The Craigslist Killer
Friends were quick to come to the defense of Philip Markoff, 22, a burly, baby-faced Boston University medical student who was arrested for the killing of a masseuse. "He could not hurt a fly," his fiancée, Megan McAllister, initially said. "All I have to say is, Philip is a beautiful person, inside and out." But it was an ugly crime. Julissa Brisman, who advertised her services on Craigslist, apparently struggled with her killer in a room at an expensive Boston hotel. She was struck on the head and then shot three times, once in the heart. Markoff was also accused of robbing another woman, who also advertised on Craigslist. She accused Markoff, reportedly a compulsive gambler, of stealing $600 from her. Police found a gun and duct tape at the second-year medical student's Quincy, Mass., home. Markoff's attorney said his client was not guilty of murder, robbery and kidnapping charges.