Philip Markoff

Philip Markoff was an American medical student at Boston University who was charged in 2009 with the murder of Julissa Brisman and with related armed robbery and kidnapping offences.

Philip Markoff was an American medical student at Boston University who was charged in 2009 with the murder of Julissa Brisman and with related armed robbery and kidnapping offences. He became widely known in media coverage as the “Craigslist Killer” because prosecutors said he met victims through Craigslist ads. Markoff died by suicide in jail in August 2010 while awaiting trial.

Early life and education

Philip Markoff was born in 1986 and studied medicine at Boston University. Public reporting described him as a medical student at the time of his arrest.

Criminal case

Authorities said Markoff met Julissa Brisman through Craigslist and later killed her in a Boston hotel in April 2009. He was also accused of robbing and assaulting other women in separate incidents in Boston and Warwick, Rhode Island.

Arrest and charges

Markoff was arrested on April 20, 2009, and later indicted by a grand jury on first-degree murder and other offences. He pleaded not guilty at arraignment and remained in custody while awaiting trial.

Death

Markoff died in Nashua Street Jail in Boston in August 2010 in an apparent suicide. News reports stated he died before his murder trial began.