'Craigslist Killer' Suspect 'a Loving, Caring Person,' Fiancee Says

Megan McAllister says the Philip Markoff in the media is not the man she knows.

ByABC News via logo
April 27, 2009, 7:04 AM

BOSTON, April 27, 2009 — -- Accused "Craigslist killer" Philip Markoff's fiancee broke her silence today, saying she is standing by her man.

Through her new attorney, Robert Honecker Jr., Meghan McAllister released a statement today in which she thanked friends and family for their support andexpressed sympathy for "all of those afflicted by these events."

"I also love my fiance and I will continue to support him throughout this legal process," she said.

McAllister added she does not recognize the man she has seen in the media reports about the killing of one woman in Boston and the alleged attacks and robberies of two others, one in Boston and one in Warwick, R.I.

"What has been portrayed and leaked to the media is not the Philip Markoff that I know," she said in the statement. "To me and my family he is a loving and caring person and in the eyes of the law and the Constitution, he is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

"I just can only hope that the criminal justice system will not be overwhelmed and pursuaded by what is being put forth in the media. My fiance's fate should not rest in the court of public opinion, but rather in a court of law."

McAllister said she would cooperate with Markoff's attorney "as well as the Suffolk County district attorney's office as they both continue their investigation."

"I can only tell them what I know and what is the truth," she said in the statement. "I will expect that these discussions will occur within the next several days."

The statement today was McAllister's first comment on the case since she sent an e-mail to "Good Morning America" last week saying Markoff "could not hurt a fly" and that he is "a beautiful person, inside and out."

'Craigslist Killing' Suspect Taken Off Suicide Watch

Markoff has been taken off a jailhouse suicide watch, but he is described as "extremely withdrawn," law enforcement sources told ABC News earlier today.

Markoff was assigned to a suicide watch shortly after his arrest last week in connection with the murder of Julissa Brisman, a woman he contacted through an ad on the Internet site Craigslist where she offered erotic massages. He was also charged with the robbery of a second woman he met through Craigslist.