BANGKOK, Thailand – A former Sonoma,Calif., substitute teacher has been arrested for the 1996 murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey.
John Mark Karr, 41, was apprehended at the apartment where he lived in Bangkok Aug. 17. Prior to his arrest, he had been tracked for three weeks by Thai authorities and the FBI.
In a letter to a man he had corresponded with via the Internet, Karr said, “I was with JonBenet when she died.” Some experts believe, however, that Karr’s confession may not be legitimate. Additionally, his ex-wife says that Karr and she were either in Alabama or Atlanta at the time of the murder. Karr’s DNA is being tested to determine if his matches the DNA found at the scene of the crime.
The suspect will be extradited to Colorado where he may face charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child sexual assault.
At the time of his arrest, Karr was working as an English teacher at a school in Bangkok. Previously, the father of three had been employed as a substitute teacher in Sonoma, Calif. While there, he was charged with possession of child pornography. Soon after that, he fled the United States, having traveled the world for the past five years.
JonBenet Ramsey disappeared from her bedroom in 1996, but was later found murdered. Her parents were long considered the prime suspects in the case.
