by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright April 24, 2009
All Rights Reserved.

        Accused of murdering masseuse Julissa Brisman April 14, 22-year-old Boston University med student Philip Markoff stood silently during a brief arraignment in Boston Municipal Court.  Markoff, a second-year med student, stands accused of finding Brisman on Craiglsist, luring her to the Marriott Copley Plaza Hotel and shooting her through the heart.  Boston police also fingered Markoff in another Craigslist robbery at a different hotel on April 10.  An unnamed police source speculated that Markoff might have had a gambling problem, prompting his armed-robberies and even murder.  Despite finding as semiautomatic pistol and duct-tape at Markoff’s apartment, his fiancée, Megan McAllister told ABC News in an e-mail that Philip Markoff  “could not hurt a fly,” insisting they had the wrong guy.  But Boston police were confident a methodical investigation led to the right man.

            Murderers, gamblers and sex perverts come in all shapes in sizes.  It’s not uncommon for loved ones or friends to be shocked when they learn of possible criminal activities.  Few people wanted to believe that O.J. Simpson’s friendly face on Monday Night Football or Hertz Rent-a-Car commercials could have slashed his ex-wife and her friend to death.  McAllister is going to be in disbelief until she looks objectively at the same evidence as Boston police.  Boston police tracked Markoff carefully, following computer records that linked him to an account used to set Craigslist appointments with two women attacked at his Quincy apartment.  Markoff’s muteness at his arraignment indicates he sees no reason to protest too loudly, something inconceivable for an innocent man.  No innocent man accused of murder could keep himself from loudly setting the record straight.     

            Police investigators confirmed Markoff’s identity on two separate surveillance tapes, including one at Marriott’s Copley Plaza Hotel.  Though told by police, Markoff’s fiancée still called him “a beautiful person, inside and out,” wishing “and share a wonderful, meaningful life together,” personifying the meaning of the expression “love is blind.”  Suffolk County District Atty. Daniel Conley said investigators found a semiautomatic handgun and duct tape, calling the evidence against Markoff “critical, powerful.”  “This was a brutal, vicious crime—savage, and it shows Philip Markoff is a man who will to take advantage of women, to hurt them, to beat them,” said Conley, describing the second-year BU med student as a vicious predator.  While McCallister remains in denial, all evidence points to a psychopathic killer, cleverly concealing his violent propensities.

            Whether the motive was robbery or misogynism, the same psychopathic core made up Markoff’s exterior façade, covering up the internal caldron of rage that seeks out innocent bystanders for perverse gratification.  “It’s hard for me to get into his mind. The evidence that we have is that Julissa put up a pretty tough struggle and it’s in the context of the struggle that she lost her life,” said Conley, ignoring what’s known about psychopathic killers or sex perverts.  Family and friends don’t know what lurks beneath the outward façade, frequently making pleasing appearances.  Unconfirmed police reports suspect Markoff had gambling debts from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal casino near Mystic, Connecticut.  Compulsive gambling, sexual perversity, domestic abuse, violent propensities and an atrophied sense of guilt are all part of the psychopathic core leading to aberrant behavior.

            Reports of family and friends display disbelief when psychopaths find their way into the legal system.  “This is not my grandson.  I know my grandson,” Markoff’s lawyer grandfather told the Boston Globe.  “I hate to see a rush to judgment . . .  He’s a wonderful boy, just absolutely wonderful, and couldn’t be better.  I’m proud of him and proud of his abilities as a medical student.  He always wanted to be a doctor,” expressing the denial accompanying psychopathic personalities.  Family and friends miss the warning signs, especially the charming demeanor that camouflages the compulsive lying and hidden perversity.  Boston police have at least two surveillance tapes placing Markoff at two crime scenes.  State University of New Yorkk at Albany friend James Kehoe confirmed Markoff’s identity on the tape.  Markoff’s fiancée, grandfather and friends share the same denial.

            Markoff’s lack of a response at his arraignment tells the whole story.  No innocent man falsely accused of murder would not loudly protest his innocence.  Robbery represents a feeble motive, unfairly diverting attention away from Markoff’s psychopathic personality, whose twisted self-structure derives sadistic pleasure from domination and ultimate violence.  No one knows for sure all the motives behind psychopathic predators.  Their amicable dispositions mask a disturbed core of rage and sexual perversity.  While it’s not known whether or not Markoff sexually assaulted his victims, sexual frustrations are typically found as the basis of criminal behavior and violent propensities.  Targeting women who advertised “exotic services” on Craigslist gives a free X-ray into the misogynist internal core that drove Markoff to target innocent women as his victims.

 About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2002 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.