Online Craigslist nanny ad ends in death

A Minnesota woman wanted to inquire a nanny job advertised on Craigslist, but was found dead in the trunk of the car. The man who posted the advertisement is arrested pending charges.

Katherine Ann Olson, 24, saw an advertisement on Craigslist, an online classifieds website for jobs and apartments. Olson was interested in a nanny job so she went to a place in Savage, Minnesota to inquire about the job, but didn’t return. She was last seen by her friends on Thursday morning, when she told one of them she was going to inquire about a job. A 19-year-old Savage man was placed in custody and being held pending charges. Authorities have not released too many details about him, whether he was involved or not. Also, the police didn’t say the motive behind the killing. A Savage resident found Olson's purse in a garbage can at Pacer Park. Police at that time didn’t know Olson was missing; they had called Olson’s home to inquire about the missing purse. Later police found Olson was missing since Thursday at 8 a.m. when she went to interview for the nanny job. The police investigated the park and the garbage can, they found a bloody towel according to Police Capt. David Muelken. They searched the area and found a car in the parking lot of Rudy Kraemer Nature Preserve in Burnsville, a few blocks from Pacer Park. The car belonged to Olson and in it they discovered her body in the trunk. Olson was a 2002 graduate of Park Cottage Grove High School, where she was co-valedictorian and from St. Olaf College in 2006. Her family said she took two nanny jobs earlier without any problems after answering the online ads, but this time it turned deadlier. It has become a predatory type of environment in some places that people will kill for no reason. Not all ads on Craigslist turn out this violent, but in the future, try to follow these precautions for any personal ads you see: 1.) If anyone wants to meet the seller or buyer, do so in a public place. 2.) Try to go with a friend of yours if you want to check the product. 3.) Ask questions before hand -- don’t try to ask questions later as it may lead to problems. 4.) Ask for a telephone number and tell your family about this transaction, where you are going to go. 5.) Only meet someone during daytime hours in a crowded area. Never meet in private homes. 6.) Ask if a seller has references. If they have an Ebay account, you can check their feedback to see the reliability of the seller. But even 100 per cent feedback may not show the true character, so use caution at all time. 7.) Don't reveal too many personal details to anyone. Only share information about the product being sold.