Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Arguments begin in Craigslist murder case

From FOX 9 News in Minneapolis:

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - With jury selection complete, opening arguments are set to begin March 23 in the trail of a Savage man accused of murdering a babysitter who answered an ad on Craigslist.

Michael John Anderson, 20, (pictured) is charged with first-degree murder in the October, 2007 shooting death 24-year-old Katherine Ann Olson.

According to the criminal complaint, Anderson posted the phony babysitter-for-hire ad on Craigslist, luring Olson to his home in Savage on Oct. 25. The next day, Olson's body was found in the trunk of her car in a Burnsville park.

The first witnesses are also expected to take the stand Monday, including the Olson's parents and the first office to arrive at the murder scene.

Anderson has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys say the shooting was accidental and that Anderson has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism. But the judge ruled that argument insufficient to show that the disorder had anything to do with Olson's death.