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Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The Craigslist creepshow continues. And as expected, the personals section has become a common, and unwelcome destination for predators searching for their human prey.

One of the latest examples unfolded in Seattle, and on the very same day Phil Markoff was charged with murdering a woman he allegedly met on the online classifieds site.

But this time, authorities say the suspect didn't conceal his intent to kill. They insist he was actively soliciting for a victim.

According to detectives, Shawn Tyler Skelton posted an ad on April 22 in the Casual Encounters subcategory of Craigslist. The headline was "Strange Desire." Strange it was.

Skelton allegedly was looking for a woman to sleep with and to kill.

The macabre sex & murder request got the attention of the Seattle Police Department Vice Squad. The team needed to determine if the ad was an "anonymous fantasy" or a violent threat.

To find out, an undercover cop with Vice replied to Skelton's Craigslist posting. The communication, police say, left no doubt that the suspect wanted to commit murder.

The cops said Skelton "indicated that he posted the advertisement looking for someone who wanted to be killed, but that he was willing to kill an unwitting participant. Further, he suggested that he be paid for the act."

Convinced Skelton intended and was prepared to kill a woman, the Vice Squad set a trap in motion. After communicating by email with the suspect for several days, the suspect agreed to meet the person he thought was going to be his murder victim at a hotel. But only after Skelton allegedly detailed what kind of sex acts would ensue and how he would murder her. He also apparently wanted to be paid for completing both acts.

Seven days after his Craigslist ad was posted, Skelton arrived at the motel where law enforcement was waiting for him. He was arrested on April 27 and charged with attempted murder.