Watch A Clip From Dr. Phil's Interview With Burke Ramsey

[Primetimer]

Why has JonBenét's brother chosen to talk now?

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[Jamoche]

That video is auto-playing.

[Tara Ariano]

1 hour ago, Jamoche said:

That video is auto-playing.

Fucking CBS. Sorry about that: replaced with a link.

[teddysmom]

I just read in People that Burke lives here in Indianapolis, I watched the A&E doc on Jon Benet, it is kind of cheesy but confirmed the conclusions that the parents did not kill her, due to DNA tests, and the detective hired by DA was able to get in the basement window very easily, etc. I don't recall if they explained that weird ransom note.

[AZChristian]

He looks like Patsy, but has that same (nervous?) grin that John has in most interviews.

[4leafclover]

Very strange affect, the smile, the darting eyes.  He's clearly not comfortable doing this.  He does look like his mom.   

I recently watched an updated report on this case and I must admit, until the moment I watched it, I thought one (or both) of the parents murdered JonBenet.  But the new DNA development is giving me a different perspective.  In my opinion, until the case is solved this will remain one of the great mysteries of our time--along with the JFK murder.  Sadly intriguing.

[Maharincess]

That special was skewed in favor of the Ramseys.  The production company has done previous pro Ramsey shows.  The new mini series will be more impartial than the one that just aired. 

Edited September 10, 2016 by Maharincess

[cooksdelight]

For me, the DNA isn't anything. Could have been on her nightgown for a long time, by anyone, innocently. 

I think Burke did it based on kids being kids. It's Christmas night, maybe she wanted to play with one of his toys and he didn't want to let her have it. Whack, hit her in the head. A little too hard. Mom and Dad freak out and try to cover up what happened and make it look like an intruder. That note, soooooooo long and involved, with the exact amount of John's bonus could only have been written by someone who knew that amount. John or Patsy. 

The police botched this case from the beginning. There's also a discussion about it in the Dateline forum. Dr. Phil is all about ratings and sensationalizm, in my opinion.

[jenrising]

My TV says this is a 3-part interview? Ugh. 

[Guest]

On September 9, 2016 at 2:22 PM, teddysmom said:

it is kind of cheesy but confirmed the conclusions that the parents did not kill her, due to DNA tests, and the detective hired by DA was able to get in the basement window very easily, etc. I don't recall if they explained that weird ransom note.

Bolding is mine. The show didn't confirm anything -- it lead viewers to the only conclusion they wanted us to hear based on evidence everyone pretty much knew existed. It was a crappy "documentary." Hopefully the CBS series will be better. 

And I can't believe I'm gonna watch this Dr Phil interview because I loathe that hack. 

[jenrising]

Burke's nervous smile isn't going to do him any favors with people who think he did it. 

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎9‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 9:30 AM, cooksdelight said:

For me, the DNA isn't anything. Could have been on her nightgown for a long time, by anyone, innocently. 

I think Burke did it based on kids being kids. It's Christmas night, maybe she wanted to play with one of his toys and he didn't want to let her have it. Whack, hit her in the head. A little too hard. Mom and Dad freak out and try to cover up what happened and make it look like an intruder. That note, soooooooo long and involved, with the exact amount of John's bonus could only have been written by someone who knew that amount. John or Patsy. 

The police botched this case from the beginning. There's also a discussion about it in the Dateline forum. Dr. Phil is all about ratings and sensationalizm, in my opinion.

The DNA is actually very telling.  It's male DNA, and ruled out as a member of the family.  Those who want the Ramseys to be guilty say it's trace DNA from the production line of the new pair of panties.  But it's also on a couple of her other clothing items which were manufactured and packaged elsewhere. 

I don't think they would have ever sacrificed Jon Benet for Burke.  Jon Benet was clearly the favorite.  And even if it happened this way, she died from the garrote.  So her loving parents strangled her to cover up the non-favorite psycho child's crime?

