#25: Craigslist Nightmare - When Online Ads Turn Fatal

When a young woman from Las Vegas checked into an upscale Boston hotel in April 2009, she thought she was just conducting business as usual. Instead, she found herself zip-tied on a hotel room floor, staring down the barrel of a gun held by a tall, well-dressed man who spoke with unsettling politeness while systematically robbing her.

Five days later, another woman would cross paths with the same predator. This time, the encounter would end in murder.

Both victims had one thing in common: they had posted advertisements on Craigslist.

Within hours, surveillance photos emerged showing their attacker—a clean-cut, attractive man who looked more like a college student than a killer. He appeared casual and nonchalant in the images, checking his phone as if he didn't have a care in the world.

But when police finally traced the digital breadcrumbs he left behind, what they discovered would shock even seasoned investigators. The man hunting women through online classified ads was someone no one would suspect—someone with everything to lose and a future that seemed guaranteed.

How did investigators crack the case using cutting-edge digital forensics? What did they find hidden in his apartment that revealed the true scope of his crimes? And what drove someone who appeared to have it all to live such a dangerous double life?

Join us as we unravel the story of how America's most popular classified ads website became a hunting ground, and how one man's carefully constructed facade crumbled in a matter of days, leaving behind devastating consequences that would change internet safety forever.

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of violence and may not be suitable for all listeners.