Ramsey Suspect's Father, Half Brother Doubt Guilt

Aug. 25, 2006 — -- The father and half brother of John Mark Karr defended him against charges that he is responsible for the 1996 slaying of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey in an exclusive interview with "Good Morning America" today.

Asked if John Karr, who now sits in a Colorado jail awaiting charges in the Ramsey case, could have been involved in the girl's death, the suspect's half brother, Nate Karr. said, "Absolutely not. Emphatically, absolutely without a doubt impossible."

About his son's apparent television confession in Thailand, Karr's father, Wexford Karr, added, "I don't believe a word of it."

Asked whether Karr was with his family on Christmas 1996, Nate Karr told ABC News, "Well, I can say almost without question that from the time that John had children he has never missed a Christmas with his family -- and that's any Christmas. So, whether it be in Atlanta with us or with Lara in Alabama, we are positive that from the time period that he had children that he's never missed a Christmas with his children."

As for Karr's reported obsession with the Ramsey case, Nate Karr said it was an innocent project that grew out of a college assignment.

"He had expressed interest in writing a book to my father," Nate Karr said. "And I believe my father said to him, 'John, look, whatever grips the American public. … What will sell books? What's on the headlines?' And, of course, that year the No. 1 headline was the tragedy that happened to the Ramsey family. So at that point my brother … decided that would be something people would want to read about. So from that point, it's my understanding John actively pursued information about not only the Ramsey case and the Polly Klaas case … but maybe others as well."

While Nate Karr acknowledged his half brother's interest in the girls' murder cases, he rejected the accusations that he was obsessed with children.

"I think that John has definitely been misunderstood," he said. "He has never done anything to a young child. He may care overly for children as some people do, but he would never do anything to hurt a child, or molest a child or anything like that. There's been no evidence in the past that he's ever done anything like that. You know? So to me that's just wild speculation."

Wexford Karr believes his son is a victim of a huge misunderstanding.

"It must be," he said. "I don't know how this all got started. I cannot believe these stories I see. To me it's fabrication."