There's also the marks on two separate parts of her body that look to be from a taser.  Why would her parents use one?  How would Burke know how to get one?   I feel most of the true evidence supports the intruder theory.  I saw the special in which the investigator easily climbed in and out of the room with the broken window.  There was also a suitcase found in that room with trace evidence inside of what Jon Benet was wearing that night.  A theory is that it was an intended kidnapping to kill her somewhere else.  The intruder used the taser to disable her, and he bound her and put her in the suitcase.  But because of the way the window well was made, the intruder couldn't get both the suitcase and himself out of the well.  His compulsions over came him and he assaulted her in that house.

And never in a million years would it make sense to me that the Ramseys would kill their daughter, then point the finger at themselves by writing the sum of Jon's bonus.  Makes no sense.  Sure, the ransom note was bizarre and unlike any ransom note ever written.  That's because it was never intended to be a kidnapping for ransom.  The ransom note was the red herring.  It was a sexually sadistic crime from the beginning.

People insist on saying Burke's voice was heard on the 911 call.  The FBI said they can't hear it.  People say Patsy's hand writing analysis proved she may have written the note.  At least four "experts" examined the writing.  Half of them said there was no match with Patsy, one said it wasn't likely, and one said it couldn't be ruled out, but there wasn't enough proof to call it comparable.  Then people say Patsy was ambidextrous, but that doesn't change handwriting analysis.

And I really don't like how Dr. Phil handled the interview.  It's pointless trying to get a grown man to justify the reactions of his nine year old self.  His mother comes bursting into his room in the middle of the night - obviously making sure that he was safe, and making sure Jon Benet wasn't in his room.  That's pretty startling, and in the middle of deep sleep.  And how he described her back then sounds just like she was on the 911 call - frantic and breathless.   Yet Phil thinks this little boy should get up and conduct an investigation?  And then someone else comes in his room with a flashlight.  That would have scared me to death as a child.  I was very much like Burke seemed as a child.  I was quiet and timid.  And I would have frozen in my bed until I felt it was safe to leave, or someone came to get me.  And it's unfair to analyze his body language and affect.  Children can be permanently traumatized and changed by this type of thing.  My seven year old cousin lost his older sister in a sudden death trauma, and he remains quite changed thirty years later.  He doesn't talk much about his older sister, avoids the topic, and is uncomfortable when she's being discussed.   I guess he's a killer, too.

[hoosiermom]

Wow. Linda Arndt (sp) did not age well. I didn't recognize her.

[Maharincess]

Any piece of evidence could be twisted to meet any theory we may believe. I see a lot of evidence pointing directly at the Ramseys, others see it pointing at an intruder. 

Burke with his weird smiling at the wrong times kind of creeped me out.  Who smiles when talking about the murder of their little sister?   Him staying in his room while everything was happening, if true, to me shows that he was used to being made to stay in his room while bad stuff was happening in the house.  Just my opinion. 

Edit:  I just finished watching part one of the interview, why did nobody tell Burke to stop smiling so much?  He had a huge grin during the entire thing, it was creepy.   He's describing how he was told that his sister was dead and he has a huge shit eating grin on his face.  So creepy. 

Edited September 13, 2016 by Maharincess

[JudyObscure]

Yep.  Burke smiling through the interview was pretty odd.  I thought he seemed very young for his age both here and on the Dateline video of him being interviewed when he was nine.

One thing stands out to me, no matter who killed Jon Benet,  Linda Arnt  is the absolute worst.  Not just bad police work, letting the Ramseys and all their friends wander around the house, letting Burke leave the house without a preliminary interview, but what John Ramsey said about her today.  She told people that when John Ramsey carried Jon Benet's body into the kitchen, she looked into his eyes and new instantly that he had killed her.  Anyone who thinks they can judge innocence or guilt by looking at someone should not be in police work.  She also said she looked around and counted the number of people present and hoped she had enough bullets in case she had to shoot her way out.  Even if that's only half true, the woman is an idiot.

