Vanity Fair (October 2009)-Maureen Orth; "Killer @ Craigslist"

Craigslist killer Philip Markoff-photo illustration/Chris Mueller; photo/Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP Images

(Story reported by Maureen Orth for the October 2009 Vanity Fair) 

He was Andy and she was Morgan. Both were fake names. They never actually spoke to each other; all their communication was by e-mail or text message. He used a disposable Trac phone that would be hard to trace; her friend and employer pretended that she was Morgan when setting up their meeting via cyberspace. He found her listing as a masseuse in the Craigslist Erotic Services section last April 13, a Monday. She said she was visiting Boston for three days—she had a room on the 20th floor of the Boston Marriott Copley Place, an upscale Back Bay hotel. Using the e-mail address AMDPM@Live.com, he initially answered to the anonymous address provided by Craigslist. Her replies came back from massagesbymorganboston@yahoo.com.

At 4:37 p.m., he wrote, “I myself am visiting Boston and was looking for a 10 pm or later appointment tonight or tomorrow. Unfortunately, I will not be free any earlier.” Later he e-mailed again: “Morgan, I can still make it tonight but I am thinking tomorrow at ten would be better for me but otherwise I’ll be there tonight as planned. Thanks, Andy.”

(Click here to read the full text of Maureen Orth's great reporting on the Vanity Fair website.)