Second Year Med Student-Arraigned on CraigsList Ad Murder

A Second Year Med Student-Arraigned on CraigsList Ad Murder and will be charged in Boston Municipal Court on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, in connection with the death of a woman who may have been contacted through a Craigslist ad.

The charge is for Julissa Brisman, 26, found unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds on April 14th, 2009. Ms. Brisman was found in Boston’s Copley Marriott Hotel on April 14th, 2009. She later died at Boston Medical Center, shortly after her arrival.

Philip Markoff, 22, a pre-med student at Boston University, who previously had no criminal record, also was charged with the armed robbery and kidnapping of another victim.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis announced April 20th, 2009 that Markoff, who was under police surveillance, was arrested earlier in the afternoon after a traffic stop south of the city.

Authorities stated that Ms.Brisman, a model, offered massages via Craigslist, a popular online classified ads service.

Authorities also say that Ms. Brisman and her killer seems to have begun as an attempted robbery, police said. “It appears that there was a struggle between the victim and the suspect in the threshold of the hotel room immediately prior to the shooting.

Surveillance videos from the hotel where Brisman was murdered showed a tall, clean cut, young blonde, man, in a black windbreaker, leaving the property. At the time the Boston Police Department asked for the public’s help in identifying the man.

The Plot Thickens

Four days before Ms, Brisman’s killing, Markoff allegedly robbed a 29 year old woman at gunpoint at a Westin Hotel in Boston, according to Suffolk County District Attorney, Dan Conley.

Authorities spokesperson would not disclose the details of her Craigslist ad but said she and Brisman were “involved in similar professions.”

“This is a compelling case with a myriad of evidence, with computer evidence being a part of it, and additional search warrants will be executed this week, stated Conley.

Davis and Conley believe that there may be other victims that come forward in the case.

“We would like to make one final pitch to those out there who may have been a victim of robbery at the hands of Philip Markoff, especially those who may have used Craigslist in the matter in which the victim used Craigslist,” Conley stated.

Second Year Med Student-Arraigned on CraigsList Ad Murder and authorities received more than 150 leads in the case, which are credited to the popularity of the Web site.

“The public came forth, they were fascinated by this crime, I wish we had this level of cooperation in every homicide that occurred,” said Davis.

Boston investigators were working with authorities in Warwick, Rhode Island…in what could be a related case.

According to Warwick Police Chief Col. Stephen McCartney, on April 16, 2009, at a Holiday Inn Express in Warwick, a man tied up and demanded money from a 26 year old dancer who had posted a Craigslist advertisement, Warwick Police Chief Col. Stephen McCartney.

“The robbery was interrupted when the dancers husband entered the room. After pointing his gun at the husband, the suspect fled,” McCartney stated.

He said no conclusions could be made yet, but allowed that the incident “may be related to similar crimes occurring in the Boston area.”

It is believed that Phillip Markoff is a gambler and was trying to repay his gambling debts.

Watch this news conference, on Markoff’s arrest/arraignment.

For the full story of “Second Year Med Student-Arraigned on CraigsList Ad” go to CNN News.