[For Cereals]

Burke was creepy as fuck with the smiling.  I know it's not fair to judge because someone's not "acting right," but that was strange. 

I still think the family was involved in some way with the note, the pineapple, and the paintbrush, but that crime scene was so compromised that I agree I don't think we'll ever know or could hold anyone accountable.  It's not like people go on tv and just confess.  I have yet to see Dr Phil get a confession from anyone.

[Wings]

I believe he has smile mask syndrome.  There are many articles when you google it.  

I am looking forward to the next 2 parts.  I am not pointing the finger of guilt when I say I have always thought Burke killed her.  I just always have.  

Lousy police work and I get it that no one has trained for this in Boulder.  However, has no one in that detective department watched the ID channel? I even know what to do to secure a homicide scene!  

[Maharincess]

@wings707,  I'm with you. I too have always thought Burke did it.  

I was watching closely and he was smiling actual smiles where they reached his eyes, if that makes any sense. 

[Steph619]

I may be wrong, but ever since, I've known about this case, I've always been suspicious of Burke. Everyone remembers things differently and can have different emotions when remembering things, but I highly doubt that I would be smiling if I were to recount the day that my little sister went missing and was eventually found murdered, even if I was just nine years old. It seemed very strange to me.

[WicketyWack]

I'm convinced Burke had nothing to do with the murder and I feel sorry for him. I think he was a quiet, shy kid who was thrust into this insanely hostile, incredibly public pressure cooker that dogged him throughout his life, and the smiling is a nervous tic. I'd hide away from the public too if people were accusing me of sexually assaulting and murdering my little sister even after DNA evidence and the District Attorney's office exonerated me.

The "smile mask syndrome" referenced above is interesting. From Wikipedia: Smile mask syndrome is a psychological disorder proposed by professor Makoto Natsume of Osaka Shoin Women's University ... Natsume proposed the disorder after counselling students from the university in his practice and noticing that a number of students had spent so much time faking their smiles that they were unaware that they were smiling even while relating stressful or upsetting experiences to him. (emphasis mine.)

[WicketyWack]

I do find it very weird that he's never read the ransom note in its entirety. 

[JudyObscure]

7 hours ago, WicketyWack said:

I do find it very weird that he's never read the ransom note in its entirety. 

Very weird.  Some of us have read it and it wasn't our family.  Wouldn't he have wanted to know if it looked like his mother's hand writing or if it sounded like her phrasing?  Did he know if she loved old action movies and had some of their lines memorized?  Did his father? If Burke did it and has been hiding behind his pretty smile all these years why go on Dr. Phil and be questioned about it?

Phil was such a putz, backing Burke against the wall over not getting up to look for his sister when he was a kid.  My husband was in the middle of 12 children and he said he can't remember  ever getting up to see what was going on even with sick little ones crying and older ones occasionally getting in trouble and being brought home by the police.  Kids trust that it's a grown-up problem and go back to sleep. 

I do think the Ramseys, probably  told him to stay in his room that morning, though.

[LittleCabbage]

I don't mean to be unkind, but I think there is something wrong with Burke beyond mere social anxiety. His affect is very peculiar and seems to have been that way all of his life; even the footage of him being interviewed as an eleven-year-old shows weird body language, inappropriate smiles and responses that don't seem in tune with the gravity of the situation. I have often wondered if he may have accidentally contributed to JonBenet's death somehow-- maybe some rough playing or a brother-sister quarrel that got out of control. Of course that's just speculation. After watching the first day of his interview I am not any less convinced that he knows a lot more than he's saying.

