities in the United States. How did a failed school teacher working as a nanny travel that far and
wide if he hadn't been paid very well to do something?"
Other Evidence
Multiple Personality Disorder??
1. A psychological profile of Karr has been posted.
2. Some speculate Karr may have had multiple personalities, as reflected by how he signed his high school yearbook and his ability to believe a brutal killing was an "accident."
3. Some theorists have long thought that some of the puzzles in the case arise because there were 2 or more individuals involved, i.e., a "calmer" personality wishing to carry out a simple kidnapping and a
more explosive personality wishing to sexually abuse and kill the intended kidnap victim. Someone with multiple personalities might likewise better "fit" the available evidence.
Karr at Boulder Bus Station 12/26/96? Dan Pride claims to have seen John Mark Karr on a bus leaving Boulder near midnight on Christmas of 1996 and to have contemporaneous proof of having
talked with Karr. However, he describes Karr as being 5'11" when he in fact is only 5'6"; moreover, Internet poster Henrietta McPhee (post 11) asserts that before Karr came onto the scene, Read's
original Web site first posted in 2002 stated: "The individual I asked for a cigarette light that night was 35 to 50 years old, emaciated, pot bellied, thin, about 5'11 and really terrified of something, perhaps
just a schizophrenic having a bad day, perhaps someone who did not want to be seen. His physique reminded me of my father's after years of congestive heart failure. Vaguely cow boyish, He looked sort
of like McReynolds from a two second flashed TV photo I saw years later after he died." McReynolds had a large white beard and was much older than Karr, so it is difficult to believe Read could have so
substantially forgotten what the person he saw looked like. Pride himself, in an August 18, 2006 letter to the Boulder DA, acknowledges "As a witness I have credibility problems up the ying, I believe you
would not want me involved. However with all the attention you should be able to locate others on the bus that night... it was packed. If I can be of help of course I would be will to, but as I said you will
be better off with another source." He further explains "My reference to "Credibility issues" was a reference to this site. While every single word is correct and true and the events have happened exactly as
described, it is of course a defense lawyers dream. A prosecutor would have to spend extensive effort to prove every word and then by the time he got done defending his witness and proving the
credibility, the focus of the trial would be lost."
Jaguar Explained? A report was made of an "unknown Jaguar seen in the area [of the Ramsey house] during a Christmas party at a friend’s home on Dec. 25.” John Karr was known to have driven a
Jaguar, but CrimeRant reports John Karr "owned a 1987 gray Jaguar, with an original title date listed as “6/23/1997,” six months or so after JBR’s murder. The car is described as a 6 cylinder, 4-door
sedan … the license plate number on Karr’s Jag was 49AT639. The VIN number listed as SAJAV134XHC475631." This would make it appear that Karr's Jaguar was not the car seen in Boulder on December
25. But as Internet poster one-eyed-jack has observed, Karr would NOT have necessarily had to own the car or have it registered to himself in order to be driving it at Christmas 1996.
SBTC Explained? A former classmate reported that Karr had signed her high school yearbook with a statement that included "shall be the conquerer" which she suggests may be the meaning behind the
S.B.T.C at the end of the ransom note. Unlike the rest of his lengthy yearbook entry, this closing section was in all capital letters. The parents of Karr's first wife (who was 13 when he married her) claim
that they found letters Karr wrote to their daughter signed SBTC.
Sex Change Operation. A doctor in Bangkok confirmed that Karr had inquired about getting a sex-change operation. It is not clear whether the motive was to disguise his identity or reflects his
underlying sexual preferences. If the latter, it could explain why there was no semen evidence on JBR's body; he may have found alternative ways of obtaining sexual gratification.
Black Market Activities? Given how little success Karr had at teaching, it has been unclear how he could support his lifestyle--a DeLorean, Jaguar, jetting around the world, etc.--unless he possibly was
engaged in some sort of illicit activity involving drugs or pedophilia-related activities such as child pornography.
1. Some have speculated that Karr, having "spotted" JBR in August 1996 in Atlanta, shopped around pictures of her until he found a willing buyer, at which point he went to Boulder to literally kidnap JBR
and sell her.
