Several years ago while working as a police detective in a large city I assisted in the investigation of the murder of one woman and the attempted murder of another. I am reminded of these cases by the recent story in which a young girl answered an ad on Craig's List for the position of a nanny and ended up dead.

The murdered woman had been strangled and then placed in a tub of water. Several pieces of property were taken from her residence. The lucky woman who survived had placed an ad for the sale of a bedroom set on a card and posted it on the for sale board at the local market. An elderly male called her and made an appointment to see the bedroom set. This woman lived in an apartment complex, which may have saved her life. The suspect came to her residence and while looking at the bed set suddenly proclaimed that his watch stem had fallen off his watch. The woman, who we will now call the victim, got on her hands and knees and began looking through the carpet for the watch stem. The next thing she knew she was being choked and she lost consciousness. She came to but feigned she was still unconscious and found she was in the bathroom and the suspect was filling her tub with water. About this time someone in the apartment complex was coming down the hall and it spooked the suspect who made a quick exit from the apartment.

The victim was able to assist a police artist in a composite of the suspect and he was eventually identified as a recent parolee. It turns out he was living with his sister and her husband about two blocks from my home, where he was arrested. He admitted to the murder and the attempt murder of these women.

He had used the same M.O. (method of operation) on the murder victim. He had responded to an ad she had placed.

The moral to this sad tale is to be very, very careful when answering or placing ads of any kind.

* NEVER go to anyones residence alone. Even though you have someone with you, leave information as to where you are going and when you will return. Have a plan to call when you leave the location and if you don't call as planned the party awaiting your call is to contact the police.

* NEVER allow anyone into your residence without someone else there.

* NEVER put yourself in a vulnerable position such as looking for an item allegedly dropped on the floor.

* NEVER turn your back on a stranger.

* I am a firm believer in always having a mental plan of what to do in case of attack so you will be able to react immediately and confidently.

* I believe in having a self defense product in hand at the ready. There are many products that are very inconspicuous and could save your life such as the Pretender 950,000 volt cell phone stun gun, a pepper pen pepper spray, a pepper pager or at the least an electronic pocket whistle.

* If you have apprehension about the person go with your feelings.

As I always say, be safe, not sorry.