Police: Gun Match In Craigslist Killing

(CBS/ AP)  A handgun found in the apartment of Philip Markoff, who is accused of being the "Craigslist Killer," is a preliminary match to the murder weapon used to kill Julissa Brisman, a woman advertising massage services found dead last week in a Boston hotel, police said.

Police, using a search warrant following Markoff's arrest, also found underwear and other items belonging to victims, along with a handgun hidden in a copy of the medical textbook "Gray's Anatomy," sources tell CBS station WBZ.

The Boston University medical student is accused of stalking two women who advertised erotic acts through Craigslist - robbing one and killing Brisman.

That gun is a preliminary match to the gun used in Brisman's murder, WBZ reports.

On Thursday, prosecutors placed an ad on Craigslist Thursday in an attempt to find other women who may have been victimized by Markoff.

Suffolk County District Attorney's Office spokesman Jake Wark said that Boston investigators hope the ad, posted in the "erotic services" section of the Web site, will persuade other possible victims to come forth.

"Were you attacked or robbed at a Boston-area hotel after placing an ad on Craigslist?" the ad asked. "If so, you may have information that could aid the investigation into the April 10 armed robbery of a woman at the Westin Copley Place Hotel and the April 14 murder of a woman at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel. Both victims were attacked by a prospective client who had contacted them through ads placed on Craigslist."

Also Thursday, a law enforcement official, speaking to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case, said Markoff had been placed on suicide watch at the Boston jail where he is being held. ABC News and The Boston Globe, citing unidentified law enforcement sources, reported that what appeared to be shoelace marks were found on his neck.

Defense attorney John Salsberg told reporters he was concerned about Markoff's well-being but otherwise declined to comment on the reports.

Jail officials declined to comment to The Associated Press, citing privacy rules.

In an exclusive interview with the New York Daily News, a college friend of alleged "Craigslist Killer" Philip Markoff discussed an incident with him four years ago - possibly fueled by alcohol - which may have provided a glimpse into the medical student's dark side, reports CBS News correspondent Daniel Sieberg.

"He pushed me up against the wall and tried kissing me," Morgan Houston told the paper in the videotaped interview, obtained exclusively by CBS News.

"I couldn't physically get him off of me," Houston told the paper.

Since Markoff's arrest, his fiancée, Megan McAllister, has not spoken publicly. Thursday, her father spoke for her, reports CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano.

"She's got a lot of friends, lot of family friends its been a big help to us, everybody has been wonderful," James McAllister said.

McAllister, who still plans to marry Markoff this summer, has been holed up at her family's new jersey home since his arrest. According to her father, Megan believes police have the wrong man.

"She is still confident in Phil," he said.

And she's not the only one. Markoff supporters started a Facebook site called "Phil Markoff is innocent until proven guilty."

[winchester70]

Just like a recurrence of genital herpes, spamlord aka elcantante1, cbswontwin, truthrocks, remrafbn, ad nauseam, is back. Only a nuisance, not fatal, but there is no cure, either.

[schoollord]

joule18 said "The legality of guns has little to do with it."

Says WHO? The legality of the guns is a very important issue especially when the NRA says the shooters are not legal gun owners but most of them are.

[joule18]

If someone is motivated to kill another person (or people) it is not hard to buy a gun on the streets. The legality of guns has little to do with it.

[elcantante1]

Gun owners are on a roll. Another LEGAL gun owner killed two police officers during a domestic dispute situation.

"OKALOOSA COUNTY - We have breaking news out of Okaloosa County this evening.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that two of it's deputies were shot and killed, shortly before one this afternoon.

They've been identified as Warren York and Deputy B. Lopez.

It happened at the Shoal River Gun Club, just east of Crestview.

A spokesperson for the sheriff's office says shortly after the shooting the suspect, Joshua cartwright, jumped in a truck, heading east on Highway-90.

He lost control of his truck, which flipped over.

Deputies say the suspect started shooting out of the back window, then got out of the vehicle shooting.

Investigators say the incident stemmed from a domestic dispute."

Behold the havoc created with GUNS by GUN OWNERS!~

[elcantante1]

winchester...what has landed is another of your fellow gun owners with his deadly weapons killing innocent people like a coward!~

[elcantante1]

Wake-up America. The gun lobby has been lying to you for years. They claim legal gun owners are not the problem. Yes, they are a big part of the problem. Here we have ANOTHER legal gun owner, a professor, killing three people, armed with several weapons, and still on the loose. Criminals mostly kill other criminals. But gun owner killers are killing us. Face the reality of the problem. Thanks to the coverage the press is giving these cases and the information from police investigations we are learning most of these shooters do not have a criminal record and they are legal gun owners.

[winchester70]

elbuitre, not the eagle, has landed.

[elcantante1]

Yesterday I posted the news report of three women found shot dead in PA. The suspect...a relative who is a legal gun owner. Today we have another legal gun owner suspected of killing three more people!~

"Police are looking for a University of Georgia professor in connection with the shooting deaths of three people on Saturday, a local coroner told CNN.

Sonny Wilson, Athens-Clarke County coroner, confirmed the killings, but did not immediately identify the victims.

Athens-Clarke County Police confirmed that three other people were injured in the incident, but the nature and extent of their injuries wasn't available Saturday evening.

Information about the shooting was disseminated through a campus-wide alert, which identified Prof. George Zinkhan as a shooting suspect. Zinkhan is a professor in the department of marketing and distribution at the Terry College of Business, according to the university Web site.

CNN affiliate WSB-TV said the shooting occurred behind the Taylor-Grady House, a National Historic Landmark on Prince Avenue. View a map of the location »

Michael Castengera, who teaches at the university, told CNN his daughter text-messaged him about the killings and that she was being questioned by police as a witness. He said two of the victims were close friends of hers."

Gun owners are at the epicenter of most of these shootings!~

[honestabe8]

I agree that effective gun control is the answer. It should be mandatory that if you are of legal age you are required to carry a handgun, shotgun and/or rifle and it must be displayed so everyone can see it. We will no longer have crimes committed against unprotected victims.
Posted by madroncain

unless someone sneaks behind you when you are looking the other way

[flreason]

bonjour
une question la relation entre markoff, ces meurtres..et ..facebook..
l'implication de facebook..complicité ????
merci.
Posted by sam-kiley

bonjour,

Facebook et l'Internet sont des outils de communication qui peuvent être utilisés à mauvais escient. Les outils ne sont pas en faute, les individus qui ont abusé de leur faute.