2. If he was dealing high-end used cars, it would not necessarily be unusual to drive a fair distance to deliver one; Karr might have persuaded his wife that he "needed" to deliver a Jaguar by Christmas in
order to secure a bonus price for it, for example, in which case his absence would not have been suspicious.
3. Conversely, however, she surely by now would have remembered this situation so it wouldn't explain her current willingness to provide an alibi for Karr.
4. Illicit activities such as child pornography would have given Karr means, motive and opportunity to be in Boulder, although any credible explanation of this would also have to explain how he kept this
hidden from two wives; given their very young ages, they may simply have been too naive or intimidated to know what really was going on.
5. According to Internet site rense.com: "In addition, WMR has learned of possible connections between GOP lawmakers and former school teacher John Mark Karr, who was arrested in Thailand and
deported to the United States after he claimed, falsely, that he killed six-year old Jon Benet Ramsey at her Boulder, Colorado home in 1996. After Boulder prosecutors declined to prosecute Karr for
JonBenet's death, he was transferred to Sonoma County, California to face misdemeanor child pornography charges. However, U.S. intelligence source report to WMR that the high degree of interest
shown by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. intelligence officials in Karr -- including having one CIA officer in Bangkok intercede, along with DHS Bangkok attache Ann Hurst, with Thai
law enforcement authorities after Karr's arrest -- was due to Karr's knowledge of the involvement of top U.S. government officials in a major pedophilia ring."
The suspect has been discussed extensively at We bbsleuths, a forum in which many lean towards an intruder-did-it theory and hence were inclined to view Mr. Karr with suspicion.
JMK Exculpatory Evidence
Why Did Boulder D.A. Extradite Karr?
Once Karr's arrest was made public by Thai authorities, Boulder DA Mary Lacy asserted "There is much more work that needs to be done now that the suspect is in custody. Our preference would have
been to complete that work out of the public eye. That is obviously not possible this morning."
Lacy also stated: "John Karr is presumed innocent. We are rightfully constrained by the code of professional conduct and the presumption of innocence from answering those questions today." Ramsey
attorney Lin Wood has reiterated this view.
Serious questions have been raised about the timing and handling of the case given that efforts to tie Karr to forensic evidence such as DNA and handwriting until after Karr's arrest; likewise, there was no
effort to contact his ex-wife regarding a potential alibi. It is unclear why Lacy felt her hand was forced given that there were alternative legal procedures that could have ensured that Karr was put into
custody while the investigation into his connection to the killing proceeded outside of the public glare.
Internet poster Cherokee speculates that Thailand authorities may have been asked by Boulder authorities to pick up Karr on the basis of disturbing emails to Tracey, but were caught by surprise when
Thai authorities had a public press conference in which Karr confessed. Now BDA has to play out the hand it was deal, all the while cautioning against a rush to judgment.
Role of Michael Tracey
An account of how Karr connected with Tracey is here.
Some on-line posters are skeptical about Tracey given that he has previously falsely accused John Gigax of the crime; they wonder whether he may have shared some generally inaccessible case materials
with Karr.
Tracey reportedly has no regrets about the decision to notify authorities; "From what I was reading, it was very troubling, and it became increasingly troubling," Tracey said of the communications from
Karr, many of which focused on his sexual desire for little girls. "It would have been irresponsible" not to act on Karr's statements, he said.
Out of Character Behavior
The Karr family lawywer, Gary Harris, has asserted: "Behavioral scientists tell us that psychopaths and pedophiles do not wait until age 37 to manifest their demons; instead they begin setting fires,
torturing animals, peeping into windows, molesting children and exhibiting violent propensities early on. Karr has never exhibited any of these traits."
This statement seems to fly in the face of the available evidence. From what is revealed on tape--even if it is all fantasy--it is fairly clear that Karr either is a fairly disturbed individual who has fantasized
his tale or someone with psychopathic tendencies who has simply fabricated it for whatever perverse pleasure or attention it provided him. The known accounts of being fired from various schools for
"inappropriate behavior" with little girls are consistent with his self-described behavior. Thus, while we can have some confidence based on the physical evidence that Karr is not the killer, it is not at all
clear that his entire tale--including molestations of other little girls--can be dismissed out of hand and therefore at minimum the molestation of JBR would appear to be "in character."
Physiological Evidence
Expert View. Body language expert Janine Driver has a site that lists the typical indicators of truthful and deceptive people.
