Diamond Ring Ad on Craigslist Leads to Murder

(May 7) -- It seemed like a good idea -- make some extra cash by selling a diamond ring on Craigslist. But a Washington state man who opened his door to what he thought was a prospective buyer found a band of murderous thieves instead, police said.

Jim Sanders, 43, spoke on the phone to a man who responded to his website ad. He gave the man his address in Edgewood, a Tacoma suburb, and set up a meeting time so the buyer could inspect the ring, police said. But when Sanders answered the door on April 28, three men and a woman stood on the doorstep. One of the strangers pulled a gun and the gang forced its way inside, police said.

Within moments, the intruders had tied up Sanders, his wife, Charlene, and the couple's two sons, investigators said. The family were beaten and pistol-whipped as they watched the thieves gather up their valuables, including the diamond ring, ABC News reported.

"They ripped my wedding ring off my finger," Charlene Sanders told reporters. "I kept saying, 'Take it, take anything you want.' I was screaming but I just didn't care. 'Just take it all. I won't even say a thing.' "

The couple's 14-year-old son tried to stop the thieves, and Jim Sanders managed to break free of his binds. Shots were fired, and Sanders fell to the ground.

"My husband was a hero," Charlene Sanders said. "He always said he [will] protect his family. He told the boys that he'll always protect his family. And he died protecting his family."

Police have arrested Joshua Nathan Reese, 20, Kiyoshi Alan Higashi, 22, and Amanda Knight, 21. All three have been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and assault. All three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The fourth alleged assailant, Clabon Terrel Berniard, 23, is still on the loose.

Berniard came to Seattle from New Orleans after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina, KOMO News reported. He made the news once before, as a hero who had a hand in saving two people from a burning home on Jan. 25, 2007.

Now, police have launched a nationwide manhunt for Berniard.

Police said the Craigslist-facilitated robbery did not happen by chance.

"These people were casing Craigslistings with this intent," Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department told ABC News. "Their intent was never to buy that ring. Their intent was to go there and commit a robbery."

Charlene Sanders attended a court hearing Wednesday for Knight, the young woman charged in her husband's death.

"It was a complete nightmare," Sanders told reporters afterward. "It's really sad that there's so much evil. I mean, there's a lot of good in this world -- and I've seen the good -- but when I saw her I started to shake because I thought, 'Oh, they took my husband from me.' "