In the horrifying case of JonBenet, John Mark Karr claimed to have committed the crime. Nearly three decades later, his story is revisited, and many wonder where he is now.
On December 26, 1996, JonBenet Ramsey was found unresponsive in her basement, tied around her neck and wrists, after being physically violated. The 6-year-old had been missing for more than six hours before the discovery.
Official reports suggested that she had sustained a broken skull before passing away. The court ruled her demise as a homicide. Her parents, John and Patsy, were the primary suspects.
As investigations proceeded, John Mark Karr testified and falsely claimed that he had committed the devious act. Five years after the incident, Karr communicated with the lead detective, Lou Smith, and journalist Michael Tracey.
Jonathan Ireland looks (and acts!) like fat John Mark Karr. pic.twitter.com/3KF5lO6CBO
— Sɴᴀᴋᴇsᴋɪɴ Jᴀᴄᴋᴇᴛ (@SnakeSkin_J) November 27, 2024
Karr mentioned in emails and phone calls while using the alias Daxis that he had physically abused the child after drugging her in the basement.
Further, when asked about his motive, he mentioned that the event was accidental and he didn’t mean harm to JonBenet. Karr knew several Ramsey family details, including the name of the child’s grandmother, which wasn’t publicly revealed.
The detectives began recording the conversation, and Karr narrated details of the case that were unknown outside the family. However, he refused to believe that he had eliminated the child.
During the case, Karr was a teacher at Alabama’s Franklin County School System and left his job a day before JonBenet’s passing.
Due to his fixation on JonBenet and the Ramsey family, Karr falsely confessed to the crimes and was detained by authorities in Thailand. However, DNA results proved he had no involvement in the case.
John Mark Karr had a criminal history and fabricated stories about his connection to JonBenet!
The school teacher relocated to California with his family shortly after the case. Karr had an unusual interest in teen girls, as his wives were mainly minors.
At 19, Karr married a 13-year-old who filed for a divorce a year later and described that she feared for her life. Later, he married a 16-year-old Lara Knutson and had three children.
Even after he confessed to the detectives and journalist, Karr maintained that he had a ‘deep love’ for JonBenet. JonBenet was an American child beauty queen and often graced magazine covers.
Police Retest DNA from JonBenet case
— E C B (@EastCoastBob) October 5, 2023
John Mark Karr#JonBenet #JohnMarkKarr #JonBenetRamsey#Crime #TrueCrime pic.twitter.com/MPHRiGe0sC
Moreover, Karr suggested the journalist visit the child’s home and read a peculiar message. It mentioned, “I love you. I pray that it will be with you- forever with you and other little girls.“
Following his detention, authorities interviewed Karr, and he claimed he wanted to spend the rest of his life with JonBenet.
Later, he requested to talk with Patsy, who was suffering from ovarian cancer. Additionally, authorities charged him with possessing explicit content involving children.
The school teacher tried to form a cult with underage girls!
As authorities searched his home, they discovered additional explicit materials and a letter from Richard Allen, who had abducted and eliminated a 12-year-old from Petaluma.
In addition to such instances, the 59-year-old faced charges of fighting his father when his father tried to call the police after Karr became violent with his then-girlfriend, Brooke Simmons.
Years after the case, Karr had two more wives before they left him for his erratic behaviors. They claimed that he wanted to form a sensual group with children between the ages of four and eight.
idk who killed JonBenèt ramsey… but it’ll always be very interesting to me that it appears Ghislaine Maxwell (epstein’s accomplice) was in close proximity per usual 🤔 pic.twitter.com/TupNUjT3Rl
— oracle 𝟙𝟛🐺 (@StormEllimac) November 27, 2024
Moreover, his partner claimed that Karr wanted children to fulfill his physical desires and act according to his demands. Soon, Karr transitioned to a woman and remained away from the media.
He has officially changed his name to Alexis Valoran Reich and has undergone gender surgery. Karr began using she/her pronouns and called himself a biologically female.
Reports claimed that he had moved to Seattle and had changed his appearance to look more like a woman. However, investigation revealed that it was only a mailing address.
No one has known his whereabouts in recent years, but many speculate that Karr might have moved out of the country.
Additional Information
- JonBenet Ramsey’s father, John Ramsey, believes that new DNA technology can provide clues to solve the case.
- The victim was a student at High Peaks Elementary School in Boulder, Colorado, and was buried next to her half-sister, who passed away in a car accident.