Blogger View. "When Karr speaks to the media, he is unable to answer any important questions. He stutters for words, moves his eyes in ways that shows he has to consciously think before he speaks to
say the "right things". None of Karr's words come naturally -- which they would if he was telling the truth. A killer who confesses and would finally want this done and over with -- would give some true
signs that he was the killer. Karr cannot do this. Furthermore, Karr shows he is very nervous, and he flashes tiny expressions of glee which I believe represent the glee that he feels because he is actually
getting away with this. It thrills him. This expression furthermore tells me that John Karr knows he is lying. He knows he didn't kill JonBenet -- at least during these interviews. If Karr suffers from
delusions however, that state of mind may change and there may be times when he believes he killed her."
(from blogger Fredette X)
Known Karr Lies
2001 Lies to Wendy Hutchens. A list of other lies Karr has told include a series of lies about the JBR killing he told in 2001 to Wendy Hutchens, a California woman.
1. Newsweek reports "Hutchens says he told her he broke into the Ramseys' Boulder, Colo., home on Christmas night, 1996, and lured JonBenet to the basement, where he said he fondled her while choking
her with a cord. "He said she would be gasping for air, and he'd loosen up a little bit while he was sexually stimulating her," Hutchens tells NEWSWEEK." This is different than the scenario provided to
Tracey in which he describes the killing as accidental and doesn't allude to her choking or gasping.
2. However, he also said "How would that person apologize for such an atrocity?" he asks on the tapes. "Would that person say, you know, 'I strangled your daughter, and it was so accidental, and I was so
afraid, and I was so absolutely afraid.'" This is consistent with the account told to Tracey.
3. Likewise, the speaker in the Hutchens tapes says JonBenet quit breathing before being bashed over the head. He also talks about how he perceives sexual encounters with a child. "The weird thing about
being sexually attracted to a little girl is that you really aren't going to have penetrated sex ..." the man says on the recordings. In the account to Tracey, Karr confessed to oral sex but made no mention
of penile penetration.
2001 Lies to Father. In 2001, Karr also had told his father that he was in jail on charges related to killing JBR when in fact he was being charged with possession of child pornography. The fact that he
was willing to lie point blank to his own father may suggest the depth of his desire to become "implicated" in this case.
2006 Employment Application. In an application for employment in Thailand dated March 5, 2006, Karr gave his American residence address as 4000 Paces Ferry Rd., Atlanta, GA. According to
Internet poster Candy, the Ramseys lived at 4007 Paces Ferry Rd. after they moved from Boulder. According to a search of 4000 Paces Ferry Road NW on zillow.com there is no such address. The house
numbers jump from 3990 to 4014.
Possible Alibi for December 25 Alibi from Ex-Wife. A woman claiming to be his ex-wife denies he was the killer as he was in Alabama with her on the night JBR died. Her lawyer has stated that she now is in the process of checking
photos to see if she can establish this claim with greater certainty, but she continues to believe there were no Christmases during this period in which Karr was absent from the family. The woman never
found photos of Karr on Christmas Day 1996, although some speculate that's because he was taking the photos of his boys that she did find from that day. The family has produced a thank-you letter from
the ex-wife proving she and the boys were there that Christmas, but no explicit mention is made of John Karr in the letter. Karr himself asserted that he was in Hamilton, AL for Xmas but that his wife
would be unable to vouch for his whereabouts after that and that he "could have" flown a LearJet to get to Boulder in time.
Alibi from Father and Half-Brother. The father and half-brother of John Karr confirm they can recall no Christmas since John had his children that he didn't spend Christmas with the family in Alabama
or Georgia so there is no way he could have gotten to Boulder without being missed.
It is reported "So far, there is no paper trail of Karr being in Colorado. Police in Boulder said today that they have no record of ever having contact with him."
Unknown Jaguar NOT Karr's. A report was made of an "unknown Jaguar seen in the area [of the Ramsey house] during a Christmas party at a friend’s home on Dec. 25.” John Karr was known to have
driven a Jaguar, but CrimeRant reports John Karr "owned a 1987 gray Jaguar, with an original title date listed as “6/23/1997,” six months or so after JBR’s murder. The car is described as a 6 cylinder, 4-
door sedan … the license plate number on Karr’s Jag was 49AT639. The VIN number listed as SAJAV134XHC475631." Thus, unless Karr owned a different Jaguar, his was not the car seen in Boulder.
