Philip Markoff - Parents, Death & Facts (2024)

(1986-2010)

Who Was Philip Markoff?

Philip Markoff was a second-year medical student at Boston University when he was arrested for the murder of masseuse and former call girl Julissa Brisman, who he met through a Craigslist ad. Markoff was then connected to two previous robberies, and, on August 15, 2010, law enforcement officials found Markoff dead in his jail cell after an apparent suicide.

Early Life

Born on February 12, 1986, in Sherrill, New York, Philip Haynes Markoff attended Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School, where he was on the bowling team, youth court and history club, and was a member of the National Honor Society. He is believed to be the son of a dentist and an educator-turned-casino worker.

Markoff attended the State University of New York, University at Albany, where he received a bachelor's degree in biology. It was there that he met fellow pre-med student Megan McAllister. She was a senior, and Markoff was a sophomore. The two became involved after they met during some volunteer work at a nearby medical center emergency room. Their first date was a few months later on November 11, 2005. The couple became engaged three years later, and their wedding was set for August 14, 2009, in Long Branch, New Jersey.

After their undergraduate studies, Markoff and McAllister moved to the Boston area to attend medical school at Boston University. They lived in Quincy, Massachusetts, in the High Point apartment complex.

'Craigslist Killer'

Markoff's idyllic plans came to a halt on April 20, 2009, however, when he was arrested during a traffic stop south of Boston. According to reports, Markoff and McAllister were headed to a local casino with several thousand dollars in cash. Markoff, who was under police surveillance for several days before the arrest, was accused of murder, armed robbery and kidnapping. He reportedly had no previous criminal record.

According to law officials, Markoff answered a Craigslist ad for massage services. He met 26-year-old masseuse and former call girl Julissa Brisman at the Copley Marriot on April 14, 2009. Brisman was found unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds at the hotel later that evening. She was transferred to Boston Medical Center, where she died from her injuries. Police say the confrontation between Brisman and her killer seemed to have begun as an attempted robbery, and ended when Brisman fought the zip tie restraints that bound her.

Surveillance videos from the hotel where Brisman was slain showed a tall, clean-cut, young blond man in a black windbreaker matching Markoff's description leaving the property. An electronic trail allegedly linked Markoff to another robbing of a second woman at the Westin Hotel in Boston. Cops say the previous attack occurred on April 10, 2009 when a 29-year-old woman advertising as an exotic dancer on Craigslist was attacked, bound, and robbed of both her debit card and $800 in cash. Police in Rhode Island also believe Markoff tried to rob a woman at a Holiday Inn that same month.

Arrest and Suicide

There is speculation that Markoff was attempting to pay several outstanding gambling debts, but this accusation has not been confirmed. Officials say when Boston University learned of the charges against Markoff, he was suspended. The accused was arraigned on murder charges on Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Markoff pleaded "not guilty."

After the hearing, police received a search warrant for Markoff's home. Officials say they found a semi-automatic weapon inside a hollowed-out copy of the medical textbook Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, duct tape and restraints in the suspect's apartment. The story took yet another twist when NBC News reported that Markoff also answered the Craigslist ad of a man seeking a transsexual hookup, and included photos of himself. The rendezvous never occurred, and the man contacted Boston cops when he compared news photos of Markoff to the shots on his computer.

Markoff's fiancée continued to stand by him, making a public statement declaring her enduring faithfulness to her betrothed. "I just can only hope that the criminal justice system will not be overwhelmed and persuaded by what is being put forth in the media," said McAllister. "My fiancée's fate should not rest in the court of public opinion, but rather in a court of law." McAllister left Markoff later that month, however, leading the prison system to place the suspect on suicide watch.

On August 15, 2010, law enforcement officials found Markoff dead in his jail cell, in Boston, Massachusetts, after an apparent suicide. Officials discovered his body exactly a day after what would have been the one-year anniversary of his canceled wedding. Markoff allegedly suffocated himself with a plastic bag, and severed one of his arteries. No suicide note was found at the scene.

  • Name: Philip Markoff
  • Birth Year: 1986
  • Birth date: February 12, 1986
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: Sherrill
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Philip Markoff answered a Craigslist ad for massage services, met a masseuse/former call girl and killed her, becoming known as the "Craigslist Killer."
  • Industries
    • Crime and Terrorism
  • Astrological Sign: Aquarius
  • Schools
    • Boston University
    • Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School
    • The State University of New York, University at Albany
  • Death Year: 2010
  • Death date: August 15, 2010
  • Death State: Massachusetts
  • Death City: Boston
  • Death Country: United States

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Philip Markoff - Parents, Death & Facts (2024)

FAQs

Who were Philip Markoff parents? ›

Background. Philip Markoff was the son of Susan (née Haynes) and Richard Markoff, a dentist in Syracuse, New York. He had an older brother, Jonathan Markoff, and a half-sister (whose father was Susan's second husband, Gary Carroll, a banker).

How old is Philip Markoff? ›

The details of Markoff's death are emerging as Boston officials have begun an investigation into how Markoff, who twice before tried to kill himself, managed to commit suicide while awaiting trial for murder. Markoff, 24, killed himself on Sunday, the anniversary of what would have been his wedding day.

Did Megan McAllister marry? ›

The couple, both med students, were scheduled to get married in a lavish August wedding. But McAllister told him that the nuptials are canceled, sources said. Markoff, who had earlier been put on a suicide watch and was required to wear paper clothing for his safety, received his former fiancee in a new outfit.

Who is the Craigslist killer's fiance? ›

On April 30, 2009, a day after his fiancee, Megan McAllister, broke up with him in jail, he attempted to rake a serrated spoon over his wrist.

When was the Craigslist Killer active? ›

Ultimately, over the course of a few weeks in April 2009, this Craigslist Killer robbed three women in similar fashion, shooting and killing his second victim, 26-year-old Julissa Brisman, at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Police quickly homed in on Markoff as a suspect.

Is the Craigslist Killer worth watching? ›

"The Craigslist Killer" is a decent TV movie based on the true story of a man that is a bright student but also a deviant person. The screenplay does not keep the mystery about the behavior of Philip Markoff and just reports his dark story.

Did Megan McAllister become a doctor? ›

Megan L. McAllister is an emergency medicine physician in Los Angeles, California and is affiliated with Endeavor Health Edward Hospital. She received her medical degree from Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

How many people did Philip Markoff rob? ›

Philip Markoff, the “Craigslist killer,” was accused of robbing three women, and killing one of them, after meeting them in the Craigslist personals' section; he later committed suicide in prison.

Where is Richard Beasley now? ›

He was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping. However, in 2020 Beasley went back to trial and was resentenced after a procedural error occurred when he was sentenced in 2013. The resentencing had the same results with Beasley still receiving a death sentence.

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