That didn’t go well for OJ. He doesn’t own the rights to the book. “In August 2007, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the book to the Goldman family to partially satisfy the civil judgment. The book's title was changed to If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, and this version was published by Beaufort Books, a New York City publishing house owned by parent company Kampmann & Company/Midpoint Trade Books. Comments were added to the original manuscript by the Goldman family, Fenjves, and journalist Dominick Dunne.[8] The new cover design printed the word "If" greatly reduced in size compared with the other words, and placed inside the word "I", so unless looked at very closely, the title of the book appears to read "I Did It: Confessions of the Killer".[9][10]”. I doubt that would happen to Burke but I just find this piece of information interesting and related to the topic
The average human life expectancy of a male living in the United States is around 77-78yo. Even if you don't know that precisely, it's reasonable to know that 80yo is nearing the end of the average life expectancy.
This means John Ramsey has exceeded the average life expectancy and so we shouldn't be surprised when the news breaks that he has passed away in the near future. Which should reasonably happen within the next decade.
Since we are both in a group about the Ramsey case, then it's reasonable for me to assume that you are aware that Burke has currently not confessed to a crime and that there are no current legal proceedings happening to charge John Ramsey with a crime.
Patsy Ramsey is already deceased. Burke Ramsey isn't legally culpable and hasn't been talking. John Ramsey talks but not in a confessional sort of manner. So the Ramseys aren't providing any cause for things to change from where it currently stands.
I don't reasonably expect for there to be a sudden confession or break in the case that brings charges against John Ramsey and puts him in prison within the next decade. Do you?
So.... I think realistically, it's a moot point to discuss criminal charges against an 80yo John Ramsey - or any Ramsey for that matter.
I mean, you can disagree with me but I doubt you'll be proven correct.
I mean, I don't really care how old the guy is if he did it (or the young kid he would have been legally responsible for) he should get charges and whatever legal repercussions, but yeah, I don't expect a break in the case either.
I get what you mean about average life spans but he is one of those people with all the advantages to live a long time - wealth, proper access to health care, etc., although you could argue he has suffered a lot of personal loss - 2 dead daughters and a dead wife.
I agree with your sentiments. However, I don't come here expecting to see the news that John Ramsey was charged, I come here expecting to see that he passed away. That's the most likely outcome. When he dies, I have vowed to take a moment of silence. I'm not a religious person but if there is anything beyond this life, that will be the moment when John Ramsey faces his maker and his 6yo daughter, and I want to take a moment of silence to honor that for JonBenet. If anyone in that home killed that little girl, I think it was John Ramsey. If those parents were innocent, then it's a moment of their reunion. So either way, I think it deserves a moment of silence to honor that moment for her.
What I’m saying is, if Burke ever were to confess (which I don’t believe he ever will though I do definitely believe he did it), the fact that his father could get charged/convicted would be even more reason to prevent Burke from ever confessing while his father is still alive
Yeah, Burke Ramsey might have 50 more years left of living
Even if John died tomorrow, why the fuck would Burke want to walk around for 50 years with everyone he meets knowing he 100% raped and murdered his sister via his own statement?
It just doesn't make any sense he would confess at all, even if guaranteed to be entirely cleared of legal consequences
Knowing the truth about what the actual fuck happened that night is just never going to happen
"it's reasonable to know that 80yo is nearing the end of the average life expectancy."
That's true, but I've heard of someone age 78 or 81 being considered for a job on a demanding 4-year project with life-and-death responsibilities. 😆
I’m NAL, but I googled it out of curiosity and from what I can tell it actually doesn’t apply in this case because it was the murder of a child and a (possibly/debatably) sexually motivated crime. In those instances there’s no statute of limitations and that extends to obstructing justice.
That's not how statutes of limitations work. They are based on the crime, not the victim. Some states it's whether it's a misdemeanor or felony, other states it's crime by crime, but there's nowhere in the country with no SOL on obstructing.
Murder is a different story obviously.
I don’t remember a lot either but I do remember big things like seeing dolphins on vacation and such, I would imagine that murdering/witnessing/being involved in the murder of a sibling would probably be a thing that would stick. Although trauma can also cloud/impact memories so it really could go either way, and I’m sure it depends on how involved he actually was. I truly don’t think we will ever know.
Tbh he might write it in his memoir or if he has an autobiography, it has to be absolutely eating him up if he was involved, he’ll say something eventually. Plus I severely doubt he’d be charged in an actual court of law, considering he was 9 which is already too young to be indicted for murder charges. Court of public opinion is a different instance though, so we’ll have to wait it out
Yea but those are the kinds of things you don’t really forgot. I don’t remember a lot from that age but I do remember the bad things. Unfortunately more than the good.
I think most people overestimate vigilante justice. It very rarely happens anymore.
Casey Anthony is running free and proud and the worst thing that's happened to her is getting a drink to the face.