Karr Boulder Visit in 2000. Karr apparently visited Boulder in 2000 or 2001 while traveling with his family and spent most of a day at the Ramsey house; this confirms his obsession with the case and
may be the source of his apparent "insider" knowledge. But it does not disprove Karr wasn't also there in 1996.
Inconsistencies in Confession with Available Evidence
No Evidence of Prior JBR Meeting.
1. From the get-go, Karr refuses to explain to anyone how he knew JBR. It was reported "Yet for all Karr's willingness to profess his sick love for the child and to place himself at the scene of her death, he
was cagey when asked by reporters about his prior relationship with the Ramsey family. "No comment," he replied."
2. Similarly, in the phone conversations and e-mails with Michael Tracey, Karr repeatedly refuses to ever explain how he knew JBR, but his account also most definitely implies that he was not a stranger to
her on Christmas night when he took her from her bed. He further strongly implies without ever explicitly stating so that he was some sort of teacher of hers. But we know from other available evidence
that this almost certainly is not true. He asserted there were some things he would never disclose, but claims that scattered throughout his manuscript are numerous hints about how he met her.
3. It IS possible he may have met her at the Sunburst competition in Atlanta in August of 1996, but if that was their only encounter, it seems highly improbable that JBR would remember him with any
familiarity once she woke up in his arms on Xmas night (though one could argue that she was groggy and his soothing voice might have convinced her of anything at that point).
Scarf Asphyxiation Implausible. Internet poster Rainsong has concluded: "Karr's scenario doesn't work since the scarf itself would have left contusions even though they would have been greatly
diffused. The cord, by virtue of its width, would not have "hidden" the marks of either hands or a scarf."
No Evidence of Hanging by Wrists. Karr allegedly hung JBR by her wrists (using the ropes found on her) in the room with the window and suitcase; it is difficult to deduce the exact amount of time
she hung, since he repeatedly alludes to holding her up for at least part of the time (since he promised he wouldn't let her go even though he originally planned to do just that). But it would appear to be a
minimum of several minutes and possibly 10 or more. Yet the autopsy includes no mention of any sort of marks or abrasions on her wrist.
"Accidental" Killing Implausible. MSNBC reports "Karr told authorities he never meant to kill JonBenet. Details of her murder imply her death was intentional: “It’s hard to imagine a more intentional,
deliberate murder than hitting a little girl in the head so hard that she had almost a foot-long fracture in her skull and then deliberately fashioning a garrotte to twist until it buries in her neck and slowly
stops her breathing,” said Craig Silverman, a former Denver prosecutor." Karr's story can account for accidental strangulation (the culmination of his losing track of timing during erotic asphyxiation) and
the head-blow (a mercy killing). But it does not really account for how deeply embedded into the neck the ligature was and there would have been no reason given his account for why he would have been
motivated to do such a thing given that he allegedly was distraught over the death of his "princess."
Head Blow Scenario Implausible. Karr describes giving the head blow while JBR was still hanging. It's fundamentally unclear how physically plausible this is. There are three issues.
1. First, his account makes it sound as if her wrists were tied together since he alludes to her arms pressing against her ears when the full weight of her body hung from the rope. So somehow, the flashlight
would have had to clear her upstretched arms and yet still deliver sufficient power to the right side of the skull to create the massive fracture observed at autopsy. But as he himself said, when the full
weight of her body was hanging, it had the effect of bringing her arms right next to her ears. There's no way he could have gotten a clear blow to her head the the arms in the way. He would have
somehow had to deliver the blow from the TOP, but even this would have been difficult to achieve with the arms/rope in the way. Moreover, since Karr is right-handed, it would have made much more
sense to hit her on the left side of the skull since hitting her on the right would have required a "backhand" swing unless he spun her around and hit her from the back.
2. Second, even if he had managed such blow of that force, it would seem that this either would have broken or unknotted the rope and led her to crash to the floor, OR if she were still hanging, a blow with
such force surely would have left noticeable marks on her arms (the autopsy evidence suggests she was still alive when the head blow was delivered, hence at least some bruising/discoloration would have
ensued).
