There are dumb criminals, dumberer criminals, then idiots like this who make me thankful for court-appointed public defenders.
A woman advertised on the popular Internet site Craigslist for an assassin to kill the wife of a man with whom she'd had an affair, authorities said Saturday.I've bought and sold lots of crap on Craigslist, so I can vouch for the kinds of kooks you run into out there. People will email to tell you they're interested in the product, then never respond again. People will tell you they're coming to look at the furniture after work, then never show up. Then there was that really odd time when two guys came to buy a television from me and showed up with a pickup truck without a tailgate or any tiedowns. Mind you, the TV was like 150 pounds (this was one of those huge Sony's with a tube screen) and wide as a refrigerator. Considering all the hills in my neighborhood, I was grateful they were paying me in cash and locked the door as soon as they left. I knew this was going to end badly. Not even 30 seconds after they pulled off and rounded the corner, I heard a loud thud.
The ad by Ann Marie Linscott, 49, was posted in November as a generic request for somebody to perform a "freelance" job, court document said. Her true intention was only communicated to those who e-mailed her seeking additional information about the job, the Craigslist CEO said.
Linscott offered $5,000 for the hit, had the name and work address of the woman she wanted dead and she described successful candidates as "silent assassins," according to agents and court documents.
Two women and one man responded to the ad, with at least one applicant believing it to be an offer for freelance writing work. During subsequent emails, Anne Marie divulged that the task was actually a hit.
"Marie informed (one of the people who responded) that she was looking for 'silent assassins' and she asked him to eradicate a targeted victim," offered 5,000 dollars for the job and provided the address, name, age and occupation of the man's wife.
"Asked what she meant by 'eradicate,' Anne Marie said 'Duh. Well to have her killed," the court documents said.
The intended victim and her husband have not been identified.
Note to anyone selling crap on Craigslist: Get paid in cash.
Sure, that story had nothing to do with this odd case of Ann Marie Linscott, but it's still funny to this day.
As for Linscott, how stupid do you have to be to post a hit on Craigslist. Even OJ knows that's a bad look. Aren't there Soldier of Fortune magazines for that sorta stuff? Couldn't this chick have gone to a seedy bar down by the river or something like they do in all those LifeTime Movies For Women flicks? Not that I watch Wifetime or anything, so ya' know, I wouldn't really know and whatnot.
Either way, Linscott joins those two cats in The Natti who robbed a few banks and blamed it on rising tuition costs (riiigght) last year as AB's Dumbest Criminals of the New Millennium.
FBI: Woman Sought Hit Man on Craigslist [AP]
