As the evidence mounts, so does Megan McAllister's resolve: She remains committed to Philip Markoff, the man identified by authorities as the "Craigslist Killer."
"To me and my family, he is a loving and caring person and in the eyes of the law and the constitution, he is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," she said in a statement Monday. "I just can only hope that the criminal justice system will not be overwhelmed and persuaded by what is being put forth in the media."
The statement was read by family attorney Robert A. Honecker Jr. outside the McAllister home in Little Silver, N.J. Markoff, 23, has been charged with the murder of a woman and the assault of another, both in Boston hotels. In a new twist, there's an allegation the preppy medical student used Craigslist to seek out men as well as women for sexual activities.
Markoff and McAllister, 25, were planning an August wedding, and the recent events have clearly strained her family.
When asked how Megan was doing, her father, Jim, with tears in his blue eyes, told reporters: "Megan is not doing so well, it's a very tense situation."
And in her statement, she says: "In the past two short weeks, my life and what I hoped my life to be has dramatically changed."
"I also love my fiancé and I will continue to support him throughout this legal process," she says.
McAllister says she intends to cooperate with Markoff's attorney and the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office within the next few days, but insists: "What has been portrayed and leaked to the media is not the Philip Markoff that I know."