[Arynm]

Burke seems like a shy quiet person who would rather deflect and ignore rather than face anything head on.  I am exactly like him. Nervous smile at inappropriate times. I actually laughed when my daughter passed out giving blood. I'm not a terrible person, I just don't process emotions exactly like everyone else. Burke does the same thing, I think. He knew something was up in that house and chose to stay in his room rather than find out what terrible thing was happening. I wouldn't read the note either, it would be too close to emotions that would not want to be brought up again. I can see how the smile is off putting to most people, but he broke my heart. I know the feeling of smiling when I shouldn't be, but I can't help it or don't even realize its happening.

I have no idea if he had any part in his sisters killing, I am leaning towards maybe by accident and them the parents covered it up, or he had nothing at all to do with it and just is not comfortable talking to people. I can't wait to hear what he says about his voice on the tape. That might change my mind. Again.

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

Burke was creepy as fuck with the smiling.  I know it's not fair to judge because someone's not "acting right," but that was strange. 

Quote

I highly doubt that I would be smiling if I were to recount the day that my little sister went missing and was eventually found murdered, even if I was just nine years old. It seemed very strange to me.

I agree that the smiling was strange. But "strange" is not an indication of anything nefarious--and Burke probably is strange. I have always found his parents a bit strange (and as I mentioned in another thread, have always found Patsy to be off-putting in general), as have many people as evidenced by the many instances of the "they just weren't acting like people whose child was found dead" opinions* swirling all over the place ever since. 

Further, I have no idea if Burke was "like this" (with the awkwardness and smiling) prior to the murder, but I find it plausible that growing up like he did after it could have had an effect on his social skills and demeanor. Lots of people smile when nervous about far less somber issues than this. If he were a calculating person hiding a huge secret and/or guilt, I'd think that he'd probably try to get that smiling business under control before going on TV (that is, if he even agreed to be on TV in the first place). Also, just the fact that he agreed to appear on this show tells me nothing will come of the interview. Call me jaded but I was never under the impression that Dr. Phil would be the one to facilitate some big break in the case, haha! 

I don't think Burke is responsible for this murder. And if he were, I don't think that he'd be talking to Dr. Phil about it. I also have a hard time believing that in all these intervening years--about half of which he was still a kid--he's never slipped up (that we know of), committed another crime, turned to substance abuse, etc...

* I was talking to my BF (who doesn't care about this case at all, and who's probably being driven crazy by the fact that I care too much about it) about all the examples of this--Patsy putting on the same clothing the next morning, no one knowing who put the pineapple out, bedwetting rage, etc... Anyway, while I, like many people, do find some of that stuff strange (and really zeroed in on this stuff way back when), it's not like I ever knew anything about these people before this happened, you know?--maybe Patsy does rewear her clothes. Until this murder, we as the general public knew nothing about these people, so today I can't use those instances to gauge their (alleged) roles in this crime. 

Edited September 13, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[ethalfrida]

Not interested simply because there not going to be a confession. There is nothing else of interest there.

[poeticlicensed]

I also thought Burke had a strange affect, with the smiling. But I wouldn't start scrutinizing the behavior of a 9 year old.  I never thought the Ramsay's did it, I figured at some point they would figure out that an intruder did it and who it was. It's astounding that in 20 years they haven't been able to solve the case. THe police claimed the Ramsays lawyered up immediately, they say the police were accusing them from the get go. Linda Arndt saying that when she saw John Ramsay leaning over JonBenet's body, she had an epiphany that he did it. Seriously? That's police work? 

The only thing that I found troubling was that apparently JonBenet began wetting her bed before she was murdered. Bed wetting can be a sign of sexual abuse or stress. But not always, some kids are bed wetters. I wonder if there was something going in the house (parents fighting) or if she was being victimized by someone outside the family and the parents didn't know it. 

As others have said, you can present the same evidence to make someone look guilty or innocent. The fact that the grad jury made a sealed indictment means zero

[pbutler111]

I do find it very weird that he's never read the ransom note in its entirety. 

I don't. Why would he? His entire focus of being seems to be to make this whole thing disappear so he can live a quiet life. I don't see reading the ransom note as conducive to that end.

