JonBenet Ramsey's brother sues TV network for $750 million
Documentary raised theory that Burke Ramsey killed his sister in a fit of childhood rage and his parents participated in covering it up
The brother of JonBenet Ramsey, the 6-year-old beauty queen found dead in the basement of her family's Colorado home in 1996, is suing CBS and orthers for $750 million, arguing the network's special "The Case of JonBenet Ramsey" ignored evidence to falsely point the finger at him.
In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Burke Ramsey claims that the network, its production company and the experts interviewed in the series on the unsolved murder conspired to defame him for publicity and profit. The series, called "The Case of JonBenet Ramsey," aired in September ahead of the 20th anniversary of JonBenet's death.
The lawsuit says CBS and its featured experts set out to conduct a "sham reinvestigation" of the murder with "the preconceived the story line" that Ramsey killed his sister and conspired with his parents to cover it up.
"The accusation that Burke Ramsey killed his sister was based on a compilation of lies, half-truths, manufactured information, and the intentional omission and avoidance of truthful information about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey," the lawsuit says.
CBS spokesman Dustin Smith declined to comment on the lawsuit, which is the second Burke Ramsey has filed over the television series.
Burke Ramsey's lawsuit also pointed out that in 2008 Mary Lacy, then the Boulder County District Attorney, cleared the Ramsey family as suspects after DNA analysis.
Current District Attorney Stan Garnett said two weeks ago that Lacy's public letter was not binding and that his office was still investigating the case.
The CBS special looked into theories that Burke Ramsey possibly could have killed his sister -- accusations he claimed were entirely false. He was 9 at the time of JonBenet's death.
Investigators have said they were looking at new DNA testing technology that they hoped would further the investigation. The move cames after an investigation by the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder and KUSA-TV in Denver that apparently uncovered flaws in the interpretation of previous DNA testing.
JonBenet Ramsey's body was found beaten and strangled at her family's home in Boulder on Dec. 26, 1996.
Garnett said much of the new testing would target previously screened items to see if new information could emerge.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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