Suspect Arrested in JonBenet Ramsey Murder Investigation
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. Thank you for joining us. Tonight's "Top Story": the breaking news of an arrest in one of the most notorious and most baffling murder mysteries of the last decade, a case that sparked a worldwide media frenzy the moment it broke, the killing of JonBenet Ramsey. She was only 6 years old when her body was discovered by her parents in their Boulder, Colorado, home on the day after Christmas 1996. She had been molested, beaten, and strangled. As we speak, the suspect in her killing is in Thailand. And a law enforcement official tells CNN, he's a 41-year-old man named John Mark Karr, a onetime schoolteacher and a U.S. citizen. He has been under investigation for an unrelated sex crime. The U.S. finally lifts the cloud of suspicion that has been hanging over JonBenet's family, especially over her parents, for more than 10 years. Colorado authorities originally suspected John and Pansy -- Patsy Ramsey, that is -- of being involved in their daughter's killing. Tragically, today's news comes too late for Patsy Ramsey. JonBenet's mother died of cancer less than two months ago. Let's get straight to what law enforcement are saying tonight. Justice correspondent Kelli Arena has been working the story. She joins me live with the late details. Kelli, what are they telling you?</s>KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, the arrest warrant was issued last night in Bangkok, Thailand. Now, the Ramsey family was notified. And there is a press conference that's scheduled for tomorrow. Here's what we know factually. Law enforcement officials say that, as you said, his name is John Mark Karr. He's 41 years old. He's American, and he was a schoolteacher. Law enforcement officials tell CNN that Karr actually confessed to some of the elements of the crime. They say that he had been communicating, on and off, with somebody in Boulder who was working with law enforcement on the case. Investigators say that Karr's online communications were a key part of this investigation. Now, the Boulder, Colorado, district attorney's is the lead in this investigation. It always has been, Paula. In a statement, it said the suspect was arrested on August 16, following several months of a focused and complex investigation. Now, investigators have told me that Karr is a relatively new name in this investigation. This is not someone that they have looked at before. JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, in an exclusive interview with CNN affiliate KUSA, says that he doesn't know the suspect. And he says that he's known about this part of the investigation for months, and that his wife, who, as you mentioned, died in June, also knew. Now, Karr is expected to be transferred to the U.S. very soon, under escort by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. ICE, by the, way put out a statement, Paula, saying that it was pleased to assist in helping locate the suspect. And the Department of Justice also says that it helped facilitate the arrest warrant.</s>ZAHN: So, what else do we know tonight about where the suspect has lived from time to time, and how he might have had any contact with the Ramseys, particularly if John Ramsey is saying tonight he didn't know him?</s>ARENA: Right. I mean, that -- that is still what is unclear. And, hopefully, at at -- tomorrow's press conference, we will get a better picture. But I have been going through some property records of a John Karr who does seem to match the suspect, date of birth and so on. And this shows someone who has moved around a lot, Paula. In 1996, the paperwork indicates that he lived in Alabama when JonBenet Ramsey was murdered. He's also listed at living in Georgia several times. So, you know, that's part of -- of this story that we're trying to get more facts on. But he at least was around where -- where she lived at the time, but not exactly in her neighborhood.</s>ZAHN: A lot of unanswered questions tonight. We know you are going to continue to work the phones throughout the show.</s>ARENA: Sure will.</s>ZAHN: If you have got new information, we will come back to you, Kelli. Thanks.</s>ARENA: OK.</s>ZAHN: It's extraordinary how this small-town murder case almost immediately turned into a national story. And Anderson Cooper looks into the story that gripped the nation 10 years ago.</s>JONBENET RAMSEY, 6 YEARS OLD (singing): I want to be a cowboy's sweetheart.</s>ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360" (voice-over): They are images frozen in time, a child beauty queen, 6 years old, performing on a stage. We know her name, but we never knew her -- not in life, that is. On the day after Christmas 1996, the body of JonBenet Ramsey was found in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. The killer beat her, strangled her, and left a handwritten ransom note. It was the city's only murder of the year. The killing of JonBenet Ramsey instantly became the focus of the nation. JonBenet's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, said an intruder murdered their daughter and, in an interview with CNN, urged parents to be careful.