Charges filed in Craigslist house pillaging

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By ADAM LYNN
Tacoma News Tribune
Thursday, May 17, 2007

The great Craigslist caper might have been an inside job.

A Puyallup woman is scheduled to appear in court next week to answer charges that she placed an advertisement on the popular Web site that led to her aunt's Tacoma house being ransacked by strangers.

Nichole Marie Blackwell, 28, is charged with one count each of second-degree burglary, first-degree malicious mischief and first-degree criminal impersonation in the incident.

Detectives believe she posted an ad on Craigslist on March 24 inviting the public to "come and take anything you want" from the house on East 64th Street, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed last week in Pierce County Superior Court.

They also contend she illegally entered the house to retrieve some of her mother's belongings the same day.

Under questioning from detectives, Blackwell admitted to placing the ad to get back at her aunt, Laurie Raye, the court documents state.

"Blackwell said that she had disliked the victim for years and was upset because the victim had evicted her mother from the house in question without letting her mother get her possessions," the affidavit states.

Blackwell said she used a friend's old e-mail account to post the ad, which was titled "everything free," according to court records.

"Nothing is off limits," the ad stated.

And nothing was.

People descended on the house in short order and made off with nearly everything, including the kitchen sink and the front picture window.

Raye went to check on the rambler once owned by her mother a few days later to find it ransacked.

The story made international headlines, and Raye was besieged by media requests. A producer from one of those home makeover shows even called from Hollywood.

Craigslist cooperated in the investigation, turning over to police records pertaining to the ad.

Raye said she's not surprised her niece is accused in the crime. Raye said she and Blackwell's mother have feuded for some time. Blackwell's mother has not been implicated in the crime.

Raye also said she wants Blackwell to "suffer the consequences."

"I don't have any compassion," said Raye, adding that she currently is trying to take out a loan to repair the damaged rambler.

Efforts to reach Blackwell for comment were unsuccessful.

(Contact Adam Lynn at adam.lynn(at)thenewstribune.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps-McClatchy Western Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)