http://www.facebook.com/people/Phil-Markoff/16105103
Phillip Markoff

That's the scariest thing, this is a nice, normal looking guy who would never set off alarm bells. Think Ted Bundy. What amazes me is the lack of TV coverage about this arrest, at least here on the West Coast. I just can't believe it.

I am sure his fiancee is having the worst day of her life. Why do you need to publicize information about her?

***That's the scariest thing, this is a nice, normal looking guy who would never set off alarm bells. Think Ted Bundy. What amazes me is the lack of TV coverage about this arrest, at least here on the West Coast. I just can't believe it.***

the vast majority of murders are committed by a friend, family member or acquaintance of the victim.

don't be paranoid but just because someone looks "normal"-- that means squat.

Do you notice that every one of the women, or most of them, on his "friends" bears a resemblance to Julissa either in physical attributes or in name/background? It is uncanny and scary. I know it's circumstantial evidence, but I was around when Ted Bundy was at large killing MY friends and dating someone too -enaged-a law student. All or most of Ted's victims bore similar physical resemblances.

Do you notice that every one of the women, or most of them, on his "friends" bears a resemblance to Julissa either in physical attributes or in name/background? It is uncanny and scary. I know it's circumstantial evidence, but I was around when Ted Bundy was at large killing MY friends and dating someone too -engaged-a law student. All or most of Ted's victims bore similar physical resemblances to each other.

His upcoming (uhh, but not happening anymore) wedding web site. http://www.megan-philip.com/

NOTE: Thanks, but that was already posted in the blog entry nearly an hour ago. I removed the active link in part because I know the site will go bye-bye shortly. I'd like to ask folks to actually read the blog post before you post links in the comments.

Wow! What is happening out there America. This guy, seemingly the all-American boy is now suspected of being the "craigslist killer." Another family of four killed yesterday in a hotel. I think this brings the total for five weeks of mass murder to around 60 or more. I feel so sorry for the family of the murdered woman, and the family of the woman who was supposed to marry this guy in August. Man, if you look at those sweet pictures on their wedding site, you be aghast at what is happening now. I don't trust anyone these days.

nice job Boston University school of Medicine. As usual you accepted this guy into medical school based on his good looks.
His volunteer experience is useless.
BU you should be ashamed.

His poor fiance. this must be devastatingly shocking. imagine if your bf went on a killing spree? this poor girl.

Well anyway looks like him in the surv. photos. And I am not too concerned about the girlfriend or her family. She is still alive and this is prolly a blessing in disguise for her and her family god knows what he could have done to her in time. The woman he killed is gone and won't be coming back...... feel sorry for her family not the one who is still breathing. This is a sick world and you really cant trust anyone but yourself. NEVER let your guard down because you might know someone like this.

http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/view/co_guestbook.aspx?coupleid=8672441361141562&guestpassword=

check out the guest book!

here is the knot web site....get all the details..and sign the guestbook!!!!!!

Whoa, they got him?!! I figured it would happen soon, but WOW. Glad he's in custody.

The much maligned police deserve a lot of credit for moving so quickly and grabbing this guy. Wonder where your tax dollars go? Well in some cases they are very well spent.

Do you think he is linked to the missing girl at Albany U? I can't remember how long ago it was that she went missing.. but if he is serial killer then maybe boston isn't the first.

Jewels: Suzanne Lyall went missing in 1998. I doubt it was him.
http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/lyall.htm

You people are horrible and have the facts all wrong about Phil and his life. Your facts are faulty, and you are all quick to pass judgement.

This incident shocks me to the core. I am a massage therapist and advertise on the therapeutic side of craigslist. It's free advertising which I may never use again. Besides the headache of telling people you won't do anything sexual people will assume you're a skank until you prove that your not.I am a certified massage therapist but my family doesn't know I practice because they're snobs. Though my point is that whether the women were offering erotic services or not the media has no right to call them 'hookers,' 'escorts' etc etc. It doesn't matter how educated you are it's a man's world where there is constant objectification even in an office world. I was silly enough to think that once I got My BA I would never have to deal with a condescending man again since I was educated. They say a woman has to be twice as educated as a man to even be considered half as educated a he is. When does this degradation ad objectification end!!! School does not prepare you for the real world at all.

Anyone know which jailed he's being held?

You gotta love some of these comments. Mayra is upset because the girl is being called a 'hooker' or 'escort'. My guess is that is the section she was advertising in.. the "erotic services" section... so the press doesn't have it wrong. What does the whole rest of that comment have to do with the murder? If you met mayra and started talking about Barak Obama or global warming, I have no doubt the conversation would turn to "objectification of women", "a man's world", "escorts vs. massage therapists", and how far a BA goes in dealing with a "condescending man." Get over yourself Mayra. A young girl is dead here. Everything is not about you.

Obviously this young man is a victim of poverty and reverse racism. He should be let free immediately and the American Justice system needs to be put on trial.

Actions are not an end in themselves. This young man is a total victim of stereotyping and antiquated male bashing.

The goal here is to properly counter blind retributive justice seeking. There is a need to heighten public consciousness of metropolitan interdependencies and to assist in the struggle against recalcitrant racisms.

Just wanted to mention another stressor that may have "set him off". As a second year medical student, Markoff would have been scheduled to take Step 1 of the USMLE (medical licensing exam) this summer, probably sometime in June. Most US medical students study for around 6-10 weeks for the exam, which is the most important exam they'll take in their academic careers.

I'm very sorry for the victim and her family, as for the young lady who was going to marry this sick SOB, 155 days and counting better to have known now. Appearances are deceiving, as there are clean cut guys who are psychopaths, and thuggish, big guys who wouldn't hurt a fly. On a different note, I feel for the girl, it could have been me. This despite my now going to college finishing up my B.A. Yes I have advertised on CL in the Erotic section, no I'm not a skank or a hoe. For me it was
seldom and to find an arrangement as I always felt the hourly services thing dangerous. Even still, a wake up call. To any woman, please be safe in any context, and please remember to always trust your intuition!

GQ smile? Please. That fool isn't that handsome. This just goes to show that doctors aren't all saints (just like everybody else) and there are asshole creeps that profession just like any other.

No in answer to your question. This guy didn't snap. The hotels they were looking into for this wedding were extensive. My bet is he used that information and possibly visited many of the hotels they were looking at to book all their guests for the wedding. That absolutely freaked me out. I'd be about 100% sure that he used this as a ruse to get into many of the hotels, he was looking to book for the wedding. So how many did he actually visit himself?

Agree with Mayra. Most serial murderers seek and victimize those most vulnerable, because, among other things, at their core, they are sick - cowards.

When looking at the information regarding his assessment on March 20, if you read further (GRADES), it notes that while the student's grades are noted and ranked, it is not necesary to pass to progress to second year medical school. This is an initial training tool, to help strengthen a student's gathering of information from patients. So no matter if he made a flat 0, he still passes (unless his other grades are failing, obvioiusly)

WOAH! said:
You people are horrible and have the facts all wrong about Phil and his life. Your facts are faulty, and you are all quick to pass judgement.

Posted 04/21/2009 at 12:10:54 AM
-------------------------
Look! A family member/friend/his gf came to defend the killer!

Yes, we are all quick to pass judgement. He killed one woman and attacked another. There's a reason somewhere that we shouldn't pass judgement on this psychopath?

He's likely being held at Nashua St

Same old, same old.....why, WHY, do some people acted 'shocked', or 'amazed' because a psycho like Markoff looks,talks, and acts the way he does? People like him (men,woman,children) are perfectly capable of acting 'normal', don't most people know this by now?

Probably done crap like this before, just didn't get caught.

Sociopaths take many forms. Sometimes they can be a dentist's child. As we reel in the facts of his life, and the impressions of those who knew him I would not be surprised if we get some clarity as to what this guy was really like.

Bogustoo said:

Look! A family member/friend/his gf came to defend the killer!

Yes, we are all quick to pass judgement. He killed one woman and attacked another. There's a reason somewhere that we shouldn't pass judgement on this psychopath?

----------------------------
Bogustoo, you're a total imbecile. He's been charged but yet to be found guilty. And whilst all evidence appears to point to him committing these crimes, there is still the possibility that he didn't do this. I guess innocent until proven guilty means nothing to you?

pud said:
Bogustoo, you're a total imbecile. He's been charged but yet to be found guilty. And whilst all evidence appears to point to him committing these crimes, there is still the possibility that he didn't do this. I guess innocent until proven guilty means nothing to you?

Posted 04/21/2009 at 07:51:12 AM
------------------------------
People are not innocent until proven guilty. This is a legal philosophy designed to place the burden of proof entirely in the hands of the prosecution. It means something in a court of law, but it doesn’t mean jack in the real world.

And here's your proof that YOU are the total imbecile. Have a nice day.

