Philip Markoff - Parents, Death & Facts (2024)

(1986-2010)

Who Was Philip Markoff?

Philip Markoff was a second-year medical student at Boston University when he was arrested for the murder of masseuse and former call girl Julissa Brisman, who he met through a Craigslist ad. Markoff was then connected to two previous robberies, and, on August 15, 2010, law enforcement officials found Markoff dead in his jail cell after an apparent suicide.

Early Life

Born on February 12, 1986, in Sherrill, New York, Philip Haynes Markoff attended Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School, where he was on the bowling team, youth court and history club, and was a member of the National Honor Society. He is believed to be the son of a dentist and an educator-turned-casino worker.

Markoff attended the State University of New York, University at Albany, where he received a bachelor's degree in biology. It was there that he met fellow pre-med student Megan McAllister. She was a senior, and Markoff was a sophomore. The two became involved after they met during some volunteer work at a nearby medical center emergency room. Their first date was a few months later on November 11, 2005. The couple became engaged three years later, and their wedding was set for August 14, 2009, in Long Branch, New Jersey.

After their undergraduate studies, Markoff and McAllister moved to the Boston area to attend medical school at Boston University. They lived in Quincy, Massachusetts, in the High Point apartment complex.

'Craigslist Killer'

Markoff's idyllic plans came to a halt on April 20, 2009, however, when he was arrested during a traffic stop south of Boston. According to reports, Markoff and McAllister were headed to a local casino with several thousand dollars in cash. Markoff, who was under police surveillance for several days before the arrest, was accused of murder, armed robbery and kidnapping. He reportedly had no previous criminal record.

According to law officials, Markoff answered a Craigslist ad for massage services. He met 26-year-old masseuse and former call girl Julissa Brisman at the Copley Marriot on April 14, 2009. Brisman was found unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds at the hotel later that evening. She was transferred to Boston Medical Center, where she died from her injuries. Police say the confrontation between Brisman and her killer seemed to have begun as an attempted robbery, and ended when Brisman fought the zip tie restraints that bound her.

Surveillance videos from the hotel where Brisman was slain showed a tall, clean-cut, young blond man in a black windbreaker matching Markoff's description leaving the property. An electronic trail allegedly linked Markoff to another robbing of a second woman at the Westin Hotel in Boston. Cops say the previous attack occurred on April 10, 2009 when a 29-year-old woman advertising as an exotic dancer on Craigslist was attacked, bound, and robbed of both her debit card and $800 in cash. Police in Rhode Island also believe Markoff tried to rob a woman at a Holiday Inn that same month.

Arrest and Suicide

There is speculation that Markoff was attempting to pay several outstanding gambling debts, but this accusation has not been confirmed. Officials say when Boston University learned of the charges against Markoff, he was suspended. The accused was arraigned on murder charges on Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Markoff pleaded "not guilty."

After the hearing, police received a search warrant for Markoff's home. Officials say they found a semi-automatic weapon inside a hollowed-out copy of the medical textbook Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, duct tape and restraints in the suspect's apartment. The story took yet another twist when NBC News reported that Markoff also answered the Craigslist ad of a man seeking a transsexual hookup, and included photos of himself. The rendezvous never occurred, and the man contacted Boston cops when he compared news photos of Markoff to the shots on his computer.

Markoff's fiancée continued to stand by him, making a public statement declaring her enduring faithfulness to her betrothed. "I just can only hope that the criminal justice system will not be overwhelmed and persuaded by what is being put forth in the media," said McAllister. "My fiancée's fate should not rest in the court of public opinion, but rather in a court of law." McAllister left Markoff later that month, however, leading the prison system to place the suspect on suicide watch.

On August 15, 2010, law enforcement officials found Markoff dead in his jail cell, in Boston, Massachusetts, after an apparent suicide. Officials discovered his body exactly a day after what would have been the one-year anniversary of his canceled wedding. Markoff allegedly suffocated himself with a plastic bag, and severed one of his arteries. No suicide note was found at the scene.

  • Name: Philip Markoff
  • Birth Year: 1986
  • Birth date: February 12, 1986
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: Sherrill
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Philip Markoff answered a Craigslist ad for massage services, met a masseuse/former call girl and killed her, becoming known as the "Craigslist Killer."
  • Industries
    • Crime and Terrorism
  • Astrological Sign: Aquarius
  • Schools
    • Boston University
    • Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School
    • The State University of New York, University at Albany
  • Death Year: 2010
  • Death date: August 15, 2010
  • Death State: Massachusetts
  • Death City: Boston
  • Death Country: United States

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Philip Markoff - Parents, Death & Facts (2024)

FAQs

Where is Philip Markoff buried? ›

He died on 15 August 2010, in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, at the age of 24, and was buried in Saint Helena's Cemetery, Oneida, Madison, New York, United States.

What was Philip Markoff accused of? ›

According to reports, Markoff and McAllister were headed to a local casino with several thousand dollars in cash. Markoff, who was under police surveillance for several days before the arrest, was accused of murder, armed robbery and kidnapping. He reportedly had no previous criminal record.

When did Philip Markoff get caught? ›

Security camera footage, cell phone activity, and email evidence led police to suspect Markoff in the April 10 and April 14 incidents, and he was arrested April 20 in Walpole, Massachusetts, while he and his fiancée were en route to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut.

Where is the Craigslist killer's fiance now? ›

The forlorn former fiancee is “moving on with her life” and career in medicine, her lawyer Robert Honecker Jr. said yesterday. The only way she's going to return to Boston, Honecker said, is if she's called back by the Suffolk District Attorney's office.

Who is the Craigslist killer case? ›

Philip Markoff was a 23-year-old husband-to-be and medical student in Boston who was also soliciting women off Craigslist to rob and murder. The Craigslist Killer, a 23-year-old medical student named Philip Markoff, did not seem like a murderer.

Did Megan McAllister become a doctor? ›

Megan L. McAllister is an emergency medicine physician in Los Angeles, California and is affiliated with Endeavor Health Edward Hospital. She received her medical degree from Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

What was the motive of the Craigslist killer? ›

Describing Markoff's alleged activities, Wark said, “The actions he took suggest a darker motive than a purely financial one. He chose vulnerable women who would be reluctant to speak out. His actions suggest a desire to dominate women, to control women and to visit violence upon women.”

When did the Craigslist killings happen? ›

Ultimately, over the course of a few weeks in April 2009, this Craigslist Killer robbed three women in similar fashion, shooting and killing his second victim, 26-year-old Julissa Brisman, at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Police quickly homed in on Markoff as a suspect.

What was Nathaniel Woods accused of? ›

Another man came downstairs and opened fire, killing three officers. Woods ran from the scene after the gunfire erupted. Holman Correctional Facility, Atmore, Alabama, U.S. Despite never pulling a trigger, Woods was accused of being an accomplice and was convicted of capital murder.

What is the movie about Philip Markoff? ›

About the Movie

The Craigslist Killer” follows the dark, mysterious life Philip Markoff (Jake McDorman) conducted online while preparing for a promising future as a doctor and a life of happiness with his fiancée, Megan McAllister (Agnes Bruckner).

How many people did Philip Markoff rob? ›

Philip Markoff, the “Craigslist killer,” was accused of robbing three women, and killing one of them, after meeting them in the Craigslist personals' section; he later committed suicide in prison.

When did Candy Montgomery get caught? ›

On Friday, June 13, 1980, the devout and do-gooding Candy Montgomery caused a stir in her Dallas community when she was arrested for killing her friend Betty Gore with 41 ax blows.

What is the Craigslist killer's mental illness? ›

The answer? He is a psychopath. Philip Markoff's interpersonal and affective personality traits contribute to his classification as a modern-day psychopath whose popularity in school, loving relationship, and his affluent lifestyle reveal that his psychopathic qualities are inherent.

Did Megan McAllister ever get married? ›

When he was arrested in April 2009 he was engaged to marry fellow medical student Megan McAllister. In the days immediately after his arrest, McAllister staunchly defended Markoff's innocence, but a few days later went to the jail where he was held and broke off their engagement.

When was the Craigslist Killer active? ›

Ultimately, over the course of a few weeks in April 2009, this Craigslist Killer robbed three women in similar fashion, shooting and killing his second victim, 26-year-old Julissa Brisman, at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Police quickly homed in on Markoff as a suspect.

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