Woman murdered after answering Craigslist ad

[Marilyn. 340]

this is scary...

A Minnesota woman was killed after answering a nanny job advertised on Craigslist. It is the first murder on the site, which offers free classified ads hawking just about anything you can imagine.

Katherine Ann Olson, 24, was found dead in the trunk of her car late Friday night at a park about 15 miles south of Minneapolis. She was last seen on Thursday morning, when she went to meet what she believed was a couple who recently relocated to the area and was in need of a babysitter, according to news reports.

Police have arrested a 19-year-old man they believe placed the ad. They have declined to identify the suspect except to say he worked at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He was arrested there Friday night.

Like a lot of online bazaars, Craigslist has its fair share of illegal activity. Prostitutes have long advertised their services there, and it's also been used by fraudsters pushing 419 schemes and other types of scams. It's the first known time the site has been used to lure a victim of murder.

"I can't recall a single case like it," Craigslist founder Craig Newmark told KARE 11 News. "I'd like to express my condolences. This is a real tragedy and we're more eager than ever to help deal with the bad guy."

Olson had landed two previous nanny jobs through Craigslist, including one in Turkey, according to reports.

Earlier on Friday, Olson's purse had been found in a trash can not far from where her body was recovered. Police later found a blood-soaked towel in the same can. Police haven't disclosed a cause of death.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/30/craigslist_murder/

[Ban Hammer 13,458]

wow

[almaty 19]

just wrong

[JODO 2]

[almaty 19]

wow, you go for a job ad..and end up dead..terrible

[ThaiStyleUSA 1]

WOW!!! That's very sad.

[Kevin and 10]

The guy will only be in the pen for about 8 years too . I wish we had the death penalty here. Average prison sentence in MN for a Violent Felony is 7.5 years

[Ladylethal 12]

Makes us think 10 times before using craiglist from now on, huh?

[no name 1]

They interviewed her family on the news last night - her sister said the girl KNEW something was fishy but went anyway. #######????? WHY????

And none of them cried - weird. Her parents, brother & sister. Kinda strange....

Edited October 30, 2007 by devilette

[Ladylethal 12]

Some people have weird reactions, and some people take days to cry 'cus they're in shock.

My brother, for example, never cries. If I've seen him cry twice in his life it was too many. I've seen him with his feet crushed under a heavy truck, had broken bones and all, and not shed a tear, have seen him with blood gushing off his head when he was just a child, no tears, our grandma died, no tears.

Only time I actually do remember him crying was one situation where he had failed in college and got a bad bashing down from my dad, and he felt so angry at himself for having failed that he cried, of anger to him, and anger for dad punishing him (no punish as in hit, but as in taking the car away and things like that).

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

It kind of reminds of the pilot episode of Criminal Minds

[AmericanGentleman 0]

People should be careful using these sites to sell things. I read an article one that did a study that tracked what items were being sold when the buyer turned out to be a crimminal. Jewelry and musical gear were the top two. It seems like certain items attract the wrong sort of people. Example, you would be in a lower risk selling a baby crib than a 2,000 car stereo.

[no name 1]

People should be careful using these sites to sell things. I read an article one that did a study that tracked what items were being sold when the buyer turned out to be a crimminal. Jewelry and musical gear were the top two. It seems like certain items attract the wrong sort of people. Example, you would be in a lower risk selling a baby crib than a 2,000 car stereo.

Did you even read the article? Nothing was sold.

[Kevin and 10]

People should be careful using these sites to sell things. I read an article one that did a study that tracked what items were being sold when the buyer turned out to be a crimminal. Jewelry and musical gear were the top two. It seems like certain items attract the wrong sort of people. Example, you would be in a lower risk selling a baby crib than a 2,000 car stereo.

Did you even read the article? Nothing was sold.

She was answering an ad for a nanny job.

[Fandango 1,439]

That is so terribly sad