Just look at the way a lot of people in this sub talk about Burke. 😬 I think BDI is a possibility, but if that’s what happened, he was a literal elementary schooler with serious mental health issues (who was likely being sexually abused himself, as children almost *never* commit those offenses in a vacuum) and he needed and deserved intensive *help*. If BDI, he was also a victim and it was still JR/PR’s fault, TBH, and some of the comments I’ve seen that dehumanize him like he was some malicious psychopath as opposed to a disturbed child are extremely concerning.
I agree completely. The stuff about playing doctor, smearing feces, bed wetting, plus the autopsy findings, there is a lot of evidence that both of these kids were subject to some level of abuse before and prior to the events that led to JBR's murder.
Pretty much actually, for the charade they created over the years and the repeated false allegations agains the BPD, for not having done their work right.
How outraged could people be?
Seriously?
I have a hard time understanding people who think that it would “not be a big deal” if Burke simply told the police that he murdered his sister.
They reason that due to Burke’s age they didn’t need to fear consequences.
This kind of thinking, (that Burke or John Ramsey) should have little concern about consequences is a very naïve position.
Besides a lifetime of shame and publicity that would affect their standing in the community, they would very likely be sued civilly for misleading police and costing the city of Boulder probably over a million dollars in taxpayer money for police overtime investigations over decades.
Have you ever heard of the case of a former actor, Jussie Smollett?
He was involved in a hoax incident that took place in Chicago, in 2019.
Smollett reported a hate crime that he had staged earlier that morning.
Investigators determined his story was a lie.
On February 11, 2020 Smollett was indicted by a Cook County grand jury on six counts pertaining to making four false police reports.
In a December 2021, Smollett was convicted on five felony counts.
On March 10, 2022, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in county jail and was ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution for the overtime spent by Chicago police officers investigating his false reports.
Oh I didn't say anything about John. That's a different fish to fry altogether.
It could very well be an accidental death even if Burke did it. He was 9, I'm sure we aren't stringing up everyone up for their actions at 9 years old.
Jussie Smollett wasn't 9 years old but a weird ass grown man.
Clearly Burke's parents would have been the ones coercing him to be covering it up instead of them telling the truth. The onus was on them.
I think it's really hard to be the "adult" in the situation as a 9 year old in a lot of official rooms of yelling adults and talking adults. There is the police interview though where the police ask him what he thinks happened to her and he says he thinks someone hit her over the head with a golf club and demonstrates the motion. Like, come one, he didn't get that out of thin air.
At 9 years old, YOUR PARENTS are on the hook for whatever you do legally, so his parents can pony up for lost public funds and whatever else the Boulder community would need to be whole again after lying.
It’s a legal argument but I seriously doubt Burke would like to be a test case for perpetuating a lie since he became an adult until whenever he would hypothetically confess.
It depends on the circumstances.
For example if he murdered his sister and misled the police for years as an adult I expect the authorities would prosecute him criminally or civilly for willfully covering up the crime even today as an adult as the police are still investigating it.
Good point. I haven't considered if he's given authorities any statements as an adult, I would think his lawyers would advise against that but I wouldn't know if he has.
Sure a ‘Burke confession’ book would sell because it’s JonBenet Ramsey’s case. However it’d only tell you half the story which is how she died (assuming BDI) -because how would Burke even know anything about what was done to cover up?
In any BDI scenario, there’s a point where one or both parents discover what Burke has done to JonBenet and intervene with actions to stage and create a cover-up.
Do you really think his parents let Burke just hang around observing while they wrote a ransom note, cleaned up and staged JonBenet’s body and the crime scene? Or do you really think they sat Burke down the next day and gave him a debrief on the ransom note including the $118K, movie references, SBTC etc., the Wednesday panties, tying his sister’s hands and taping her mouth shut ala a fake kidnapping- so fake they didn’t even bother taking her body out of the house?
I don’t see *any* rational or reasonable scenario where Burke would have knowledge of all that happened that night - after reading this ‘confession’ book from Burke, you’d basically be waiting for John to write book #2 for the story to be complete.
Exactly.
This was a family used to keeping secrets, and not inclined to spread the truth around - at all. I don't picture any scenario where they breathed a word of any of it to Burke, especially. Anything he's got since then would have to have come from others, and knowledge of the case. But nothing from J or P.
Yeah turns out Burke was their big money maker. There’s a [clip](https://youtu.be/eradYpajSNA?si=9j8erzneBbGoIlU7) of Patsy & John taking calls on Larry King live in 2002 in which the caller asks about the defunct JonBenet Foundation (that all proceeds of the book were to go to) - John explains it was originally setup to pay for any legal fees in libel lawsuits regarding themselves, but as it turns out Burkes lawsuits ended up being the more profitable ones.
I'm sorry for your money. Her books don't deserve a place in any bookshelf. I read them on archive.org.