3. Third, the window that Karr allegedly came through was blocked by some sort of heating vent that hung from the ceiling (this picture shows that the distance from the floor to this heating vent was at
least 3, but definitely no more than 4 suitcases high. Unfortunately, we don't know the dimensions of the suitcase, but a typical basement ceiling would not exceed 8 feet. Given how much of the upper
part of the window is occluded, it appears that the vent hangs down at least 1 foot, leaving 7 feet of vertical clearance. JBR was 47" tall, her feet were not touching the floor (according to Karr's account),
so the combination of her feet hanging down and arms outstretched presumably added a minimum of 1 additional foot (allowing for her feet to be 3" above the floor). The point is that there is not a huge
amount of space above her head to allow for the flashlight to follow a full arc from the top direction and deliver a blow to her head without hitting the vent at the top of this swing. Absent such an
efficiently delivered blow, i.e., Karr swinging with all his might in an arc, it seems improbable than enough force would have been delivered.
Karr's Scream. His phone "confessions" are inconsistent. In an early call, he alludes to having screamed out in the basement after her death and wondering why no one ever heard that. Yet in call 7,
when he provides a detailed "blow-by-blow" he never re-mentions that scream. He alludes to talking out loud to JBR and telling her to wake up and not caring if anyone heard, but there his no repeat of
his earlier use of the term "scream." And in the narrative, it is unclear when such a scream would have occurred. If he truly had screamed upon her death and were worried about being heard, it would
appear to muster more bravery than he evinced to have returned upstairs to place the RN in her room. On the other hand, one possible reason he thought he heard a voice when he did return there was
because his prior scream had made him realize that perhaps he had awakened someone and he needed to be cautious.
No Urine Beneath Window. Karr noticed that JBR had wet herself while hanging ; the autopsy alludes to her bladder being completed voided, yet there have been no public reports of any urine stain
found in the room with the window and suitcase.
When/How Was JBR "Washed Down?" Karr's very detailed account in call #7 goes into extensive detail about nearly every move he made, including how and when he re-dressed her, but he never
mentions washing her down even though the forensic evidence suggests this happened. There was a bathroom in the basement, so in principle he had access to water, but his account also repeatedly
alludes to never wanting to leave her alone even for a few seconds. So had he either left her alone or dragged her with him to the bathroom to be washed down, it seems unlikely he would forget such a
significant detail.
Window Not Found Open. Karr's scenario has him panicked as he leaves the basement window. He neither said he closed the window behind him, nor does it seem plausible that he would under those
circumstances (with the possible exception that he seems to have some tendency towards OCD). He makes a point of saying he cleaned up all the material on the floor before leaving and he also
describes peeking through the grate to ensure no one was watching as he left the house, so it seems unlikely he would forget such an important detail. Yet neither Officer French nor Fleet White observed
that window open early that morning upon first arriving at the house.
No Clanging Grate. A neighbor allegedly heard the sound of scraping metal between midnight and 2:00 AM. This is reasonably consistent with Karr's timeline, but again is inconsistent with the scenario
he depicts. He entered the house at 5:00 through the grate, so this could not have been the sound heard. When he left the house he thought he was being pursued. It would not have made any sense to
create ANY undue noise at that juncture. Indeed he describes desisting the temptation to run down the driveway for fear of calling attention to himself. Letting the grate bang shut would have made no
sense.
"Inconsistencies" That Appear to Be False Alarms No Semen Found. MSNBC reports "Karr told investigators he drugged and sexually assaulted JonBenet before killing her, but an autopsy performed a day after her death revealed no drugs in her body.
She had a vaginal abrasion, but the autopsy made no conclusions about whether she had been raped. No semen was found on her body." However, in the phone confession, there was no indication that
his definition of "having sex" with JBR included penile penetration.
No Drugs Found. It was originally reported in The Smoking Gun reports: "While a Thailand immigration official has said that John Karr, who was arrested yesterday in Bangkok for the girl's murder,
reportedly claimed to have drugged the child before raping her, the autopsy notes that a "blood drug screen" was negative." Follow-up statements by Thai authorities suggest this official may have been
confused or misinterpreted what Karr claimed; Karr now has been reported saying that events during the killing were a "blur." Moreover, even if Karr made this claim, Internet poster GlassHouse asserts
that Dennis Rader used choloform and that it would not leave a trace on a toxicology test, hence there is not necessarily an inconsistency between his claims of having drugged her and there being no
positive toxicology findings in the autopsy report. Chloroform disappears quickly from the body with each exhalation, but it also "frequently causes convulsion, and tongue biting is one common side
effect."
