Boston Area News

BOSTON (WBZ) ― A Boston University medical student has been arrested in connection to the murder of a New York woman and an attempted robbery at two downtown Boston hotels.

Philip Markoff, 22, of Quincy, was arrested on Monday.

BU officials confirmed Markoff is a second year medical student at Boston University. Officials say when they learned of the charges against him, he was suspended.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said Markoff has no previous criminal record, but now faces several charges, including murder, armed robbery and kidnapping.

Markoff is accused of answering a Craigslist ad for massage services, meeting Julissa Brisman at the Copley Marriot last Tuesday and shooting her to death. He's also charged with robbing a second woman at the Westin Hotel in Boston.

Police in Rhode Island also think Markoff tried to rob a woman at a Holiday Inn last week. Police have not charged him in this incident. 

Markoff is originally from Sherrill, New York. He graduated high school in 2004. From there, he attended college at Suny Albany. After college, Markoff moved to the Boston area where he attends medical school at Boston University.

FIANCÉE DEFENDS MARKOFF

Markoff was engaged to be married this summer. The ceremony was to be held in August on the Jersey Shore.

His fiancée, Megan McAllister, told ABC News the police are wrong about Markoff. "Unfortunately you were given wrong information as was the public," McAllister wrote to ABC News in an e-mail. "All I have to say to you is Philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly! A police officer in Boston (or many) is trying to make big bucks by selling this false story to the TV stations. What else is new?? Philip is an intelligent man who is just trying to live his life so if you could leave us alone we would greatly appreciate it. We expect to marry in August and share and wonderful, meaningful life together."

Markoff lives in a Quincy apartment where investigators were waiting Monday night for a search warrant.

"He was getting married. I can't believe his fiancée had no idea," said neighbor Brian Franks.

Markoff's family had no comment Tuesday. It did not appear any of his family members attended his arraignment.

NEIGHBORS STUNNED

Neighbors told WBZ they were stunned at the news of Markoff being charged with murder.

"He seemed like a regular guy. He went to BU. He was a med student," said neighbor Jacqui Levine.

Neighbor Mike Dye said he had invited Markoff over for drinks.

"Didn't think anything of it until all the sudden, they said, 'Phil,' and then I remember kind of what the pictures look like a little bit in my head and where he lived, and I just put everything together," Dye said. "He seemed like a totally normal guy to us," he added.

NEGATIVE VIEWS TOWARD WOMEN?

A man who knew Philip Markoff in college spoke with Harry Smith of the Early Show Tuesday.

Joe Coe said he remembered that Markoff had some troubling views about women.

"He would say off-color comments about women and oppressed people, which would become an argument with me and other people who lived in the apartment," Coe said.

"Would you say he was Misogynistic?" Smith asked Coe.

"I would say as much as most men in our society," Coe said. "So there was layers of it. It wasn't anything that was over -- like you wouldn't think of him being a card carrying member of the KKK. But he was someone who had issues with people of color, had issues with women."

Police are asking anyone who has been a victim of robbery after placing an ad on Craigslist to please come forward.

Victims can call 401.468.4200 or Boston police at 617.343.4470 or the CrimeStoppers tip line at 1.800.494.TIPS.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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