[Wings]

1 hour ago, poeticlicensed said:

 

 I figured at some point they would figure out that an intruder did it and who it was. It's astounding that in 20 years they haven't been able to solve the case.

 

I don't know as many facts as many of you do so correct me where I am wrong.  

They know that someone who was already in the house did it; they just do not have enough proof to go to trial.   There were no footprints in the snow to the partially open basement window that was too small for any adult to get through, anyway.  No sign of forced entry anywhere.   And their house filled with friends before the police even got there.  The crime scene was no longer useful for evidence.  

I have not read if any friend or employee had a key.  Anyone know that?  

One thought I had was someone picked the lock (or had a key) and hid waiting for them to come home.  When all were asleep, he went and got her, and brought her down to the kitchen where he offered her a snack of pineapple.   Then killed her.  

I think it will remain a mystery forever.  

Edited September 13, 2016 by wings707

[Major Bigtime]

My brother wet the bed until he was about 12. Another friend until he was 15. Both had happy, normal childhoods. I know it's also caused by stress, or a medical condition, but not always.

[Cementhead]

I am deleting what I just wrote about Burke and that giant smile of his because I felt bad afterwards for saying it.  Thank you to Cherrio for writing this about Burke below:

Quote

As for Burke, this now young man has had a really messed up life.  Patsy had cancer twice. I can't imagine how scary that must of been for a young child. Add in one of the murders of the century and he has to live thru that?      His sister is brutally murdered, he never see's his home again, his parents are being accused of killing her, they have to hide out most of the time.  I can't imagine him being normal.

.... because it prompted me to change my mind and hit delete. 

Edited September 13, 2016 by Cementhead

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

They know that someone who was already in the house did it; they just do not have enough proof to go to trial.

If by "they" you mean cops, and if by "someone who was already in the house" you mean the immediate family, they don't actually "know" much. Cops locked in on that theory early on and there is debate as to whether they properly pursued other leads. But, if you mean that a possible intruder was already inside the home when the Ramseys returned from a party, that does seem to be a pretty popular consensus (though if someone had entered that window after the family got home, it's likely that no one would have heard and clanking or banging or whatever due to that house's size and crazy layout).

 

Quote

There were no footprints in the snow to the partially open basement window that was too small for any adult to get through, anyway.  No sign of forced entry anywhere.

There's also debate over whether the small amount of snow would show footprints. And an adult could--and has--proven that an adult can fit through the window since the murder.

 

Quote

  And their house filled with friends before the police even got there.  The crime scene was no longer useful for evidence.  

Yeah, plus one cop suggested that John Ramsey, along with a friend, search his own home without a police officer accompanying him.

Edited September 13, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[Cherrio]

2 hours ago, wings707 said:

hey know that someone who was already in the house did it; they just do not have enough proof to go to trial.   There were no footprints in the snow to the partially open basement window that was too small for any adult to get through, anyway.

Both of those statements that were issued and promoted by the police are  untrue. There was no snow around the home, specifically around the window and window well.   The window well showed signs as having been opened because there was some vegetation that had been caught under the metal grate. This was all documented by crime scene photos.   The retired detective showed how easy it was for a grown man of normal height and weight to open it, climb down and get in the window.

            As for Burke, this now young man has had a really messed up life.  Patsy had cancer twice. I can't imagine how scary that must of been for a young child. Add in one of the murders of the century and he has to live thru that?      His sister is brutally murdered, he never see's his home again, his parents are being accused of killing her, they have to hide out most of the time.  I can't imagine him being normal.

        I have read extensively on the tragedy and countless things that happened to so many of the families of Ted Bundy victims. Its horrifying.

