Craigslist killer Phillip Markoff found dead in his Boston cell after suspected suicide

August 16th, 2010 - 6:06 am ICT by BNO News  

BOSTON (BNO NEWS) – A former U.S. medical student that allegedly murdered a masseuse he met through Craigslist, stylized the ‘Craigslist killer’, has been found dead in his cell on Sunday after an apparent suicide, BBC reports.

Phillip Markoff, 24, pleaded not guilty to the shooting in April 2009 of Julissa Brisman, 26, whom he propositioned and met through Craigslist’s erotic services section. He’s also facing charges of armed robbery and kidnapping. Markoff was expected to attend trial next March where he would’ve been charged with the murder of Brisman and the armed robbery of a woman from Las Vegas. He’s also accused of assaulting a stripper in Rhode Island later that same week.

Prosecutors say that Markoff, former medical student attending Boston University, met all three women through Craigslist. His body was found lifeless inside his cell at Nashua St. Jail in Boston at 10:17 a.m. local time.

Police are saying that it’s apparent that he took his own life, but there will be a thorough investigation to determine the facts and circumstances regarding his death. Markoff was engaged to be married when he was arrested, though his fiancée broke off the engagement soon after. Saturday would have been the first anniversary of his wedding.

As a result of Brisman’s murder, there has been a campaign against Craigslist by some police officials, saying that the site promotes prostitution. Since then, the site has removed its ‘erotic services’ section and replaced it with listings for ‘legal adult service providers’.

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