Need I remind you that Ted Bundy was also clean cut, a student when he first started having homicidal thoughts, and a sociopath. I'm glad he was stopped before he became a seriel killer; it looks like it was heading that way. Also, if he did become a doctor, how creepy would that have been to have had a murderer as your physician?

yes as sick as this is, a sociopath is one hell of a hard person to live with....they have no mind and they don't care. I feel bad for the GF although she just doesnt' know how lucky she is right now, this could have been her on her wedding day................and mr. goodlooking med student would have probably gotten away with it......
NO WONDER WHY I STAY A SINGLE FEMALE

This entire thing is hilarious. The Boston Police Department are incredibly incompetent. They are the same idiots who shut down half the city after someone spotted a Light-Bright and thought it was a bomb. The media is immediately taking everything the BPD tells them as fact. The true fact is, this man is to be presumed innocent until found guilty by a court of law. We do not have all the facts, and surprise surprise all the news stations have jumped all over this like flies on manure. The media wants him to be guilty because it sells. How would any of you like it if someone accused you of rape or murder, only to have your entire life ruined whether you were guilty or not in order to sell a story. Use your brains people.

Glad he's in custody

I'm confused as to why everyone is convinced this man is guilty. Don't get me wrong - I am in NO way supporting him - but I truly am just trying to understand what happened here.

To the morons that think this guy is innocent: There are a few degenerates up there that are posting that this guy should be given a fair trial. I feel sorry for the fact that you guys need glasses and are unable to see the documented photos that are part of the evidence! Except for the poor girlfriend that is in denial it is men and or male prisoners that are very understanding of men who kill women. It's like: "hey man killing is like totally uncool and all..but you know I just like snapped dude."

The guys deserves a fair trial, and then he deserve to be punished if found guilty. As far as people thinking he may be the wrong guy, come on! They caught this guy because he was stupid enough to make electronic contact with BOTH victims - either by his computer or his blackberry. In either case, he is toast - he might as well have left a trail of spit, blood, and semen all the way back to his "upscale" apartment building. Dumbazz!

Darcy?

Don't read to much into that.

I like a similar type of woman and I'm sure women like a similar type of man.

Alfred Hitchcock's fetish was thin blondes- Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren etc.

Really, there is nothing uncanny or scary about that!

Seriously, folks...chill out.

He's accused at this point in time. Yes, there are photos of him leaving, but it might be for something that is totally harmless.

I'm not trying to devalue the severity of the crimes committed against these women -- these are horrific acts that scare the living piss out of me, and make me fearful for when both me and my wife.

Until this man is found guilty by a jury of his peers, hanging this guy out to dry is wrong. If we turn the tables around, and this was your husband, or you, wouldn't you want the same respect?

Shouldn't really surprise us. Yes, he is that all-American, good looking, clean cut guy. In fact he resembles the sociopath I dated 9 years ago who slipped a date-rape drug into my drink. Although the police refused to prosecute, I found out on my own this creep (Finance guy in NYC, 27 at the time and the son of a dentist) was stealing a drug from his dentist father and slipping it into other girl's drinks as well.
Since then I trust NOBODY. Looks can be deceiving.
Feel bad for the victim's family...not for his fiance. She is damn lucky this was found out now.
Good job Boston police...Nice to see police out there who actually work hard. Not like here in NYC.

I am not taking any sides but I've looked at the video posted on this website I dont think its him. If you look at 57seconds, the cheek and the chin to me dont match. Philip has kinda heavier cheeks and chin comes tiny bit outward compared to the side shot at 57th second i dont see that resemblance. I would like to see his mugshot. But to me the pictures dont match

You know his fiance has a very weird feeling at this time IF Phil ever wanted/participated in handcuff plastic tie bondage type sex with Megan. If so she has got to be thinking he did it.

However these are big IF's

So far, the digital trail does not do much other than placing him at the scene/hotel as were many other people, hardly enough for a conviction and Grandpa is an attorney. I expect a dream team put together. Prosecution better hope they have DNA,prints and hard evidence.

Way too early to tell one way or the other, I do wonder why they think the video surveillance was indeed the killer.

What exactly proves this man did these crimes? Was it only that he happened to be at the same hotel as this woman at the same time? Was her table found in HIS room? That would be supremely stupid on his part, wouldn't it? And the surveillance photo, especially of the top of his head, doesn't look like it is positively him; could be another blond-haired guy. It seems pretty circumstantial and nothing directly linking him to the crime scene, though I can't find much about what evidence the charges are based on. And why would he check in with his own name? Could he just be a patsy for the police because they don't have a better candidate right now?

I think the point is that his Facebook "friends" all fit that mold. It's one thing to be sexually attracted to a certain appearance; it's another thing entirely to only associate in a platonic manner with women who look a certain way. *That* is creepy.

Those of you who are defending his possible innocence clearly didn't follow the Police press conference or its coverage.

He was not ID'd based photos. He was ID'd because his Blackberry was used in all the hotels, to contact the masseuses. It can thus be nobody else.

The photos simply confirm it wasn't someone else who stole his Blackberry and did this. (So would the fact that he surely sent other emails in between attacks.)

I found interviews like this one with Phil's friend Joe Coe, very revealing. Joe remarked on another program that Markoff, "like many young white males" was given to making degrading remarks about women and minorities. He also said that many women did not like Markoff and found him creepy. I think that sense is a whole lot harder to detect online.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/21/national/main4958994.shtml

Even a dream team of lawyers might have a hard time with this one.

"....Markoff had opened an e-mail account on April 13, the day before Julissa Brisman, a 26-year-old New York woman, was killed at the Marriott Copley Hotel. .... A search of his apartment yielded a firearm, restraints, and duct tape, he said."
http://tinyurl.com/cj72sv

Just saw on CNN at the arraignment today it was disclosed that during a search of Markoff's home they found a gun of the same caliber as the gun used to kill Julissa Brisman and platic ties such as those used to cuff the victims at both Boston hotels.

It has also been reported the investigators connected computer IP addresses to physical locations. As someone noted above those pics of suspect only go to show he was at the location and in possession of his blackberry.

My feeling is that someone who uses technology that is known to be traceable like this really doesn't care if they get caught. The defendant will be considered innocent until proven guilty in court and there will be a panel of 12 who make an oath to do so. The prosecutor has the burden of proof....and with just what we know....it seems they are building a good case. Wonder if surviving victims can ID him to?
Sympathy to the family and friends of Julissa. I also feel for the defendants loved ones, most likely they are in shock right now.

For those of you frantic about other people using common sense in deciding that there is probable cause for this thug being guilty, be aware: the cops found murder weapons/tape etc. in his house; he was traced using IP addresses he used to communicate w/his victims; he matches the images captured by the hotel camera; he has absolutely no affect in his court photos (personally, I think the choice of a nitwit girlfriend who appears to live only for their wedding day furthers the case against him, but certainly don't expect the legal system to take that into account) don't worry, we are not going to lynch him. The court will decide his guilt - 'innocent until proven guilty' does not require the public to become complete idiots. So don't ask sensible people to turn off their brains like you apparently enjoy doing.

Its a true tragedy for the girls family, his family and his fiancee. He had money problems and robbed girls in adult services. That is a terrible crime in itself. Was the one murder a roberry gone wrong or was he a serial killer or someone progressing there is something we are lucky not to find out.Yes he is innocent until proven guilty. Yet for what is comming out he surely seems to be the guilty party even to a person such as myself who is convinced only with the most iron clad evidence such as DNA coupled with all the other physical and circumstantial.The murdered girl was a NYC escortbut that does not make her any less a person or a skank as some have posted.She had the right to a life just as anyone else.He was into the robbery aspect knowing that women in these professions especially those who have no pimp or madame to pay carry large sums of money.As usual when someone has a gun and things go wrong, the gun is used and somebody suffers or loses their life.I would venture a guess as to why he targeted these girls.A person of his stature looks down at those of lesser professions and wonders why they deserve to earn so much.He needed the money and felt he deserved it more than they did.Thereprobably was no sexual motive nor a real desire to murder. Just a thief who felt he deserved the money that they had!The reports of CC debt and gambling debt brings me to this conclusion.

Daisy - I wholeheartedly agree!!

For all of the members of the "Phil Fan Club" I have just this to say: Evidence speaks louder than words.

And they ALREADY have plenty of it!

Also, to those that say that the surveillance video did not necessarily look like Phil, well, his good friend specifically said the following: "Kehoe said when he saw images of the suspect in the attacks taken by hotel security cameras, there was no doubt in his mind that Markoff was the man pictured."

“I just saw one picture. It didn’t take more than that,” Kehoe told Vieira. “It was him.”

So, his own good friend knew without a doubt that it was him.

I certainly doubt that Phil Markoff was selected by law enforcement to be the "patsy" in this. How about the fact that a gun of the same caliber as was used in the crimes was found in Phil's residence? And the same type of zip ties used to bind the victims? Oh, and the email/BlackBerry links between Phil and the victims?

What, all a coincidence?

It is scary to think that all of you want justice before justice can be delivered. You should be greatful to live i na country that examines all the facts first then presents them.

To those of you that are calling other people names solely because they are trying to prove a point that conflicts with your own is absurd. Hopefully you all will be sujected to crimes and immediately punished just like they do in Iran.

I will laugh all the way to the bar as you cry. Give the man an oppurtunity to defend himself. The evidence does not point in his favor but let the court decide that and not the media or lame blogs such as this.

You people are so ignorant. I also speak as a highly educated person but often time common sense is not so common. You people are proving my point over and over.

