JonBenet D.A.: 'Hindsight Is 20/20'

(CBS/AP)  One day after the case against Karr was dropped, District Attorney Mary Lacy and her team defended their decision to bring him to Colorado from halfway around the world on a jumbo jet, with champagne and pate for dinner, for DNA testing that cleared him as a suspect.

"The fact of the matter is we didn't have much control or any control when dealing with a foreign government," Lacy said. "Hindsight is 20/20."

Lacy said she would not change a thing about how she approached the investigation, except perhaps making a stronger effort to keep details from the media. She said Karr's graphic, detailed claims and his growing fascination with at least one girl in Thailand forced her hand.

"We had probable cause to arrest him," she said. "We also had taken advantage of a forensic psychologist ... who advised that this person was dangerous, this person was escalating."

She added: "We felt we could not ignore this, we had to follow it."

Lacy also said it is difficult to verify any suspect's claims of killing JonBenet Ramsey because every bit of physical evidence in the case has been disclosed to the public over the past 10 years. She noted that several suspects have been investigated in the recent past.

"This guy confessed on numerous occasions in great deal," said Peter Maguire, a deputy district attorney. "He confessed in e-mails, he confessed in telephone conversations ... he admitted it to a police officer. This was a bizarre crime and the person who committed this crime acted in a bizarre way."

JonBenet's father found the little girl's body in the basement of their Boulder home on the day after Christmas 1996. For years, suspicion has focused on either an intruder or the girl's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey.

Karr, who in e-mails and telephone conversations expressed a fascination with JonBenet and Polly Klaas, a murdered California girl, said after his arrest in Thailand this month that he was with JonBenet at the time of her slaying, which he called an accident.

But DNA tests did not match Karr to material found on the girl's body. Prosecutors suggested in court papers that Karr was just a man with a twisted obsession who confessed to a crime he did not commit.

"John Karr inserted himself into this," Lacy said. "I don't have a great deal of sympathy for John Karr."

Wexford Karr, the father of John Mark Karr, had no comment for reporters as he left a courthouse in Boulder Colorado Tuesday, CBS News Denver affiliate KCNC reports.

Lacy has been sharply criticized from the governor and others for detaining and arresting Karr. She estimated costs in the Karr investigation were at least $9,300, and told reporters she has received citizen calls calling for her to be "tarred and feathered" and "run out of town."

"The decisions were mine," Lacy said. "The responsibility is mine and I should be held accountable for all decisions in this case."

Lacy, whose statement was briefly interrupted by a fire alarm at the courthouse, also said investigators surreptitiously took DNA samples from Karr from multiple sites before he was detained. But Karr balked at providing a mouth-swab DNA test, considered the best way to confirm his involvement.

"We couldn't get his consent because he didn't know he was under investigation and we couldn't alert him at that time," she said.

CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen said Karr was not the first person to have been checked out and then dismissed as a subject. But the Karr episode generated new leads.

"The investigation into Karr's involvement cost about $15,000, none of which was in addition to Boulder's existing budgets. We have more answers now than we did before," Cohen said. "In the end, it came down to judgment. In the opinion of investigators, Karr was someone worth taking a closer look at. Boulder officials did that and came up empty — an exercise they have gone through many times over the past 10 years. The big difference here is that we all knew about it."

Lacy also said Tuesday that Karr made some "pretty bizarre" claims in hundreds of pages of e-mail conversations with University of Colorado journalism professor Michael Tracey, who alerted authorities to Karr's claims.

But Karr just might have been confessing to an obsession instead of a killing, CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reports. That obsession with JonBenet Ramsey's life and the 6-year-old's death was detailed in four years of e-mails to Tracey.

Lacy conceded authorities were not able to confirm that Karr was in Boulder at the time of the slaying. Investigators said they felt sure of his whereabouts until Dec. 23, 1996, three days before the girl's body was found.

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[photosbyshan]

Why is it that all debates, no matter what they concern, somehow ends up bashing the president? Last I checked this article concerned John Mark Karr, not George Bush.