No Pick up From School Possible. It also was originally reported "investigators in Thailand have told the Associated Press that Karr has made several other statements to them, including claims that he
picked JonBenet up from school the day she was killed..... JonBenet was on Christmas vacation at the time, so school was not in session..." But this statement was subsequently retracted as it apparently
was based on a documentary that a Thai official had seen about the case, not an actual assertion by Karr.
No Handwriting Match
Internet poster Cherokee claims Karr's handwriting from his high school yearbook does not match the RN.
Lack of Hard Evidence
To date, there have been no revelations that the suspect can be tied to the crime in terms of DNA or other "hard" evidence. On August 28, just hours before he was to be arraigned, it was leaked that the
DNA did not match and that no charges will be filed.
The suspect is being discussed extensively at Forums for Justice and Websleuths, forums in which many lean towards an RDI theory and hence are inclined to doubt Mr. Karr is the murderer.
False Confessor Profiles
Why would Karr falsely confess? A Website devoted to false confessions claims that false confessions can occur among all types of individuals (intelligent or not; mentally ill or not). Both Newsweek and
Time have run stories on false confessions.
No Match to False Confessor Profile? Most false confessions arise from individuals who seek out authorities, which Karr did not do; his "confession" transpired only after being confronted by Thai
authorities. He was surprised and possibly angered to be caught. In the phone tapes, Karr seems quite paranoid about getting caught and claims he would kill himself rather than be caught. He also is
heard sobbing on the tapes and sounds genuinely remorseful, another aspect not typical of a false confessor.
Other False Confessions to JBR Killing
James Selby. James Allen Selby was a convicted rapist who admitted in jailhouse letters to several other crimes, including Danielle vanDam and the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. See details at
acandyrose.com.
B_n_Jazzy4ever45. This individual was an Internet poster who confessed at maketoast.com, a JBR memorial site; see details at acandyrose.com.
Mental Illness?
Character Profile
FBI View. Internet poster Shadow claims to have an FBI source who asserts that "all of his FBI buddies are in agreement that the guy is mentally ill" and are surprised Boulder LE let the case get into the
news before actually questioning Karr.
Formal Character Profile. Russell Smith, the creator of the BRACE Character Profile system, has posted a comprehensive personality assessment of Karr based on reading emails and listening to
phone tapes. See here. His overall assessment is as follows, but there is considerably more detail on the page cited:
1. "Based on the current profile, John Mark Karr is predominantly a psychopath. There are no indications of psychosis and his behavioral dysfunctions are learned. All so-called psychopaths are antisocial in
the sense that they willfully violate the rights of others, but at their core they are quite simply narcissistic --- acting-out their self-centered desires (both for pleasure/comfort and to avoid pain/discomfort),
imposing their wills on others in the process. The significant negative correlations indicate that he is fiercely independent and assertive, is socially engaging and alert to social cues, generally has good
communication skills, and is able to understand and relate to the verbal and nonverbal behavior of others. Similarly, he is able to relate to the emotions and motivations of others, both in terms of reflecting
(role play, emulate) and eliciting (provoke, evoke)."
2. "Psychopaths are independent creatures who only rely on others as a matter of practical necessity. In fact, they are attracted to the most naive, dependent individuals in their behavioral environment
because they are so easy to manipulate and exploit. John Mark Karr has progressively been “attracted” to younger and younger females. He recently claimed his current preference is five to nine year old
“little girls,” but he may well progress to toddlers and infants. His current profile certainly indicates no social or moral taboos and he verbalizes little interest in normal sexual relationships."
Multiple Personality Disorder?
Karr possibly may have had "multiple personality disorder" (MPD), which since 1994 has been called "dissociative identity disorder" (DID).
However, Internet poster Mikie claims Karr instead had "factitious disorder" as such individuals "deliberately create or exaggerate symptoms or falsify behaviors for emotional gains."
Delusional
Karr may be simply delusional, in which case the confession fulfills a deep psychological need. If he actually believes he is the killer, this would explain why his accounts and emotional trauma seem so
convincing.
