Source

By JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press Writer
Sun Aug 20, 7:01 PM ET

John Mark Karr, the suspect in the death of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, sipped champagne and ate fried king prawns in business class Sunday after being put aboard a flight to Los Angeles to face charges in the United States.

As Karr wined and dined in style and chatted with the three U.S. officials escorting him, another bombshell emerged: Reports that Karr sought treatment at a Thai sex-change clinic.

His Thai Airways International flight took off about 8 p.m. (9 a.m. EDT) for the 15-hour flight to Los Angeles. Karr's journey will eventually end in Boulder, Colo., where he is expected to face charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child sexual assault in connection with the young beauty queen's 1996 killing.

Karr, dressed neatly in a red, short-sleeve, button-down shirt and black tie, was not handcuffed while being whisked through Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok. At the departure gate, he talked amiably with fellow passengers.

The 41-year-old teacher sat in a business class window seat next to Mark Spray, an investigator with the Boulder County District Attorney's office. A U.S. Embassy official and an agent with "Homeland Security" on his T-shirt were also part of the escort party.

Before takeoff, Karr took a glass of champagne from a flight attendant and clinked glasses with Spray, who sipped orange juice.

Dinner on board, served on a starched white tablecloth with silverware, was one many passengers would envy. Karr started with a pate, then had a green salad with walnut dressing. The main course was fried king prawn with steamed rice and broccoli, followed by a slice of Valrhona chocolate cake for desert. Karr drank a beer, crushing the can with his hands when it was empty, then moved on to a glass of French chardonnay with his main course.

"It seems odd to me. If there is an arrest warrant issued, he ought to be under arrest," said former Adams County District Attorney Bob Grant, who was involved in the Ramsey investigation. "It is very strange. Whoever is in control of him ought to make sure he isn't doing things like drinking champagne."

Other experts called the royal treatment a brilliant strategy.

If Karr says something incriminating that is challenged in court, the investigator who was sitting next to him simply says he was never in my custody, said Denver attorney Larry Pozner, past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

"There is always a reason when the unusual happens," Pozner said.

When Karr lands in Los Angeles late Sunday, he will be processed by immigration officials and is expected to be arrested by local authorities on an arrest warrant out of Colorado, said Carolyn French, spokeswoman for the Boulder County district attorney's office.

Karr will then have an extradition hearing in Los Angeles within the next few days, French said. If he agrees to waive extradition, Karr will then be taken to Boulder County.

"If he fights extradition that is a much more lengthy process," French said.

Karr was being brought back to the United States on a temporary passport. French did not have information on who paid for the flight.

After dinner, he flipped through the movie channels and watched "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise. He also dozed on and off, and two guards accompanied him on several trips to the bathroom, each time leaving the door slightly ajar.

The suspect was relaxed, smiling and chatting nonstop with the U.S. officials next to him — until the television news crews on the flight turned their cameras on. Then he stopped smiling, clutched the armrests of his seat and stared at his lap.

Karr did not speak to reporters, but at one point summoned an AP reporter over to his seat. He mentioned an interview she had given, recalling that someone asked her what he was like.

"You said I looked you straight in the eye when I talked to you and I want to tell you I appreciate that, I thought it was nice," Karr told the AP reporter.

Just hours before Karr's departure, a doctor at a seedy but popular clinic in downtown Bangkok specializing in sex-change surgery said Karr had come in for treatment.

"He was one of my patients," Dr. Thep Vechavisit of the Pratunam Polyclinic said. He refused to provide further details.

Another employee at the clinic, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said Karr had talked with the doctor about a sex-change operation. This could not be confirmed by other sources.

Bangkok, where Karr lived on and off for two years, is regarded as a major global center for sex change operations. The Pratunam clinic advertises sex-change surgery for $1,625 — a bargain compared to U.S. prices, where male-to-female reassignment surgery can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Thep has received considerable publicity for his male-to-female operations and the clinic is one of the sponsors of an annual beauty pageant for transsexuals in the seaside resort of Pattaya.

Karr appears to have been shadowed by gender issues since his early years, according to excerpts of e-mails published in the Rocky Mountain News that Karr wrote to University of Colorado journalism professor Michael Tracey.

Karr said his father was a "strong influence but rarely around," and responded to Tracey's question about whether his "fascination with little girls — which clearly has a strong erotic component — is a way of going back."

"Maybe I am not going back but have simply stayed consistent," Karr responded. "My peer group has not changed since I was a little boy, and girls were the people I was with always. Referring to them as a peer group is somewhat incorrect, but might also be the very definition of what they continue to be in my life."