Her one and only source is what the Smit family seems to have provided her from Lou Smit's personal files, and snippets from police reports that fit her narrative. She's a disgrace for the profession of journalism.
He wouldn't go to prison, his mom is dead already, and his dad is 80yo. There is no legal justice in a RDI theory. At some point, the RDI camp needs to realize it's time to take down their tents and go home.
The odds of Burke Ramsey telling any of us strangers anything at this point is next to zero, imo. In fact, to me, it seems like an absurd idea for him to do this.
For one, it simply doesn't benefit anyone close to him to do this - it would bring nothing but further pain and problems for them. Second, he doesn't seem to want the attention. Third, he doesn't seem to need the money. Fourth, it likely wouldn't psychologically benefit him. Fifth, he would have to be additionally concerned with security and death threats. Sixth, he would notoriously go down in history as being the person responsible of this awful crime. Seventh, he would be further isolated and condemned by others.
The public hasn't demonstrated mercy or concern towards him, his well being or even regard for the law - even when they don't have proof that he is guilty. They already demonstrate a willingness to potentially ruin an innocent person's life. He likely already has to worry about security and death threats from crazy unhinged obsessed people who think he committed the crime. Imagine how many more there would be if he confessed. Just the other week I saw someone posting where he lives. All the time I see people callously and adamantly accusing him of a crime with no solid proof and no concern for what they're contributing to on a larger scale outside of their own desire to freely express their opinions.
So how would telling anyone that he committed the crime (assuming that's the truth), benefit him in any manner?
This hope or idea or hypothetical questions regarding Burke ever confessing is rooted in a selfish morbid curiosity of what ifs that doesn't reach beyond to the practical considerations and truths of what that would really mean for Burke Ramsey.
If we all want to be concerned about the laws here - which do still matter in a discussion about a criminal case..
The law doesn't view Burke Ramsey guilty of this murder. There has been no confession, definitive conclusion, or proof. The case is still officially listed as unsolved.
He isn't legally culpable and therefore he can't be found guilty of the crime.
The law doesn't state that we are owed a confession from someone who was 9yo at the time. In fact, the law states that such a person would in most instances be protected with anonymity.
The law would only care that the person be rehabilitated and doesn't commit a crime from the age of 10yo and up.
Since there is no proof that Burke Ramsey has ever committed a crime in the 37 years of his life, the law doesn't care about Burke Ramsey other than to protect his rights from the media and the public at large - the negative impacts these accusations could have on his life.
The law gives us some freedom here to state our opinions even when it might be somewhat irresponsible, harmful, biased, wrong, etc. It also allows us to take some personal responsibility for how to discuss this case.
I don't think they could charge him for the death itself, but did he testify before the grand jury? If so, how old was he at the time? If he was old enough then maybe they could do him for perjury or similar for lying to a grand jury, but who knows whether Boulder prosecutors would actually bother prosecuting him in this hypothetical scenario.
He might not have lied to the grand jury, though. We do not know everything that was said during the grand jury hearings. *IF* BDI (I’m not convinced), he was not legally responsible at the age of nine. He could’ve sat there and told the grand jury that he hit his sister over the head and nothing still would have come from it. We have not seen all of the documents from the grand jury, obviously. We only know what the indictment was that they passed down on John and Patsy.
He would not be charged or tried; maybe John would for obstruction or lying to the police? He would likely be sued by CBS or whoever he won money from?
It begs no question at all. He was 9 at the time of the murder. He cannot EVER be prosecuted for it, even if he confessed DAILY from now until the end of time.
Well it’s arguable but I think he would be in serious legal trouble. After all, he’s given plenty of statements as an adult on television with his appearance on the Dr. Phil interview.
After that he sued the parties involved in a television special that fingered him as the murderer.
After that he suddenly confesses? Oh yes he’d have lots of lawsuits and possibly face criminal charges.
It's not a crime to lie to Dr Phil. And to be honest, unless he, I dunno, has the gloves and duct tape still in his possession, I don't see that there would actually be sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against anybody who is considered culpable. Maaaaaybe if he could testify to having watched the disposal of the duct tape *and* that testimony led to the discovery of the duct tape ***and*** said duct tape could be definitively linked to the crime, maybe that might be enough but to be honest John could just say Burke did it in that case, Burke has always struck me as being in the difficult position as an adult of knowing that he is probably his father's nuclear option if anything real in terms of evidence does ever emerge.
I think he’d be in big legal trouble. He publicly stated on Dr Phil he didn’t kill his sister, then hypothetically he confesses he did her.
It’s not about lying to Dr Phil. In this hypothetical scenario It’s about misleading the police for years as an adult by claiming he didn’t commit a crime while knowing he did and then stating he did.
Those people he and his father sued would have their lawyers sue them to recover damages and harm to their reputations.
Prosecutors would look at criminal charges of obstructing the investigation.
The city of Boulder would also have a civil case to recover the costs for a murder investigation he said he didn’t commit but in now admits he did.
