JonBenét Ramsey's older brother Burke Ramsay is preparing to sue CBS for defamation after the network's documentary special, The Case Of: JonBenét Ramsey, concluded that Burke murdered his sister. The investigators reexamined the infamous cold case and hypothesized that Burke, then 9-years-old, accidentally killed the 6-year-old after striking her on the head with a flashlight — and that parents John and Patsy Ramsey covered up the incident to protect their son.
Burke's lawyer L. Lin Wood is hitting back hard, calling the documentary a sensationalist ratings-grab that "perpetuated a fraud on its viewers" and "intentionally avoided and ignored the truth of the mass of evidence" that had formerly ruled out Burke as a suspect, according to a statement that Wood provided to Business Insider. "In its desire to match or surpass the ratings and profits achieved by other networks in recent true crime series, CBS juxtaposed lies, misrepresentations, distortions and omissions with very few grains of truth," the statement reads.
Wood continued, "The accusations of the CBS so-called 'experts' lack substantial evidentiary support and contradict the factual conclusions reached by legitimate law enforcement authorities and experts familiar with the actual evidence developed in the case. CBS’ false and unprofessional attacks on this young man are disgusting and revolting. No fair-minded person can condone this false and heinous television attack by CBS on a young man for ratings and profits."
CBS plans to stand its ground. The network told TMZ in response to Wood's allegations that it "stands by the broadcast and will do so in court." Should the suit go forward, it could either lead to clarity — through a thorough examination of CBS's investigative work — or only further mire the tragedy in distraction and uncertainty.