In the spring of 2009, a promising young man's life took a dark and unexpected turn, leaving a trail of violence and unanswered questions. Philip Markoff, a 23-year-old second-year medical student at Boston University, was on a path to a bright future. He was engaged to be married and was known by those around him as a brilliant and dedicated student.
However, beneath this polished exterior lurked a sinister secret that would soon come to light.
The series of events that would expose Markoff's double life began on April 10, 2009, with the armed robbery of an escort at the Westin Copley Place Hotel in Boston. Four days later, on April 14, the situation escalated tragically. Julissa Brisman, a 25-year-old masseuse who had advertised her services on Craigslist, was found dead in her room at the Copley Marriott hotel. She had been shot three times and had suffered blunt force trauma to her head. The investigation into these crimes quickly led police to suspect a connection, pointing to a single individual who was using the online classifieds site to target his victims.
Security footage from the hotels captured images of a tall, young, blond man, and digital evidence from emails and cell phone activity began to point investigators in the direction of Philip Markoff. After a period of surveillance, police made their move. On April 20, 2009, Markoff and his fiancée were pulled over in a traffic stop as they were heading to a casino. He was arrested and subsequently charged with murder, armed robbery, and kidnapping. A search of his apartment uncovered a semi-automatic handgun hidden inside a hollowed-out 'Gray's Anatomy' textbook, along with duct tape and restraints. Investigators also found bloodstains on a pair of his shoes that were later matched to Julissa Brisman.
Markoff pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his fiancée initially stood by him, professing his innocence. However, as the evidence mounted, their wedding was called off, and she eventually broke off their engagement. While awaiting trial at the Nashua Street Jail in Boston, Markoff made several suicide attempts. On August 15, 2010, just one day after what would have been his first wedding anniversary, Philip Markoff was found dead in his cell. He had used a makeshift knife to sever arteries in his legs and neck and had also suffocated himself with a plastic bag. In his final moments, he had scrawled his former fiancée's name on the wall in his own blood, leaving behind a grim and tragic end to a case that had captivated and horrified the nation.