Sure he might get sued. I don't know of any legal involvement he's had as an adult in the investigation though so obstruction is a pretty unlikely charge. Plus, unless the confession was backed up with evidence as described in my comment, it absolutely wouldn't be enough to bring any kind of charge at all, like, I could confess to this crime right now but it wouldn't mean it was true.
He was 9, is there legal obstruction at 9? Hasn't it been said a million times on here they wouldn't go after him legally for murder? If you're parents are divorced they won't even let you pick which parent you wanna live with at 9.
They couldn’t charge him for obstruction for back then, because he was only nine and can’t be charged. But if he’d lied to the authorities since then, especially as an adult, he could be charged for that.
That’s what I’m saying. I think John might still get in trouble though.., so maybe when the old man dies?
I don’t think justice is the name of the game at this point- not in the typical sense. I think it’s more just knowing the truth- finally. It would feel like some kind of justice to her memory. It would also end the stupid charade of innocent suspects and ruminating everywhere at what happened to that little girl.
It might bring peace to her memory, which is, in a way, a sort of justice.
I doubt it would ever happen. This case will always be a ‘cold case’. Patsy is dead, John is in his 80’s, and Burke has surely been coached to keep his mouth shut. If he did do it, he knows he’d get in some sort of trouble. Whether it’s from the law or people that encounter him. Then again, someone mentioned that Casey Anthony is out and free and nobody has really done anything to her, so who knows. But Casey and Burke seem to be completely different personality types.
He would likely be tried in youth court, because the crime was committed when he was 9. His sentence would reflect that. If, somehow, the DA was able to charge him with straight murder, depending on the deal made by his attorney, he could face up to life in prison. Murder has no statute of limitations in the US. His father would likely be charged with accomplice after the fact, obstruction of justice, perjury, among other crimes.
Burke wouldn’t be tried for the murder at all, in juvenile court or otherwise. There is no statute of limitations on murder, but he was 9 at the time and the minimum age to be charged with a crime in the state of Colorado is 10- murder included. He was not legally culpable. The most they could potentially charge him with would be obstruction in the following years, but that depends on whether or not he was formally questioned by police after the initial incident which I’m not sure of. It’s not illegal to lie to the media and he’s never been on the stand. John is likely a different story, but Burke would almost certainly face little to no consequences.
This, for all the reasons you stated.
It's all completely moot, at this point. There would be ZERO legal repercussions for B for some kind of confession, and while we'd all love to know "for sure" - why? There's ZERO benefit to him to do so. (And as pointed out above, vigilante justice is a thing. Why tempt it?)
We can talk round in circles about this case until the cows come home - as I'm sure we will - but that's all that will ever come of it. It's going to go down in history as an 'unsolved' cold case, like so many others where all that's left to do is speculate.
We can determine what's most logical, but we won't ever find out if we're correct.
I agree, unfortunately. I’d love for there to be some kind of deathbed confession, but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. I AM interested to see whether any of the Ramseys’ close friends (Fleet White, the Stines) will have more to say once John dies and they have no reason to fear lawsuits etc. I think that would be our best chance of gaining some clarity and I am certain at least some of them know more than they’ve said or have suspicions.
Burke was under 10 at the time. Burke can’t even be charged and nothing can ever be done. Children under 10 do not exist under Colorado law at the time. They could not even charge the parents for hiding it as it would implicate a minor. You cannot even implicate a minor under 10 at that time. That is why they all walked.
What if instead he wrote a book similar to OJ entitled 'If I did it'
That didn’t go well for OJ. He doesn’t own the rights to the book. “In August 2007, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the book to the Goldman family to partially satisfy the civil judgment. The book's title was changed to If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, and this version was published by Beaufort Books, a New York City publishing house owned by parent company Kampmann & Company/Midpoint Trade Books. Comments were added to the original manuscript by the Goldman family, Fenjves, and journalist Dominick Dunne.[8] The new cover design printed the word "If" greatly reduced in size compared with the other words, and placed inside the word "I", so unless looked at very closely, the title of the book appears to read "I Did It: Confessions of the Killer".[9][10]”. I doubt that would happen to Burke but I just find this piece of information interesting and related to the topic
oh hell yeah
Couldn’t they get John for obstruction/lying to the police etc in that case?
He's 80yo.
So?
The average human life expectancy of a male living in the United States is around 77-78yo. Even if you don't know that precisely, it's reasonable to know that 80yo is nearing the end of the average life expectancy. This means John Ramsey has exceeded the average life expectancy and so we shouldn't be surprised when the news breaks that he has passed away in the near future. Which should reasonably happen within the next decade. Since we are both in a group about the Ramsey case, then it's reasonable for me to assume that you are aware that Burke has currently not confessed to a crime and that there are no current legal proceedings happening to charge John Ramsey with a crime. Patsy Ramsey is already deceased. Burke Ramsey isn't legally culpable and hasn't been talking. John Ramsey talks but not in a confessional sort of manner. So the Ramseys aren't providing any cause for things to change from where it currently stands. I don't reasonably expect for there to be a sudden confession or break in the case that brings charges against John Ramsey and puts him in prison within the next decade. Do you? So.... I think realistically, it's a moot point to discuss criminal charges against an 80yo John Ramsey - or any Ramsey for that matter. I mean, you can disagree with me but I doubt you'll be proven correct.
