List of Craigslist killers

The term Craigslist killer, in relation to current events, is a journalistic term of art that refers to a person or persons perpetrating the crime of murder against a victim who either posted advertisements to, or answered advertisements via Craigslist, a popular classified advertising website. Before the development of the Internet, when similar cases were described in the media, they were commonly known as "Want Ad Murders" and the perpetrators were called "Want Ad Killers" or "Lonely Hearts Club Killers", due to their method of finding victims through newspaper classified ads and personal or lonely hearts club ads.

Although, by definition, Craigslist will have been the initial contact point and a killing will have taken place in order for the suspcted, accused, or convicted perpetrator to be dubbed a Craigslist killer, the actual motivations of these criminals are varied. The victims' deaths may result from a robbery or a sexual encounter that turned violent. Some of these perpetrators may not have intended to commit murder, but killed their victims during the course of a struggle or to prevent capture. Each case is different.

The phrase "Craigslist killer," like "want ad killer," is generic; since 2007, several murder suspects who met their victims through Craigslist have each been referred to in the media as a "Craigslist killer." Of these men, two were accused of crimes committed within the one-month span of March and April 2009.

Notable Craigslist killers
The following individuals have used Craigslist to contact alleged or known victims; in addition, each has been referred to in the media as a convicted or accused "Craigslist killer":


 * Michael John Anderson, convicted of murdering Katherine Olson in Minnesota in October 2007.
 * Craigslist killer (New York); the murderer of ABC radio news reporter George Weber in New York in March, 2009; John Katehis has been accused of this crime.
 * Craigslist killer (Boston); the murderer of Julissa Brisman; also suspected in other attacks that occurred in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in April, 2009; Philip Markoff has been‎ accused of these crimes.