Boston suspect apprehended
We were relieved to learn that the person alleged to have committed these crimes has been arrested, and we will continue to provide law enforcement agencies with any assistance they may require for prosecution of this case.
We were grateful to hear that the Boston Police Department was very pleased with the citizen response to this investigation, including the number of leads they got, which they attributed to the popularity of craigslist.
Despite this arrest, we urge craigslist users to continue to exercise the same common sense precautions online as they would offline, for example always choose a public place with other people around when meeting someone for the first time.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:03 pm
It is time that Craigslist stopped advertising erotic services.
You need to remove that link from your service-get rid of any links that are suggestive.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:49 pm
This post will not help: they will double the efforts to shut down Erotic Services section. I think they should just ban the Internet- it will be safer that way in Cook county.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I think the media — especially the cable news media — are among the lowest of the low for tagging this despicable murder with the name ‘Craigslist’. Connecting craigslist to this murder is like blaming a piece of paper for the foreclosure notice printed on it. What if this murderer first found his victim in a supermarket — or in a park, or heck, on the planet Earth? Would this then be the “Earth Murder”, implying that the Earth has become a dangerous place that should be avoided? Among those that do no understand the Internet very well, there have always been those suspicious of it. To any of you out there reading this, please do not be influenced by this sensationalist, Internet-bashing kind of ‘news’. While my heart goes out to the victims and families of this despicable act, we must keep in mind that this predator would have acted out regardless of whether Craigslist and/or the Internet even existed. What web site did Jack the Ripper use?
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:55 am
I don’t know - this comes on the heels of a lot of bad press for Craigslist re: prostitution. It’s not occurring in a vacuum. If the prostitution issue wasn’t part of this story, he probably wouldn’t be labeled the “Craigslist Killer.” I love Craigslist, use it daily to find work, but there’s a reason it’s getting so much attention with this story.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:36 pm
As a LEGITIMATE and LICENSED massage therapist I am sick of craigslist allowing erotic services to be listed and advertised. The board of massage therapists in my state does what it can to police the craigslist site, but I think craigslist should too. They say illegal activities will not be tolerated on craigslist yet they include an erotic section because people requested it???? That’s absurd. If people request a ‘pot for sale’ section are you going to put that on there too? Of course people WANT erotic services, but they are ILLEGAL and they hurt the livelihood and respectability of LEGITIMATE licensed professionals who use craigslist to advertise. I love craigslist as much as the others who posted above, I met my boyfriend on there, I found 2 jobs on there, and have bought and sold many services and products. I use it daily. But if they say illegal activities will not be tolerated, they need to remove the illegal sections and police their own site.
However, I realize my comments don’t have much to do with this killer. He could have done his evil without the help of craigslist. It’s just that if craigslist doesn’t want to be involved in these heinous crimes, they need to eliminate the illegal section(s) on their site. Erotic services is obviously illegal. Just get rid of it!
Also, the spokesperson for craigslist today said that it is stupid to commit crime using the site because there is an electronic link to you and you’ll get caught. How are these criminals going to get caught if no one is policing the site???? Why are there prostitutes advertising every day on this site and not getting caught??? The things he says do not make sense.
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:53 pm
First of all, let’s remember: Julissa Brisman wasn’t exactly Mother Theresa. She was selling herself for money, no better than any other girl on a corner somewhere in the red light district of your own town. Her death was unnecessary, yes, and tragic. Her life needed more guidance.
Mourn her death. But don’t say what she did was “innocent”.
CraigsList is caught in the middle on this. On the one hand, they want to distance themselves from their involvement in the murder. Brisman’s ad wasn’t on Yahoo or Facebook, was it? But on the other hand, its business-as-usual in their “erotic services” ads, which by the way require a $5(?) posting fee on a site where everything else is free.
And if they *do* cut “erotic service” ads, what then? They’ll just migrate into the personals ads anyway, which is probably where they were before.
You may recall that CraigsList had an ongoing problem with hooker ads long before Brisman’s murder, and they could no more solve it then than they can now.
Blame CraigsList if you want, but if Brisman didn’t post her ad here, it would have been somewhere else.
And she’d still be dead because of it.
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I JUST STARTED USING CRAIG LIST THIS YEAR AND NEVER LOOKED ON THE “EROTIC SITE” UNTIL ALL THE NEWS ON THE “CRAIG LIST MURDER.”
I COULD NOT BELIEVE THESE GIRLS ARE STUPID ENOUGH TO ADVERTISE THERE PROSITUTION SERVICES ONLINE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ILLEAGEL IN MOST STATES. WHY ARE THEY NOT ARRESTED AS IT IS PLAIN TO READ AND SEE BY THE PICTURES THEY POST WHAT THEY ARE SELLING?
I’M 62 YEARS OLD AND NO ANGEL, BUT WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT YOU ALLOW POSTING LIKE THIS. IT IS NOT CRAIG’S LIST FAULT SHE IS DEAD, BUT YOU ENCOURGE PERVERTS TO USE YOUR SITE BY ALLOWING THIS. SHE IS DEAD BECAUSE OF HER OWN BAD JUDGEMENT.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
First of all, whether or not craigslist allows illegal services, a preditor is a preditor. When there is a will, there is a way. He could have easily lured women anywhere by pretending he wanted to buy something from her, sell something to her, or offer her services. It does not matter if the services were illegal or not, because he would have done it somehow. Therefore, people really need to be smarter about meeting strange men late at night. It does not make sense that you would voluntarily meet with a man that you do not know, in an unsafe environment all by yourself without letting someone know. That is just crazy, especially in a world like the one we live in today.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:25 pm
I think that craigslist should remove the erotic service. I personally think it is becoming more of a prostitution service. And that is illegal. Sex should not be for sale on craigslist. If these women had any respect for themselves they wouldn’t be selling their bodies on craigslist. GET A REAL JOB. There is plenty of children that go on this site, and I for one would not like my son seeing what I have seen.
