ATLANTA (Court TV) — John and Patricia Ramsey have filed a libel suit on behalf of their son, Burke. The Ramseys are suing The Star for publishing stories alleging the 12-year-old was the main suspect in the murder investigation of his sister, JonBenet.
The Ramseys claim the boy was subjected to "public hatred, contempt, and ridicule."
Though The Star retracted the stories, the Ramseys are seeking $25 million from the popular tabloid for their son's alleged humiliation.
The newspaper's publicist, Richard Valvo, did not immediately comment.
The 6-year-old JonBenet, a frequent contestant in children's beauty pageants, was found beaten and strangled Dec. 26, 1996, in the basement of her parents' home in Boulder, Colo.
The Ramseys later moved to Atlanta. JonBenet is buried in suburban Marietta next to her half-sister, Elizabeth Ramsey, 22, who died in a car crash in Ohio in 1992. A Colorado grand jury investigating JonBenet's death was dismissed in October without issuing indictments.
The Ramseys' attorney, Lin Wood, said the Ramseys would not discuss the lawsuit.
"John and Patsy Ramsey have lost one child to an auto accident. They have had one child murdered, and they have had one child branded a murderer. And they are determined, with respect to Burke, to take the appropriate action so that this type of tabloid journalism will hopefully not be repeated in the future as it pertains to a child," Wood said.
The Star's May 25 article alleged that Burke, who was 9 when his sister died, was the prime suspect in her slaying and that a plea bargain was in the works.
The June 1 article said prosecutors were "closing in" on Burke and that he had a "sad, twisted life" because he was never able to compete with his beauty-queen sister.
In retracting the stories June 22, The Star said Burke had been cleared and was not a suspect.
The suit names American Media Inc. and Star Editorial Inc., publishers of the tabloid, as defendants.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
