JonBenet Confession Under Scrutiny

(CBS/AP)  As more details of John Mark Karr's confession to the killing of JonBenet Ramsey surface, several aspects of the former schoolteacher's account raise questions about his role in the 6-year-old's death in 1996.

Karr claims he drugged JonBenet and then had sex with the child, but an autopsy said a blood screening showed no drugs or alcohol in the child's body. Also, while Karr reportedly claims to have sexually assaulted JonBenet, no semen was found on her body. However, the little girl did have small vaginal abrasions.

Karr has not yet been formally charged, Boulder, Colo., district attorney Mary Lacy said in a news conference Thursday, adding that there is "much more work" to be done in the case. She warned the public not to "jump to conclusions," and suggested that the arrest may have been forced by other circumstances, including the need for public safety and fear that Karr might flee.

Karr's ex-wife, Lara Karr, who divorced him in 2001, told KGO-TV in San Francisco that during the 1996 Christmas season, when JonBenet Ramsey was strangled and beaten to death in Colorado, she and her then-husband were living in Alabama — and that she was with him the entire season.

A Thai police official said Karr told Thai interrogators that he picked up JonBenet at her school and brought her to the basement the day she was killed, Dec. 26, 1996, the day after Christmas — a highly unlikely scenario.

DNA was found beneath JonBenet's fingernails and inside her underwear, but Wood said two years ago that detectives were unable to match it to anyone in an FBI database. It was not known whether investigators had any DNA evidence against Karr, despite serving time in a California jail in 2001 on child pornography charges. Sonoma County Chief Deputy District Attorney Joan Risse confirmed the pornography charges and an outstanding arrest warrant against a John M. Karr, though she didn't know if he was the same person being held in the Ramsey case.

CBS News 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty reports that investigators may have arrested Karr this week not because they had definitive evidence linking him to the Ramsey murder, but because they feared he might hurt a child in Thailand.

A former Boulder district attorney who investigated the Ramsey case tells Moriarty he has serious doubts about any confession because of the amount of public information surrounding the case. "I am very concerned about the viability of this case today, it does not sound to me like they've done their homework sufficiently to have arrested him at this time," says Trip DeMuth.

But the deciding factor will be the DNA evidence found at the crime scene.

"I think if this DNA excludes this suspect, this prosecutor has a serious problem on her hands," DeMuth says.

Sources tell CBS News tests have been conducted, but the results are not yet known. Karr was given a mouth-swab DNA test in Bangkok, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.

If the DNA does not match Karr's, this won't be the first time investigators thought they had evidence leading to the killer.

No evidence against Karr has been made public beyond his own admission. U.S. and Thai officials did not directly answer a question at the news conference Thursday about whether there was DNA evidence connecting him to the crime.

Even the Colorado professor who swapped four years' worth of e-mails with Karr and brought him to the attention of prosecutors in May refused to characterize the suspect either as killer or kook.

"I don't know that he's guilty," said Michael Tracey, who teaches journalism at the University of Colorado. "Obviously, I went to the district attorney for a reason, but let him have his day in court and let JonBenet have her day in court and let's see how it plays out."

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[lori2c]

Only the DNA is going to prove him innocent or guilty. The ex-wife has stated his interest in the case for many years and I am sure he did a lot of reading and research that has made him an "expert" on the information. If he is such an expert, then why is he blabbing so much incorrect information. His mannerisms, personally struck me as being homosexual. The way he walked around with the police officers was almost a "too cooperative" way. He has a very flat affect. It seemed to be an act. He was acting in a way that a possible murder suspect would act, but yet he was'nt. Very expressionless. No doubt he is guilty, but guilty of what? Guilty of being odd, weird, a pedafile, ***, a murderer? Who knows. I was so happy when I heard they made an arrest in this case, but now I really do not know. I know DNA results have to be in by this time, but the results and much more information are not being released at this time. Have you read where he now has admitted to killing Natalie Hollaway?

lori2c

[threehorses1]

I really think that cjmorgan7's post (12:09 AM : Aug 18, 2006) nailed it. He's done enough research that it's possible that he picked up on information that was supposedly not publicly available. How many screwups have their been on this case? I don't believe that the information is quite as unobtainable as they would have us believe. So he drops some info he got from one of his interviews or his research, pleads he is insane (hey - pretty convincing, no?).

Also there are no charges in Taiwan. He was arrested 'before he could do anything'.

Yes, he's sick - but I think it's a different sort of sick than being presented.

[ldiane3]

Look at the press coverage this guy is getting. For what? possibly murdering a defenseless little girl? That shows how sick society itself is. This guy looks more demented then the murderer or a little girl. I do not think he did it. He is just looking for some sort of sick fame, and if you think about it - he is getting exactly what he wants.

LDiane3

[oriestes]

Karr's appearance made me think twice I was not convinced that he was the person that killed this innocient little girl. Karr looked catatonic as if he is on some kind of a drug to calm him down and control him.I believe he has some type of psychosis and has feelings of grandious where he really believes that he is the one that killed this little girl. There is a danger here where law enforcement is not acting with respect for a person who is possibly mentally.I believe Karr is in need of help. Karr is fairly good looking so it is easy to think that he will be a great teacher I can see school officials not to think anything is wrong with him teaching young children. When I first saw him in front of the camera's I knew that his movements were not normal movements they seemed slow and un natural almost "robot like". There are people who are able to function and appear to be normal but are mentally ill.

I feel that the parents have more clues about the murder everytime I saw them on tv they did not appear to be sad and upset after their daughter was murdered they were always trying to deny their involvement rather than to comply with the investigation. I hope that this man mr karr is given some help and if he is a true pedifile Then he needs never to be allowed to be with children.

[SuppaPP]

I also beleive that John is mentally sick.
He is just like a dreamer.

But he did not say that he drugged the girl neither kidnapped her from her shcool.

There must be some missunderstanding if someone told the media that he said so.

DNA will tell everything.

If teh DNA taken from John doesn't match with the DNA taken from JonBonet's body...why they will try to take him back to the US ???

[gilderqueen]

Bwwwhaaahaaahaaa! He's the biological father?????? How far out do you want to go with a theory??? LOL
This guy is an over-the-top obsessive-compulsive looking to enjoy his 15 brief moments of fame. End of story.

[opinionated2]

What school did he supposedly pick her up from? Wouldn't she be on Christmas break? The day after Christmas.....I would think she be home with her family like most kids??????

[kbmeador]

Personally, I think this man is mentally ill and truly believes he did it. Maybe he had an obsession with JonBenet that only recently came to light. But I see too many holes right now to fully believe that even if this man DID commit this horrendous act, that he did it alone. I still hold firm to the fact that Patsy Ramsey did this and I still believe that she did it in a jealous, angry rage, fed up with all the attention the child required, even though that said attention was the creation of Patsy herself. I think John knew AFTER THE FACT.. and by that, I mean after the discovery of the poor girls body. But the fact he never came forward with it makes him just as culpable. I feel sorry for their son. That boy did not ask, nor deserve, the mess that his parents left at his doorstep. I pray JonBenet has peace. And I pray that, whether those of us who believe Patsy did this or was involved, or not, I pray that Patsy gets what is deserved in the afterlife.

[dougcl_79]

I still think the parents are the ones who did it, and were able somehow to get away with it. Why would you refuse a polygraph unless you had something to hide?

May Patsy Ramsey burn in hell

[Ruby38]

This story sounds ridiculous, I can't believe the media is focusing on this story, which will surely turn out to be a hoax from a mentally ill person. To think that there are missing people or other subjects that would benefit from some media coverage and so much time is being wasted on this wack job.