[Write-up] Burke Ramsey on Dr. Phil: Thoughts and Theories

So, for those of you into the Ramsey case, there is a slew of documentaries, interviews, etc. on this case coming up for its 20th anniversary of the tragedy. Dr. Phil interviewed Burke Ramsey, and there are some things you should know if you are interested in this case.

The Smile

Smiles

Burke looked like this photo above, pretty much for the entire interview. His smiles caused a lot of suspicion from the viewing public, and a lot of finger pointing on social media. You know should two things about this: First, Dr. Phil said that Burke's smiles were due to anxiety. He was not used to being in the spotlight. Second, even if his smiles were devious or hiding something, this isn't the biggest clue you should be looking at.

My theory: Burke has anxiety. I agree with Dr. Phil on this one. Most psychopaths are actually quite social and they appear confident and glib. Most psychopaths have no fear. Other than smiling, Burke was fidgeting, having trouble with eye contact, and playing with his hands. These are signs of anxiety or perhaps being on the autistic spectrum, but not signs of psychopathy.

The Flashlight

What I would suggest people look at is less his demeanor, which could be explained by many things, and more about what he chooses to focus on and explain away. First, when given the option to discuss two of the possible murder weapons, Burke glosses over the baseball bat, and focuses heavily on explaining away the flashlight. He claims his father used it to put him to bed that Christmas night. To me, this is an example of a poor excuse that leads to only one conclusion: the flashlight is something Burke and John Ramsey know they have to explain.

There is no reason to put a nine year old to bed using a flashlight. It's heavy, cumbersome, and completely pointless unless the power is out. This was Christmas, everyone was tired, and they had to get up extremely early the next day for an early flight to see relatives. Burke saying that his father used a flashlight to put him to bed is a revelation because this points to the flashlight being integral to the case, and something that needs to be explained and accounted for.

For those who don't know, the flashlight that morning was found outside its usual drawer, and appeared to be wiped down because there wasn't a single bit of evidence or fingerprints. There would be no blood on the weapon because JonBenet's head injury did not result in external bleeding.

My theory: The flashlight was the weapon that caused JonBenet's initial head injury as has long been suspected, and the Ramsey's fear that at least one of the new documentaries will be able to prove it, so they are offering (ridiculous) reasons for why the flashlight was out.

Burke Sneaking Downstairs

Burke also revealed that he sneaked out of bed that night and went downstairs to play with a toy. This is a major revelation because it puts a damper on the intruder theory. If an intruder had done this, they had gotten extremely lucky - or Burke had. Somehow, they bypassed Burke without him noticing, or they bypassed him and went for his much less accessible sister. It would have been easy for an intruder to capture them both. It would have been easy for Burke to see an intruder, as well. Especially so if there was a big gang of them, as the "ransom note" suggested.

This also is a major revelation because a lot of "Ramsey did it" (RDI) theorists had Burke sneaking downstairs an an integral part of their theory. In many, they believe Burke was alone with JonBenet, fed her pineapple at some point, some time later a fight ensued, and he hurt her with a flashlight, the bat, or a golf club. At this point theories diverge. Some say he used a garotte, others say the garotte was purely part of the coverup by one or both parents in order to make the crime seem malicious and as though it were done by a serial killer.

Others say that Burke saying this at all only proves his innocence, and perhaps the parents' innocence. They believe that Burke (if guilty) would have no reason to say he went downstairs, as it only incriminates him.

My theory: Burke did go downstairs, and probably did feed his sister pineapple that night. The pineapple had to have been given to her by someone she knew, or else she would have screamed or been unable to eat it (duct tape over mouth). So I believe Burke fed her pineapple and probably had the tea himself. Past this, it's very hard to say. Any number of events could have happened that led to a parent or Burke severely injuring JonBenet's skull. I do not believe there was an intruder, however, due to the complete lack of evidence and a quickly diminishing timeline.


Final Thoughts

Well this has gone on long enough! The Dr. Phil interview was momentous as it was the first time Burke has spoken. It was also the first time we've seen a glimpse of the child-psychologist interviewing him as a nine-year-old shortly after his sister's murder. I feel a little uncomfortable with those tapes being released even though he is now a full grown man, but that aside it probably contains useful, but circumstantial, information that will hopefully be covered in the upcoming CBS documentary.

For those of you who watched this interview, what were your thoughts?