murder_online

*UPDATE*

KENT, WA. – In a case that has all the earmarks of a Craigslist copycat, police say a Kent man tried to recruit women from the popular site to have sex with and then murder. But the man added an apparent twist to the methods employed by accused serial-killer Philip Markoff.

According to an article in the Seattle Times, the man actually broadcast his intent to kill. “Undercover detectives who saw the ad e-mailed the man, who said that he was looking for someone who wanted to be killed but that he was also willing to kill an unwitting victim — and wanted to be paid for it, as well, police said.”

In fact, by the time detectives had exchanged about 30 emails with the man, he had doubled his fee. Police staked out a Seattle motel Monday and arrested him when he arrived.

He’s being held in the King County jail. No word yet on whether any civilians were interested in taking him up on his offer.

UPDATE

The man arrested in case above has been named as Shawn Skelton. The charges against him can be read here.