Craigslist Victim's Goal Was Staying Sober

Julissa Brisman's Diary Details Her Eventual Success Over Alcohol, But Doesn't Mention Masseuse Work

(CBS)  The victim of the alleged "Craigslist killer" recently got sober and was looking to get her life on track, according to personal diary entries reviewed by the Village Voice.

Julissa Brisman was beaten and shot to death in a Boston hotel room April 14 after police say suspect Philip Markoff responded to an ad on Craigslist, the popular online classified site. Markoff pleaded not guilty to charges related to Brisman's murder and the robbery of another woman. Authorities also suspect Markoff in a second robbery attempt.

According to Brisman's journal, the 25-year-old struggled with alcohol before resolving to get sober and start repairing damaged relationships in her life. (Read 48 Hours' profile detailing her training as a drug counselor.)

"I had a taste of the sober life, and I liked it," she wrote in her last entry. "So why do this to myself; All the pain, humiliation and suffering [punctuation hers]. That was September 19, 2008 and I haven't touched a drink since."

After quitting her job as a bartender, Brisman supported herself through a series of odd jobs ranging from work at tanning salons, freelance modeling, acting and advertising herself as an erotic masseuse on Craigslist.

Brisman never wrote about her work as a masseuse in the diary, instead focusing on her sobriety.

"I asked ma what she wanted for Mother's Day and she said 'I already got the best Mother's Day you could ever give me, your sobriety,'" she wrote. "Put a smile on my face. I know cheesy, but being sober makes me smile."

Markoff is currently being held under suicide watch, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Gielan. Court papers show that he is broke - saddled with $130,000 in student loan debt and unable to afford a lawyer. Police suspect gambling debts were the motive for Mardoff's alleged crimes.

Markoff still has the support of his fiancée, Megan McAllister, who issued a statement through her attorney Monday.

"To me and my family, he is a loving caring person."

But despite the words of support, the Bruce Springsteen tribute band scheduled to perform at their August wedding has been told they are no longer needed on that date.

[mypatch]

THOU SHALT NOT KILL

[tbbaot]

Becoming a call girl certainly wasn't the answer to becoming sober

[YCantWeAllGetAlong]

To "limobarbie", you know what? I don't care if she was the dirtiest, filthiest homeless crack abusing prostitute in the world and she was lying in a gutter. She was a human being, someone's daughter, someone's LOVED one. She made very poor choices but that does not make her just a "w.h.o.r.e., plain and simple". I don't know who some of the people on here think they are, but they are not better than anyone else in this world. Our choices may define our path but we are no less human.

I consider myself very lucky to have a comfortable home, enough to eat, healthy children and a happy marriage. My cup is full. For this young lady whose life was taken from her, she didn't deserve that.

[limobarbie]

She's not a masseuse, or a massage therapist--BOTH of those jobs require at least 2 years of training and licensure--she had neither. She was a *****--plain and simple. "Erotic masseuse" is an insult to all of the legitimate and licensed massage therapists who have to deal every day with morons who think their hard work and education to become a masseuse or licensed massage therapist was undertaken so that they could use it as a front for prostitution. ANY AND EVERY UNLICENSED MASSEUSE IS A PROSTITUTE--PLAIN AND SIMPLE. Julissa Brisman was a hooker and has gotten lots of publicity and sympathy for being a hooker but it doesn't change the fact that she made her living exchanging SEXUAL ACTS FOR MONEY and she got killed for it. If she had been a black streetwalker, she wouldn't even have made the papers because hundreds of streetwalking ***** are killed every year by their pimps and johns--just because she put an ad in Craigslist and called herself a masseuse doesn't make her less of a *****--it's just geography. Please stop insulting legitimate massage therapists and licensed masseuses by referring to this ***** as an "Erotic masseuse" because there is no such thing.

[broadwayphi]

This sudden change in personality, especially involving criminal activity, is another sign of SSRI adverse reactions.


Except it wasn't sudden. It was pre-meditated and deliberate. This POS decided to rob an hurt and kill because his greedy, evil behavior got his tail in a crack and it was easier (and more fun) to rob and kill his way out of it.

Someone HELP this poor man!

Yeah. I'll help him.

Sheesh.

In one of the videos of Phiip Markoff, I noticed he blinked excessively. Here is the youtube where this can be observed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAw-hWPBFN4&feature=related

This excessive blinking is usually a sign of some kind of drug reaction, usually withdrawal. It is quite common in those on or withdrawing from SSRI antidepressants.

The Physicians Desk Reference states that SSRIs and all antidepressants can cause mania, psychosis, abnormal thinking, paranoia, hostility, etc.

Go to www.SSRIstories.com where there are over 3,000 cases, with the full media article available, involving bizarre murders, suicides, school shootings [48 of these] and murder-suicides - all of which involve SSRI antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, etc, . The media article usually tells which SSRI antidepressant the perpetrator was taking

Philip Markoff?s crime spree appears to have happened suddenly, unless, of course, there are other crimes we don?t know about yet. This sudden change in personality, especially involving criminal activity, is another sign of SSRI adverse reactions.