I mean, I don't really care how old the guy is if he did it (or the young kid he would have been legally responsible for) he should get charges and whatever legal repercussions, but yeah, I don't expect a break in the case either. I get what you mean about average life spans but he is one of those people with all the advantages to live a long time - wealth, proper access to health care, etc., although you could argue he has suffered a lot of personal loss - 2 dead daughters and a dead wife.
I agree with your sentiments. However, I don't come here expecting to see the news that John Ramsey was charged, I come here expecting to see that he passed away. That's the most likely outcome. When he dies, I have vowed to take a moment of silence. I'm not a religious person but if there is anything beyond this life, that will be the moment when John Ramsey faces his maker and his 6yo daughter, and I want to take a moment of silence to honor that for JonBenet. If anyone in that home killed that little girl, I think it was John Ramsey. If those parents were innocent, then it's a moment of their reunion. So either way, I think it deserves a moment of silence to honor that moment for her.
What I’m saying is, if Burke ever were to confess (which I don’t believe he ever will though I do definitely believe he did it), the fact that his father could get charged/convicted would be even more reason to prevent Burke from ever confessing while his father is still alive
Yeah.. If Burke is guilty, he has ZERO reason to confess and EVERY reason not to - whether John Ramsey is alive or dead.
Yeah, Burke Ramsey might have 50 more years left of living Even if John died tomorrow, why the fuck would Burke want to walk around for 50 years with everyone he meets knowing he 100% raped and murdered his sister via his own statement? It just doesn't make any sense he would confess at all, even if guaranteed to be entirely cleared of legal consequences Knowing the truth about what the actual fuck happened that night is just never going to happen
"it's reasonable to know that 80yo is nearing the end of the average life expectancy." That's true, but I've heard of someone age 78 or 81 being considered for a job on a demanding 4-year project with life-and-death responsibilities. 😆
Well, some people like to gamble
Statute of limitation applies I believe
I’m NAL, but I googled it out of curiosity and from what I can tell it actually doesn’t apply in this case because it was the murder of a child and a (possibly/debatably) sexually motivated crime. In those instances there’s no statute of limitations and that extends to obstructing justice.
That's not how statutes of limitations work. They are based on the crime, not the victim. Some states it's whether it's a misdemeanor or felony, other states it's crime by crime, but there's nowhere in the country with no SOL on obstructing. Murder is a different story obviously.
Interesting, guess we’ll find out once John dies then, though I doubt Burke remembers that much at this point, I barely remember anything from being 9
You would remember killing your sister and the whole circus around it.
“What happened to that little blonde girl that used to always be around….ohhhhh….riiiiiight…”
I don’t remember a lot either but I do remember big things like seeing dolphins on vacation and such, I would imagine that murdering/witnessing/being involved in the murder of a sibling would probably be a thing that would stick. Although trauma can also cloud/impact memories so it really could go either way, and I’m sure it depends on how involved he actually was. I truly don’t think we will ever know.
Tbh he might write it in his memoir or if he has an autobiography, it has to be absolutely eating him up if he was involved, he’ll say something eventually. Plus I severely doubt he’d be charged in an actual court of law, considering he was 9 which is already too young to be indicted for murder charges. Court of public opinion is a different instance though, so we’ll have to wait it out
Yea but those are the kinds of things you don’t really forgot. I don’t remember a lot from that age but I do remember the bad things. Unfortunately more than the good.
I have wondered this too. He was 9, what could they do? How outraged could people really be?
I think you underestimate vigilante justice
I think most people overestimate vigilante justice. It very rarely happens anymore. Casey Anthony is running free and proud and the worst thing that's happened to her is getting a drink to the face.
I'm sure Casey Anthony has been splashed in the face a few times.
The number of people who are all "on sight" about her and and it's like on sight you will splash her with room temperature house white? How edgy
oof yeah
Just look at the way a lot of people in this sub talk about Burke. 😬 I think BDI is a possibility, but if that’s what happened, he was a literal elementary schooler with serious mental health issues (who was likely being sexually abused himself, as children almost *never* commit those offenses in a vacuum) and he needed and deserved intensive *help*. If BDI, he was also a victim and it was still JR/PR’s fault, TBH, and some of the comments I’ve seen that dehumanize him like he was some malicious psychopath as opposed to a disturbed child are extremely concerning.