Karr, once detained on charges of possessing child pornography, in recent years apparently traveled to Europe, Central America and Asia to search for teaching jobs. He taught in at least two Thai schools.

U.S. officials, the only ones to have actually interrogated Karr, have been silent about what he told them, citing his right to privacy and legal procedures. Secondhand accounts by Thai officials have been vague and contradictory.

Karr told reporters Thursday that he was alone with JonBenet when she died in the basement of her home on Dec. 26, 1996, but that her death was an accident.

However, there is little public evidence linking him to the crime, prompting some experts to speculate that he is either lying or delusional.

"Many high-publicity crimes have these people coming out of the woodwork," said Elizabeth Loftus, director of the Center for Psychology and Law at the University of California-Irvine.

Lawyers for the Ramsey family say a number of people already have confessed to the killing of JonBenet, but none had enough credibility to attract the attention of law enforcement.



WTF! I'm lucky to get a bag of peanuts when I fly business class, and I sure as hell don't clink champagne glasses with people.

Dude, take it easy.  It's interrogation 101...

Quoted: Dude, take it easy.  It's interrogation 101...

Aren't interrogations usually done in private at the station?

Don't worry...soon he will be clinking tin cups with bubba before he loses his anal virginity

Quoted: Quoted: Dude, take it easy.  It's interrogation 101... Aren't interrogations usually done in private at the station?

Not when you have a major offender "not in custody" and likes to play to the media.

They are playing this guy so he either confirms he killed her or says something so whacky that it proves he did not and is only looking for attention....

READ IT AGAIN!  THE BLUE LETTERS...

Quoted: Source By JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press Writer Sun Aug 20, 7:01 PM ET John Mark Karr, the suspect in the death of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, sipped champagne and ate fried king prawns in business class Sunday after being put aboard a flight to Los Angeles to face charges in the United States. As Karr wined and dined in style and chatted with the three U.S. officials escorting him, another bombshell emerged: Reports that Karr sought treatment at a Thai sex-change clinic. His Thai Airways International flight took off about 8 p.m. (9 a.m. EDT) for the 15-hour flight to Los Angeles. Karr's journey will eventually end in Boulder, Colo., where he is expected to face charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child sexual assault in connection with the young beauty queen's 1996 killing. Karr, dressed neatly in a red, short-sleeve, button-down shirt and black tie, was not handcuffed while being whisked through Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok. At the departure gate, he talked amiably with fellow passengers. The 41-year-old teacher sat in a business class window seat next to Mark Spray, an investigator with the Boulder County District Attorney's office. A U.S. Embassy official and an agent with "Homeland Security" on his T-shirt were also part of the escort party. Before takeoff, Karr took a glass of champagne from a flight attendant and clinked glasses with Spray, who sipped orange juice. Dinner on board, served on a starched white tablecloth with silverware, was one many passengers would envy. Karr started with a pate, then had a green salad with walnut dressing. The main course was fried king prawn with steamed rice and broccoli, followed by a slice of Valrhona chocolate cake for desert. Karr drank a beer, crushing the can with his hands when it was empty, then moved on to a glass of French chardonnay with his main course. "It seems odd to me. If there is an arrest warrant issued, he ought to be under arrest," said former Adams County District Attorney Bob Grant, who was involved in the Ramsey investigation. "It is very strange. Whoever is in control of him ought to make sure he isn't doing things like drinking champagne." Other experts called the royal treatment a brilliant strategy. If Karr says something incriminating that is challenged in court, the investigator who was sitting next to him simply says he was never in my custody, said Denver attorney Larry Pozner, past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "There is always a reason when the unusual happens," Pozner said. When Karr lands in Los Angeles late Sunday, he will be processed by immigration officials and is expected to be arrested by local authorities on an arrest warrant out of Colorado, said Carolyn French, spokeswoman for the Boulder County district attorney's office. Karr will then have an extradition hearing in Los Angeles within the next few days, French said. If he agrees to waive extradition, Karr will then be taken to Boulder County. "If he fights extradition that is a much more lengthy process," French said. Karr was being brought back to the United States on a temporary passport. French did not have information on who paid for the flight. After dinner, he flipped through the movie channels and watched "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise. He also dozed on and off, and two guards accompanied him on several trips to the bathroom, each time leaving the door slightly ajar. The suspect was relaxed, smiling and chatting nonstop with the U.S. officials next to him — until the television news crews on the flight turned their cameras on. Then he stopped smiling, clutched the armrests of his seat and stared at his lap. Karr did not speak to reporters, but at one point summoned an AP reporter over to his seat. He mentioned an interview she had given, recalling that someone asked her what he was like. "You said I looked you straight in the eye when I talked to you and I want to tell you I appreciate that, I thought it was nice," Karr told the AP reporter. Just hours before Karr's departure, a doctor at a seedy but popular clinic in downtown Bangkok specializing in sex-change surgery said Karr had come in for treatment. "He was one of my patients," Dr. Thep Vechavisit of the Pratunam Polyclinic said. He refused to provide further details. Another employee at the clinic, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said Karr had talked with the doctor about a sex-change operation. This could not be confirmed by other sources. Bangkok, where Karr lived on and off for two years, is regarded as a major global center for sex change operations. The Pratunam clinic advertises sex-change surgery for $1,625 — a bargain compared to U.S. prices, where male-to-female reassignment surgery can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Thep has received considerable publicity for his male-to-female operations and the clinic is one of the sponsors of an annual beauty pageant for transsexuals in the seaside resort of Pattaya. Karr appears to have been shadowed by gender issues since his early years, according to excerpts of e-mails published in the Rocky Mountain News that Karr wrote to University of Colorado journalism professor Michael Tracey. Karr said his father was a "strong influence but rarely around," and responded to Tracey's question about whether his "fascination with little girls — which clearly has a strong erotic component — is a way of going back." "Maybe I am not going back but have simply stayed consistent," Karr responded. "My peer group has not changed since I was a little boy, and girls were the people I was with always. Referring to them as a peer group is somewhat incorrect, but might also be the very definition of what they continue to be in my life." Karr, once detained on charges of possessing child pornography, in recent years apparently traveled to Europe, Central America and Asia to search for teaching jobs. He taught in at least two Thai schools. U.S. officials, the only ones to have actually interrogated Karr, have been silent about what he told them, citing his right to privacy and legal procedures. Secondhand accounts by Thai officials have been vague and contradictory. Karr told reporters Thursday that he was alone with JonBenet when she died in the basement of her home on Dec. 26, 1996, but that her death was an accident. However, there is little public evidence linking him to the crime, prompting some experts to speculate that he is either lying or delusional. "Many high-publicity crimes have these people coming out of the woodwork," said Elizabeth Loftus, director of the Center for Psychology and Law at the University of California-Irvine. Lawyers for the Ramsey family say a number of people already have confessed to the killing of JonBenet, but none had enough credibility to attract the attention of law enforcement. WTF! I'm lucky to get a bag of peanuts when I fly business class, and I sure as hell don't clink champagne glasses with people.