[JudyObscure]

Dr Phil's final cliffhanger (and boy does he love his cliffhangers) made my husband and me  burst out laughing.  After an hour of asking Burke, "Did you harm your sister?'  "Did you sexually touch her in any way?"  "Did you eat pineapple 20 years ago?" All to which Burke answered absolutely not, no, and I don't remember what I ate 20 years ago.  Phil finally says, 'Lets put it right out there.  Did you murder your sister?"  And Burke's perpetual nervous smile turns to one that clearly says, "Are you f**king kidding me, Philip?"

 I thought  nine year old Burke's response to the psychiatrist as to how he thought JonBenet was killed went a long way to proving his innocence.  If he had done it himself he would known that she hadn't been stabbed by anyone.

[jenrising]

Yeah, Phil acting like he's giving a tough interview and was gonna get to the bottom of things was cracking me up. Like under his intense gaze Burke was just gonna go, "Man, you're right. After lying for two decades, you got me." 

[sleekandchic]

23 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

The DNA is actually very telling.  It's male DNA, and ruled out as a member of the family.  Those who want the Ramseys to be guilty say it's trace DNA from the production line of the new pair of panties.  But it's also on a couple of her other clothing items which were manufactured and packaged elsewhere. 

I don't think they would have ever sacrificed Jon Benet for Burke.  Jon Benet was clearly the favorite.  And even if it happened this way, she died from the garrote.  So her loving parents strangled her to cover up the non-favorite psycho child's crime?

There's also the marks on two separate parts of her body that look to be from a taser.  Why would her parents use one?  How would Burke know how to get one?   I feel most of the true evidence supports the intruder theory.  I saw the special in which the investigator easily climbed in and out of the room with the broken window.  There was also a suitcase found in that room with trace evidence inside of what Jon Benet was wearing that night.  A theory is that it was an intended kidnapping to kill her somewhere else.  The intruder used the taser to disable her, and he bound her and put her in the suitcase.  But because of the way the window well was made, the intruder couldn't get both the suitcase and himself out of the well.  His compulsions over came him and he assaulted her in that house.

And never in a million years would it make sense to me that the Ramseys would kill their daughter, then point the finger at themselves by writing the sum of Jon's bonus.  Makes no sense.  Sure, the ransom note was bizarre and unlike any ransom note ever written.  That's because it was never intended to be a kidnapping for ransom.  The ransom note was the red herring.  It was a sexually sadistic crime from the beginning.

People insist on saying Burke's voice was heard on the 911 call.  The FBI said they can't hear it.  People say Patsy's hand writing analysis proved she may have written the note.  At least four "experts" examined the writing.  Half of them said there was no match with Patsy, one said it wasn't likely, and one said it couldn't be ruled out, but there wasn't enough proof to call it comparable.  Then people say Patsy was ambidextrous, but that doesn't change handwriting analysis.

And I really don't like how Dr. Phil handled the interview.  It's pointless trying to get a grown man to justify the reactions of his nine year old self.  His mother comes bursting into his room in the middle of the night - obviously making sure that he was safe, and making sure Jon Benet wasn't in his room.  That's pretty startling, and in the middle of deep sleep.  And how he described her back then sounds just like she was on the 911 call - frantic and breathless.   Yet Phil thinks this little boy should get up and conduct an investigation?  And then someone else comes in his room with a flashlight.  That would have scared me to death as a child.  I was very much like Burke seemed as a child.  I was quiet and timid.  And I would have frozen in my bed until I felt it was safe to leave, or someone came to get me.  And it's unfair to analyze his body language and affect.  Children can be permanently traumatized and changed by this type of thing.  My seven year old cousin lost his older sister in a sudden death trauma, and he remains quite changed thirty years later.  He doesn't talk much about his older sister, avoids the topic, and is uncomfortable when she's being discussed.   I guess he's a killer, too.

Bolded my me. ^^^^ (Hi, RHZ xox :) ).......I agree.  I thought Phil was focused on and intent on getting a Gotcha!.  Burke was 9.  For godssake.  If nothing else, Phil is father of two sons. Does he have no memory of the the realities of little boys?

