Craigslist Killer Michael Anderson Gets Life Without Parole For The Murder Of Katherine Olson

Michael Anderson, known as the “Craigslist Killer” because he lured a woman to his home by posting an online ad for a babysitter, will face life without parole. Anderson’s lawyers said his client felt deep regret over what he’d done, but the court determined that he had shown no remorse and deserved no sympathy.

Twenty-four-year-old Minneapolis woman Katherine Olson responded to the babysitting ad that Anderson, 20, had placed on Craigslist. At some point after she’d arrived at his home, he shot her in the back and left her to die in the trunk of his car, surrounded by the children’s books she had brought along.

Throughout the six day hearing and Anderson’s sentencing, Olson’s parents and sister confronted their loved one’s killer and gave a glimpse into what they have been going through in the 17 months since Katherine was killed.

Katherine’s mother, Nancy, described a recurring dream she had been having since her daughter’s death:

She appeared to me as a 24-year-old, naked, with a bullet hole in her back and crawled into my lap. I cradled her for a long time trying to protect her from the cruel world.

When asked by the judge if he had anything to say, Anderson responded with a curt, “No,” in keeping with the stoic and detached demeanor he’d had throughout his trial.

Judge Theisen took Anderson’s detachment into account when addressing him at his sentencing. She told Anderson she believed he had shot Olson while she was running away, and called this an “act of cowardice.” With tears in her eyes, she said:

Why did you do this? You are the only one who knows, and I won’t pretend to understand it.

You have shown no remorse, no empathy, and I have no sympathy for you.

A warning to always bring a friend (as well as mace and/or self-defense skills) when meeting someone off Craigslist.

Craigslist killer gets life without parole [Star Tribune]