Leave it to the New York tabloids to turn the already lurid Jon Benet Ramsey murder case into a story about a freaky transsexual wannabe pedophile killer.

I had a queasy feeling when I first heard reports about John Mark Karr and his reported interest in seeking sex reassignment surgery (SRS) in Thailand. Somehow, I knew it would not help the cause. On August 20, the Associated Press reported that Karr, now the object of international attention, had visited the Pratunam Polyclinic in Bangkok to consult with Dr. Thep Vechavisit about surgery, but the Denver Post quoted Vechavisit on August 21 as denying that. There have also been reports that Karr had had electrolysis in Bangkok to remove facial hair, a procedure that many transsexuals have prior to SRS.