I hereby declare my conclusion that Burke is as innocent as his sissy, JonBenet.  Evil walked in to their lives.  Watching and listening to Burke, I feel for him.  Sister murdered, mom dead, dad remarried and moved on.  Burke is on his own, with little to no emotional support. (Dad doesn't have it in him.)   And now, 20 years later, the Phil McGraw vultures are circling.  Man.

Edited September 13, 2016 by sleekandchic

[Maharincess]

Spoiler

 

Sorry, I have no clue why that spoiler box is there. 

I don't care if some people think he has some kind of syndrome or something, that smile on Burke is creepy as hell. He's not a kid, he's almost 30 years old, you'd think he would make an effort to not smile and laugh when speaking of his murdered sister.  He should be making a major effort to not have a grin on his face.  

3 hours ago, Major Bigtime said:

My brother wet the bed until he was about 12. Another friend until he was 15. Both had happy, normal childhoods. I know it's also caused by stress, or a medical condition, but not always.

Bed wetting is also a defense for a child against a molester. They soil themselves to try to make them less attractive to the abuser. 

[b2H]

I cast no aspirsions.  I have a child who is socially inept and very uncomfortable in social situations.  When he was going to college, his anxiety was such that he had to pull over to vomit on his drive to school.  

Burke may have been born this way, as my son was, or the trauma of those December events might have psychically damaged him.  He definitely doesn't behave appropriately in social situations.  Leave it to Shill to exploit that, rather than to be sensitive to it.

[watcherwoman]

Dr. Phil is going to ask Burke about the smile, I'm sure.  This case has always been troubling to me.  I think the murderer had to know the lay out of the very large house.  Finding JonBenet's room, the pad of paper, the paint brush, and the basement secluded room would confuse most people.

I know we all react to things differently, but I know that if one of my kids had just been kidnapped, I would NEVER leave my other kid(s) alone in their bedroom, especially in a very large home.  My remaining children would be gathered around me every second, never out of my sight.  Also, if someone murdered my child, I would be at the police station every day looking for answers about the case.  Yes, even if they suspected me, I would be still need to be involved in every part of the investigation.

[JudyObscure]

I think I would prefer to have my other child upstairs in his room rather than downstairs hearing adults talk about horrible things, police around and then the dead body of his sister on the kitchen floor.  I don't think anyone could have gone past all those people to go upstairs and harm Burke in broad daylight.

I'm leaning toward the intruder theory.  The Ramseys never did set their alarm. While they were at the party someone could have picked a lock, or gone through the basement window, checked out the house, written the ransom note, and lain in wait for everyone to come home and go to bed.  Who knows how many people knew about the $118,000,  bonus, probably lots of his employees.  I also wonder if the housekeeper might have had a relative who copied her key.

[Maharincess]

Both John and Burke look down and to the left when they answer questions.  I'm not saying that means anything it's just something I noticed. 

[AZChristian]

Burke was only 9.  If one child's body is found in the house, and no one (supposedly) knows what's going on, wouldn't SOME adult have been asked - or volunteered - to stay with him?  Did no one think he needed to be kept safe and, perhaps, comforted?

The fact that he stayed in that room by himself is just odd.  Could it be that he knew what happened and didn't want to be in the middle of the aftermath, or he was so accustomed to drama (anger, fighting?) between his parents that he knew it was safer to stay in his room when things got dramatic downstairs?  His affect is just off; I have a friend whose son has Asperger's, and I see a lot of similarities in his behavior and Burke's.  

[TattleTeeny]

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I don't care if some people think he has some kind of syndrome or something, that smile on Burke is creepy as hell. He's not a kid, he's almost 30 years old, you'd think he would make an effort to not smile and laugh when speaking of his murdered sister.  He should be making a major effort to not have a grin on his face.  