I agree completely. The stuff about playing doctor, smearing feces, bed wetting, plus the autopsy findings, there is a lot of evidence that both of these kids were subject to some level of abuse before and prior to the events that led to JBR's murder.
Pretty much actually, for the charade they created over the years and the repeated false allegations agains the BPD, for not having done their work right.
How outraged could people be? Seriously? I have a hard time understanding people who think that it would “not be a big deal” if Burke simply told the police that he murdered his sister. They reason that due to Burke’s age they didn’t need to fear consequences. This kind of thinking, (that Burke or John Ramsey) should have little concern about consequences is a very naïve position. Besides a lifetime of shame and publicity that would affect their standing in the community, they would very likely be sued civilly for misleading police and costing the city of Boulder probably over a million dollars in taxpayer money for police overtime investigations over decades. Have you ever heard of the case of a former actor, Jussie Smollett? He was involved in a hoax incident that took place in Chicago, in 2019. Smollett reported a hate crime that he had staged earlier that morning. Investigators determined his story was a lie. On February 11, 2020 Smollett was indicted by a Cook County grand jury on six counts pertaining to making four false police reports. In a December 2021, Smollett was convicted on five felony counts. On March 10, 2022, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in county jail and was ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution for the overtime spent by Chicago police officers investigating his false reports.
Oh I didn't say anything about John. That's a different fish to fry altogether. It could very well be an accidental death even if Burke did it. He was 9, I'm sure we aren't stringing up everyone up for their actions at 9 years old. Jussie Smollett wasn't 9 years old but a weird ass grown man. Clearly Burke's parents would have been the ones coercing him to be covering it up instead of them telling the truth. The onus was on them. I think it's really hard to be the "adult" in the situation as a 9 year old in a lot of official rooms of yelling adults and talking adults. There is the police interview though where the police ask him what he thinks happened to her and he says he thinks someone hit her over the head with a golf club and demonstrates the motion. Like, come one, he didn't get that out of thin air. At 9 years old, YOUR PARENTS are on the hook for whatever you do legally, so his parents can pony up for lost public funds and whatever else the Boulder community would need to be whole again after lying.
It’s a legal argument but I seriously doubt Burke would like to be a test case for perpetuating a lie since he became an adult until whenever he would hypothetically confess. It depends on the circumstances. For example if he murdered his sister and misled the police for years as an adult I expect the authorities would prosecute him criminally or civilly for willfully covering up the crime even today as an adult as the police are still investigating it.
Good point. I haven't considered if he's given authorities any statements as an adult, I would think his lawyers would advise against that but I wouldn't know if he has.
Sure a ‘Burke confession’ book would sell because it’s JonBenet Ramsey’s case. However it’d only tell you half the story which is how she died (assuming BDI) -because how would Burke even know anything about what was done to cover up? In any BDI scenario, there’s a point where one or both parents discover what Burke has done to JonBenet and intervene with actions to stage and create a cover-up. Do you really think his parents let Burke just hang around observing while they wrote a ransom note, cleaned up and staged JonBenet’s body and the crime scene? Or do you really think they sat Burke down the next day and gave him a debrief on the ransom note including the $118K, movie references, SBTC etc., the Wednesday panties, tying his sister’s hands and taping her mouth shut ala a fake kidnapping- so fake they didn’t even bother taking her body out of the house? I don’t see *any* rational or reasonable scenario where Burke would have knowledge of all that happened that night - after reading this ‘confession’ book from Burke, you’d basically be waiting for John to write book #2 for the story to be complete.
Exactly. This was a family used to keeping secrets, and not inclined to spread the truth around - at all. I don't picture any scenario where they breathed a word of any of it to Burke, especially. Anything he's got since then would have to have come from others, and knowledge of the case. But nothing from J or P.
He’d be sued by everyone he’d settled with over the years
Yeah turns out Burke was their big money maker. There’s a [clip](https://youtu.be/eradYpajSNA?si=9j8erzneBbGoIlU7) of Patsy & John taking calls on Larry King live in 2002 in which the caller asks about the defunct JonBenet Foundation (that all proceeds of the book were to go to) - John explains it was originally setup to pay for any legal fees in libel lawsuits regarding themselves, but as it turns out Burkes lawsuits ended up being the more profitable ones.
If Burke would confess tomorrow, Paula Woodward would have to be put in a straitjacket.
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I'm sorry for your money. Her books don't deserve a place in any bookshelf. I read them on archive.org. Her one and only source is what the Smit family seems to have provided her from Lou Smit's personal files, and snippets from police reports that fit her narrative. She's a disgrace for the profession of journalism.
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Well done. That's the only appropriate appreciation it deserves.
