'Straight-Edge' Markoff's Pals Wonder What They Missed

Those who’ve known Philip Markoff throughout his life are at a loss to explain how a “straight-edge” young man stands accused of being the Craigslist killer, the Boston Globe reports. “If there were any clues” to a sordid alter-ego, “he hid them well,” said a college friend. Acquaintances described him as a hard worker and a high achiever, even in high school.

“He's that type that you'd like to mother, because he was just that nice young man,” said one of his high school teachers. But he was “wound pretty tight,” said one college friend; he was fascinated with poker and often drank heavily and instigated political debates at parties. Others noted Markoff’s social awkwardness, particularly around girls. “He had a hard time with it. He wasn't very outgoing, and he didn't usually get very far.”
(More Philip Markoff stories.)