I think there is a good chance that this will become another Scott Peterson or OJ media frenzy. It has all the elements - obvious guilt, women defenders, loyal relatives, and an element of pure evil in a winsome package that Von Susternan
will milk for all it's worth.

What Chris Sanders and others fail to understand is it's not "innocent until proven guilty"; it's "presumed innocent until proven guilty" AND that that concept applies only to the judge and jury.

As per my earlier posting, this creep is a SOCIOPATH. They have no conscience and are in total denial that they did ANYTHING wrong. They are also incredibly convincing. It will take the fiance quite a while to realize what she was in love with. Believe me, I went through this with the guy who attacked me 9 years ago...Perfect family life, looks, job..everything.
What does surprise me is that he got into medical school with how stupid he was about going about his sick crimes. IP addresses traced, weapons found, etc. Boston PD has collected enough evidence to not even have bail requested.

I hope he rots in jail for 60 years and then in hell along with all the other scum predators out there.

I'm having a hard time with stories like these lately -- HOW DO YOU KNOW IF SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU IS A SOCIOPATH? If he did commit this murder and if he IS clinically a sociopath, it's just beyond bizarre how all of his friends/family are SO SHOCKED.

I obviously do not *know* if I *know* a sociopath, but wouldn't SOMETHING strike you the wrong way if you were to be so personal with someone? Wouldn't you have SOME sort of off-kilter/unease that the man you sleep next to every night is actually NOT who you think?

WHAT ELSE is this guy hiding? What else are guys (or women) like him hiding?

Obviously these are very naive questions, as I KNOW that people often live double lives and fool those closest to them.

I'm also curious to know if there were any actual rapes involved, as there are no mentions of sex, with the exceptions of hotel rooms, escorts, and restraints (and the otherwise clear intentions of this woman, if she was an escort.) Is it possible he is impotent?

Not that rape & murders are always committed at once, but is it often that a man robs and murders a woman, with no forced sexual relations? Described as a chauvinist, was it that much of a possible gambling debt that robbing women was the easiest means of getting money?

AND SHOULDN'T his fiancee be SLIGHTLY more concerned than to say, "He wouldn't hurt a fly!" etc. I think I would remain COMPLETELY SILENT about it publicly. Is she even absolutely devastated that this just RUINED HER CURRENT LIFE, regardless if this is a "framed" case, and that her future hubs is in JAIL right now without BAIL?

I'm not trying to make sense of any actions here, and I'm not trying to voice my opinion. I'm actually legitimately concerned and curious -- and so I'm asking questions. Please don't make fun or yell, please, like some did above. :-P Grr. I don't know anything about criminal psychology and am trying to gain an understanding of this!

This is a fascinating case on many levels. Reading these comments, I just remembered several people I've known who had psychotic breaks in their twenties and were never the same again. My own brother was one of them and when he realized he had murderous impulses, he shot himself. There were minor clues, of course, but family and friends tend to pass those off and justify them. Not to defend Markoff at all, no way, but it's one possible explanation and you know the defense will jump on it.

I can't conceive why Philip Markoff's appearance and education is being touted as unusual. Or that his appearance is being mention more so than the gruesome crimes he's accused of committing. Surprise he's not ethnic or from a poor back ground. Remember the Preppy murderer that raped and murdered women in New York's central park in the 80's. When will white people and the media get over themselves and realize that malicious murder and preying on innocent women is horrendous no matter what preconceived notion you have in your prejudice little heads about race and education.

if he did it put him in the slammer. we need to stop all this and maybe that will solve it. forget defense attys--they lie. his g/friend i would say, is something wrong withher. tell her to get a life withsomeone else. if he is the person i wouldnt want him for my doctor. i willpray for him. he needs it. where his his mom and dad

He obviously isn't that smart. I can't believe he got into med school. So he sets up a date for the purpose of robbing someone and uses his own computer to set up the meeting. The cops traced his IP address and the email exchanges back to Markoff. Then went to his apartment and found plastic restraints, duct tape and a gun. He didn't even get rid of the evidence, even after his picture was being plastered all over the internet, television and newspapers.

Also, he went to a nice hotel to commit his crime - was he too idiotic to realize that he was being recorded on security cameras the entire time? He's too dumb to live.

NOTE FROM STEVE: Thank you, Lanie, for a very observant and intelligent comment. I think you're dead on. Markoff wasn't as remotely as smart as he probably thought he was.

Malignant narcissists "may" be smart enough to plan their crimes carefully and cover their tracks. Psychotics, not so much...

GQ smile? HAHAHA. I would never in a million years be attracted to him. He looks like a big oaf. Handsome? Not at all. He looks like a creepy slob. I also want to add that all this bogus volunteer work that people do to get into schools makes me ill. Just look at what some medical school accepted.

Chris Sanders,

You're calling other people ignorant for recognizing the evidence against Markoff looks bad and that the images caught by the security cam appear to be an exact match with Markoff.. and you claim to be "highly educated" but can't spell the simple word GRATEFUL.. what is "greatful" exactly?

It is "innocent until proven guilty" in a court of law. We're not a court of law here - we're just humans with opinions.

Ridiculing others and calling them names just because they have a different opinion than you is very juvenile. Especially when you call people "ignorant" when you misspell elementary level words.

I got a tough theory for some to swallow. The girlfriend knew about what he was doing. Might have even initially approved of it. No sane person could openly support this man with all the evidence against him unless some level of involvement was there. The denial level is similar to wives who protect child molesting fathers. They lived together. Played together. It was reported they both were headed to Foxwoods with luggage when police finally reeled him in. No mention either of them worked. I doubt they played the nickel slots either. He was a poker player. You need hundreds of dollars to work those tables. For her to so vocal that he could not have done this after the gun, zip tie handcuffs, IP address, and security photos all match says a whole lot more about this woman who stands by his side.

Chris, you are most definitely entitled to your opinion, but please remember that the whole purpose of being on a site like this is to discuss crimes. We therefore, have every right to discuss the possible guilt of this individual. As far as "convicting him" - we can't! We are guest of Steve's, posting comments on his blog; we are NOT a jury.

There is a story that came out this weekend written by the victim of a "NORMAL LOOKING CREEP" it's called "The Secret Life of Billionaire Ira Riklis" and it has gotten absolutely no press. It's about a wealthy guy who stalked a woman and turned her into his sex slave. She writes this 20 years after the fact. It's eerily similar to this creep Phil Markoff because she didn't know he was spying on her or stalking her or turning her into a victim. This must happen every day and should make all women take a second look at who approaches them.

Chris Sanders...I don't know that anybody wants immediate justice via this site.

We're all just commenting that it appears that Phil Markoff committed these crimes...which will be proven in a court of law due to the plethora of evidence that has been gathered thus far.

Just because it hasn't been presented AT TRIAL doesn't mean that it ISN'T EVIDENCE.

The arraignment itself is a court proceeding, which is where the bulk of the evidence was brought up.

Today, there is even more evidence because items belonging to both victims were found in Phil's apartment.

For you to stick your nose in the sand and ignore facts and then wish that others are accused of crimes as you laugh all the way to the bar is absurd.

I am guessing if one of your beloved family members or friends was murdered by this putz, you might have a different take?? Or would you see the facts as presented thus far to be unreliable and defend the killer of your family member or friend??

OH NO! Items from the victims found at Phils apt!!! Can this get any worse? Gonna be some empty benches behind the defense next month...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_on_re_us/us_craigslist_killing;_ylt=AhJ4QVYHJCClpAy3aNXkXpBvzwcF

It seems to me that all those who have firmly accepted Mr. Markoff as the killer are females who have made less than intelligent decisions regarding either the men they date (the young lady whose boyfriend years earlier 'date raped' her even though he was never prosecuted ((oh by the way, did he rape you before or after you all started dating? just wondering...))) or the professions they pursue. And those who are not making a judgment call either way - seem to be the brighter individuals from both genders.

My questions to those of you that have made up your mind about this professional student (who had to cross several obstacles to be where he is today) are - do you hold a law degree from an accredited institution? Are you a legacy of a world - renowned lawyer, judge, or other legal practitioner? Hmm...I didn't think so. Have you even taken a political science course or a government course in the past four years? Didn't think so! In case you did not know, the same rights that entitle you to your ignorant, premature opinion, also entitle the defendant to a free trial. You should respect this element of our law and support your fellow citizens unless you are given any meaningful and conclusive evidence to decide otherwise.

I'm not saying this man is guilty or not guilty or completely free of fault. It is just appalling to me that even after such injustices as slavery and lack of women suffrage that anyone could still believe preliminary facts and evidence to definitively speak the truth. Please don't let your personal prejudices blind you to the point that you can never again see the light; let this court case take its course if you don't have the ability to reach the truth on your own. It is one thing to speculate; it is entirely another to beride others' opinions and determine that your point of view is the only valid one.

Chill Out, and others: what exactly do you think the suject matter in a true crime blog is supposed to focus on? Everyone can relax because we are not going to convict this man - we are not the jury!!! Geesh!

Oh by the way, Lanie, picking on Chris Sanders does not befit you when your sentence structure resembles that of fifth graders.

