The most horrible Craigslist Killing ever

Beware. This is tough to read. An expectant woman had spotted an ad on Craigslist asking for baby clothes, so she contacted the ad placer—a woman—then went to her Longmont, Colorado house alone.

The woman stabbed the would-be seller and removed the seven-month-old fetus. The baby died but the victim survived.

When police arrived, the 26-year-old victim was there but the fetus was gone. The 34-year-old psycho supposedly did not know the victim. She had her husband drive her to the same hospital that the victim went to, claiming that the fetus, which she had with her, was a miscarriage.

Oddly, the stabber has two kids already, and her husband is not a suspect.

Six weeks prior, Craigslist got negative attention when an elderly couple was murdered after responding to an ad for a car.

It's a novelty to point out that these ads were placed on Craigslist, but there is nothing inherent about this medium for advertising that makes it dangerous.

The root of the problem is that of meeting strangers alone in secluded or barren locations. Making this worse is when the ad responder is physically compromised, such as from elderly age or pregnancy. What on earth are they thinking?

One solution is the so-called safe zone, a designated trading spot where Craigslist sellers and buyers meet, out in the open, around other people, such as at a police station parking lot.

Currently there are safe zones in 22 states; they are listed on the Safe Trade Stations website.

If your state doesn't have one, or if the one in your state is far away, then the next best thing is to arrange to meet the seller or buyer in a public spot full of people such as at a busy café, if the item they're selling is small enough. And bring someone with you.

If it's a car or other very large item for sale, this makes things more challenging as far as location of the meeting. Bring two people with you, and try to arrange the meeting in a public spot, if at all possible. If you can't find anyone to accompany you, and the item for sale can't be transported to a public spot, then pass up the deal.