While the case of John Mark Karr has intrigued me, at the same time it has been very disturbing. This man confessed to a horrible crime in writing, and then after he was arrested he confessed publicly, going so far as to explain in detail exactly how he committed the horrendous act.
He was extradited from Thailand to the United States, where subsequent DNA tests and testimony from others has gone a long way to prove his confessions false. Now, people are enraged at the District Attorney for accruing the expense of the extradition, and John Mark Karr is talking about turning his story into a book and movie deal.
Some of the questions that arise from this are:
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Should the D.A. be held responsible for the cost of extradition, or was she morally obligated to follow all leads to the end?
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If she was obligated to do what she did, should John Mark Karr be held liable for the cost, and if so, should he also be charged with a crime for his duplicity?
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Is John Mark Karr really just a genius psychopath? Meaning, did he plan all this to get a free ride home from Thailand, and knowing that his confession would be proven false; he would not be bound by the law that prohibits profiting from a crime, leaving him free to exploit his story.
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Should John Mark Karr be allowed to profit from the JonBenet crime?
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Should we hold people like John Mark Karr criminally responsible, or are they mentally deficient to the point that they are not accountable for their actions?
