JonBenet Ramsey’s brother Burke speaks about her murder for the first time – but TV viewers are troubled by his ‘alarming’ body language
'Atypical' behaviour of former suspect leads to flood of comments on social media
THE brother of JonBenet Ramsey broke his 20-year silence last night to speak out about the murder of the six-year-old beauty queen -- with viewers commenting on his "strange" body language.
Burke Ramsey was just nine when his pageant-winning sister was found dead in the basement of the family’s home in Boulder, Colorado, in 1996.
Dr. Phil McGraw told the Today programme last week that Burke's body language could leave viewers suspicious -- but said the haunting memory of his sister's murder likely had an impact on his social skills.
"For 20 years he has been off the grid," he said. "And my impression is he's socially awkward."
"People are going to be very interested in his demeanour, and they're going to find his demeanour atypical," Dr Phil continued.
"He might be talking about some pretty dark aspects of this story and smiling while he's talking about that."
When Burke was asked about his "odd" reactions on the night of his sister's murder, he said: “I guess I like to avoid conflict,” while he laughed nervously.
“I guess I felt safer there. I'm not the worried type. There's a part of me that doesn't want to know what's going on.”
JonBenet Ramsey was reported missing on Boxing Day.
Her parents told police she had been kidnapped and that a note had been left demanding a ransom of $118,000 (£89,737).
Hours after officers searched the home, John found JonBenet’s body in an underground utility room.
She had been bludgeoned, strangled and hidden underneath a white blanket with a nylon cord around her neck, her wrists bound above her head and her mouth covered by duct tape.
Patsy was suspected of being the murderer after reports emerged that handwriting on the ransom note was similar to her own.
She provided samples to police to prove her innocence but remained a primary suspect, alongside husband John, for more than a decade.
Fingers pointed at the family as there were no footprints in the snow around the house and the ransom amount was the exact total John has just received in his annual bonus.
Patsy and John denied Burke was responsible for his sister’s death and said he was sleeping until after they called the police.
Burke, who has remained out of the spotlight, was exonerated by DNA evidence in May of 1999.
Patsy died of ovarian cancer in 2006 and she and John were cleared of any wrongdoing two years later.
Private investigator Ollie Gray claimed JonBenet’s killer was Michael Helgoth, whose family owned a junkyard on the outskirts of the city.
He died of an apparent suicide in 1997 and was cleared a few years later when it was revealed none of his DNA was found under JonBenet’s fingernails or in her underwear.
In 2006 a paedophile former teacher named John Mark Karr confessed to killing the blonde youngster.
He was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, but he was never charged with the murder because his DNA did not match that found on the girl's body.
The remaining parts of Burke's interview will air tonight and tomorrow.
John Ramsey also appears in the three-part special, but vows that it will be his final interview about the death of his daughter.
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