Where is John Mark Karr now? Former suspect in JonBenét Ramsey's murder
John Mark Karr was once a suspect in JonBenét Ramsey's murder.
This article contains mention of sexual abuse that some readers may find upsetting.
Netflix is uncovering another cold case as the streamer explores the murder of JonBenét Ramsey and the decades-long mystery behind it.
In 1996, six-year-old JonBenét was found dead in the basement of her family home, but her murder remains unsolved to this day.
While the police had suspects, one person in particular stuck out six years later. One man, John Mark Karr, had claimed that he was responsible for JonBenét's death, leading to yet another media frenzy for the Ramsey family.
But who is John Mark Karr and where is he now? Read on for the latest information.
Who is John Mark Karr?
John Mark Karr is a former school teacher who claimed he had killed JonBenét Ramsey.
Across four years from 2002 to 2006, John Mark Karr claimed to journalism professor Michael Tracey that he had sexually abused JonBenét Ramsey before accidentally killing her.
Karr used the alias Daxis when speaking with Tracey, which was JonBenét's nickname for her grandmother, which hadn't been reported anywhere, amongst other details that were not public knowledge.
When Karr told Tracey he was going to the Ramsey home, Tracey contacted the police and began recording phone calls, which detailed alleged abuse of JonBenét.
He claimed that he had accidentally choked JonBenét and believed she was brain dead, before hitting her over the head with a flashlight.
Was John Mark Karr convicted of JonBenét Ramsey's murder?
No, John Mark Karr was not convicted of JonBenét's murder and he was found to be not guilty.
After investigators tracked Karr down in Thailand, he was extradited to the US, where he was arrested on suspicion of the six-year-old's murder.
However, prosecutors said there was no evidence to connect Karr to the murder beyond his confession. There was also no DNA evidence of Karr on JonBenét's underwear, which debunked his claims that he had sexually abused her.
Where is John Mark Karr now?
In 2023, Karr told The Messenger that he was living in a high rise condo in Europe.
During his interview with the publication, Karr said: "I am not crazy. I am not delusional. There's so much more to my story. I've been investigated by the FBI for many more crimes. I'm living out of the country for my own safety."
Karr told The Messenger that he had changed his name and worked as a nanny, but at the time of the interview was not employed.
Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey is available to watch on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