Internet poster Mikie suggests Karr may have believed Patsy killed JBR accidently and is deliberately taking the fall for her, although there is no indication from the emails or phone tapes that this is true.
What is clear is that he thought he could save her from the false accusations being made by those who believed she was guilty.
Dr. Michael Welnder, a forensic psychiatrist, provides his views on Karr's thinking here.
Did Karr Inherit Mental Illness?
Karr's mother reportedly tried to kill him as an infant and later was hospitalized for mental illness and has subsequently died in 2000. A friend of the family stated: "From the time his mother tried to kill
him — he's been out-and-out paranoid that someone's going to try and kill him or take advantage of him," McCrary said. "He needs a psychiatrist worse than anyone I've ever met in my life."
It is reported Karr was fascinated by JBR's death and had written such a detailed paper about it in college that he was encouraged to turn it into a book. Skeptics believe this research and/or contacts with
Tracey may explain his "insider" information.
In this same time period, Karr was recorded by a California woman making very disturbing observations about JBR, further confirming his obsession.
Monetary Motivations
Ran Out of Money
Some have further speculated that Karr ran out of money and wished to get his transportation back to the U.S. paid for.
But this theory ignores his potential liability for misleading authorities and/or the prospect he could be confined to a mental institution were his behavior deemed a reflection of serious mental illness.
Seeking Medical Help
Internet poster VeritasOne has speculated based on his gaunt appearance that he has AIDS and was seeking imprisonment knowing that the state would then be obligated to pay for his medical treatment.
But this wouldn't explain why he waited to be caught rather than preemptively coming forward. There is no indication he "expected" to be arrested.
Internet poster Jayelles has pointed out that no responsible surgeon would consider sex change surgery on an AIDS patient.
Celebrity Mania
Karr, by all accounts, is very intelligent, notwithstanding his unusual sexual preferences. Once caught, he may have calculated the following: by confessing he immediately got his "15 minutes of fame." He
also had to know the media would dredge up many of the details of a tragic life. The California pornography charges are a misdemeanor offense, so he'd serve a relatively short sentence at best, during
which time he would write a book about the JonBenet case. Once released, his book would be a best-seller.
Karr also clearly was thinking about making money from a movie in which he hoped that Johnny Depp would play his part audio clip.
Since he would not be profiting from a crime, he would be entitled to any proceeds from a book or movie deal.
From things he has said, it would appear that he comes from the school of pedophiles who strongly believe that what they do is morally right and that children shouldn't be denied their "right" to have sex
with adults who love them etc. His new-found celebrity would give him a bullhorn from which to promote his views: their very controversial nature virtually ensures an endless list of appearances on talk
shows and "news" programs. He could easily afford his sex change operation. He'd have to give up little girls, but in the grand scheme of things, that was probably going to have to happen anyway due to
"Megan's Law" notification requirements that would follow him wherever he went the rest of his days.
MSNBC analyst Cliff Van Zandt asserts Karr got exactly what he was seeking from the intense media coverage watched by millions: his name will be forever linked with JBR's.
Why Sex Surgery Before Confession?
Karr was seeking to have sex-change surgery, but taking such a drastic step is not consistent with planning to confess to this crime as it implies some serious degree of future-orientedness and plans for
the future. It would seem pointless to undergo such surgery only to be placed on death row and/or life in prison.
However, one could as equally argue that getting sex-change surgery in Thailand was his last chance since once imprisoned, that option would be forever closed to him.
Revenge on Tracey
One possibility is that Karr was very upset by being turned in by Michael Tracey and now is playing a "game" to make Tracey look as bad as possible.
Tracey has previously fingered a suspect who turned out to have a proven alibi, so this could considerably tarnish his image.
Even though Karr had taken great pains for 10 years to remain hidden, once in the hands of Thai authorities, he in effect taunted Boulder authorities to take his confession seriously by stating: "If you
don't let me plead guilty, how will you feel? How will you live with yourself when I kill a little girl?"
Averting Thai Jail Time
Some originally thought Karr was confessing to be extradited to the U.S. thereby avoiding the brutality of being jailed in Thailand.
But it turned out that Thai officials would not have jailed Karr but for the American charges he was facing.
