A judge agreed Friday to dismiss domestic violence charges against John Mark Karr, a former teacher who was once a suspect in the 1996 murder of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey.
Karr was charged with misdemeanor battery and obstruction of a 911 call after a domestic dispute at his father’s home last week. Fulton County Magistrate Judge Stephanie Davis said Friday that she would dismiss those charges provided Karr gets six months of domestic violence counseling and has no violent contact with his father or girlfriend.
Karr, 42, and girlfriend Brooke Simmons, 22, held hands after the hearing. They said outside the courthouse that the charges had resulted from a family squabble.
“I do not admit anything physical happened,” Karr said, adding that he would continue living with his father. “I love my dad.”
Sandy Springs police said officers received a 911 call on July 6 from Karr’s father’s house about an argument. Karr told reporters that neighbors had called 911 after hearing loud talking; he said his father is hard of hearing.
Karr drew international attention last summer with his arrest in Thailand, where he made bizarre, detailed confessions in the death of 6-year-old JonBenet.
'Not a violent man'
It appeared to be a sudden turn in the decade-old investigation into the child’s killing in Boulder, Colo. Karr was flown back to the U.S., but authorities later released him, saying he was simply obsessed with the little girl’s slaying. They found no corroboration for his claims or even any solid indication that he had been near Boulder at the time of the killing.
Karr said Friday that it has been difficult for him to have a normal life since then. He said he gets “harassed” by law enforcement for things like sitting on a park bench in the family’s upscale neighborhood and people sometimes think his girlfriend is in her teens and call police.
“He’s not a violent man. I’m not a victim,” Simmons said. “It’s because of his notoriety only.”