</s>PATSY RAMSEY, MOTHER OF JONBENET RAMSEY: If I were a resident of Boulder, I would tell my friends to keep -- keep your babies close to you. There's someone out there.</s>COOPER: But the police and much of the media were turning their attention back to the parents.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They do remain under an umbrella of suspicion, but we're not ready to name any suspects.</s>COOPER: Even after a grand jury failed to indict the Ramseys, to many, they remained objects of suspicion. In 2000, on "LARRY KING LIVE," Steve Thomas, a former Boulder police detective, confronted John and Patsy about the murder. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE") STEVE THOMAS, FORMER BOULDER POLICE DETECTIVE: I felt that Patsy is involved in this death, in this tragedy. And I felt it had become such a debacle and was going nowhere. Out of frustration, I left the case and police work.</s>LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": John, why did you agree to come on with Steve tonight?</s>JOHN RAMSEY, FATHER OF JONBENET RAMSEY: Well...</s>KING: I mean, this is rather historic. I don't -- I'm trying to remember if there has ever been television like this.</s>JOHN RAMSEY: This -- this man, as a police officer, has called my wife a murderer. He has called me a -- complicity to murder. He has called me a liar. He has slandered my relationship with my daughter, Patsy's relationship with JonBenet.</s>COOPER: Thomas wrote a book, claiming the Ramseys were involved in their child's murder. In 2001, the Ramseys sued, and, a year later, settled out of court. About the same time, John and Patsy wrote a book, telling their side the story, that a predator hid in the house, and, after attempting to kidnap JonBenet, murdered her. Then, in 2003, the Boulder police ended its investigation and handed it over to the DA's office. The district attorney vowed to reopen the case, but refused to eliminate the Ramseys as possible suspects. Just a month later, however, the DA changed her mind. A judge ruled, in a civil case, that an intruder most likely killed JonBenet, and the prosecutor agreed, finally lifting the cloud of suspicious over the parents.</s>ZAHN: And, just moments after the news broke this afternoon, Paula Woodward of our affiliate KUSA-TV in Denver, did speak with John Ramsey by telephone. And here is some of that interview now.</s>PAULA WOODWARD, KUSA REPORTER: Mr. Ramsey, what do you know about what has happened today with regard to an arrest in the case?</s>JOHN RAMSEY: Well, I know that to be true. And I was notified this morning that an arrest had been made. And I'm just absolutely impressed with the effort that went into accomplishing this by the Boulder DA's office and the other agencies that were involved all over the world, including the Thai police. And it's very just beyond impressive, what they accomplished.</s>WOODWARD: What is it that you would like to say about what you know about the suspect?</s>JOHN RAMSEY: Well, I don't -- you know, I don't -- certainly, based on what happened to us, I don't think it's proper that we speculate or discuss the case.</s>WOODWARD: Your wife, Patsy, died in June of complications from ovarian cancer. Did she know about this?</s>JOHN RAMSEY: She knew that they were working very diligently on it, and that they had a suspect, and that they were in the process of locating him. Yes, she did.</s>WOODWARD: You have three children. How are they reacting to this?</s>JOHN RAMSEY: Well, I have talked to them. And they're thankful that this step has been taken. But I have told them the same thing, that, you know, we need to be observers, and -- and let the -- the proper justice system evolve.</s>WOODWARD: Without identifying the suspect, did you know the suspect?</s>JOHN RAMSEY: I -- I really can't comment on that. To my knowledge, no, I didn't. But I don't know enough.</s>WOODWARD: What was the hardest part for you and your wife during this whole ordeal since your daughter was murdered?</s>JOHN RAMSEY: Well, the hardest part was losing a child, and by -- by far.</s>ZAHN: And joining me now, criminal profiler Pat Brown and Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom. Good to see both of you. It is so heartbreaking to hear John Ramsey talk. First, they suffer the horrible loss of their daughter. They live under this cloud of suspicion for 10 years. We all know investigators immediately look at these family members. But this was a family that was belittled, with no evidence anybody could ever point to that directly linked them to the crime.</s>LISA BLOOM, COURT TV ANCHOR: well, it was such an unusual crime, Paula, and it seemed to happen inside the home. There was a note left inside the home. And, so, it would be natural for investigators to look at the parents first, but not exclusively. There was always so much evidence that an unknown intruder did it. And look at this guy, a second-grade teacher who went to Bangkok, a place known for sexual activity between adults and children. Perhaps this is a known pedophile. What I have always thought is that, since -- since 2003, the investigators found unknown DNA on JonBenet's underwear and under her fingernails. And they have been consistently in databanks, trying to match it to new DNA identifications that come in from new criminals. Perhaps that's how they caught this guy, perhaps through online communications and more modern tools. But they didn't give up on the case. That's the...