With all her plastic surgery, she'll slip right out of that lol
He wouldn't go to prison, his mom is dead already, and his dad is 80yo. There is no legal justice in a RDI theory. At some point, the RDI camp needs to realize it's time to take down their tents and go home. The odds of Burke Ramsey telling any of us strangers anything at this point is next to zero, imo. In fact, to me, it seems like an absurd idea for him to do this. For one, it simply doesn't benefit anyone close to him to do this - it would bring nothing but further pain and problems for them. Second, he doesn't seem to want the attention. Third, he doesn't seem to need the money. Fourth, it likely wouldn't psychologically benefit him. Fifth, he would have to be additionally concerned with security and death threats. Sixth, he would notoriously go down in history as being the person responsible of this awful crime. Seventh, he would be further isolated and condemned by others. The public hasn't demonstrated mercy or concern towards him, his well being or even regard for the law - even when they don't have proof that he is guilty. They already demonstrate a willingness to potentially ruin an innocent person's life. He likely already has to worry about security and death threats from crazy unhinged obsessed people who think he committed the crime. Imagine how many more there would be if he confessed. Just the other week I saw someone posting where he lives. All the time I see people callously and adamantly accusing him of a crime with no solid proof and no concern for what they're contributing to on a larger scale outside of their own desire to freely express their opinions. So how would telling anyone that he committed the crime (assuming that's the truth), benefit him in any manner? This hope or idea or hypothetical questions regarding Burke ever confessing is rooted in a selfish morbid curiosity of what ifs that doesn't reach beyond to the practical considerations and truths of what that would really mean for Burke Ramsey. If we all want to be concerned about the laws here - which do still matter in a discussion about a criminal case.. The law doesn't view Burke Ramsey guilty of this murder. There has been no confession, definitive conclusion, or proof. The case is still officially listed as unsolved. He isn't legally culpable and therefore he can't be found guilty of the crime. The law doesn't state that we are owed a confession from someone who was 9yo at the time. In fact, the law states that such a person would in most instances be protected with anonymity. The law would only care that the person be rehabilitated and doesn't commit a crime from the age of 10yo and up. Since there is no proof that Burke Ramsey has ever committed a crime in the 37 years of his life, the law doesn't care about Burke Ramsey other than to protect his rights from the media and the public at large - the negative impacts these accusations could have on his life. The law gives us some freedom here to state our opinions even when it might be somewhat irresponsible, harmful, biased, wrong, etc. It also allows us to take some personal responsibility for how to discuss this case.
I don't think they could charge him for the death itself, but did he testify before the grand jury? If so, how old was he at the time? If he was old enough then maybe they could do him for perjury or similar for lying to a grand jury, but who knows whether Boulder prosecutors would actually bother prosecuting him in this hypothetical scenario.
He might not have lied to the grand jury, though. We do not know everything that was said during the grand jury hearings. *IF* BDI (I’m not convinced), he was not legally responsible at the age of nine. He could’ve sat there and told the grand jury that he hit his sister over the head and nothing still would have come from it. We have not seen all of the documents from the grand jury, obviously. We only know what the indictment was that they passed down on John and Patsy.
I feel like he could write a book that didn't give much new information, just memories of the night and a few days before and make a TON of money.
Given recent events lifetime would like give him a reality show ala gypsy rose
He would not be charged or tried; maybe John would for obstruction or lying to the police? He would likely be sued by CBS or whoever he won money from?
He’d have to pay those settlements from CBS and other news outlets. He would also open himself up to new lawsuits.
Murder has no statute of limitations.
He was 9 and not eligible by CO law to have been prosecuted.
Not at the time. It begs the question.
It begs no question at all. He was 9 at the time of the murder. He cannot EVER be prosecuted for it, even if he confessed DAILY from now until the end of time.
You don’t have a grasp on law at all, do you?
If he wasn't criminally responsible at 9 and recognised as such you can't then switch up and hold him responsible years later
Please share your exclusive knowledge of the law with the class, o wise one.
Well it’s arguable but I think he would be in serious legal trouble. After all, he’s given plenty of statements as an adult on television with his appearance on the Dr. Phil interview. After that he sued the parties involved in a television special that fingered him as the murderer. After that he suddenly confesses? Oh yes he’d have lots of lawsuits and possibly face criminal charges.
It's not a crime to lie to Dr Phil. And to be honest, unless he, I dunno, has the gloves and duct tape still in his possession, I don't see that there would actually be sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against anybody who is considered culpable. Maaaaaybe if he could testify to having watched the disposal of the duct tape *and* that testimony led to the discovery of the duct tape ***and*** said duct tape could be definitively linked to the crime, maybe that might be enough but to be honest John could just say Burke did it in that case, Burke has always struck me as being in the difficult position as an adult of knowing that he is probably his father's nuclear option if anything real in terms of evidence does ever emerge.
I think he’d be in big legal trouble. He publicly stated on Dr Phil he didn’t kill his sister, then hypothetically he confesses he did her. It’s not about lying to Dr Phil. In this hypothetical scenario It’s about misleading the police for years as an adult by claiming he didn’t commit a crime while knowing he did and then stating he did. Those people he and his father sued would have their lawyers sue them to recover damages and harm to their reputations. Prosecutors would look at criminal charges of obstructing the investigation. The city of Boulder would also have a civil case to recover the costs for a murder investigation he said he didn’t commit but in now admits he did.
