Most people see Craigslist as a safe, convenient place to buy and sell items. But there is a dark side to the popular website. Craigslist criminals use the site to commit crimes ranging from fraud to theft to murder.
In 2014, a man in Ohio was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a woman he met on Craigslist. The woman, Joan Paxton, was looking for someone to do yard work at her home. The man, Richard Beasley, pretended to be a landscaper and offered her his services. But when Paxton arrived at Beasley’s house, he fatally shot her.
Beasley wasn’t the only Craigslist killer. In 2009, a man in Boston was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a woman he met on the site. The woman, Julissa Brisman, was an aspiring model who advertised on Craigslist for photographers. The man, Philip Markoff, responded to her ad and arranged to meet her at a hotel room. But when Markoff arrived at the hotel room, he fatally shot Brisman.
These are just two examples of the dangers of meeting strangers from Craigslist. There are many other stories of people being robbed, assaulted, or even killed after arranging meetings with strangers from the site.
So how can you avoid becoming a victim of a Craigslist crime? First, always meet in a public place and never go to someone’s house or apartment. Second, tell a friend or family member where you’re going and who you’re meeting. And third, trust your gut instinct – if something feels off about the person you’re meeting or the situation you’re in, walk away and don’t look back.
