They picked up some sick-eyed loon in Thailand who said he was present when the 6-year-old beauty queen died 10 years ago. Never mind that his ex-wife said he was with her in Alabama on the night in question and never mind that he said he picked the tragic young girl up on her way home from school that day, even though school was out for the Christmas holidays. He’s guilty, darn it, and we’ll find a way to force those round-peg confessions into a square-hole death penalty. Oh, and let’s not forget all the lurid details.

Ashamedly, story has become the scoop du jour of the media.

The day the story in all its bizarro-world glory broke, a federal court issued a decision that the president’s telephonic spying program — part of the Patriot Act — was declared unconstitutional. It was followed up by word that Iran will dig its heels in and not curtail its nuclear program, which was followed by news of more killing in Israel, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The only way Osama bin Laden could have cracked the top news spot was if he was captured and admitted that he had killed JonBenet.

So far, the reportage has been scandalous innuendo and a very leaky confession. This guy wouldn’t be the first nut job to confess to a crime he did not commit.

And, despite all the attempts to cover stories of diversity, the media has fallen back into the trap of giving mega-coverage to a pretty, rich, white girl who was killed on what would have otherwise been a slow news day.

Rest in peace, young lady, and realize that it's nothing personal, it's business.

For the rest of those young victims who don't fit the JonBenet profile?

Those kids do count, but not in the Nielsen ratings.