GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Last week, Thai authorities arrested John Mark Karr on the suspicion of killing JonBenet Ramsey, the child beauty queen from Colorado who was slain in her home on Dec. 26, 1996. Karr is now in Los Angeles and is expected to be extradited to Colorado to face charges in the girl's slaying.
A new USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted Aug. 18-20, finds Americans divided in their view of whether the charges that Karr killed JonBenet are true. Americans are now much more likely to say they are sympathetic toward her father, John Ramsey, and her recently deceased mother, Patsy Ramsey, than they were six years ago. Roughly 6 in 10 Americans say they are following the story closely, about the same percentage as what Gallup has measured over the duration of this case. There is little difference in views on Karr's possible role in the killing between those who are paying close attention and those who are not.
Attention Paid to the JonBenet Ramsey Case
Despite the media frenzy surrounding the recent developments in the case, Gallup finds no change in the amount of attention Americans are paying to the case in the three times it has asked this question since 1997. Roughly 6 in 10 Americans say they are following the news about the Ramsey case either very (15%) or somewhat (46%) closely, while 38% are not following it closely.
Gallup has asked Americans this "how closely following" question about numerous events in recent decades, and the current measure on the Ramsey case ranks in about the middle of all those tested.
Women, rather than men, and older Americans, rather than younger Americans, express more interest in the Ramsey case.
Are the Charges Against Karr True?
Forty-five percent of Americans say the anticipated murder charges against Karr are definitely true (5%) or probably true (40%), while 43% say the charges are probably not true (38%) or definitely not true (5%). The rest have no opinion.
Gallup has asked this question in other high-profile cases in recent years. The percentage of Americans who say the charges against Karr are definitely or probably true ranks toward the bottom of the list of cases Gallup has measured. The only other murder case that Gallup tracked was the O.J. Simpson case in the mid-1990s, and the charges against Karr rank lower than those for Simpson.
Karr confessed to the slaying last week, although inconsistencies between his account and some of the known facts of the case have cast some doubt on whether he actually committed the crime. Both Americans who are following the story closely and those who are not following it are divided as to whether the charges against Karr are true.
Sympathetic Toward the Parents?
Over the years since JonBenet's death, there has been a considerable amount of speculation as to the involvement of her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, in her death. Though neither one -- let alone anyone else until now -- has been arrested in connection with the death, suspicion about their involvement has persisted. However, Karr's confession may be changing how Americans view them. The weekend poll asked Americans to describe how sympathetic they feel toward JonBenet's parents and found that the vast majority of Americans feel at least somewhat sympathetic toward them.
Eighty-three percent of Americans say they feel very (44%) or somewhat (39%) sympathetic toward John and Patsy Ramsey; 12% feel unsympathetic toward them. Gallup had previously asked this question in March 2000. That poll found Americans divided in their views of the Ramseys, with 44% of Americans feeling sympathetic and 46% unsympathetic. It is unclear what effect the recent death of Patsy Ramsey may have had on Americans' attitudes toward the couple.
Those following the case closely (89%) are much more likely than those not following the case (74%) to feel sympathetic toward the Ramseys, though the majority of both groups express sympathy for them.
Survey Methods
The latest results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,001 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Aug. 18-20, 2006. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.