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Could This Be JonBenét's Killer?

Originally posted Thursday August 24, 2006 12:00 PM EDT

Karr, in custody but not handcuffed on his 15-hour Aug. 20 flight to Los Angeles, "looked very chilled out, very relaxed," says a passenger on the plane. His choice of movies included Mission: Impossible and RV. Photo by: Elizabeth Dalziel / AP

But with Karr's arrest, both John and his son Burke, 19, will have to relive the horror of JonBenét's murder. Burke, a computer-programming major at Purdue University and a skateboarding whiz, was also once a suspect, particularly in the tabloids (he was officially cleared by the D.A. of any involvement). Today, if his sister's murder "does haunt him, he doesn't let it show," says a friend. "He tries to live like everybody else." Burke has been dating a college student he met in high school for a few years. "I asked him if he was excited [about Karr's arrest] and he said yes," says his friend. "But he didn't mention anything specific. He's learned not to say a whole lot."

Patsy Ramsey's sister Pamela Paugh says the accusations against the family have taken a heavy toll on them. "At one point or another, we all considered suicide," says Paugh. "Of course John and Patsy thought about it at some point. But having a strong faith means you can stand in the fire." What the Ramseys need now, she says, is DNA evidence linking Karr to the murder: "JonBenét fought like a banshee. She tried to get that rope off her neck. She had somebody's DNA under her fingernails. And I'm 100 percent certain that it belongs to the killer." But even if Karr's DNA isn't a match, says Paugh, "it doesn't mean he doesn't have intimate knowledge of the crime. Does he know who was there?"

A preliminary hearing, at which more details about Karr's arrest might be revealed, could be a month away. Like so much about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey, the question of Karr's guilt or innocence may not be resolved quickly. "Closure in this case doesn't come with someone being arrested," says Lin Wood. "Closure for John and his family is when someone is found guilty in a court of law."

• By Alex Tresniowski. Karen Emmons in Bangkok, Lori Rozsa in Atlanta, Vickie Bane in Boulder, Ken Lee in Petaluma, Barbara Sandler in Charlevoix, Hilary Shenfeld and Lauren Comander in Chicago, Steve Helling and John Anderson in Hamilton, Michaele Ballard in Charlotte, N.C. and Lorenzo Benet and Johnny Dodin Los Angeles