"Craigslist Murder" Suspect's Wedding Off
The scheduled August wedding of "Craigslist murder" suspect Philip Markoff isn't going to happen.
Robert Honecker Jr., the lawyer for Markoff's fiancée, Megan McAllister, told Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen Thursday that, even though his client still considers herself to be engaged to Markoff, "The wedding that's been planned is obviously off."
The word came after an emotional jailhouse meeting Wednesday between Markoff and McAllister -- their first since he was put behind bars -- and as reports surfaced of potentially damning new evidence against Markoff.
He's charged with shooting Julissa Brisman, who'd advertised her services as a masseuse on Craigslist, on April 14 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place hotel. He's also accused in the robbery at a nearby hotel of another woman who'd placed a similar ad on the Website.
Markoff has pleaded not guilty.
McCallister ignored reporters as she entered the jail to visit Markoff. The meeting, which Honecker described as "candid and frank," lasted 25 minutes. Honecker says he doesn't expect her to visit again in the "near future," adding, "I think she feels good about coming up to see him, but now it's time to move on with her life."
New reports say police found 16 pair of women's underpants -- allegedly souvenirs from his victims -- and 60 pair of plastic restraints hidden under the bed Markoff shared with McCallister.
McAllister didn't appear to be wearing an engagement ring.
But Honecker told Chen Thursday, " There's been no breakoff of the engagement. ... She went to the jail with her mother. She met with him for 25 minutes. Obviously, that conversation was just between her and her fiancée.
"When she came down from that conversation, she was emotional, obviously, and she also realizes that he faces serious charges, and there's a point where he has to face those charges through the criminal justice system, and she has to move on with the things that she also has planned, other than their wedding, in her life. And that's what she's going to do.
"Right now, the August -- the wedding that's been planned is obviously off. There are no plans to reschedule any wedding; it's being dismantled. Those familiar with weddings -- it takes a little bit to put them together and it takes a little bit to take them apart. And that's being done at this point. And quite frankly, the charges that he faces makes it unlikely that it will be rescheduled.
" ... She's still supporting him. She still believes in him. She believes in the person that she knows, and loves. And the person described in the media, and by authorities, is not that person. Obviously, she realizes that with the serious charges, that his fate should rest in the criminal justice system. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. And she should allow that process to play out until his fate is decided."