Craigslist Ad Sought "Silent Assassin"

Woman Wanted Hitman To Kill Her Lover's Wife; Offered $5,000 For Hit Job

(CBS/AP)  A woman advertised on the popular Internet site Craigslist for an assassin to kill the wife of a man with whom she'd had an affair, authorities said Saturday.

The ad by Ann Marie Linscott, 49, was posted in November as a generic request for somebody to perform a "freelance" job, court document said. Her true intention was only communicated to those who e-mailed her seeking additional information about the job, the Craigslist CEO said.

Linscott offered $5,000 for the hit, had the name and work address of the woman she wanted dead and she described successful candidates as "silent assassins," according to agents and court documents.

"I've seen some screwy things, but I've personally never heard of anything like this," said Drew Parenti, special agent in charge of the Sacramento FBI office. "For a person to advertise openly for a hit man on Craigslist."

Parenti told CBS' The Early Show he was aware of at least three individuals who responded to her, thinking that they may have an opportunity for a freelance writing or similar job.

"Once they began corresponding with her, that's when they found out that, in fact, it was a murder-for-hire proposal," said Parenti. "She was fairly specific, that she was looking for silent assassins to eradicate a woman."

Agents say Linscott called herself Ann Marie and used the simple alias "Marie." Linscott was arrested Thursday at her home in Grand Rapids, Mich. Federal prosecutors will ask a judge on Tuesday to make her stand trial in Northern California, where Butte County authorities worked with the FBI to identify the victim and her husband.

Parenti told the The Early Show that while the investigation into whether the husband was involved continues, he has been "very cooperative."

A call to Linscott's court-appointed public defender was not immediately returned on Saturday.

Linscott is accused of asking people who responded to her ad to "eradicate a female living in Oroville, California," and she provided additional information on the intended victim, including her physical description, age and employment address. On two separate occasions following the November ad posting, she offered payment of $5,000 upon completion of "the eradication task," according to court documents.

"Out of 550 million classified ads posted over 12 years, this is the first such incident that we're aware of," Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "But again, the ad itself was generic, and we're not a party to subsequent private e-mail communications."

Buckmaster said the arrest demonstrated the vigilance of Craigslist users, who are urged to report fraud and scams on the site to keep it clean.

It's not the first alleged crime ever solicited over the popular online bulletin board. There have been instances of ads posted by prostitutes and a Minnesota woman was killed last year after responding to an ad for a baby sitter. However, authorities and company officials say the murder-for-hire scheme appears to be the first of its kind.

The intended victim and her husband have not been identified, but Parenti said the man acknowledged meeting Linscott through an online college course over two years ago.

Parenti said the two forged an intimate relationship online and met at a hotel room for two days in Reno, Nev., in 2005. Linscott also had met him near the couple's home, about 70 miles north of the state capital, last spring. They continued to communicate by phone and e-mail.

[slim1h2o]

What you didn''''t consider carefully was your request to ban "Craiglist"!~ That request was narrow-minded, obtuse, unnecessary, and close to stupid!~

Posted by schoollord at 08:23 AM : Jan 29, 2008

ROFLMAO!!! Hey Dipstick,,,have you never heard of Sarcasm!! You Anti-gun nuts carry your arguments to a new level. Which in most cases, makes no sense.

Stop arguing for arguments sake. BTW, this will be my last response, to the likes of you.

[slim1h2o]

Posted by crzmeat at 02:37 AM : Jan 29, 2008

Thanks.. But I just consider the source with those two. And I think most posters do as well. Thanks again.

[michellem99-2009]

It is the bloody truth. I live in Seattle..Big city..Every day there are gang killings,rage..every one on bus plugged to thrir ipod. I STILL GREET AS IN THE OLD DAYS..THANK OUR VETS..My friend feared for my safety he makes me carry a cell. Every one does not trust other another..I was 19 when Nixon resigned..I have seen the changes in this nation and persons are scared. Who put that fear in us..Sure they are going to be nice to ye yer their boss. Dear it was different in the small towns years ago. Now they shot..kill, yer name it. crameat thank ye..It is rear people talk to each other..my hearing is not what it used to be..