Quoted: Don't worry...soon he will be clinking tin cups with bubba before he loses his anal virginity

Judging from the news video  I'm guessin he lost his anal virginity many years ago.

I guess there is a strategy to it all, but it just seems very odd to me. If this guy is a total nut job it seems like he'd be willing to talk without having to give him champagne on our tax dollar. Anyway, if he's guilty I hope the dude fries.

Quoted: WTF! I'm lucky to get a bag of peanuts when I fly business class, and I sure as hell don't clink champagne glasses with people.

Business class on almost any Asian airline is better than first class in any American airline for transpacific travel.  Having lived in Asia for several years, the atrocious service and amenities of US airlines really bugs me.  When a Singapore Airlines flight is 15 minutes late, it's a big deal, and the whole crew is apologizing profusely.  One of the American Airlines flights that I take regularly has an on time departure record of 48%.

Quoted: I guess there is a strategy to it all, but it just seems very odd to me. If this guy is a total nut job it seems like he'd be willing to talk without having to give him champagne on our tax dollar. Anyway, if he's guilty I hope the dude fries.

I think he's just a nut. Period. He didn't killer her.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Dude, take it easy.  It's interrogation 101... Aren't interrogations usually done in private at the station? Not when you have a major offender "not in custody" and likes to play to the media. They are playing this guy so he either confirms he killed her or says something so whacky that it proves he did not and is only looking for attention....

Exactly, they treat him like that, anything he says was "not under durress" and can be used in court, had the "arrested" him they couldn't really use anything he said unless his lawyer was present.  They're playing him, simple as that.

Quoted: I guess there is a strategy to it all, but it just seems very odd to me. If this guy is a total nut job it seems like he'd be willing to talk without having to give him champagne on our tax dollar. Anyway, if he's guilty I hope the dude fries.

that's exactly why they're doing it.  The guy likes to talk, this way it will be really hard to suppress anything he does say in court, because he wasn't "in custady", he was simply escorted.

So what ever happened to the NO LIQUIDS rule????

This must not apply to petophiles.

It may be good tact but it still pisses you off, doesn't it?

