BOULDER, Colo. - A man suspected in the slaying of 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey nearly a decade ago was arrested Wednesday in Thailand, the district attorney said.

District Attorney Mary Lacey said the arrest followed several months of work. She disclosed no details about the suspect before a news conference scheduled for Thursday.

Federal officials familiar with the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the man was already being held in Bangkok on unrelated sex charges. CBS reported that the suspect, a 41-year-old second-grade teacher, will be brought back to the United States this weekend.

Ramsey family attorney Lin Wood said in Atlanta that he has been told that the suspect once lived in Conyers, Ga., outside of Atlanta. He would not comment on whether the Ramseys knew him, and he said he knew nothing else about the man.

Lin said the Ramseys learned about the suspect a least a month before JonBenet's mother, Patsy Ramsey, died in June.

"It's been a very long 10 years, and I'm just sorry Patsy isn't here for me to hug her neck," Wood said.

The girl was found beaten and strangled in the basement of the family's home in Boulder on Dec. 26, 1996.

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Shaking in my boots (well, if I was wearing them in the middle of summer!), but glad to be back!

I was just reading this ! I hope they finally have the sicko that did this !

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I too was just reading this, too bad her mom never got to see justice being served, but Im glad they have finally caught the creep.

The fathers statement said that the mom knew an arrest was coming before she died.

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~Happiness is a large family~

When this was going on, I was one of the people suspicious it might have been Patsy. But at the same time I always said to my dh "But what IF she didn't do it?? Can you imagine how horrible to not only have your child murdered but to have everyone think you did it?" I can't imagine the devastation the family had to live with for 10 years with so many people thinking they were involved in her murder. I'm interested to find out more details about who the guy was and if they've suspected him all along.

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I agree aliadam. What a trial to live with that suspision all this time...knowing you didn't do that. They had a very strong marriage to stay together through it all.

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Shaking in my boots (well, if I was wearing them in the middle of summer!), but glad to be back!

I was watching this on Anderson Cooper... The love of my life...

I thought till now that it was the parents, or the brother! I know that it could have been someone else but it just seemed like it was the family!

I hope that if it is this guy that he gets put away forever!!!

That child was beautiful!!!

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This is huge news in my area because the guy briefly taught at a local school. He was let go due to innappropriate conduct around young girls. Scary!

Here's the link:

http://www.whnt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5291836

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"Everything happens for a reason, but there may not be a point." ~ Kinsey Millhone

How sad for this family that the police and media were so busy pointing the finger at the family that it took this long to catch this guy. I cannot imagine the hell that they endoured.

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The mighty oak started out as a nut that held its ground.

I just read where the man confessed, he said it was an accident. Give me a break! Maybe Patsy can rest in peace now, poor family. My heart goes out to them.

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Laura:love: