Angry in the Great White North

When it comes to John Mark Karr, the American arrested in Thailand on sex charges who then admitted guilt in the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, two prevalent theories have taken centre-stage:

1. John Mark Karr is crazy and killed JonBenet Ramsey
2. John Mark Karr is crazy and wants people to think he killed JonBenet Ramsey in order to fulfill some nutty desire for attention

The doubts over his confession are now well known -- despite authorities' insistence that John Mark Karr knows details about the murder never released, it also seems that John Mark Karr is ignorant of many widely known details about the murder, and that he has an alibi provided by his ex-wife, who by all accounts loathes the man.

However, until now, I have not heard anyone in an official capacity put forward my theory, that John Mark Karr is acting rationally by making a semi-credible confession. In doing so, he guarantees extradition to the US and so avoids Thai justice, including the horrors of Thai prisons. He knows the evidence will clear him of the Ramsey murder, and that a constitutional guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment will prevent US authorities from handing him back to Thailand.

Now someone seems to be saying exactly that, in this column by Steve Dunleavy:

Never before have I ever heard a prosecutor exhort so passionately the need to consider a nasty insect to be presumed innocent.

"It tells me the case is going south," said local attorney Larry Posner, referring to statements made by District Attorney Mary Lacy.

Bob Grant, a former DA of adjoining Adams County and a friend of Lacy, said: "I do think it's time for healthy skepticism. Mary is a great prosecutor and although she had every probable cause for extradition, I think her words have shown she has a lack of complete confidence in her case."

Grant was involved in the initial investigation in the murder of JonBenet Ramsey 10 years ago.

"Apart from a circle of main suspects, we had an additional 100 suspects - which we eventually cleared - and, of course, there were three different men who came forward and confessed."

Karr's miserable life of perversion, which started when he was a teen, makes him a prime candidate as a professional confessor - or is there something more?

Apart from local authorities here, Thai police had taken dramatic interest in Karr, probing whether anything happened at his job - at a Bangkok school where he taught girls ages 6-12 until he was fired.

"Yes, the prospect of a Thai jail might certainly be a good motive to confess and get out of Bangkok - and get over here immediately to recant whatever confession he might have made," said Grant.

I also asserted that it was very possible that John Mark Karr deliberately planned this bogus confession well ahead of time, perhaps months or even years ahead, as a means of escape for when he would be arrested -- a inevitable consequence he knew he would suffer given his ongoing criminal behaviour. Such forethought would be the sign of a very rational mind.