MN - Katherine Olson, 24, dies in Craigslist killing, Savage, 25 Oct 2007

[dee10134]

I think it's the first murder, but not the first illegal act committed via craigslist. I remember reading about prostitution rings, one involving at least one underaged girl and a few rapes and robberies, but this is the first murder I recall.

I don't blame craigslist 100% on this, but they do have a responsibility to protect their users. In this case, they couldn't have guessed this "man" would murder this young woman. But, they don't tend to do much about prostitutes and scam artists posting ads on their site.

Craigslist does not have any more of a responsibility to protect its users than MySpace does. You meet people offline at your own risk.

 

[Eire]

They do have a responsibility to not allow postings which are illegal. In this, I don't feel they do a very good job. When a man can run a prostitution ring and one of his "girls" is underaged, something is wrong.

Of course they can't protect people from preditors they meet outside of the site. It is our responsibility to exercise caution and common sense when meeting people. I'd like to see them take complaints more seriously when somebody is being harassed via the site, but short of that you are correct. They can't read minds and figure out who is a danger and who is not.

 

[miimaa]

It's odd that no one has commented on the aspect that this woman responded to this ad to babysit a child SHE HAD NEVER MET. I don't think many people would leave their child with a stranger. At the same time, if someone I had never met was willing to leave their child with me I would wonder what the deal was.

I am in no way blaming the victim here because I do not know if she actually went there that day to babysit or to meet the family but I wonder if she wasn't a little naive. From what I've read she corresponded with an "Amy" for babysitting. I would feel very uncomfortable going to someone's house to watch their child without having met them first. Do people do this? I would also think that anyone who would let a stranger sit with their child is weird. I know that wasn't how this thing played out BUT that is what would be going through my mind BEFORE I went to the house in response to the ad.

 

[Eire]

I may be incorrect, but I was of the impression she was going there for an interview and not necessarily to babysit that day.

You are right though. Fist what sort of parent would leave their child with a babysitter they've never met and red flags should have gone up for the girl if she indeed was going there to work.

 

[Squishified]

It's odd that no one has commented on the aspect that this woman responded to this ad to babysit a child SHE HAD NEVER MET. I don't think many people would leave their child with a stranger. At the same time, if someone I had never met was willing to leave their child with me I would wonder what the deal was.

I am in no way blaming the victim here because I do not know if she actually went there that day to babysit or to meet the family but I wonder if she wasn't a little naive. From what I've read she corresponded with an "Amy" for babysitting. I would feel very uncomfortable going to someone's house to watch their child without having met them first. Do people do this? I would also think that anyone who would let a stranger sit with their child is weird. I know that wasn't how this thing played out BUT that is what would be going through my mind BEFORE I went to the house in response to the ad.

Was Ms Olson going there to actually babysit or to be interviewed for a babysitting position?

 

[SewingDeb]

From what I have read it was only for an interview.

 

[Squishified]

From what I have read it was only for an interview.

That's what I thought, too. I feel so bad for Ms. Olson. She didn't do anything wrong.

 

[GlitchWizard]

It's odd that no one has commented on the aspect that this woman responded to this ad to babysit a child SHE HAD NEVER MET. I don't think many people would leave their child with a stranger. At the same time, if someone I had never met was willing to leave their child with me I would wonder what the deal was.

I am in no way blaming the victim here because I do not know if she actually went there that day to babysit or to meet the family but I wonder if she wasn't a little naive. From what I've read she corresponded with an "Amy" for babysitting. I would feel very uncomfortable going to someone's house to watch their child without having met them first. Do people do this? I would also think that anyone who would let a stranger sit with their child is weird. I know that wasn't how this thing played out BUT that is what would be going through my mind BEFORE I went to the house in response to the ad.

When I started babysitting back in 1992, I put an ad in the paper for babysitting. It ran one day. The next morning, I had six LITTLE kids in my care. The only parent to actually interview me first came in and talked to me for less than 5 minutes to "be sure I was okay" and honest injun, went back to the car and brought in a gallon of milk - still cold - and a box of cereal, dropped the two little ones off and drove away.

That was the ONE that DID interview me. Parents are nuts. Four years later, this woman still was upset with me for not allowing her to have my daughter come over to her house without me.

 

[Jaded]

this was on one of his friends myspace
Steve's Friends Comments Displaying 49 of 91 comments ( View All | Add Comment ) ali





Oct 30 2007 1:26 PM

hey, call me this evening around 7. i need to ask you something kind of important. ali





Oct 30 2007 11:13 AM

well steve. mike admits to playing a big part in the murder. but he says they did'nt plan on killing her. he said that a freind was with him and his freind was the one who thought it would be funny to shoot her in the back. i have totally suspected that someone else is involved. the media is making it sound like he is convicted of shooting her and we are all safe. that is bull . there is still someone else out there who had the guts to shoot an innocent, unarmed woman in the back. they better be trying to figure it out. until the rest of this story surfaces you guard anesah and jordan(when you can) with your life. keep track of them with texting. PLEASE DON'T LET THEM GO ANYWHERE ALONE! tell us if jo is doing something unusual or strange. PLEASE. i'm really worried. because it is probably

Who is this girl?

 

[SewingDeb]

I was wrong. It was an actual babysitting job. Here's the criminal complaint:
http://www.shakopeenews.com/sites/default/files/tempcomp.pdf

 

[Squishified]

I was wrong. It was an actual babysitting job. Here's the criminal complaint:
http://www.shakopeenews.com/sites/default/files/tempcomp.pdf

Oh, thanks SewingDeb. Either way, it's just a horrible crime.

 

[SewingDeb]

She spoke with a woman. Who was that?

 

[SewingDeb]

You're welcome Squishified. It is horrible that you have to worry about what people's evil intentions might be. She didn't deserve this.

 

[Masterj]

She spoke with a woman. Who was that?

A funny sounding woman. I am guessing it was him trying to sound like a woman. I wanted to throw up reading that complaint. How absolutely tragic.

 

[tiredblondy]

How horrible !Anything new on this ???

 

[SewingDeb]

A funny sounding woman. I am guessing it was him trying to sound like a woman. I wanted to throw up reading that complaint. How absolutely tragic.

Thanks Masterj. I had a feeling he tried to disguise his voice while talking to her.

 

[believe09]

Second degree murder-murder without premeditation??? HUH??? He lured someone off of craigslist and had a loaded 357 magnum in his bedroom, not to mention he bound her legs, perhaps before or after, and then shot her in the middle of the back so you know she didn't die right away. How is this not premeditated?

 

[Squishified]

Second degree murder-murder without premeditation??? HUH??? He lured someone off of craigslist and had a loaded 357 magnum in his bedroom, not to mention he bound her legs, perhaps before or after, and then shot her in the middle of the back so you know she didn't die right away. How is this not premeditated?

Sure sounds premeditated to me.

 

[KatK]

Is he doing the "I/we only planned to scare/rob her" excuse route?! I don't buy it! :behindbar :behindbar :behindbar :behindbar :behindbar Lock him and his accomplice up!

 

[crypto6]

Sure sounds premeditated to me.

It may be a glitch of state law in that if they charged 1st degree at all they have to prove it at trial, so they go with 2nd degree and can upgrade as evidence allows. Anyone know MN law??


TN has an interesting system of letting the charges go in multiples, such as 1st degree or 2nd degree or.....
Makes for a long list of charges.

Crypto6