[bobnjersey]

[Linscott offered $5,000 for the hit, had the name and work address of the woman she wanted dead and she described successful candidates as "silent assassins," ]

what''s the sentence for being stupid?

[slim1h2o]

MityWhity said "We need to ban slimh2o."

I''''ll vote for that resolution!~

Posted by schoollord at 02:01 PM : Jan 28, 2008

I just consider the source.

[Krazcarl]

pakaal...your in a position of power at the office folks are nice to you you drive home were you pay the bills folks are nice to you what does that mean nothing. Michelle99 and I are from the same neck of the woods and I whole heartedly agree with her post used to be you went town there were no strangers just folks you hadn''t met now everyone is scared of everbody else and it''s very sad between the addicts perverts holey rollers everone keeps to themselves. Yes we are no longer safe.

[pakaal]

MichelleM99: "We used to greet one another with Hi Good day..Now every one is in his/her own little world..I am 53. We can''''t blame computer/TV/phone.. People just can''''t be bothered today..I miss bloody old days in a way. What happen to right from wrong..Let me guess it is not taught. That is why we have a big prisom system.. It is the thinking*me, myself and I*. The rage..That was what we were told in the 70s. Dad taught us differently.."

Wow, a bit rambling, but still a sad comment. Sorry to hear people aren''t nice to you these days! Folks in my office greet each other happily, chat about this and that. I grew up in the 70s but seem to have avoided the rage and egotism you think is the core of the people growing up then. I''ve always had a "you get what you give" attitude - you be nice to someone else, they''ll be nice to you. Works for me....

[michellem99-2009]

Crazy poeple..where is the good news in this nation..it is a killing,robbery,shooting,sexx crimes.
We used to greet one another with Hi Good day..Now every one is in his/her own little world..I am 53. We can''t blame computer/TV/phone.. People just can''t be bothered today..I miss bloody old days in a way. What happen to right from wrong..Let me guess it is not taught. That is why we have a big prisom system.. It is the thinking*me, myself and I*. The rage..That was what we were told in the 70s. Dad taught us differently..

[gurusavant]

yeah. she''s probably busy posting comments here now under multiple logon names...cuz she''s totally oblivious to what the hell she''s actually doing. she probably thinks it''s ok, and that she is justified in some really stupid way. typical craigslist user...make me wanna hurl.

[sharednotion]

A story like this can be so fascinating, that one can easily forget that people are innocent until proven guilty.

[sharednotion]

A story like this can be so fascinating, that one can easily forget that people are innocent until proven guilty.

[sharednotion]

A story like this can be so fascinating, that one can easily forget that people are innocent until proven guilty.

[sharednotion]

A story like this can be so fascinating, that one can easily forget that people are innocent until proven guilty.

[sharednotion]

A story like this can be so fascinating, that one can easily forget that people are innocent until proven guilty.

[sharednotion]

A story like this can be so fascinating, that one can easily forget that people are innocent until proven guilty.

[sharednotion]

A story like this can be so fascinating, that one can easily forget that people are innocent until proven guilty.

[Krazcarl]

carterarce...Yea may have a small role some folks look at the box and see reality where there is none even the reality shows are fake. She is a woman willing to go to any leagth to get wat she wanted we''ve all seen this before if your over 8. She''ll have a wild relationship with some ***** in prison and there she might find a hit lady or a guard needing favor.

[smiley676]

it''''s blatantly true that she''''s insane as well as stupid.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by RowdyTexan2

Why would you think she was insane? She seems perfectly sane. She knew exactly what she was doing and the consequences of doing it. And she knew it was wrong. But she was mad. What is insane about that?

[easeup-2009]

I had chili last night.

Today, I am silent but deadly....

[rushlimpdrug]

"Oh honey, look how cute, that ***** you''ve been dating took out an ad to have me killed."