[skeptic691]

nmitch2311 is right. It was interesting to read, "he had been dismissed in one job for being too affectionate to children," then in another job for being too strict. It must be very confusing and difficult to be a male school teacher these days. He had never had any former record of any molestation, yet he was arrested "because he might have committed a crime." Sorry, I don't think this cuts it in a court of law. The best joke of all for Karr might be his multimillion dollar laws suit for violating his human and civil rights. It will also be interesting now if they can reveal what the five charges of child pornography entail...topless shots of a 17 year old or real pornography? This time, thanks to all the hype, America has shown the world it's desperation to focus on anything but its blunders in the middle east and the idiot President that makes all Americans look foolish.

[photosbyshan]

I am sorry wrongestman, I am not overly concerned with the constitutional rights of a sick, demented, child preying pervert like John Mark Karr. To me the possibility of him preying on a young child is cause enough to remove him from society forever.

[nmitch2311]

I'm not done yet. As I have read many of the "what do you think" comments, I have come to conclusion many folks wrote that this individual is sick and need to be in an mental institution. In my opinion I think this person is brilliant. This unknown Karr fella fabricated a perfect media attention plan. Think about this for a moment. His plan is doing very well in regard to getting attention and fame. You wonder why I use the word "FAME" . Fame is define as: "a state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed". This person took a $3000 flight with Champagne and gourmet steaks back to the US. I would definitely say he was being "Honored". My hats off to you Karr in deceiving us and continuing to make mockery fools of ourselves in allowing you to continue giving in to your brilliantly created attention seeking plan. I would assume the next phase is to appear on Good morning america. or simply head back to Thailand. In reality, we have no legal basis to keep you here because you have not been charged and the case against you was dropped. Therefore, you are entitled for another free wide back to your home town. This time, you might want to order prime ribs with a side of cheesecake smothered with strawberry toppings. And ask for a to go box because you might need it for a late night snack after a long night of celebration of a well thought out plan when you get back home.

[nmitch2311]

As I understand all of this came to light by one word "Confession" The definition of "confession" is: "To admit one's own guilt". However, confessing alone has no proof in the criminal court system. Unless, there is substantial hardcore evident that will back up a persons confession of a crime if the confession is true. I can not fathom that all this individual had to do in this case is "Confess". All of this money spent, media coverage, and a host of other enchantments that implicated this person was wasted. But, not without the final outcome. You see, all of this is about one thing and one thing only "MONEY". I guarantee you when all of this is over. Karr and the DA will make millions in book endorsements, Talk show and other media interviews, movie deals, XBOX 360 video game characters and other avenues of making money from this unorthodox business practice. If I were a judge, I would not allow the DA to simply drop the case. Not a by a long shot until they hear a stern lecture regarding the abuse of the law and public humiliation they have caused. I will hold them in contempt of there behavior and give both of them prison time if they profit one penny due to the subject of this drama. They will be instructed not to write books, appear on talk shows and would be barred from any type of formal engagement, business deals, with the intent of gaining fame and profit.

[wrongestman]

My biggest concern is that they admit they arrested Kerr because they believed he was about to "abuse another child." They don't seem to have any evidence that he has abused a previous child. As I understand the constitution, it is against the law to arrest someone for a crime they have not committed yet and it is against the constitution to arrest someone for a crime they committed in another country when that other country has not requested that an arrest be made via a presentation of evidence. I am really confused why the Boulder D.A. isn't the one in handcuffs. As weird as Kerr seems, the constitution protects everyone, even crazy people.

[frankbowers]

The present situtation is we have an illegal war started with/by lies and deception by a relegious right winging president and the media controlled by such. the two will do anything to keep the news of what is really happening in Iraq of the air and this type of story proves the point it is time to impeach the squint eyed little bas=== in washington dc calling himself the GOD of america. Frank in Austin TX

[madinusa]

I think if I see his face on one more news report, I will be sick. He is a crazy person who needs to be put in prison for his crimes against children..preferably in Thailand...or he needs to be put in a straight jacket in a mental facility somewhere.. He is a danger out on the street. His whole family seem to be a few cards short of a full deck...

[ittybitty9]

p.s. if i was a member of his family i wouldnt be on the news braggin about it!!

[ittybitty9]

they had every right to arrested him. he is the one who confessed. they still need to lock him up he is a sicko and i believe he will hurt or kill a child. so i do not think its a mistake that they have him in custody they just might of saved some other child. i hope he gets put a way for a long time!