About this episode

This episode explores the chilling case of Michael John Anderson, who lured Katherine Ann Olson through a Craigslist ad and committed murder.

“The Craigslist Killer” In October 2007, 24-year-old Katherine Ann Olson , a bright theater and Hispanic studies graduate from St. Olaf College, responded to what seemed like a straightforward babysitting job posting on Craigslist. She arrived at a home in Savage, Minnesota, expecting to care for a child. Instead, she walked into a nightmare. This episode dives deep into the chilling case of Michael John Anderson , the 19-year-old who posed as "Amy" online to lure his victim. What started as a seemingly random ad quickly unraveled into a premeditated murder driven by a disturbing desire to know what it felt like to kill. Anderson shot Katherine in his parents' home, leaving behind a trail of evidence that would lead to his swift arrest and conviction. Jim explores Anderson's background, the investigation that exposed the deception, the dramatic trial where he was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder (among other charges), and his life sentence without parole. This case marked one of the earliest high-profile "Craigslist Killer" stories, highlighting the hidden dangers of early online classifieds in an era before widespread awareness of internet safety. Timestamps…

People in this episode

Host: Jim Chapman

Topics covered

• true crime
• murder case
• online safety
• investigation
• trial

Keywords

• Craigslist Killer
• Michael John Anderson
• Katherine Ann Olson
• murder
• investigation
• trial
• online classifieds

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: St. Olaf College

Places: Savage, Minnesota

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