A former Boston University medical student accused of killing a masseuse from Manhattan he met through Craigslist has been indicted on charges that he assaulted a stripper in Rhode Island.
A Kent County grand jury on Tuesday indicted Philip Markoff on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to commit robbery.
A Las Vegas stripper who offered lap dances has told Rhode Island investigators that she was bound with cord and held at gunpoint in April by a man she met through the Craigslist website. She said her assailant fled when her husband came to the hotel room. Rhode Island authorities issued an arrest warrant for Markoff in May.
Markoff has pleaded not guilty in Boston to killing Upper West Side resident Julissa Brisman, 25, at a Boston hotel on April 14. Brisman was found dead after being bashed in the head and shot three times. There was also evidence connecting Markoff to two other robberies that, fortunately, did not have such tragic endings.
The former medical student had been engaged to marry Megan McAllister over the summer, but his fiancee called the wedding off as media coverage of Markoff's alleged crimes escalated. Her lawyer said in April that he didn't believe the two would get back together in the foreseeable future.
Further investigation revealed Markoff's alleged exploits may have led him to troll for men on the Internet as well.
Craigslist dropped its erotic services section in May after two New Yorkers who posted ads in the section met a gruesome demise. Radio newsman George Weber was stabbed more than 50 times in his Brooklyn home after posting an ad for rough sex.
