The search continues for the young man who is a person of interest in the murder of Julissa Brisman, the New York City woman killed inside a Boston hotel room while meeting a man who had responded to her erotic massage ad on Criagslist. The FBI has been called in as authorities are investigating whether the murder is linked to a similar Craigslist-related attack in nearby Rhode Island. At a Holiday Inn outside Providence the previous Thursday, a woman was held up at gunpoint by a suspect with a similar description to Brisman's case. The woman in that case was meeting the suspect for "in-room dancing," also had her hands bound and was only saved when her husband broke into the room and chased the man away.
The police chief on that case said, "(The Rhode Island victim) may have been involved in some sort of a sex-for-money transaction when she had the confrontation...There are strong similarities here based on the information that we have, particularly the fact that there is a an individual who seems to fit the [Boston] description."
Friends say that Brisman was “embarrassed” by her gigs such going topless in order to make some easy money. The Daily News says that she spent six days at Rikers Island after a 2006 arrest on an unspecified charge. Friends have told reporters that she was a recovering alcoholic who hoped to become a counselor for Alcoholics Anonymous.
Brisman's murder, along with the recent gruesome killing of WABC radio newsman George Weber are at the heart of a New York Times look into the Craigslist's Casual Encounters section this weekend. Craigslist founder Craig Newmark says, “Casual Encounters was created in response to user demand for a section that allowed for a wide range of personal meeting and relationship options. In that sense, it’s probably an accurate inside look at how people like to connect these days."