But then again, arguing over the internet is like being in the special olympics - even if you win, you're still retarded.

It just angers me that people that have no knowledge base make such glaringly opinionated statements, which sometimes compels me to answer to them.

reannan,
I'm with you, my friend...everyone relax. To answer your question, however, I assert that we state facts if we want this blog to be intelligible, not personal opinions of what egotistic and chauvinistic (did i spell that right, Lanie?) men are capable of doing. I also think we should shy away from legal opinions unless we have some professional authority to indicate otherwise.
In addition, rather than responding to valid questions by "this is just our opinion!" we may want to offer valid counterarguments...just some thoughts :)

It's just been released that this sicko had the underwear of his victims in his apartment. Typical of serial psychos that keep souvenirs. I suppose he just happened to find them..........

I don't recall anybody coming on here saying that Phil didn't deserve a free and fair trial...he will most certainly receive that fair and free trial (unless he confesses first!)

It certainly doesn't take a political science course or a law degree to put two and two together...or, in this case, a weapon, ties to bind hands, email and IP links, surveillance video, and items from the victims to simply opine that Phil musta done it.

Because, lest we forget, SOMEBODY did it.

"Anne said:
I found interviews like this one with Phil's friend Joe Coe, very revealing. Joe remarked on another program that Markoff, "like many young white males" was given to making degrading remarks about women and minorities"

that little weasel giving that interview is in my opinion a total fraud who tricked the eager media that wanted a interview with anyone who knew markoff, and didnt check out the responding ''friends'' offering interviews about markoff.

JOE COE was a famous, (in a earlier era) black lynching victim, and the cooincidence that this 'joe coe' claiming to be a friend of markoffs and ranting non-stop only about racist whtie males with NO specific facts at all about Markoff, tells me this weasel took the psuedonym of a lynching victim who is a hero to him, and took the opportunity under the psuedonym to get a platform on TV from which he could lecture millions of people about ''racism'' under the guise of a friend of Markoffs.

This would explain why he had ZERO actual information about markoff, or knowledge of him, but repeatedly ranted about ''all white males'' since that was his only reason for appearing on TV under the guise of 'Joe Coe'..
the media is a bigger joke than joe coe, unfortunately..

EVERYONE needs to calm down. We all have our opinions and they all should be respected.

Chill Out Y'all: I do not have a law degree, but I am an american citizen and thus could be selected as a juror (and yes, I am from Boston). Being a college graduate, I feel comfortable/confident enough to look at the facts the DA's office has presented to the public and say I think he did it.

This does not mean he is or that he will be found guilty but look at the evidence:
1. Surveylance photos she he was in both hotels the nights of the crimes.
2. The gun in his apartment was the same caliber of the gun used to murder Brisman.
3. Zip ties and IP addresses.
4. Panties from the victims.
5. At least one surviving victim who will ID him as the offender.

Taking into account that which we know, where is the chink in the armour? While the prosecution team is not going to lay out their theory of the actual murder and how they can place him in the room and pulling the trigger can you really deny that this guy is up against it and, at best, APPEARS to be extremely guilty?

Some of you are wondering about proof and that he doesn't look like the guy in the video. They have found underwear belonging to the womanwho was killed and the other woman who picked him out of a line-up. (I assume the underwear had their DNA) They also found the plastic ties that has been used to tie up the women in his apartment as well as the craiglist web-site linking him to these women. That's some pretty good evidence so far.

Geez, put this Markoff guy aside for a sec - I'm absolutely disgustd by this:

Chill Out Ya'll said:
It seems to me that all those who have firmly accepted Mr. Markoff as the killer are females who have made less than intelligent decisions regarding either the men they date (the young lady whose boyfriend years earlier 'date raped' her even though he was never prosecuted ((oh by the way, did he rape you before or after you all started dating? just wondering...))) or the professions they pursue. And those who are not making a judgment call either way - seem to be the brighter individuals from both genders.

This seems to insinuate that a woman cannot be raped by a man she is already dating or, that only women in high risk professions who've made bad choices can be raped. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the intent of the statement but, if not, it's one of the most vile ones made by posters and, as such, you might not want to be calling all other 'judgmental' posters to the carpet. Seems to me that you should clean up your own backyard before you tell everyone else theirs is a mess.

BTW.....women can, and have, been raped by their husbands. If a woman says no, and is forced in to sex, that's rape.

Gav and bgs,
Thank you for making intelligent comments. Unfortunately, Darby, you have once again missed the mark by adding little to the progression of your arguments and the quality of this thread.

In response to your comments, Gav, I do agree with you that based on the facts of the case, Mr. Markoff seems to be guilty. I would like to point out, however, that there have been several cases in US history in which the facts of the case were not only misconstrued, but were also planted based on various investigating officials' biases.

Take, for example, the O.J. Simpson case. Besides the plethora of valid evidence against him, there was also a piece of evidence that was planted at the scene: the infamous glove. It was also later discovered that the head investigator on the case lied under oath, which significantly weakened the prosecutors' case. This not only exemplifies the eminent failure of jumping to conclusions based on preliminary evidence, but also shows how detrimental to finding the truth it can be.

Another case, in which the defendant was convicted and then later released, is the case of Mr. Alan Newton:
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20090420/200/2887

And there are several such cases, too many to count. Just like several members of this forum have formed their own prejudices, justice is not blind, but for the wrong reasons.
I like your point, gav, about your ability to be a juror, and it is strong and valid. The flaw in this argument, in my opinion, is that if you had been called to jury in this case, it would have been made certain that you knew zero facts about the case before the trial - and the reason is that we don't know the origin nor do we know the validity of the facts.
Those who have made up their mind one way or the other, I don't think your position is invalid nor do I think your emotions are superfluous. I too am swayed by the pointed and persuasive evidence in the case - but I am not going to definitively say that Mr. Markoff is guilty. Nor am I going to call anyone ignorant who waits for the verdict of this case or who waits for the trial to begin to come to a conclusive decision, because if this case has taught us anything, it is that nothing is certain.

Here's a scenario - if the defendant can commit the crime, why can't he be framed? What if someone in his medical school class committed these crimes, and when he realized he was going to be caught, decided to frame Phillip? What if Phillip was only peripherally related to these crimes? What if the BPD doesn't know who did these crimes but needs to come up with someone so they're framing Phillip because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time? Sure, these scenarios seem implausible, but until a few weeks ago it seemed improbable that an 'all American' medical student could have this dark of a side to him.
What is Phillip's motive? I assume he comes from a decent family - so what pushed him to steal from an unlikely victim like a masseuse? Are we just going to ASSUME he's a sociopath that made it through college with excellent grades, took the arduous MCAT examination, got through his first year of intense studying in medical school and then decided to commit heinous crimes for attention? Note that sociopaths thrive off of attention. If he has a hand in these crimes, it would seem that he would want people to know that he's the one behind them. Why would he plead not guilty? Why has not a single soul come forward and said, "yeah, he told me he was up to something like this..."

Darby, and anyone else who keeps saying "this is just an opinion," or "we are not the jury," why keep posting your opinion on this blog? We heard you once, you don't have to keep defending yourself if your say has no meaning. The whole point, I thought, is to share your take on the case based on facts and facts alone, not defame his character or claim to know what the 'real deal' is. At least agree with me that making statements such as 'unless he admits to it first' does not add validity to y our opinion, nor is it fair to the defendant.

Another interesting aspect is how his fiance' is defending him to the hilt...yet Mr. Couldn't Hurt A Fly himself is actually keeping pretty quiet.

He's pleaded not guilty through his lawyer, but, that's pretty standard.

I will be interested to see if he just doesn't confess later on down the line...and then I wonder what his fiance' will have to say.

PenniesFromHeaven,
Thanks for your insightful comment on the issue at hand. Unfortunately, that was not my point at all, rather I was emphasizing the judgment calls made by the young lady who posted that completely unrelated story on this blog. Nor did I ever say that only women in high risk professions can be raped or that if they are raped it is their fault. I'm not quite sure where you're getting that from, but you may want to re-read my posts, as I have made an effort NOT to make judgment calls, and a recurring theme of mine has been "LOOK AT THE FACTS."

Darby, why do you find his silence intriguing? What would you do if you were in his situation and had NOT committed the crime you were charged with? Think about it - the guy has a clean record and has been a model student, probably lauded for his actions most of his life. And now he's in jail. He's probably stunned, taken aback, angry at the system, and questioning why he DIDN'T take the path of crime if this was to be his destiny.

And if he did do it - well then talking yourself into a hole when you're already 6 feet deep isn't the brightest thing to do, is it? Ever heard of 'pleading the fifth?'

Have I swayed you in anyway at all, Darby, to at least let the trial begin before being 100% sure? Or do you still think there's only one side to every story...

Chill

Well, anytime someone puts something like 'date rape' in the singular quotations that particular way, it, to me at least, indicates the person who wrote it may not actually believe the person stating they were raped.

To add to that, your curiosity over whether she was already dating the guy is a telling statement of your own predisposition toward judgment. I mean, does it matter whether she was dating him already or not? What WAS your point in asking that?