April 24th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Samten says “As a LEGITIMATE and LICENSED massage therapist I am sick of craigslist allowing erotic services to be listed and advertised.”
There is a section for you to advertise on CL, so what is your problem with the ES section. If CL does remove the ES section the pros will go elsewhere there are other sites have escort services, including daily newspapers. This poor girl was murdered because she was in a hotel room with a lot of cash and she fought back when the guy tried to rob her. It is tragic that someone would do this to another person. But to blame CL and the ES section will not solve the issue of prostitution.
April 24th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I hope Craigslist doesn’t back down on the erotic columns, they are fun to read and look at. And probably many people stop just their, both posting and reading to get a few kicks and laughs.
Some people probably post just to see if they get a hit to carry out a fantasy, probably some read them for a fantasy and maybe even call but never carry out. Some probably even go and meet or get a massage and find out that is all they are going to get or want. You go to a movie for a fantasy or entertainment and probably some-many do the same on Craigslist.
This is probably much better and safer than standing out on the street and carryin it out! Also if any one has ever gone to the Erotic Exotic Ball and sees what does on, even many high class people like going out and being exotic once and awhile with no harm done!
If these people don’t use Craigslist to act out, then check out the local newspapers and singles magazines, they have personal ads where the same thing could happen.
It was a shame it happened through Craigslist, its a shame it happened, its a shame for the girl and her family and friends, but don’t directly blame Craigslist, blame society and the perverts.
I still think Craigslist is a much better medium than the magazines or standing on the street and much less problematic. And of course the police would like to shut down the massage parlors too.
Society should realize this problem is as old as the chicken and egg, and some mothers and girls help support themselves, their families, (including elderly mothers and fathers this way and their way through school for the economy is so bad.)
Only to find out getting through school there is still hardly any jobs!
April 25th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
While I am against the selling of so called “Erotic Services” I fail to see how removing this section of craigslist will help to stop weirdos from doing there thing. If removed it will just make it old school where they use news papers, telephone books or other methods. The call to ban is just political pandering.
April 26th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
The diversity of opinion in these few comments shows that this is a very debatable situation…and one that has come up in relationship to all media in which illegal activity is possible (I don’t mean encouraged, condoned or allowed, but POSSIBLE). And there is, as of yet, any definitive resolution.
The reason for that is that this issue has to do with individual behavior and choices, not with the media itself. Craig’s List rules are clear and well-defined. Those who post illegal ads are making a personal choice to abuse the freedoms that are offered to us ALL. If there were a solution that satisfied everyone, didn’t interfere with our freedoms, and didn’t break the law, Craig Newmark and his staff would have already come up with it.
In truth, they have. The unique setup of Craig’s List, which allows the community itself to police and flag inappropriate ads, is a brilliant and workable solution. It simply requires participation. So anyone who posts that Craig’s List should not be allowing such ads is forgetting that they have been empowered with just that capability. Talk without action is useless. Exercise the powers you’ve been given.
I also agree with the post here that says it’s wrong to have associated the name “Craig’s List” with that crime. That’s another example of the ignorance and stupidity of the media, and the sensationalism that is turning “news” into entertainment at the expense of intelligence. Were Craig the sort of person to do so, he would have a case in a defamation lawsuit. The crime had nothing to do with Craig’s List, and EVERYTHING to do with a killer who chose to kill someone.
I have a very high respect and regard for Craig Newmark’s unwavering dedication to his very intelligent mission. Through the years and through intense pressures, he has stayed his course and I admire that beyond words. That makes the labelling of this killer as the “Craig’s List Killer” even more ridiculous…it is a media attack on Craig and his integrity. They hate Craig for his strength and vision.
D. Bruce Stevens
April 27th, 2009 at 12:12 am
Duh, I should say JIM, Craig and staff…..
April 29th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
you should not get rid of anything on craigslist. we cant live in a world where we change things based on bad people. then they win. I think the best thing to do is pray for the sick. thank god its not are family member. I feel so bad for his girlfriend. here is a person that was going to marry him. to think she let him touch her. ofcourse she does not want to belive it because then she was fooled like everyone else. he wanted to help her heal he would tell her the truth. but he is sick. he probley will get a mental pass.
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Ok, to the guy that said “Society should realize this problem is as old as the chicken and egg, and some mothers and girls help support themselves, their families, (including elderly mothers and fathers this way and their way through school for the economy is so bad.)” That is the most barbaric thing I have heard in a long time. You obviously are a man and support prostition but geezzz do you have any clue how many women’s lives are ruined because of prostition? How dare you make it look like it’s a great paying job or a great way to get by when times are tough or something! The only one who benefits from prostitution is the men! The sex trade industry is dispicable and human beings are being used for profit at the expense of their safety and their lives just for money. Young girls are taken at very early ages and forced into a life of degrading sexual practices. Nothing good has EVER come out of prostitution and shame on you for making it look that way!
June 8th, 2009 at 10:48 am
I think that craigslist is a great place, however needs some work. The media has tagged craigslist because obviously this is where the connection was made. We all know that these types of things happen everyday and should be more aware of who, what, where, when and why.
April 12th, 2010 at 9:47 am
I think prostitution should just be legalized and go back to the way it had been for 1000s of years. As americans your standard believe system says that if something caused any problems, you remove it. That’s what you did wih the british, indians, and everyone/everything in betweem that’s why this country is so hated. People here are not capable of trying to understand the cause/origin of a problem before agreeing to remove it all together. Its embarrassing to think that the moral majority has come to this point. How can we still be no better than the stubborn 2 yr old who doesn’t want to share his toys?