it's all right this is "nightline." >> tonight, caution on craigslist. a young woman left in a coma after an alleged roommate attack. >> when they found her, barely breathing. >> the risk behind the screen. >> the internet has been great but it also provides another avenue for bad guys to make us victims. >> can connecting on craigs list sometimes lead to tragic consequences? >> she broke the bottle over my head then stabbed it into my head. "black-ish" has confronted controversial topics before. >> i don't get what the big deal is, my friends use the "n" word all the time. >> which friends? >> now tackling police brutality. on set with the actors who are hoping to make viewers laugh and

these important topics at home. >> it's liberating to be part of something that's relevant. >> first the "nightline 5." >> when heartburn hits fight back fast. tums smoothies start dissolving the instant it touches your tongue and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. smoothies only from tums. come on and do it come on let's go

seco good evening. thank you for joining us. in the 20 years since its launch, craigslist has grown

postings to a global marketplace. a destination for millions and a boon for backyard commerce. but sometimes connections made on craigslist turn violent, even deadly. abc's geo benitez has this tragic and cautionary tale. >> reporter: when seven months pregnant, michelle wilkins responded to a craigs list ad for maternity clothes she thought shefd getting a bargain, never expecting what she says happened when she went to this house to make the purchase. >> she cut me. >> reporter: wilkins says she was attacked by the seller of the maternity clothes this woman, dinel lane, later arrested for the grisly attack, now on trial for attempted murder. wilkins' harrowing story of survival is part of a growing number of cases in which people are targeted by criminals, gravely injured, and in some cases murdered. all because they responded to an ad on craigslist. in fact over 100 murders have recently been linked to chrisraigs

last year these grandparents bud and june who thought they found their dream car on craigslist, instead shot in the head. >> you understand the charges against you? >> i understand. >> reporter: the alleged suspect johnny j. towns charged with murderer and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. >> who cut you? >> i don't know. >> okay, hold on. >> i responded to a craigs will it ad -- >> okay, hold on -- >> reporter: answer that craigs list ad took a horrific turn for wilkins when she says lane stabbed her across her stomach and cut her unborn child out. the child did not survive. lane was quickly arrested and charged with attempted murder, assault, and unlawful termination of a pregnancy. she pleaded not guilty. >> miss lane did not intend to kill miss wilkins. >> reporter: closing arguments in lane's trial took place today in colorado. this after wilkins took the

>> just kept saying, why, why are you doing this? and i just remember this one point where i was just holding my hand over my head and i just said, i don't know why you're doing this, i love you. and she broke the bottle over my head and she said, "if you love me you'll let me do this." neck. >> reporter: it's not just buyer beware on craigslist. sellers can also be at risk. >> i asked the defendant be held without bail on the murder -- >> reporter: the so-called craigslist killer, philip mark markov. 2009, he was a medical student at boston university when he allegedly found julissa bridgeman on craigslist advertising services as a masseuse. she was later found handcuffed and shot to death in a boston hotel. >> philip markov was taken into custody about 4:00. philip markov was arrested for the murder of julissa brisman on

>> reporter: he was taken into custody after the surveillance footage was released showing him leaving the hotel where brisman's body was found. >> appears ms. brisman put up a fight, sustained blunt head trauma to her skull -- >> reporter: markov later connected to a string of similar assaults, handcuffing and robbing women advertising themselves on craigslist. he was caught on surveillance video at two more area motels. the women in those attacks survived. >> just a normal guy. i couldn't imagine he could do something like that. >> our top priority is holding philip markov accountable. he's a predator. >> reporter: markov, who was engaged to be married, committed suicide while in jail awaiting trial for the murder of brisman. a story so shocking it was made into a lifetime movie. "the craigslist killer." >> you're under arrest for the murder -- >> reporter: forrist part craigslist says the overwhelming majority of craigslist users are

the incidents of violent crime extremely low. >> it's very anonymous, it makes our lives easy to find what we want right away, buy any time of the day. it also provides another avenue for bad guys to make us victims. >> reporter: former nypd detective warns about dangers lurking behind the screen. >> when you see some of these crimes happening you're not surprised? >> people take their safety for granted. they think, it's an official website. but you are responsible solely for your safety. >> reporter: when 23-year-old danielle jones needed a roommate she turned to craigslist. 35-year-old byron mitchell moved in only to allegedly turn violent within days, beating her so badly she is now in a coma. >> when they found her, she was desang desangui. nated, barely breathing. >> reporter: byron mitchell is in custody facing attempted murder charges. he pleaded not guilty saying he

she attacked him with a knife, something danielle's mother finds hard to believe. >> self-defense would have been, punch her, give her a black eye. did he really have to do this? give her severe brain injury? >> reporter: danielle's family hopes her story can be a lesson craigslist. >> don't just trust anybody. there. >> reporter: her cousin caitlyn set up a go fund me page to pay for danielle's care, already raising over $20,000. >> look what happened to danielle. it happens all the time. this isn't the only case. this is just the only case that is so prominent because we're trying to do something about it. >> you have to be careful about who you let into your private life. and that's basically the bottom line in any of these incidents that we've seen. >> reporter: even the most careful can fall victim to criminals. charlene sanders and her husband james posted a listing on craigslist to sell a family heirloom, this diamond ring.

