This year marks the 20th anniversary of the murder of six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, whose case has not yet been solved. With the anniversary and several docu-series shows coming out, Ramsey’s brother Burke sits down with Dr. Phil for an interview on his sister’s death. Let’s read on to find out more about JonBenet Ramsey’s brother and family.
1. Dr. Phil Warns Viewers That Burke Smiles When Talking About His Deceased Sister’s Murder
While sitting down with Dr. Phil, Burke is shown smiling when he talks about his dead sister JonBenet. Dr. Phil says that this does not mean Burke is guilty or had something to do with his sister’s murder, noting that all family members were ruled out as the killer. Dr. Phil told the press:
People are going to be very interested in his demeanor, and they’re going to find his demeanor atypical. He might be talking about some pretty dark aspects of this story and smiling while he’s talking about that … my impression is he’s socially awkward.
2. Burke Has Been Living “Off the Grid”
According to Dr. Phil, Burke has been living out of the spotlight for two decades and is 29 years old.
He’s a software engineer. He works remote. He doesn’t go into work everyday. For 20 years he has been off the grid.
Burke apparently works off-site and doesn’t need to go into an office, according to Dr. Phil.
On The View, Dr. Phil said that the media was pounding down Burke’s door with the anniversary upon us. Burke said that for years the media followed his family around and created a “chaotic nightmare.”
In 2012, Burke’s father told People that his son had a girlfriend, a 401k and that he was “pretty quiet.”
3. It Was Burke’s Mother Who Alerted Him that JonBenet Was Missing
When Burke was being interviewed by Dr. Phil, he said that his mother woke him up in the middle of the night, frantically looking for JonBenet. He remained in bed and then he said the next thing he knew was that a police officer was shining a flashlight in his face.
The family was preparing to be convicted as they were suspects in the case at one time. Once Burke reached high school, his parents decided to move with him to their summer home in order to ensure a more normal life, according to People.
4. He Said He Likes to Avoid Conflict
The day that Burke’s mother was hysterical and looking for JonBenet with police, Burke remained in bed. He said he stayed in bed because:
I guess I kind of like to avoid conflict or, I don’t know, I guess I just felt safer there. I’m not the worried type. I guess part of me doesn’t want to know what’s going on.
Dr. Phil’s then said to him:
You, of course, know that critics would say you weren’t curious because you already knew. You didn’t have to get up and check because you knew exactly what had happened.
According to People, when Burke was 11 years old, he told police he didn’t come out of his room that day because he was scared.
5. Burke Hopes to Honor His Late Sister By Speaking Out
During his interview with Dr. Phil, Burke remembered the funeral of his sister and also explained why he is speaking out today.
I remember the viewing. The casket was small. Her eyes were closed … I want to honor her memory by doing this interview. I don’t want anyone to forget.
Burke also said, with the anniversary and so much interest still in his sister’s murder, he wanted to be able to control the narrative and pay tribute to JonBenet.