[sean56x]

Julissa was a vibrant, beautiful person. Phil murdered her during an armed robbery and sexual assault. The Police should investigate if Phil killed anyone else during a perverted attack. Could he be a new Ted Bundy?

[broadwayphi]

Can't someone take this case bro bono? In mental health, there is much to be learned from this young man whose life was also lost in this terrible misfortune. He breaks my heart.
--- SadMomTX


You're joking, right?

This sub-creep is an evil, narcissistic, sociopathic killer.

He was made, not born. Made to think he was smarter and more special than anyone else -- and more deserving of wealth, privilege -- and life -- than anyone, including his victims.

Find me the genetic marker for EVIL.

Sure, I'll represent the guy pro-bono. How quickly can I request the DEATH PENALTY?

Sheesh.

[SadMomTX]

The facts that this young man who had carefully planned such a bright future requiring intelligence, dedication, and social conscience would unravel under stress into impulse behaviors like gambling, sex addiction, and eventually murder is indicitave of a defective personality make-up that is just as much of a handicap as being born without legs. Impulse behavior is a genetic defect that can now be physically detected under a microscope. A tail ( or hook) appears on the 11th or 12th chromosome -- it proves the defect is real. He is also an age where schizophrenia set in for many males. Stress will cause it to manifest.
The way he handled severe stress is in his genetic make-up. That saddens me for him. I hope his defense will truly defend him in his better interests, even though he will likely have a public defender. Can't someone take this case bro bono? In mental health, there is much to be learned from this young man whose life was also lost in this terrible misfortune. He breaks my heart.

[vecchio13]

Men have been murdering sex industry workers for a very long time. Please, do not lose sight of the material facts here. Whether you agree with Ms. Brisman's choice of side work or not, and without regard to the legality of her pursuits, she was still the victim of a horrible crime, and the human disease who did this to her deserves to rot in jail until no one who remembers his crime is alive anymore.

[emanon54]

The gambling debts were not related to his 130K in loans. Two separate things that he was saddled with. The gambling debts could've come from sports betting or gambling done not at the casino. I read some of these comments people leave and wonder how some of you made it out of elementary school. I always thought reading comprehension was a required part of the SAT.

[phlipper]

It's very important to stay sober while turning tricks--especially if you're about to be murdered.

[AJMarine12]

This excessive blinking is usually a sign of some kind of drug reaction, usually withdrawal. It is quite common in those on or withdrawing from SSRI antidepressants.

Posted by at 11:59 AM : Apr 28, 2009


I don't know, I seem to remember Nancy Pelosie blinking her eyes so much during a State of the Union message once that the News people were making fun of her.

Of course, it was Bush giving the speech, so that might have something to do with it.

[nprybes]

It is quite common in those on or withdrawing from SSRI antidepressants.
---------

That's just what we need...more pseudo-experts weighing in on this thing, implying the guilt should be placed on something other than the sick bastard who did this. First, it's Craigslist's fault, now it's a prescription med's fault...

Maybe it's HIS fault? Maybe people shouldn't be advertising for intimate encounters with total strangers?

[nprybes]

Yeah, posting ad ad on Craigslist for a NSA, discreet encounter totally reflects on her attempt to "turn her life around."

In one of the videos of Philip Markoff, I noticed he blinked excessively. Here is the youtube where this can be observed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAw-hWPBFN4&feature=related

This excessive blinking is usually a sign of some kind of drug reaction, usually withdrawal. It is quite common in those on or withdrawing from SSRI antidepressants.

The Physicians Desk Reference states that SSRIs and all antidepressants can cause mania, psychosis, abnormal thinking, paranoia, hostility, etc.

Go to www.SSRIstories.com where there are over 3,000 cases, with the full media article available, involving bizarre murders, suicides, school shootings [48 of these] and murder-suicides - all of which involve SSRI antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, etc, . The media article usually tells which SSRI antidepressant the perpetrator was taking

Philip Markoff?s crime spree appears to have happened suddenly, unless, of course, there are other crimes we don?t know about yet. This sudden change in personality, especially involving criminal activity, is another sign of SSRI adverse reactions.

[displeased]

Since when are student loans a gambling debt? Maybe in this economy they are.
Posted by ShawnWhiteEsq

Perhaps he was using his student loan money to gamble with, contributing to the $130K debt.

[majoriot]

Beg your pardon?
Craigslist victim?
She is not a victim of Craigslist. Craigslist is an internet site.

[kimbakat6895]

Come on people give the mother a break she just lost her daughter and doesn't need to read crap like this. I'm sure if push came to shove you also would do whatever it took to make ends meet and no I am educated although others might not be so fortunate. Where's your heart.

[sammysstalker]

mrs_entity, when are you going to find Jesus?