This guy said he picked up Jon Benet from school the day he killed her.  How many schools are open on XMAS Eve and XMAS day?

They got the wrong guy.

Quoted: This guy said he picked up Jon Benet from school the day he killed her.  How many schools are open on XMAS Eve and XMAS day? They got the wrong guy.

I'm not sure what to think, it's all VERY fucked up and this guy looks like a total whackjob - so who knows if he's telling the truth.

Maybe he was just out of money and wanted a free flight back to the U.S.

Quoted: Maybe he was just out of money and wanted a free flight back to the U.S.

Somehow this fucknut will get the .gov to pay for his sex change.

Quoted: Quoted: Maybe he was just out of money and wanted a free flight back to the U.S. Somehow this fucknut will get the .gov to pay for his sex change.

Sad but true.

More and more this looks like nothing more than an attention whore seeking his fifteen minutes.

Even if it turns out he didn't kill her, hopefully they can finally try him for his child porn case.

Quoted: This guy said he picked up Jon Benet from school the day he killed her.  How many schools are open on XMAS Eve and XMAS day? They got the wrong guy.

yeah i don't believe he did shit. this guy is just looking for attention........


he'll still get a pounding from bubba though.

I think some of the charges that can be brought against him are obstruction of justice and interferring with a federal investigation, which I think are both felonies. So he'll get what's coming to him.

Quoted: Quoted: Maybe he was just out of money and wanted a free flight back to the U.S. Somehow this fucknut will get the .gov to pay for his sex change.

That's what he wants. For 'cooperating' with the authorities on his child porn stuff, he'll be let off easy and get to write a grand book and live in comfort for the rest of his life. It's just a big scam by a loon.

In any case the LEO's involved got to ride on an AIRPLANE in BIZ class and drink champagne.

Did the planes have snakes? Thailand is a very exotic place with many snakes...

He certainly is a pedophile, but he is not the J.B Ramsey killer.

Why all the hype about his flight?  Most international flights are fairly comfy, not like domestic flights.  Besides, he has not been charged in the killing of J.B Ramsey anyway and there is no warrant for him in that case.  So the DA was just there asa courtesy, more interview than interrogation.

Mr. Pedophile has a date anyway in California, not Colorado.

Quoted: Why all the hype about his flight?  Most international flights are fairly comfy, not like domestic flights.

I think it's the business class part of it that irritates people.

I know I can't afford to fly business class.

Quoted: Did the planes have motherfuckin' snakes? Thailand is a very exotic place with motherfuckin' many snakes...

Fixed it for you.

Its simple, hes in custody, but not under arrest, theres a big difference.  Until hes under arrest, you cannot take away his liberty.

