Craigslist Killer? Police Fear Killer Is Targeting Escorts On Craigslist

ABC News:

Boston Police said the man they believe murdered an aspiring actress in an upscale hotel room this week is also responsible for two other attacks on women, and that he possibly met them through their advertisements on the Web site Craigslist.

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[TallyLass]

02:22 PM on 04/18/2009

Not just Craigslist, but all ads i.e. classifieds. I never sell anything without having a couple big guys around. Nothing is perfect, but I would never meet a strange man alone anywhere. You are just asking for trouble.

[whoknew---]

03:07 PM on 04/18/2009

You're smart and intuitive....

It is wise to meet anybody you are not sure of in public with the type of friends that you describe if you are to do any type of transaction such as selling things on craigslist.

[lisa321]

01:21 PM on 04/21/2009

Predators are everywhere. When his neighbors talked about him, they talked about how friendly and nice he was. How much is this is about his looks, age and education. If Susan Boyle lived next door they would consider her weird and unusual.

[MadHeart]

09:39 AM on 04/18/2009

Note to Craig Newmark: "Craig'slist" is NOT a community, in any sense of the word, any more than a corporation is a real "person" (Supreme Court or not). It's a commercial enterprise.

[MadHeart]

09:12 AM on 04/18/2009

What is so sad and pathetic about all of this is that so many women see fit to commercialize their sexuality and who see selling their bodies as a "real" profession that they think doesn't demean them as sex objects, can't see their "services" as only benefitting men, and lowering their own self worth in the process. All that "empowerment" bullshit being pushed by men (and women who have bought into it to justify their actions), mainly out for their own benefit, who cheer these women on, whether it's for prostitution or pornography. It's a sleazy way to make a living; thankfully one that most women reject. Frankly, I'd rather flip burgers than subject myself to "the life." Truly liberated women practice free love (look up what that really is--nothing to do with money) and don't consider sex as a publicly traded product, whether as prostitution or marriage or any other relationship.

[whoknew---]

03:33 PM on 04/18/2009

I agree with you partly but I also truly believe women/men on some level have to be of relatively low self esteem or extremely vulnerable on some level to accept that as a genuine career choice.

There is even a chance that some may have been forced into a slave sex trade (there are women who have been forcefully abducted to serve in that specific capacity all across the globe).

[madisonhack]

09:11 AM on 04/18/2009

Let's hope the killer has a thing for teabagging.

[local21]

09:06 AM on 04/18/2009

The prostitutes using Craigs List are in a conundrum.

On one hand the giving away the client's identity could kill their business and not giving away their client's identity could kill their business.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

07:37 PM on 04/17/2009

Several questions come to mind regarding this issue. Number one, why are madams even using craig's list when they already control mainstream media? Somehow I dont think this is a local agency using craig's list for the obvious reasons. I suspect this is coming out of a foreign group, over seas groups that deal in trafficking. I doubt this is even coming out of Nevada for the same reasons. I suspect the feds need to look at the bigger picture here, and look at the groups known for trafficking in women. From there, they can better get a grip on who is doing this to the women. I think this is all connected. Your killer isn't local, or if it is, its someone who lost a family member from one of the groups that kidnapped a relative, or used them for prostitution. Craig's list isn't suppose to be allowing for this kind of thing unless its locally based. If the groups pretend to be local, but are in fact working out of the US, you have a bigger problem.

[HC4BO]

04:46 PM on 04/17/2009

Men who prey on women are PATHETIC ...

[Deparis]

07:22 PM on 04/17/2009

How about women who prey on men? Just put a personal ad on craigslist as a man looking for a woman for dating and even go further to making it clear that you are not interested in any solicitation, but only for a genuine person in your area interested in dating. When you do that, check your mailbox the next day, then come back and let's have a chat.

[techjockey]

03:41 AM on 04/18/2009

when you or one on your friends gets assaulted or murdered then you may have a point.

[Milash]

04:21 PM on 04/17/2009

Craigslist used to be a great resource, now it's just a cesspool.

[HC4BO]

04:45 PM on 04/17/2009

Just wait and see what becomes of twitter ...

[LMKay66]

07:13 PM on 04/17/2009

What's next, eBay killers?

[winningticket]

03:51 PM on 04/17/2009

I don't use Craigslist. Too many creeps out there that use it.

[voracious]

03:01 PM on 04/17/2009

wow that was great, now even a murderer can also look for victim on craiglist... another category of classified should be added to CL that includes classified information...-- Victims to be hatched. http://thereference.info

[NoPretenses]

02:19 PM on 04/17/2009

He needs a good a.ss whupping by an undercover agent...or maybe I watch too many movies.

[HC4BO]

04:46 PM on 04/17/2009

A female one at that ...

[BabblingBrooks]

01:28 PM on 04/17/2009

Hunting victims on CraigsList? What was their first clue? That the victims had advertised "massage services" on CraigsList? Wow, what astute detective work!

[katocat]

12:56 PM on 04/17/2009

If he's using Craiglist to communicate with these victims, can't they just trace his IP address?

[VungTauVet]

12:37 PM on 04/17/2009

Since the demise of Alice's Restaurant, Craigslist has become the provider of 'anything you want' services. I've bought and sold numerous items there and will continue, with an ample amount of caution.

[lj9283]

11:57 AM on 04/17/2009

Women who make their living as "Escorts" and "Erotic Message Therapists" take a high risk when they go to Hotels to ply their trade. Many unsolved murders over many years can be attributed to these circumstances, and it is very sad.

These types of circumstances and crimes did not begin with the creation of Craigslist. Similar adds can be found in "underground" Newspapers, and even "neighborhood" newspapers.

There are also many, many sites on the Internet that directly advertise the services by women.

Craigslist is just an easy target.

Educating these women on safety measures might be more helpful than a lawsuit against Craigslist.

A lawsuit against an Internet posting site is not going to eradicate prostitution or it's ancillary crimes.

[BabblingBrooks]

01:29 PM on 04/17/2009

I believe they will start acting more in line with self-preservation now.

[hellostats]

01:56 PM on 04/17/2009

Maybe prostitution should be legalized?

[lovethesinner]

02:09 PM on 04/17/2009

Yea, that's the issue, isn't it? It's amazing what could be accomplished if we stopped trying to CRIMINALIZE HUMAN BEHAVIOR.

[gayleg]

11:05 AM on 04/18/2009

Everywhere prostitution is legalized, trafficking increases. Everywhere prostitution is legalized, violence against women in that area increases.

Legalization is the problem, not the solution. Helping girls out of prostitution and criminalizing the pimps and johns is the way to go.