Reply #7: It's also possible

[JoDog]

That Karr, who was facing charges in Bangkok and a potential prison sentence in a Thai prison told the police that he was involved in the case in order to escape the justice in Thailand, with full knowledge that he would be sent back to the US, and out of the reach of Bangkok authorities.

The high number of false confessions is why such an admission almost never closes a case on its own. The police will continue the investigation to see if the physical evidence they have matches him. They will no doubt also look for evidence that he was in the Colorado Springs area on 12/16/96. I wonder if the ex has proof (like dated photographs) that back up her claim? Ten years is a long time in most people's memories, and she may be confusing one family Christmas with another.