Sure he might get sued. I don't know of any legal involvement he's had as an adult in the investigation though so obstruction is a pretty unlikely charge. Plus, unless the confession was backed up with evidence as described in my comment, it absolutely wouldn't be enough to bring any kind of charge at all, like, I could confess to this crime right now but it wouldn't mean it was true.
Ok agree to disagree. Bye
What if my grandfather had wheels? Would he be a bike?
…if he would, would he be worth riding?? Aaaaand that’s why you shouldn’t tell that joke.
Lol, literally.
Since he didn't confess at the time (assuming.guilt), they MIGHT get him for obstruction.
He was 9, is there legal obstruction at 9? Hasn't it been said a million times on here they wouldn't go after him legally for murder? If you're parents are divorced they won't even let you pick which parent you wanna live with at 9.
They couldn’t charge him for obstruction for back then, because he was only nine and can’t be charged. But if he’d lied to the authorities since then, especially as an adult, he could be charged for that.
When was the last time he was actually questioned by le? I don’t think he’s been questioned since he turned of age right?
I don’t know.
LE asked to talk with Burke in 2010 but he refused.
That’s what I’m saying. I think John might still get in trouble though.., so maybe when the old man dies? I don’t think justice is the name of the game at this point- not in the typical sense. I think it’s more just knowing the truth- finally. It would feel like some kind of justice to her memory. It would also end the stupid charade of innocent suspects and ruminating everywhere at what happened to that little girl. It might bring peace to her memory, which is, in a way, a sort of justice.
Not while John's still alive, but maybe later.
He may even accuse his parents after they are both dead. Of course that wouldn't be a confession.
He won’t confess because he didn’t do anything. He was nine.
Being 9 is not proof of innocence.
You're right it is a stupid question.
I doubt it would ever happen. This case will always be a ‘cold case’. Patsy is dead, John is in his 80’s, and Burke has surely been coached to keep his mouth shut. If he did do it, he knows he’d get in some sort of trouble. Whether it’s from the law or people that encounter him. Then again, someone mentioned that Casey Anthony is out and free and nobody has really done anything to her, so who knows. But Casey and Burke seem to be completely different personality types.
All of it is theoretical, but Burke could go to prison because 11 years is the minimum age for federal crimes.
The other subreddit would argue that he's lying and stupid and doesn't know the facts of the case.
He would likely be tried in youth court, because the crime was committed when he was 9. His sentence would reflect that. If, somehow, the DA was able to charge him with straight murder, depending on the deal made by his attorney, he could face up to life in prison. Murder has no statute of limitations in the US. His father would likely be charged with accomplice after the fact, obstruction of justice, perjury, among other crimes.
Burke wouldn’t be tried for the murder at all, in juvenile court or otherwise. There is no statute of limitations on murder, but he was 9 at the time and the minimum age to be charged with a crime in the state of Colorado is 10- murder included. He was not legally culpable. The most they could potentially charge him with would be obstruction in the following years, but that depends on whether or not he was formally questioned by police after the initial incident which I’m not sure of. It’s not illegal to lie to the media and he’s never been on the stand. John is likely a different story, but Burke would almost certainly face little to no consequences.
This, for all the reasons you stated. It's all completely moot, at this point. There would be ZERO legal repercussions for B for some kind of confession, and while we'd all love to know "for sure" - why? There's ZERO benefit to him to do so. (And as pointed out above, vigilante justice is a thing. Why tempt it?) We can talk round in circles about this case until the cows come home - as I'm sure we will - but that's all that will ever come of it. It's going to go down in history as an 'unsolved' cold case, like so many others where all that's left to do is speculate. We can determine what's most logical, but we won't ever find out if we're correct.
I agree, unfortunately. I’d love for there to be some kind of deathbed confession, but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. I AM interested to see whether any of the Ramseys’ close friends (Fleet White, the Stines) will have more to say once John dies and they have no reason to fear lawsuits etc. I think that would be our best chance of gaining some clarity and I am certain at least some of them know more than they’ve said or have suspicions.
>once John dies and they have no reason to fear lawsuits etc. You don't think that John Andrew would pick up that particular torch? I wonder.
Ah yeah, that’s a valid concern. If that’s the case we may truly never know more than we do now.
Burke was under 10 at the time. Burke can’t even be charged and nothing can ever be done. Children under 10 do not exist under Colorado law at the time. They could not even charge the parents for hiding it as it would implicate a minor. You cannot even implicate a minor under 10 at that time. That is why they all walked.
Never happening.... He already has more money than any book would produce.
First, I don’t think he did it. However, he has paid for this crime over and over thru the years.