</s>ZAHN: Sure.</s>BLOOM: ... good news.</s>ZAHN: And Kelli arena reporting at the top of the hour, Pat, in fact, this online component was critical to breaking open this investigation. Approach this from the eyes of a profile here, what we know about this guy. He was 31 years old at the time of JonBenet's murder. Lisa was just talking about some of what we know about his possibly -- or we know he had been a teacher at some point in time. Try to put the pieces together for us tonight.</s>PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: Well, Paula, we don't know yet that this is the right man, but, certainly, if he has an interest in children, he might choose a profession that he's going to be around children. And, if he's going to Thailand, yes, that is a -- a place where you can procure children, for pretty low prices. So, they're going to be looking at all these aspects, as to, is this part of the guy's personality? And, if they have got him online, it -- it's amazing how much people will give up as information online, because people love to talk. They love to share their feelings and emotions. And, if they think they're safe in doing so, it's amazing, to the depths which they will do that. And, so, if you can keep them talking, keep them -- keep them giving up every little piece of possible emotion that they have inside them, it's surprising what they can get. And I guess they got something, because, otherwise, I don't think they would be going public right now, if they didn't.</s>ZAHN: Well, not only did they get something, but law enforcement officials are saying that this suspect had contact with someone in Boulder who was in close contact with law enforcement.</s>BLOOM: Right, and that he's confessed to certain aspects of the crime. I mean, look at the crime itself. There was a sophisticated garrote around the neck of JonBenet Ramsey, indicating an experienced sexual sadist. Look at the Ramseys, no history of child abuse, no motivation to kill their own child. We have a beautiful little girl who -- here, who was high profile for a 6-year-old, because she was in the pageant circuit. People knew her. Her parents were well-to-do people in Boulder, Colorado, perfect targets for a kidnapper or a pedophile. It made sense all along that it would be an unknown intruder, somebody like this guy, if, indeed, he is good for this crime.</s>ZAHN: But there were pieces of the puzzle that didn't make sense, and -- and, Pat, in particular, the -- the ransom note, that...</s>ZAHN: ... that a lot of people believed was written after the crime was committed.</s>BROWN: And that -- that's one of the peculiarities of the crime. And it may be an anomaly, that this is just one of those peculiar things that happened that is almost unexplainable. Or, perhaps, he was sitting there for so long, he got bored and decided to amuse himself by writing a note. But that's exactly why the Ramseys came under suspicion, because there were so many things that did not make sense for a sexual predator. So, they -- the police have to look at the Ramseys. And they had their own behaviors. They were their own worst enemy in the beginning of this particular case, acting in ways that set up red flags. So, may -- of course, you know, when you have never had a child murdered, you don't know how to act. So, we can't necessarily blame them for that. But, in -- indeed, that is what happened. And, in the long run, I have to also add, Paula, it may have been the best thing that could have happened, because -- because the suspicion was so over the parents for so long, this case never died, and everybody kept looks and focusing on this case, wanting to solve it. Other cases just vanish quickly, go underneath the rug. But this case stayed out there. So, maybe, in the beginning, it was bad for the parents. But, maybe, in the long run, it's good for the case.</s>BLOOM: And, Paula, you know what has always gotten me is that JonBenet said, in the days before her death, that she was expecting a special visit from Santa. She was killed on Christmas Day. Did this intruder dress up like Santa to get into her home and gain her trust?</s>ZAHN: Well, and -- and that's what everybody is so confused by. How can a guy who allegedly had never been in this home before case it out as quickly as he did, lie in wait when the parents were coming home from a Christmas party? I guess, in the days to come...</s>BLOOM: Yes.</s>ZAHN: ... we will a lot learn more from the district attorney. Pat Brown, Lisa Bloom, thanks so much.</s>BROWN: My pleasure.</s>ZAHN: Now, one of the most heartbreaking aspects of this case is, as we have explained, that JonBenet's parents were actually considered suspects themselves for years. Next in our "Top Story" coverage, I will ask a private investigator for the Ramseys about what it was like to live under that umbrella of suspicion and about Patsy Ramsey's untimely death from cancer. And then later, tonight's "Top Story" in the Middle East: Less than three hours from now, thousands of new troops will start moving into the war zone, but this time, it's for peace, not for fighting. We will take you there.