Quoted: Source By JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press Writer Sun Aug 20, 7:01 PM ET John Mark Karr, the suspect in the death of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, sipped champagne and ate fried king prawns in business class Sunday after being put aboard a flight to Los Angeles to face charges in the United States. As Karr wined and dined in style and chatted with the three U.S. officials escorting him, another bombshell emerged: Reports that Karr sought treatment at a Thai sex-change clinic. His Thai Airways International flight took off about 8 p.m. (9 a.m. EDT) for the 15-hour flight to Los Angeles. Karr's journey will eventually end in Boulder, Colo., where he is expected to face charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child sexual assault in connection with the young beauty queen's 1996 killing. Karr, dressed neatly in a red, short-sleeve, button-down shirt and black tie, was not handcuffed while being whisked through Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok. At the departure gate, he talked amiably with fellow passengers. The 41-year-old teacher sat in a business class window seat next to Mark Spray, an investigator with the Boulder County District Attorney's office. A U.S. Embassy official and an agent with "Homeland Security" on his T-shirt were also part of the escort party. Before takeoff, Karr took a glass of champagne from a flight attendant and clinked glasses with Spray, who sipped orange juice. Dinner on board, served on a starched white tablecloth with silverware, was one many passengers would envy. Karr started with a pate, then had a green salad with walnut dressing. The main course was fried king prawn with steamed rice and broccoli, followed by a slice of Valrhona chocolate cake for desert. Karr drank a beer, crushing the can with his hands when it was empty, then moved on to a glass of French chardonnay with his main course. "It seems odd to me. If there is an arrest warrant issued, he ought to be under arrest," said former Adams County District Attorney Bob Grant, who was involved in the Ramsey investigation. "It is very strange. Whoever is in control of him ought to make sure he isn't doing things like drinking champagne." Other experts called the royal treatment a brilliant strategy. If Karr says something incriminating that is challenged in court, the investigator who was sitting next to him simply says he was never in my custody, said Denver attorney Larry Pozner, past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "There is always a reason when the unusual happens," Pozner said. When Karr lands in Los Angeles late Sunday, he will be processed by immigration officials and is expected to be arrested by local authorities on an arrest warrant out of Colorado, said Carolyn French, spokeswoman for the Boulder County district attorney's office. Karr will then have an extradition hearing in Los Angeles within the next few days, French said. If he agrees to waive extradition, Karr will then be taken to Boulder County. "If he fights extradition that is a much more lengthy process," French said. Karr was being brought back to the United States on a temporary passport. French did not have information on who paid for the flight. After dinner, he flipped through the movie channels and watched "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise. He also dozed on and off, and two guards accompanied him on several trips to the bathroom, each time leaving the door slightly ajar. The suspect was relaxed, smiling and chatting nonstop with the U.S. officials next to him — until the television news crews on the flight turned their cameras on. Then he stopped smiling, clutched the armrests of his seat and stared at his lap. Karr did not speak to reporters, but at one point summoned an AP reporter over to his seat. He mentioned an interview she had given, recalling that someone asked her what he was like. "You said I looked you straight in the eye when I talked to you and I want to tell you I appreciate that, I thought it was nice," Karr told the AP reporter. Just hours before Karr's departure, a doctor at a seedy but popular clinic in downtown Bangkok specializing in sex-change surgery said Karr had come in for treatment. "He was one of my patients," Dr. Thep Vechavisit of the Pratunam Polyclinic said. He refused to provide further details. Another employee at the clinic, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said Karr had talked with the doctor about a sex-change operation. This could not be confirmed by other sources. Bangkok, where Karr lived on and off for two years, is regarded as a major global center for sex change operations. The Pratunam clinic advertises sex-change surgery for $1,625 — a bargain compared to U.S. prices, where male-to-female reassignment surgery can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Thep has received considerable publicity for his male-to-female operations and the clinic is one of the sponsors of an annual beauty pageant for transsexuals in the seaside resort of Pattaya. Karr appears to have been shadowed by gender issues since his early years, according to excerpts of e-mails published in the Rocky Mountain News that Karr wrote to University of Colorado journalism professor Michael Tracey. Karr said his father was a "strong influence but rarely around," and responded to Tracey's question about whether his "fascination with little girls — which clearly has a strong erotic component — is a way of going back." "Maybe I am not going back but have simply stayed consistent," Karr responded. "My peer group has not changed since I was a little boy, and girls were the people I was with always. Referring to them as a peer group is somewhat incorrect, but might also be the very definition of what they continue to be in my life." Karr, once detained on charges of possessing child pornography, in recent years apparently traveled to Europe, Central America and Asia to search for teaching jobs. He taught in at least two Thai schools. U.S. officials, the only ones to have actually interrogated Karr, have been silent about what he told them, citing his right to privacy and legal procedures. Secondhand accounts by Thai officials have been vague and contradictory. Karr told reporters Thursday that he was alone with JonBenet when she died in the basement of her home on Dec. 26, 1996, but that her death was an accident. However, there is little public evidence linking him to the crime, prompting some experts to speculate that he is either lying or delusional. "Many high-publicity crimes have these people coming out of the woodwork," said Elizabeth Loftus, director of the Center for Psychology and Law at the University of California-Irvine. Lawyers for the Ramsey family say a number of people already have confessed to the killing of JonBenet, but none had enough credibility to attract the attention of law enforcement. WTF! I'm lucky to get a bag of peanuts when I fly business class, and I sure as hell don't clink champagne glasses with people.

Why keep on spreading the hate?

AB

Quoted: Quoted: I guess there is a strategy to it all, but it just seems very odd to me. If this guy is a total nut job it seems like he'd be willing to talk without having to give him champagne on our tax dollar. Anyway, if he's guilty I hope the dude fries. I think he's just a nut. Period. He didn't killer her.

Correct.  He will deny it once he gets here.  He just wanted to get the hell out of Thailand.

He didn't do it...he wanted a free flight back to the US. No doubt that he is a pedophile and definitely has some mental issues.

How many kids under 10 years old have been murdered since JonBenet?

That was 1996.  I was sick over it but…

We were at war a few days ago.  How did that turn out?  I can’t find anything on the tube.

Quoted: So what ever happened to the NO LIQUIDS rule???? This must not apply to petophiles.

Uh, you're not allowed to bring your own liquids.  The cabin crew can serve ones that were brought in through the airline facilities.  You expect everyone to go 12+ hours without drinking anything at all?