Who Is John Mark Karr? Former JonBenét Ramsey Murder Suspect Is Still on Investigators’ Radar

Investigators are pushing anew to solve the 27-year-old puzzle of who killed JonBenét Ramsey in her Boulder, Colo., home in December 1996.

Part of that effort includes conducting DNA testing on previously unexamined evidence.

And as the case progresses, a familiar name is reemerging: John Mark Karr, who claimed in 2006 that he had been with the 6-year-old beauty pageant contestant when she died.

"John Mark Karr is a viable suspect," the little girl's father, John Ramsey, said in a statement to NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield on Oct. 4.

"His emails over two years became very concerning and we turned him over to the DA for further scrutiny. They did some amazing detective work to locate him in Thailand and eventually arrest him there," Ramsey, now 79, continued.

"There is pretty strong evidence that he was stalking our family for a good while prior to JonBenét's murder."

Karr, 58, is living in Europe — and tells The Messenger that he still thinks about the case often.

"There is so much more to my story," Karr told The Messenger in September. "I'm living out of the country for my own safety."

It remains to be seen whether authorities will reinterview the man who made headlines around the world when he suddenly stepped forward and put himself — briefly — at the center of one of the country's most enduring murder mysteries.

Who Is John Mark Karr?

Born in Conyers, Ga., John Mark Karr sold real estate in the 1980s and worked as a substitute teacher. In 1989, he married his wife, Lara. He was 24; she was 16.

The couple had stillborn twins before having three sons in quick succession.

By 2001, he was student teaching fourth grade full-time in Napa, Calif. His employment ended when he was charged with five counts of possession of child pornography after a confidential informant tipped off police to his activities.

In 2005, he was living in Bangkok, Thailand. According to police records, he was staying at The Blooms, a budget hotel in an area known for massage parlors and sex tourism.

How Did Police First Learn About John Mark Karr?

In the early 2000s, Karr sent an e-mail to University of Colorado professor Michael Tracey, claiming that he had been with JonBenét when she died.

While it initially seemed like he might just be seeking attention, Karr knew very specific details about the Ramseys' home. He described a unique staircase, referenced a $118,000 check on John Ramsey's desk and knew specific details about the basement where investigators aid the girl was killed.

Tracey began to correspond with Karr and eventually turned their correspondence over to authorities. They found Karr living in Thailand and extradited him to Colorado.

Did John Mark Karr Confess to Killing JonBenét Ramsey?

Before his arrest, Karr told relatives that he was deeply troubled about JonBenét's death.

When he was arrested in Thailand, his story seemed to evolve. A Thai official told reporters that Karr claimed he had drugged and sexually assaulted JonBenét before realizing he had killed her.

But when he arrived in the U.S., he described he entire encounter as "a blur" and simply said he was with her when she died.

In a an interview with The Messenger, Karr implied that he might not have acted alone.

"Everyone was so quick to say that I was a liar or delusional," he said. "Did it ever occur to someone that I might have been trying to protect someone else?"

Was John Mark Karr Charged in Connection with the JonBenét Ramsey Case?

Authorities chose not to charge Karr with anything related to the Ramsey murder — and authorities didn't even charge him with lying to officers.

At the time, authorities were unable to determine his involvement in the case, nor could they prove that he was intentionally lying.

Why John Mark Karr Was Released

Authorities tested some of the DNA at the scene and said that it didn't match samples from Karr. They released him almost immediately, claiming that he was a delusional man who was obsessed with the world-famous case.

But not everyone agreed with the decision.

"I didn't want him to be let go quite yet," a former FBI source who worked on the case told The Messenger last month. "I thought maybe we should have held onto him until we were absolutely sure. But it wasn't my call."

"There were enough questions that made me raise my eyebrows," the source continued. "He was cagey and smart, and he knew a lot. Did that add up to murder? Or involvement on some level? I don't know. But I wanted to learn more."

What is John Mark Karr Up to Today?

Karr says that he was harassed so much in the U.S. that he needed to move overseas. He told The Messenger that he was in a high rise in Europe — but gave no more specific details about his living situation or where he resides.

Karr denied reports that he transitioned to a woman.

"[People] wrote that to embarrass me," he said. "I am not living as a woman. My name is John Mark Karr. I am a man."

He acknowledged that he changed his name in an attempt to hide from harassment, but it had nothing to do with his gender.

"They said that I'd want to live as a woman to be closer to children. That's bulls--t. How many transgender nannies do you know?"

Could John Mark Karr Be Arrested Again in Connection with JonBenét's Murder?

The Boulder Police Department isn't releasing any information about their investigation, but a source recently told The Messenger that there are several people on the radar.

"Right now, it's all starting fresh," the source said. "The DNA doesn't match the family, but pretty much everyone else is on the radar. We'll see where things eventually land."