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Watch This 2006 JonBenet Ramsey Press Conference

by Melissa Cruz

Marking the twentieth anniversary of JonBenet Ramsey's tragic murder, several television stations are releasing programs devoted to the still-unsolved crime. The multiple series, released on CBS and A&E, will dive into the cold case that has managed to capture an international fascination for the last 20 years. The case itself has made for a decades-long thriller, with one of the most surprising twists unfolding when one man falsely confessed to the murder. A video of a Ramsey press conference shows investigators announcing the arrest of John Mark Karr, the man who they would later learn gave a false confession.

The press conference begins with former Boulder, Colorado District Attorney Mary Lacy announcing that an arrest had been made in the Ramsey case, with their primary suspect being then 41-year-old Karr. The arrest was made in the early morning hours in Bangkok, Thailand. Lacy said that Karr had begun his employment as an elementary school teacher in Bangkok the same week as his arrest. The arrest came nearly 10 years after Ramsey's body was discovered in the basement of her parent's house.

Though Karr was suspected of child pornography charges at the time (which were later dropped), investigators found that he was not guilty of the crime and had falsely confessed. The reason for the false confession may have been due to the ongoing "media frenzy" that continues to surround the Ramsey case to this day.

The video goes on to request that the investigation be given privacy and impartiality. Lacy said, "Our preference, you might have guessed, would have been to continue to work out of the public eye. That obviously is not possible." She went on to say that despite the many questions still surrounding both the arrest and case at large, that people not presume Karr to be guilty. "Do not jump to conclusions, do not jump to judgment," Lacy advised. "Do not speculate, let the justice system take its course."

The team ended the press conference by saying that they followed up on "all legitimate leads," and that the family had been fully cooperative throughout the investigation.

Through the new documentary and special, renewed interest in the case will likely capture the American public again. From 1996, to when the press conference aired in 2006, to 2016, the murder of Ramsey is a cold case that continues to fascinate.