Don't Just Blame Boulder Prosecutors

Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen Says We All Had A Hand In The JonBenet Fiasco

(CBS) 
From the prosecution's motion to quash, it is clear that one reason why Boulder officials decided to pick up Karr quickly was because they were afraid he might flee before a proper DNA test could be performed upon him. So why didn't they act in concert with California officials, from whom he had skipped bail in 2001, to try to bring him back to the States for reasons (child porn, violating conditions of bail, etc.) that had nothing to do with the Ramsey murder? In other words, why didn't Boulder officials simply tip off their California counterparts that Karr was in Thailand and then offer to help their Golden State cousins bring the guy back home?

Once home, they might have been able to do that DNA swab they say they needed and then make their scientific conclusions about Karr's guilt before alerting the Planet Earth that a Ramsey suspect was wanted and on the verge of being arrested. For years and years these investigators have toiled in silence and secrecy. And yet when it came time to make a move they blew their cover long before they had to. That might work in an ordinary high-profile case, but it wasn't going to work in this bombastic case and everyone in Boulder should have known it.

The other fault I find with Boulder officials was the inclusion in Karr's still-sealed arrest warrant of those references to first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual assault charges. Even though we still haven't seen that affidavit — don't expect it to be made public anytime soon, either, because it may contain information the secrecy of which still is important to the investigation — the use of those charges to justify Karr's arrest signaled everyone that the Boulder police thought there was a good chance that they had nabbed the guy. Again, this was bad "expectation management" on the part of Boulder officials, who surely could have ginned up lower-level alleged offenses to justify what they were trying to accomplish.

And even after the case was dropped it was clear that Boulder officials weren't dealing smartly with their California counterparts or the media. There is no excuse for the apparent lack of communication Monday afternoon between Boulder County and Sonoma County that resulted in Karr being "released" and then re-apprehended by Boulder cops after California authorities sent a telex to Boulder telling Karr's jailers that he was still a wanted man in California. There should have been no such scramble. Boulder should have given Sonoma County enough time to have that telex waiting once the case was dropped.

Other than that, what else do you want to blame Boulder prosecutors for? The business-class flight from Thailand? Fair enough. But so what. The guy was not yet arrested and on Thai Airways the motto is: to every man his own shrimp. And, anyway, wouldn't you trade a few thousand dollars of government money to get a guy like Karr off the streets? That's the under-appreciated fact in all of this. Even though Karr didn't kill Ramsey, he isn't stalking other young girls today. Even though he wasn't the right guy for this case, he wasn't the wrong guy to take out of circulation. It's not like Boulder officials scooped up Little Mary Sunshine.

We saw Karr, oozing weirdness, and we heard the allegations, and we wanted it to be true. We wanted it for JonBenet and for John Ramsey and even for his late wife, Patsy. We wanted it to be true and over and Karr looked and sounded the part. It didn't work out. But don't be too harsh on prosecutors or investigators. They had a guy they believed to be a pervert "admitting" in gross detail to involvement in the Ramsey case. He fit the profile and still does. So they brought him in to check it out. I hope they do it again and again and as often as they need to if, in the end, they solve this horrible case and thus end this unfathomable fascination so many of you have with this story.

[stinkbug_47]

John Mark Karr is a sick person.When a person confess to a murder esp: a child take them at their word and just take them on to the death chamber that would teach people to be careful in wanting media attention if they later found innoncent.I am a beleaver if a person is found guilty in murder esp: a child straight to the death chamber.

[flolake]

District Attorney Mary Lacy managed to put the world at ease with a stellar explanation of the dismissal. After seeing Mrs. Lacy's eloquent explanation and knowing that this suspect's strange statements HAD to be investigated, I do believe this is what is meant by a fast track. The D.A. was darned if she didn't investigate and by some; darned if she did. I'd imagine we'll never know how much the press collectively spent on such an implausible suspect's every move. And to think that some would call many facets of this coverage "journalism". My adjective for the press' fixation on Karr: Bull.

[sharkzone1]

Did everybody miss the fact that he was under arrest and being held in Bangkok for different charges? Seems like a good reason to confess to a crime that would get him extradited to the US.

[abigail4476]

Um, yeah...did someone say the MEDIA was to blame for the hype, and now wants to crucify the prosecutors for not fulfilling their lust for flashy headlines? Is that what I thought you said?

Okay, I agree.

[foobarbaz-2009]

I think when they get him back to CA they should check him for a fit against the Nicole Simpson / Ron Goldman glove.

[foobarbaz-2009]

I think when they get him back to CA they should check him for a fit against the Nicole Simpson / Ron Goldman glove.

[getcentered]

This story is a nice example of how distracted one can get from the stories that really matter. I think everyone BUT the public is to blame for this well timed piece of "sensational news", because since when does the public tell the media "what's fit to print".

On T.V. and radio and print news we are told what is truth. Get on the internet where one can SEEK the news he or she belives is relevant.

Thanks to CBS News for this amazing example of how the internet can allow people to EXCHANGE ideas in a public forum.

[mr_magwich]

It seems the only justification for her readiness to act on essentially no credible evidence in her own case the DA can come up with is that she believes she was protecting potential victims by detaining Karr. In the end, her gamble will only result in his removal from society for one year at the most. After that, he will be released (possibly to offend?)into our society when he could have remained abroad.

[bfroggy-2009]

"12 roller-coaster days of intrigue and doubt that we have just endured." Haha I couldnt have cared less. The only thing about this story which was remotely interesting was the Media's morbid fascination with it and the disconnect where they thought that this was A) News or B) What we want to hear about.

QUIT TALKING ABOUT THIS CASE ALTOGETHER NOW

[stellaone23]

"thus end this unfathomable fascination so many of YOU have with this story." I find it HILARIOUS that Andrew Cohen could type the word "you" in this article. We who don't live in Boulder would NEVER have heard of JonBenet Ramsey if it were not for the media and Hollywood cramming this story down our collective throats. For goodness sake, Entertainment Tonight has covered this story ad nauseum as though this story were somehow entertainment news. I don't recall making one request for more information or another article or television special about JonBenet. Stories get ratings, and articles are read because they are there. Who puts them there, the MEDIA. So, I would think it was THE MEDIA that has the "unfathomable fascination" with this case. Someone in this investigation sneezes, and you ALL trot out your beauty pageant videos and far to grown up looking still photos of this poor little girl. Stop showing it, and watch the fascination go away. Stella Presley, Memphis, TN