In April of 2009, a string of crimes, including murder, were blamed on a suspect dubbed the "Craigslist Killer," a tall, blond, white male whose image was captured on surveillance tapes at New England hotels. The Craigslist Killer was believed to have murdered one woman and robbed two others at gunpoint; all three women had posted ads for similar private services on the free classified ad website Craigslist.http://abcnews.go.com/US/craigslist-killer-phillip-markoff-commits-suicide/story?id=11405484&page=1

Boston forensic authorities found fingerprints on plastic restraints and duct tape that matched those of Boston University medical student Phil Markoff at the scene of one of the crimes.http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/19266175/detail.html Markoff was arrested on April 20, 2009, and charged with the murder of Julissa Brisman.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517275,00.html Markoff was eventually also charged with crimes against two other women who had advertised their services on Craigslist. He was being held without bail at the Nashua Street Jail in Boston, Massachusetts.http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/16/massachusetts.craigslist.death/#fbid=vML9yX2pGJy&wom=false

On August 15, 2010, Markoff's body was found in his jail cell. Reports quoted authorities as saying Markoff committed suicide. An autopsy was planned for August 16, 2010, to try and confirm the cause of Markoff's death. A statement from the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said "all evidence indicated that he took his own life."http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/16/massachusetts.craigslist.death/#fbid=vML9yX2pGJy&wom=false

An autopsy was planned for Monday, August 16, 2010, on the body of Phillip Markoff, accused of being the so-called "Craigslist Killer."

Phillip H. Markoff had been under police surveillance for several days when police stopped him at about 4:00 pm on April 20, 2009, as he was driving on Interstate 95 in Walpole. He voluntarily went with police to Boston police headquarters. In his trunk was a packed suitcase.Boston Herald: Suspect in Craiglist killing off the street (April 20, 2009)

Markoff, a 2007 graduate of SUNY Albany and a second year medical student at Boston University, was engaged to a Boston woman, and his Facebook page listed over 300 friends from the Boston and upstate New York areas. The wedding, which was eventually called off, was scheduled for August 14, 2009.Boston Herald: Suspect in Craiglist killing off the street (April 20, 2009) http://abcnews.go.com/US/craigslist-killer-phillip-markoff-commits-suicide/story?id=11405484&page=1

On April 13, 2009, 26-year-old Julissa Brisman from New York City was found dead in a Boston, Massachusetts, hotel. One week earlier, another woman, Trishia Leffler, was attacked in a separate Boston hotel. According to police, both women posted ads on Craigslist for massage services. A unknown man was spotted on surveillance video at both hotels and was believed to be responsible for the crimes. On April 16, 2009, the suspect apparently struck again, robbing a woman at gunpoint at a Rhode Island hotel. The woman had placed an ad on Craigslist offering "private dances."FOX News: Police Hunting for Boston 'Craigslist' Killer