Forcible sex under ANY circumstance is rape. The question need not be asked, unless, you are making your own judgment about the female commenters who, in your own words, seem to be women who "have made less than intelligent decisions regarding either the men they date or the professions the pursue".

And, no, I don't have anything insightful to add to the Phillip Markoff thing. You are arguing for arguments sake and that's fine but I don't engage in circular arguments. People will point out all the evidence mounting and you will call them all unintelligent and judgmental.

There are plenty of other commenters who are discussing the evidence as it's been reported so far (and yes, that doesn't mean it's fact yet) and basing their opinion on that and you are blowing ir all off.

For instance, he was NOT a model student. He either had been, was, or was going to be suspended. Does that make him a murderer? Absolutely not. Should he have a fair trial? Absolutely. But you are doing the reverse of what everyone calling him a monster is doing (clean record! model student!), and that makes you no better than them.

Well, actually, Chill Out, I didn't know that I was visiting Steve's blog for the sole purpose of being swayed by you...but I will say that you more than likely lost any credibility when you said "It seems to me that all those who have firmly accepted Mr. Markoff as the killer are females who have made less than intelligent decisions regarding either the men they date (the young lady whose boyfriend years earlier 'date raped' her even though he was never prosecuted ((oh by the way, did he rape you before or after you all started dating? just wondering...))) or the professions they pursue. And those who are not making a judgment call either way - seem to be the brighter individuals from both genders."

Or it could be where you stated "But then again, arguing over the internet is like being in the special olympics - even if you win, you're still retarded."

I'm still wading through your comments to find YOUR insightful and knowledgeable facts.

I'm more of a realist, and I firmly stand behind the fact that the basic evidence was presented at Phil's arraignment, in a legal setting, which shows that he is most certainly receiving the beginning of his fair and free due process. I won't ignore basic evidence just because it hasn't yet been presented at trial.

Because, no, I cannot just ASSUME that Phil was not the killer, because SOMEBODY did this, and quite frankly, it all points towards Phil. During the INVESTIGATION, it was discovered that there was an email link between Phil and the victim, and consequently there were numerous items found in Phil's apartment. (And lest I be accused of repeating myself, I won't restate facts...but don't forget the surveillance video...:))

So, I cannot just say hey, Chill Out said that we have to wait to have an opinion. This true crime website is designed so that Steve can cover a story, and us, the commentators, can post comments.

I think that in a court of law, you would be a defense lawyer, and I would be the prosecuting attorney. So, I do have to admit that I get what you are saying. We probably shouldn't be 100% swayed at this time, but again, it is what it is. I'm swayed and I'll admit it.

Most prosecuting attorneys have to be "swayed" in order to aggressively find these killers.

And I have a feeling that the facts presented at Phil's trial will be the facts presented at his arraignment, with more evidence to back up the existing evidence.

To answer the question of why I find his silence intriguing? Well, because it's been stated that from the time that he was picked up from the time of his arraignment, he was stoic and silent. Not angry necessarily, or in shock, but silent. Silent at the police station, silent during questioning, silent in his jail cell. And "my take" is that it is intriguing because his fiance' is defending him, and maybe HE hasn't said that he DIDN'T do it. His "not guilty" plea is a very standard plea heard at arraignments in order for the defense to get access to the evidence that the state has against them.

That's my take on the case. I'm not defaming his character...have you forgotten that there are victims here?

Chill: My point was not so much that "I" could be on the jury, it was that people like me - everyday folk with virtually no legal background and (in some cases) likely lesser education WILL be on that jury. From the friends I have spoken to in the legal profession this case seems pretty solid. One contact I have (discard this if you like but, I swear it is true), we'll just say is in the know. He could not comment on the particulars of the case aside from saying "we have a few loose ends to tie up but the case is air tight."

I tend to believe him and I can't wait til the case is over so he can tell me all the inside stories surrounding the case (the guy has AMAZING stories to tell).

Lastly, Markoff has been placed on suicide watch because he had shoelace marks around his neck. While this by no means assures guilt, it's new to the site - and adds to the story.

Pennies,

I have put anyone's comments that were listed above in quotations - in my extensive training as both a student and a teacher, I have been taught that when quoting someone else's statements, quotations are needed to indicate that the material is not that of the author's. Double quotation marks are used when citing full statements, whereas single quotation marks are used when relaying certain terms.

The question indeed needs to be asked, if you think her story had any place on this blog. Otherwise, what was HER point in relaying that story to us? To prove that all men are evil and have tendencies of rape and murder? Or so that we can get to know her a little better? If the latter, it is appropriate to ask her more about that particular situation, given that she is basing her conclusion of Mr. Markoff off of that unfortunate experience. Understanding an individual's prejudice unveils his/her motivations behind persecuting someone. Yet this understanding cannot be labeled as 'judging' because I am simply wondering if she had any logical fallacies that may have LED to the situation, because if she did, then those might be chiming in when she's making broad statements of male chauvinism and egoism.

I do not believe that if you leave your door unlocked I have the right to come in and rob your house; yet it is still an error on your part to leave the door unlocked, no?

Please get your facts straight before claiming I don't know what I'm talking about. Read the first paragraph of this article for starters:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/22/craigslist.killing/index.html

He was suspended AFTER the school learned of the charges.

Also, please read my posts fully if you want to counter them. Notice what I said:
"And those who are not making a judgment call either way - seem to be the brighter individuals from BOTH genders." I put that 'both' in there specifically to ward off comments such as yours. I wanted to make it clear that I am not undermining comments from females, only those who have had an unfortunate experience with males and are basing their opinion of Mr. Markoff off of them. Read through the comments I speak of and tell me if I'm wrong.

I am not blowing off the facts. In fact, I have time and time again said that I think we SHOULD discuss the facts, and I have not targeted an entry that states the facts and gives a preliminary opinion. I am simply saying to be patient until we learn if the facts are valid before we go around labeling the guy as a monster or killer. Is that so wrong?

Hi Gav,
Yeah, I understood your point, basically the people on the jury do not have legal backgrounds and they decide the outcome of the case. I was just saying that because they do not have a legal background, the attorneys are there to help guide them through the technicalities of the case. I dont know if you can share what your buddy knows after the trial, but it would be cool if you told us afterward, just for information's sake.

Darby,
I was reading through my posts and I did sound kind of arrogant, my bad. Again, the purpose of the first statement was NOT to belittle women or women who have been raped, or to touch on that issue at all. I just think that when discussing a person's judicial vote it is important to understand every avenue of his/her opinion and the reasons behind it...even if that means sounding harsh and politically incorrect. My point was simply "please do not apply isolated incidences to this one," and I guess I could have just said that without sounding ignorant.
As far as my other comment is concerned, you're right, it had no place on this forum, and I apologize for that.

I'm no authority on anything, nor do I claim to be insightful, I just try not to be quick to judge. My take on this case? Here it is:

If I was presented with the evidence in the case that we have thus far, I would not be able to convict. I would be (and am) 70/30 guilty - but not 100 - and here's why:

1.) Surveillance videos seem to show him exiting the hotels - but these are upscale hotels, not NECESSARILY a place where only murderers or people with ill intent hang out. There is a multitude of reasons he could have been there, even though it is a strange coincidence. Note that he is planning a wedding - he seems organized enough to try to find a good place to keep his family and friends.

2.) The items found in his apartment were found AFTER his arrest. Nothing proves that he put them there, and nothing proves that someone trying to frame him did not put them there. If you're going to implicate a man, you can't absolve the others related to the case, and like you said, SOMEONE has done the deed - if that person can blame it on someone else, why not? Otherwise, why would he leave such things in his apartment? What if his fiance saw someone else's panties lying around...wouldn't she ask questions? "Oh no baby, i'm not having an affair, I just rob and kill people." And why not throw the ties and tape away after each use?

3.) What about identity theft? Did the man leave his social security card somewhere? Did someone hack into his email account? As a BU medical student, I would THINK, at least, that he's not imbecilic enough to leave his path uncovered like that. So why couldn't he be the victim of identity theft?

4.) No analysis has been done on the tapes to match facial features, etc., when evaluating if it is indeed Markoff that appears in them. I can't conclusively say he did it if I don't even know for sure if he was there. Also, why is he so calm on the surveillance cams? I'd think you'd be a little freaked out if you just killed someone for the first time.

5.) What is the status of the scene analysis? Finger prints? DNA? Belongings of his dropped at the scene? Without an eyewitness or a hard artifact from the crime scene how can we determine who was there and when?

6.) All the evidence has been collected before or after the crime scene, not DURING. I have no conclusive knowledge of what happened on the spot, so I can't determine what happened on the spot.

7.) I haven't heard from the little bugger! What's his explanation? Can I perform a lie detector test on him? Is he the typical medical student that wants to 'help people?' Or was he in it for money and fame?

8.) Previous Record - none. Why should I assume he's started a life of crime now? He's the type of dude that would get a top secret clearance in no time. Is there anything we don't know about his past?

9.) I can't afford much validity to the statement made by his friend. Two reasons:
1.) Why would he bring up Philip's jokes/comments
completely unrelated to what he was being specifically
asked if he was the guy's friend?
2.) When I was in college, my buddies came to me
several times and said "you have a twin on campus - i
even said hi to him and when he didn't respond, i
realized it wasn't you." And mind you, I'm not a tall,
white, blonde, Bostonian, and I went to a small
engineering school.

10.) Finally, motive. Why would Philip Markoff, a to - be physician need to steal? Does he have incredulous loans? Did he decide to drop his professional ambitions? Is he just mentally ill? If so, who's done a psychiatric evaluation on him?

What do you think? I feel that two very plausible scenarios could counter all of the circumstantial evidence in this case:
1.) Identity theft
2.) BPD, or some acquaintance, is framing him

Also - what if he found out that someone was hacking into his account and went to these hotels to find out who it was?

If the answers to my questions above all implicate Markoff, I'll be convinced, because then there will be no easy scenarios that could possibly indicate otherwise.

I'm sure they have answers to my questions at the DA's office. So once they are released, I will be more willing to call him a monster, murderer, and creep bag.

Chill, here is my response to your theories.

1. Wedding has already been planned and it is taking place in New Jersey. Wedding theory is out.

2. I doubt the guy left the panties in his pillow case, ya know? I am sure the BPD turned that apartment upside down. The guy did a pretty good job of hiding this from virtually everyone he knew - being discreet about two pairs of panties probably was not that tough.

3. Even if someone hacked into his account and was responsible for these actions, they STILL would have had to have used his apartment to communicate. Remember the IP addresses?

4. If you had just shot someone in the middle of a busy, upscale Boston hotel, are you going to sprint out of there? Don't you think this would draw more attention to you? I think you're grasping at straws here, but I also do not have a 100% comeback here.

5. We have Brisman's panties with matching DNA in his apartment. We have a handgun that was the same caliber of the bullet found in Brisman found at his pad. Pretty damnin.

6. These are, in my best estimation, the loose ends the DA's office needs to sure up. They have the evidence, now they need to piece together that one part of the story. With all they have (and I am CERTAIN they have more than we're aware of), you'd have to think they'll get there

7. I believe the lie detector is inadmissible in court. This guy talking right now can only hurt him later. This case is too public of a case for him to talk right now.

8. Bernie Madoff never commited a crime until recently -- and he is three times Markoff's age. Different crimes, certainly but both were brazen acts performed by people who believed they couldn't/wouldn't be caught. Arrogance is the similarity here. Not sure why no criminal record matters though.

9. Not much to say really...

10. Why would he do it? Hmmmmm...why would anyone?

Bottom line, and yes, I am saying it again, the testimony of those who survived his efforts will decide this case. I am guessing the details will be both chilling.

Well, Chill, no. I don't think it's wrong to implore people to wait until the facts come in before making a judgment and I'll give you that he wasn't suspended until after the incident.

But I also think you play both sides of the fence here with quite a few things. You've made numerous statements about the intelligence of people who are quick to form an opinion on this case. In fact, you quoted one of those statements in your response to me right after you attempted to convince me that you were all about finding motivation, nothing more than that. Here it is:

"And those who are not making a judgment call either way - seem to be the brighter individuals from BOTH genders."

If you are trying to argue your fairness, that's kind of a laughable way to do it. Hmmm, sounds like a judgment to me. Very intelligent people make all kinds of judgments, and have all kinds of opinions - including thinking this guy is guilty. But kudos to your for being fair and undermining the intelligence of both genders and not just females. But you aren't quick to judge and all.

You claim you were simply asking logical questions about the commenters motivation when, all the while, it's pretty clear you were already leaning towrds an opinion about what those motivations were.

And maybe YOU should be careful about reading things thoroughly before you preach it to others.

It is very clear to me what the commenter was saying. That we shouldn't be surprised that a clean cut, all American, good looking guy can also be a sociopath. That was the motivation behind her telling her personal experience. She dated a similar type of guy who also had the good looking, perfect guy facade and she found herself at the hands of a rapist. Quite simple, really.

As far as the case goes, I will weigh in on your comment of 4:51 and, even though we've had a bit of a spat, I'm not being snarky when I say this. I believe a lot of us are being reasonable when considering this case and I'm not sure you are. By that I mean that you've listed a bunch of plausible scenarios that, while they may be plausible explanations one by one, when you add them up, it's quite implausible that ALL of those scenarios could apply to, apparently, the unluckiest SOB alive.

1. That he just happened to have some sociopath hack in to his email and solicit meetings with women in hotels.

2. That the Frame-er then also made calls to those women via Markoff's Blackberry on various days, at various times to arrange said meetings, yet somehow was able to return the phone without Markoff ever realizing it was gone. Oh and steal his identity too, without anyone being any the wiser.

3. That Markoff would just happen to be at the same hotel (or that some guy who looked so much like him his own friends mistakenly identified him just happened to be there at the same time), that the sociopath had picked for his dastardly rendevous. Or that he'd be hunting down the guy who stole his identity at TWO different hotels at the exact time of the crimes.

4. That the Frame-er would then go to his apartment and break in so that he could plant the gun, panties, etc. and that neither Markoff nor his fiancee would have noticed either the break in or stange women's panties in his apartment

And of course the evidence was collected after the crime. Isn't that how it always works? Even when the cops are lucky enough to have an eye witness, on the spot evidence collection is expecting a bit much when people aren't even aware a crime is occurring. Nobody would ever get convicted if real time crime scene investigation was a requirement.

As to your question of why now, why no record before now, etc. Well, that's why they call them sociopaths. A lot of the time, there are no clues. Ann Rule, one of the most prolific crime writers of this generation was friendly with Ted Bundy and had no idea what he truly was underneath. And Bundy was older when he was finally caught. They work at being charming so that nobody sees what is lurking underneath and there is a gradual progression of the criminal behavior.

I'm not convinced Markoff's intention was to kill the girl yet. It sounds to me as if he was robbing to pay off his gambling debts and it went very bad, very quickly.

Still and all, if he wasn't intending on killing her, the taking of the souvenirs makes me think he was going down the path that all serial type criminals do. Start off doing things to see how much control you can have, then get off on what that control feels like and, with each crime, get a little more daring, a little more violent, until you have a full blown serial rapist or killer out there.

Just got an email from my buddy "in the know."

His words: "If the ballistics from the gun in his apartment match the bullet in the girl's body, it's game over."

Strong words.

Ballistics is a match. RIP.

GUILTY!! IF HE WAS NOT A SPOILED WHITE BOY, MEDICAL STUDENT,BLAH BLAH BLAH FROM BOSTON... HIS GUILT WOULD NOT BE QUESTIONED,WITH ALL THE EVIDENCE STACKING UP AGAINST HIM, DAMN GOOD EVIDENCE I MIGHT ADD, THERE SHOULD BE NO DOUBT IN ANYONES MIND, THAT HE DID COMMIT THESE CRIMES, AND BE GLAD THE SOCIOPATH IS BEHIND BARS AND OFF THE STREET!! AND HE'S ON SUICIDE WATCH...LOL...WHAT A WUSS, NOT MAN ENOUGH TO FACE UP TO HIS ACTIONS AND THE CONSEQUENCES! I HOPE THEY KEEP A GOOD WATCH ON HIM SO HE DOES'NT TAKE HIS
LIFE, THATS THE EASY WAY OUT FOR THIS OBVIOUSLY GUILTY CREEP! JUSTICE FOR HIS VICTIMS!

While, technically ,they are assumed innocent until proven guilty, it would be a gargantuan stretch to consider this mountain of evidence (if even most of it is true)indicates anyone other than the suspect.
Please tell me you are not that gullible. Sociopaths are present in every socio-economic and educational strata. This man gave into the dark urges of his nature, and now many others, and he also, is in a world of hurt. Maybe he can contribute to society someway within prison. This is the type of crime our jails should be reserved for , rather than the "criminals" who are locked up, and wasting taxpayer's resources who are charged for victemless crimes.
I hope all who have been deceived or violated by the suspect can again find hope and happiness. As for Mr. Markoff, I wish (following his almost certain conviction) he will be closely supervised and kept separated from peaceful people for the rest of his life.

Yeppers, he's toasted on both sides.

With so much evidence pointing at Markoff, you would need a fake-the-moon-landing-size conspiracy at this point to believe he's not guilty -

Chill said:

10.) Finally, motive. Why would Philip Markoff, a to - be physician need to steal? Does he have incredulous loans?

From the dictionary:

Incredulous - unwilling to admit or accept what is offered as true

Freudian slip?

BBMCRAE:

Wow, buddy, thanks for your progressive comment! Although I'm sure a person of your strong scholastic aptitude already knows this, let me say that, although not even applicable in this case, some words in the English language have different usages than their definitions. Shocking isn't it? Here I was using this definition of the word:

www.dictionary.com
3. Incredible: not easy to be believed. [R.] --Shak.

If you still want me to explain further my usage of this word, feel free to submit another delightful post.

But still, very insightful comment.
------------------------------------------------------------
PENNIES,
If you've got your mind made up about my take on her comment, there's little I can say. I don't think she's lying and I don't doubt that she was raped.

I'm not going to jump the gun and say you can't comprehend simple posts, but I do think that you might be reading angrily which doesn't allow you to pay attention to detail. Notice that I said exactly what you said about the reasoning behind her comment - that she was drawing parallels between her personal life and this specific case. My use of rhetorical questions is a literary device called 'emphasis.' I wanted to delve deeper into her particular scenario, so that I can point out that she is using faulty logic and allowing her own unfortunate experiences to cloud her logical judgment. I do not have to 'lean' toward any opinion of what her intentions were, because she spelled them out! I just wanted to point out how unfounded they were.

By claiming that I'm not analyzing this issue, you overlook the fact that it is easy to say "hey, all the evidence points to Markoff, he must be guilty!" whereas it is more difficult to analyze the information that is presented to you. All that glitters isn't gold. Just because it's atomic weight isn't 12, it doesn't mean it's not carbon. I'm not blowing off the facts at all, which is why I said that given the evidence I have so far, my brain says 70/30 he's guilty. I'm just saying to take a step back. If a successful medical student can commit a crime, why is it so improbable that someone else committed the crime and framed him? Are you saying that such a thing has never happened? You never gave adequate responses to my questions, you just repeated the same thing over and over again. I know the evidence, and yes, I also know that it all points to Markoff. That's the easy part; the hard part is putting the facts together and seeing if they all make sense.

You are right that all the pieces of evidence, when added together, make a stronger case. You fail to realize what I said above; that two very plausible scenarios would, individually, throw ALL of those pieces of evidence out the window, which is why they are NOT convincing and they are termed 'circumstantial.'

And please - Markoff is a tall, white, blonde, "all American" guy. Plenty of people fit this description and probably resemble him from a distance (note the term used: 'all American'). If I can find a perfect twin at a small engineering school, there must be several hundred tall, white, and blond men in Boston.

To respond to your arguments -

1 and 2.) - If there IS a hacker, then that's what they do, why is that so hard to believe? Someone committed this crime, and if I were going to do this, I would use someone else's email, not my own, and the next logical thing to do, would be to use that person's phone account, not my own. In case you don't know, it is extremely simple these days to, for lack of better terms, also 'hack into' someone's phone account. Identity theft refers to all of the above, it's not a separate point I was making (again, THINK before writing). Are you saying, Pennies, that it is MORE plausible that a MEDICAL student is foolish enough to use his own account and phone to do this kind of a thing? I'm not saying I think he didn't do it. I'm saying there are other possible explanations.

3.) I already explained this above, but several people fit Markoff's description. Also (again, this is why it's important to THINK before writing), if he was trying to find out who was setting up these meetings, he would go to the hotels AT THE TIME OF THE MEETINGS...wouldn't he? He wouldn't roll up 5 hours later (aw man, where'd the guy go? I thought he'd chill here after getting his massage and then I would just recognize him in the lobby). He would try to find the perpetrator at the time and place that the meetings were set up. AGAIN, I'm not saying this is what happened, I'm saying these are plausible explanations, and if EITHER are true, the prosecution falls apart.

4.)Again, same theme. If you're going to do the job, do it right. If a person can hack into an account why CAN'T he 'hack into' someone's apartment? And your second point is my point exactly. If Markoff really hid panties and ties around his apartment, how come his fiance didn't find them? Are we just going to assume she's crazy too?

Your response about motive - that he's a sociopath - lacks ANY evidence whatsoever. You don't know whether he had to pay tuition, whether he really is crazy, or whether his girlfriend wanted a new car for the wedding. Or whether or not (for certain) he did it. Do you have a psychiatric evaluation? Or are you a psychiatrist? Or have you researched Sociopathy for years, to the extent that you can call yourself an expert? Jee, didn't think so. I bet that would really fly in a court of law. "I can't think of a motive, but I'm just gonna say he's crazy. That works."

I would never be so condescending, but it irritates me that you don't think before you write and then you try to belittle my intelligence. You saw glaring proof of how jumping the gun made you look ignorant the first time, and yet you did it again. If you are going to respond to my post this time, I advise you to read it thoroughly so that you do not lose any more credibility.
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GAV:

Thanks for the update, buddy, that's pretty cool. Your counters are very valid, but again, at least I think, if the person in the surveillance is not him, if someone hacked into his account, etc., etc., ALL the evidence still falls through.

Based on what you told me about the NJ wedding though, a huge part of my argument, I guess, has been undermined ... and now with ballistics...maybe I could say I'm 80/20? But not yet 100, Gav, I would still want on the spot evidence, like DNA, eyewitnesses, motive, etc. Especially if I were a juror...I mean, we're talking about someone's life here, we can't put him away unless we're 100% certain, or unless he admits to it himself.

I know the scenarios I'm coming up with sound juvenile, but my point behind them is not to say "oh yeah, there's a 33% chance each that either one of these two theories is true or that he did it." I came up with these in 5 seconds, because this case doesn't directly affect me. But I'm sure if I thought hard enough I could definitely come up with several more scenarios that would explain the evidence in this case.

One more thing - what if he e-mailed these women but someone else committed the crimes? In other words, what if he was just an accessory? Why is that so implausible? Sure, he would still be a horrible person for being related to such an incident...but he wouldn't be a killer, right?
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BKB:
I was going to ignore your meaningless comment, but I couldn't resist. Are you serious? 'Spoiled white boy?' My friend, please don't bring race into this. We have an African American president; even if racism is still alive, it's not anymore pervasive than any other prejudices people have. You should be ashamed of yourself for bringing that up.
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Bottom line, to everyone that's wondering why 'chill out' is pulling an Energizer bunny here, is that I'm thinking about the flip side: if we are wrong, and Phil is not guilty, think about how hurtful these unnecessary comments of him being a 'monster,' 'sociopath,' etc., etc. are to his family. And if this were a court of law think of the consequences of making a premature verdict based on strictly circumstantial evidence. You could directly ruin several lives (his, his fiance's, and each person's family members') - and the worse part about it - the real killer could still be loose!

FINGERPRINTS. his fingerprints were positively ID'd at the crime scene on the duct tape and plastic restraints used on the girls. even if he had an accomplice, it still marks him as guilty of *something*. RIP.

Chill out, I like that you are playing Devils Advocate here...and all I have to say at this point is that no jury will be lucky enough to have a videotape of a perpetrator tying up and killing the victim...that's what the evidence helps us point to, for better or for worse.

I honestly cannot think of one case recently that has been so thoroughly cracked as this one has.

Your arguments were certainly valid, but, again, that's the defense lawyer in ya. A good prosecutor will handle those arguments like nobody's business, trust me.

Because, your points only qualify if the first part were true, which is the frame-up. And I personally don't see any evidence of a frame-up.

I am curious as to why people are bringing up the old "Well, he'd a been a little smarter about things, don'tcha think?"

Mmmmmmmm....no. So he's a brilliant medical student. That just means that he had the grades and has the smarts to begin learning complicated medical procedures.

Ever seen the movie Rainman?? That guy could count cards and make a million bucks, but, all he really wanted to do was sit around and eat Cheetos.

You will find example and example of people doing crazy things that nobody thought that they would do.

Chill: Would this be better: the craigslist murderer is a sociopathic monster.

Also, if the cops are wrong on this one, Markkoff will NEVER have to work again because the money he wins in a lawsuit would take care of him for life.

The clueless fiancee, Megan McAllister, insists police have the wrong man and is planning on their beachfront wedding going forward in August.

I suppose when one has spent an entire 18 months of one's life preparing for "the most important day of her life", it is hard to let go of the fantasy.

What is stopping her from marrying this misfit? As his trial will be far in the future, he will still be at the jail. Let her show up in her white dress and have the chaplain marry them.

Give her about 20 years. That's how long it will take her to see that the most important day in her life was the day they arrested this jerk.

Chill out>> You obviously have no life and nothing better to do with your time, but in response to your ignorant remark, Race does play a part in everything, americans stereotype people, period, end of it. Regardless of the fact our President is bi-racial, yes bi-racial given the fact his mother was white, that makes him bi-racial, and also the fact that serial killers,rapists,sociopaths are in general, and statistically proven to be WHITE MALES!! Any person that would find the evidence we know of not enough to see the guilt of this creep, is blinded by the fact he is white, educated, and comes from a good family as their only reason to assume otherwise.

BBK: Can you show me something that backs up your claim? I am particulary interested in the statistics you were citing.

Next, race had nothing to do with this until you brought it up. I am a 30 year old white male and I think he is guilty. I also thought (and still think) OJ was guilty. This had nothing to do with race in either instance but rather everything to do with evidence.

That said, maybe OJ didn't do it. I mean, the evidence appeared overwhelming BUT he was found not guilty. Is it not possible that the same thing happens here?

CHILL: Were I put on a jury, I do not think I could vote not guilty for a guy if I were 80% certain he was guilty. Keep in mind, you need to define "reasonable," doubt for yourself. So I ask you, based on what we know (and nothing else) where is the "reasonable" doubt at this point? Does it overcome the ballistics match of the gun found in his apartment and EVERYTHING else???

Those who come up with these far fetched scenarios that implies that Markoff himself somehow has a stalker going to all this trouble to facilitate an impossible setup should be writing some very fantastic fiction. However, you risk turning your readers off early on. There is just so much bs the average person can swallow before they wonder if the author thinks they are an idiot. Surely you are pulling our collective legs. Have fun.

Gav:
Yeah, buddy, good point; as Darby said, I guess all of this stuff put together leaves very little room for the plausibility of another scenario. As a juror, I guess it would be important to at least keep the guy off the streets for the time being, for lack of better evidence of another suspect.

Darby -
You bring up a good point, and I missed it the first time; it is true that it is virtually impossible to come up with 'on the spot' evidence, since no one knew what was going on in the first place - given this fact, it is potentially harmful to exculpate a defendant who 'fits the bill' in an 80% (or more) probability. Thanks for your comments, and I hope there are no heart feelings.

I could say at this point that you all have sold me. Good debate, though, I apologize if I offended anyone, and I appreciate everyone's comments. I thought it was a good discussion.

Hey, Chiil Out, never any hurt feelings, just good old fashioned debate.

I hope to god he did it. Everyone believes he did and the media is coming up with more stuff that he supposedly has done, like now he hooked up with men on Craigslist. If he didn't do it, his life is now messed up good. We need to remember that just becuz he is a suspect, doesn't make him quilty. He is not quilty until a jury says he is. (and even then, mistakes have been made) He may be innocent, he may have a life to go back to after this is over. But then again, he may deserve it all and more if he is quilty.

This person Philip Markoff, if he did what he is accused of doing, to me signals a budding serial killer. Look at BTK...20 plus years that man terrorized his community. Mr. Markoff forgot how easy it is to trace things through this technological age? What a dip. Yes, there are many out there and the world is so full of sick people any more. But I think that he was caught in time, and long before he could have done long-term damage. There would have been many more lives lost had he not been caught. How sad to have yet another human being that just can't help but hurt others.

Awesome, Darby :)

What on Earth is going on with this case? Haven't seen/heard anything about it on CNN in like a week...I wonder how it's playing out!

Markoff appears to be in shock and knowing that his life is almost certainly over. That explains his silence.

The frame-up scenario's given are plausible in that someone (the guy who gave the interview, 'Joe Coe'?) may well intensely dislike this tall, successful-with-women medical student. Hacking into someone's email and phone - a framer would do that.

Why would Markoff leave an electronic trail? He would have to be a contemporary, with-it type to be at Boston University, surely?

The gun and restraints are contentious, as why would he leave them in the apartment? But then again, it could be to provoke that very question (he would not be so stupid as to leave all that evidence, ergo he must have been framed), but yes, a framer would do that, leave the gun, etc.

What really nags my mind is his not guilty plea in light of all the evidence - it doesn't make any sense, as surely if he did it he must know he's cooked.

For Markoff it doesn't look good. As for the Boston Police framing him, I wouldn't rule it out, but it's a small probability only.

The pictures may not be him, but if they are he may have a reason he was there. The fingerprints on the restraints need closer attention - bear in mind I'm Australian and all my evidence comes from this blog, which I found after viewing your Today Show at 5am, before work.

James:

We'll give your frame-up theory a look. So you say he was framed. In order to have the be believable, we would have to allow and accept the possibility that the person framing him broke into his apartment - not once, but several times mind you.

We would also have to anticipate that this guy who was trying to frame him looked EXACTLY like him and that the two had a relationship that was close enough for him to have known where he lived.

This just doesn't add up - especialy once you throw in the fact that Markoff told his parents to "forget about him" and that "more was going to come out."

Finally, if he had adamantly denied his guilt to his family, don't you think they would have come out with all guns blazing in support of him?

Seriously, think about this.

James:

One more thing: We also have the two victims who survived his attacks. They have both said it was him. That goes beyond finger prints and all other things I also pointed out.

there is no way to tell FOR SURE if any criminal has been guilty... of course unless they confess. But common sense and logic tell you...
A- This guy contacted the vicims whether it be by phone, computer etc.
B- Survellance cameras put a man looking JUST like him [get a look at the picture and then tell me that doesnt look just like him] at the scene of the crime around the time of the incident.
C- Why on earth did police find him driving around with a gun in his car?!

I say leave it to the professionals. They know all the facts... all the evediance. Who am I to question their judgement?

Summer,

Where did you see they found him with a gun in his car? Check your facts.

There were 16 panties found under Markoff's bed. The same bed he shared with Megan, his fiancee.

Does that mean there were 16 different victims?!? NO, maybe there were many more.

Follow the logic, starting with the victims own DNA found in the victim's own panties they were wearing before they were murdered.

If the panties were NOT Megan's (Markoff's fiancee) then, he was probably collecting the panties as a souvenir, from EVERY victim as a sick trophy?

Then Markoff may have murdered at least 16 women.

Most, if not all, were known to be prostitutes, so the 16 different panties foound under Megan and Markoff's bed, were the panties of 16 possible murder victims.

If Markoff had sex with them, he probably used a condom, so the only DNA in their panties, was the DNA from each victim's vagina and their own natural vaginal secretions.

Even if he did have unprotected sex, he probably killed them before they put their panties back on.... and this way, he would have prevented HIS DNA from ending up in their panties. And he would have also had to have cleansed their vaginas of his DNA before he dumped their bodies. That's why I think he used a condom, too much work, takes too much time.

So, Markoff leaves the crime scene, dumps the body, takes their panties, and returns to his place. Now, what does he do with the panties? Unless he washed the victim's panties before storing them under his bed, then each of the women's vaginal secretions are still in the panties, therefore, the victim's DNA is still in their panties.... unless he washed them.

The vaginal secretions in each of the 16 different pairs of panties, contains the unique DNA that will help identify each of the victims. The 16 pairs of panties are probably being checked for vaginal secretions that contain each woman's DNA at this very minute.

The DNA in the victim's panties will soon provide the "proof" as to whether these are 16 different women, and who these women were.

Here is something else very interesting.... remember, the victims were ALL (probably) prostitutes.

How many prostitutes carried extra panties with them, i.e. had an extra pair of panties other than the panties they were wearing?

Probably NONE. The only panties they had with them were the panties they were wearing as they unknowingly entered their killer's hotel room.

The bigger question is, how many prostitutes did Markoff kill, that were NOT even wearing panties, on the day/evening he killed them? I don't know about a prostitute's chosen clothing/attier that she chooses to wear as she goes about her "profession" or whether it is more "convenient" for these women to NOT wear panties, in tha they may save time by not wearing any panties at all. We also don't know whether they would be concerned about their "feminine hygiene" issues or the benefits in wearing or not wearing panties... but time will tell, at least for the previous owners of 16 pairs of panties found under Megan and Philip's bed, as to who were the owners of the panties, determined by their own DNA in their panties - that hopefully Markoff decided NOT to wash.

I also have to wonder why didn't Megan (Markoff's fiancee) know about 16 different pairs of panties, that were under THEIR bed?

Brutal crimes like rape, usually lead to a conviction of a male perpetrator - after linking him to his DNA that was left in the victim's panties or vaginas. Something tells me we are about to get a lot more educated about the DNA found in vaginal secretions, as a result of the 16 different pairs of panties, that were found under Megan and Philip's bed!

But what if he didn't always take their panties, or if there were women who chose not to wear panties at all?

How many more victims did he kill?

We will probably NEVER know as Markoff's attorney is probably advising him not to admit to anything at all.

How many women are still "missing" - with dads and moms still wondering where their daughter's are? But in reality, they are actually dead, because of a monster named Philip Markoff? The victim's own panties that Markoff took as a sick souvenir, may still tell the "story" of a missing and now dead woman, and links her back to her dad and mom - who are missing her - and at the same time, put the killer closer to the end of his life. These panties will tell a missing part of the story, at least for 16 - probably dead women.

Has anyone considered the possibility that Markoff may have WANTED to be caught? Any third grader could have done a better job covering his tracks, and Markoff is supposedly an intelligent med student. He's 22-23 years old and has to have known about security cameras and the ability of law enforcement to trace his online activities, and let's not even talk about all the evidence he left everywhere, including his own home.

I just don't understand how it could be otherwise. Either that, or is it possible that this "intelligent" man was so arrogant that he thought the women upon whom he preyed would never report it? Either way, no one could possibly be that stupid. I think perhaps his "good" side knew that in order to stop his "bad" side, he'd have to be caught? Am I crazy?

James: These stories would have come out. They have checked his computers, his email and his craigslist account. They know what his activities were. In all reality, we're lucky he was caught when he was because he could have murdered more than just Brissman.

Emily Ann: Your answer is two-fold. First, sociopaths do not think they will be caught -- so it was not a matter of smarts so much as it was arrogance. Second, he did not set out to murder. He set out to rob. He was in debt and he needed a fool proof plan. That plan included robbing prostitutes and others in similar professions as they were unlikely to go to the cops. He felt he had to murder Brissman because he felt the walls tumbling down on his plan and he had absolutely NO plan on getting caught.

The whole thing is a lot simpler than it appears really. Everyone plays up the creepy sexual life it appears he was pursuing, but that is more of a sideshow than a motive.

Stick to the debt, robbery and unplanned murder.

Hi, shame that the video is not clear, it would be so much easier to identify markoff if it is him, he sure looks like him, these cameras need to show a clear picture.