(NECN: Alysha Palumbo, Boston, Mass.) - Philip Markoff's suicide has left the family of his alleged victim - Julissa Brisman - in shock, according to their attorney, Djuna Perkins.
Investigators announced Tuesday that the accused Craigslist killer's death effectively ended their prosecution of Brisman's murder.
"Even a criminal prosecution would never have brought her back," Perkins said, "but it was all that they had."
Perkins says by writing his fiance's name in blood on his jail cell wall, and killing himself in the dramatic fashion prosecutors have described, in the eyes of the Brisman family, Markoff has again taken the attention off of Julissa.
"This clearly was a very narcissistic, sociopathic individual and once again in the manner that he did this is kind of taking center stage once again, diverting attention away from what he did to his victims," said Perkins.
She says what's troubling for the Brisman family is that Markoff never had to face them.
"It means that they don't have that one opportunity to confront him," said Perkins, "and let him know that they know what he did."
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Meanwhile, psychiatrists and prisoner rights advocates are weighing in on just how Markoff was able to kill himself inside the Nashua Street Jail.
Mass General psychiatrist David Mischoulon says you can follow the research and guidelines and still not predict a suicide attempt.
"In a case where someone says they're not going to hurt themselves, we have to often take their word for it," said Dr. Mischoulon.
But prisoner rights advocate Leslie Walker says a prisoner who's been on suicide watch before - like Markoff had - may just want to hide their suicidal thoughts to avoid another watch.
Walker said, "After a day or two or three, someone will say, I'm fine now, just let me the hell out of here."
