Burke Ramsey Files $150M Defamation Lawsuit Against CBS

By Czarina Ara Lasco

Oct 08, 2016 06:00 AM EDT

Ramsey, 29, filed a defamation suit against Dr. Werner Spitz, a forensic pathologist, on Thursday in Wayne County, Michigan for the consideration of $150 million. According to the documents of the court obtained by PEOPLE, Ramsey alleges in his suit that Dr. Spitz's claims in the two-part "The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey" attacked and permanently harmed the reputation of the former.

"Defendant Spitz is a publicity seeker with a history of interjecting himself in high profile cases in an effort to make money, exaggerate his resume and claim a level of expertise that he does not possess or deserve," the filing states.

In the docuseries, which aired last month, a panel of investigators developed a theory of the killing of the 6-year-old beauty pageant queen, who was found dead in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado, in December 1996.

Spitz is a criminal behavioural analyst, a forensic scientist and a former FBI profiles and a pathologist. He is included in the team of the show who theorize that Ramsey accidentally killed his sister.

 "The accusations by Werner Spitz against this young man are outrageous," Laywer, L. Lin Wood tells PEOPLE. "Such false accusations for self-promotion and profit have no place in an orderly and just society. This lawsuit is the first step to holding Spitz fully accountable for his heinous wrongdoing."

Despite receiving requests for comments from PEOPLE, Spitz did not respond immediately.

In 2008, former District Attorney Mary Lacy wrote a letter to father John Ramsey saying that DNA evidence cleared him, wife Patsy Ramsey and Burke. However, Lacy's letter was criticized by some in the field of law enforcement.

Ramsey, in his complaint, requests compensatory damages "in an amount not less than" $50 million and punitive damages of no less than $100 million from Spitz.

© 2024 VCPOST, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics