Craigslist Killer Case: Hollowing out "Gray's Anatomy"

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

(CBS/Sarah Prior)

Photo: Hand Gun Inside a Hollowed Out Copy of Gray's Anatomy.

Sarah Prior, a 48 Hours | Mystery producer, shares her unusual experience in her research for "Seven Days of Rage: The Craigslist Killer."

When we decided to demonstrate what it would look like to keep a gun inside a hollowed out copy of "Gray's Anatomy" for "48 Hours Mystery," the job fell to me. Before I came to "48 Hours," I worked at The Center for Book Arts, and I knew from the artists I met there that the best tool for cutting paper is actually a scalpel. I found a scalpel and bought a copy of "Gray's Anatomy" for $200.

Scalpel in hand, book in front of me, I paused. I was raised by an English professor, who instilled in me a near-holy regard for books. And "Gray's Anatomy" is an incredibly beautiful book. The illustrations are detailed, in full color, and exquisite.

But we needed the book cut, so I started cutting. Mostly I was concerned with the logistics of cutting. How much of an edge to leave. How to pull pages out without ripping them, not overcutting. It's surprisingly difficult and time-consuming job.

I took me over four hours to cut through the 700+ pages needed to fit a 9mm gun - which is what the police report they found. It was an incredibly tedious job. There must be easier ways to hide a gun in an obscure corner, than to spend hours cutting up a book.

(CBS)

Photo: Philip Markoff.

And as I was cutting, I started to notice something.

On almost every page of "Gray's Anatomy" is a picture of a body part.

And as I was knifing through the book, I was knifing through these body parts. It was an oddly violent act.

I wondered what went through the mind of the killer who was hollowing out an anatomy book to hide a REAL gun, especially if it was Philip Markoff, someone who studied medicine.

Was he thinking of cutting up bodies? Of what it might be like to shoot someone? The idea haunted me.

MORE ON PHILIP MARKOFF - GET THE FULL STORY
September 18, 2009 - Book 'Em: Seven Days of Rage - The Deadly Crime Spree of the Craigslist Killer
September 17, 2009 - New Book Says Alleged Craigslist Killer Had Bondage and S&M Fantasies

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by LMB124 December 2, 2010 4:07 AM EST: I just have to say, I really did not enjoy this article. I understand why you would want a picture of what a hollowed out book looked like, or even if actually doing it would help you understand the mental state of someone like Philip Markoff. However, then going on a tangent that maybe he saw himself "cutting up bodies" -at that point, you lost my interest.; Reply to this comment


by rsmik September 20, 2009 9:22 PM EDT: typical tax write-off; Reply to this comment


by Ordflyer September 20, 2009 2:55 AM EDT: You paid $200 for Gray's Anatomy??? Is CBS going be the next bailout project??? Go to any used book store....jeeeezz; Reply to this comment