That's the thing though--I feel like someone holding onto some sinister info would do exactly that (meaning the bold part). I wonder if his parents' efforts to shield him from media and public scrutiny created a social anxiety for which he developed a coping mechanism that manifests in weird shy smiling. Maybe he has no idea he is doing it.

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I think the murderer had to know the lay out of the very large house.  Finding JonBenet's room, the pad of paper, the paint brush, and the basement secluded room would confuse most people.

I definitely think the killer was at least somewhat familiar with it too. But that Christmas house tour could point away from a family member.

Edited September 14, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[SandyToes]

I think a lot of what this shows is why the Ramseys were never brought to trial. Yes, there was enough evidence to indict, but that's a far reach from conviction. And I think the DA knew there was more than enough "reasonable doubt." Plus, at the time, they presented as pretty sympathetic, which would make a conviction even less likely, in my opinion. Every time I think I've made up my mind, another tidbit pops up that switches me back.  Maybe, in another life, we will know the answer, to this, and a couple of other cases.

[TattleTeeny]

I was thinking today that, if I made a spreadsheet with two columns--"Evidence Pointing to Ramseys" and "Evidence Pointing to Intruder," they might just be even in the end. There's practically no need even for a middle column with this thing!

Also, regarding Ol' Smilin' Burke: this is, of course, just my opinion, but I feel like the smile never seems to leave his face; to me that seems less like deception than one that comes and goes. Like, it's not a "tell" because it's always there, and not present only during the difficult stuff.

Edited September 14, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[AZChristian]

I just watched the show.  I had read about Burke's smile from others who had already watched.  But there's no other word to describe it than "off."

[Angeltoes]

Burke drew a family picture that didn't include JonBenet.  I thought it was interesting that, from the sounds of it, it didn't include his older half-siblings either.  They were certainly part of the family unit as they were all originally to have gone on vacation the day after Christmas.  

[Luciano]

I noticed that he did stop smiling while he was watching the videos of himself being interviewed years ago - it could just be that the smile is  something that pops up when he's the focus of attention and/or talking. The one time he really smiled at the video was when young Burke talked about his mom being nice. He looked serious otherwise until Dr. Phil started talking again (and then the smile immediately came back).

[4leafclover]

FWIW our local NBC affiliate asked a body language expert to analyze Burke Ramsey's responses to Dr. Phil.  Below is an excerpt from her report:

Behavioral expert Jan Hargrave observed Ramsey’s body language during a portion of his interview and pointed to what she described as a forced smile as a sign of anxiety.

"He's thinking that if I do this pleasantness they will like me, but I think it's really a facade for anxiety that he is feeling deeply inside,” Hargrave said, although she noted that the pressure of a high-profile interview alone could make someone nervous.

Hargrave said there are some general signs to look for when a person is being deceitful, but noted that she wasn’t implying whether Ramsey was lying in the interview or not.

"When someone is deceptive the eyes will go to the right because you're trying to construct some kind of information with your right brain. So when someone lies, typically the eyes will go to the right. When someone is telling the truth and looking for information that has already been stored in their mind, the eyes will go to the left."

[kat165]

Angeltoes, the other siblings probably weren't  a part of his everyday/immediate life, they didn't live with him & they were older. I did have to laugh at his comment, which seemed geniunely spontaneous, that this strange guy was in this weird little room with him asking him all these questions and he just thought it was strange. I was amused by that comment because I could relate to it.

The more I read about Burke and the more I think about this interview the sadder I get for him. I'm a big old weirdo myself with issues and I don't know that I'd come off much better than he is & there's been no murder in my family.

John Ramsey told Phil that this is the last interview he would do. Maybe he influenced Burke to do the same, speak once now and never address it again. Burke's a relatively young man - this case will go unsolved probably for a good portion of his life so the questions will never stop. At some point, you have to say enough. I spoke to you once and I have no more to say.

I am very curious about what his life is like now. Does he have a job? Doing what? What are his living circumstances? Does he have a gf/bf?