and a man seemed interested and wanted to come into the family's home to talk price. that's when one man pulled a gun. two more stormed inside. the entire family, including the couple's sons, were tied up. >> they ripped my wedding ring off my finger. i kept saying, take it, take anything you want. >> reporter: police believe this was the suspect's intent all long. that they were actually combing craigslist looking for a target. >> their intent was never to buy that ring, their intent was to commit a robbery. all four had weapons and the tools to tie everybody up. >> reporter: the couple's 14-year-old son tried to intervene, his father broke loose to help, and was shot and killed. defending his son. >> my husband was a hero. he always said he'd protect his family. he always told the boys he would protect his family. and he died protecting his family. >> reporter: the suspects were all convicted and are in prison. while craigslist asserts that vanishingly few crimes are related to the site, they provide tips about meeting someone for the first time after connecting on the site.

this is not something where you sell your goods on ebay where everybody has a registered name and you have a bank account attached to it. >> reporter: there are ways to safely do business on craigslist. first, always meet in public. >> whether it's in a diner, a coffee shop, something like that, where there's a lot of people around. get to know this person, see if >> reporter: more and more police stations are setting up, change zones where people can meet and complete a deal safely. do your homework. >> google them. find out who they are. look at their photographs. >> reporter: watch out for red flags. >> even the e-mail address the person uses. see if they have something that you can verify. >> reporter: the jury is now deliberating dinel lane's fate. her attorney arguing she never intended to hurt michelle wilkins, her life forever changed by that craigs list meetup. for "nightline" i'm geoio benitez in new york. next, how the hit show "black-ish" is sparking

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it's generally not a topic tackled in a tv comedy. but list brutality is one of the subjects the hit sitcom "black-ish" is confronting. we take you behind the scenes with the actors who are part of one of the funniest and most socially conscious shows on television. here's abc's deborah roberts. >> the svp of our new urban

did they just put me in charge of black stuff? >> reporter: for two seasons the johnsons on "black-ish" have left viewers in stitches. >> obama's the first black president? >> doing a bang-up job over here -- >> reporter: with an edgy take on being black and successful in america. >> you know what i miss? " "colored." >> reporter: the comedy isn't afraid to delve into controversy. race is front and center here. >> there's some things black people don't like to talk about. like if o.j. really did it. >> reporter: even this season's first episode tackled the "n" word. >> i don't get what the big deal is, my friends use the "n" word all the time. >> which friends? >> reporter: anthony anderson stars as high-level ad exec called andre, dre, who worries his privileged kids are out of touch with their roots and only blammish. >> keep it real. >> reporter: on the show he's determined to keep it real in

door to hot-button issues including another sensitive topic, an episode "hope" dealing with police brutality. >> this is the unarmed guy who was selling dvds, that guy tased 37 times. >> is he okay? >> he got tased 37 times. so, you know. he's not great. >> reporter: though other sitcoms have taken on heated social issues, like "growing pains" with teens and alcohol -- >> were you drinking? >> yes. >> was sandy? >> yes. and driving. >> reporter: and "roseanne" with birth control. >> are you crazy? she wants me to take her get birth control and that's a good thing? >> reporter: few have handled race like "black-ish." >> have you talked to your own kids about police and race i have. son, one day it's going to be thrown in your face how blaction you really are and hopefully i've prepared you with the tools to deal with that when that happens. >> if they get to trial you see what that gets us -- >> reporter: something he's learned from personal experience. >> i've had my run-ins on the

just walking down my street. they're looking for drug dealers. i was like, look at me. i'm coming home in dance tights from high school, from the performing arts. >> if i'm not really black could somebody please tell my hair and my ass? >> reporter: rainbow played by tracee ellis ross -- >> it seems perfectly appropriate for our show, for this family, we are a family living in this time. this is what's on the news, this is what's happening in our country. and this is something that this family would need to respond to. >> reporter: actor lawrence fishburne, who plays pops, sees this as an opportunity -- >> you really bring in the serious moments. >> we talk about trayvon, we talk about freddie gray, we talk about eric gardner. this is a conversation we're having in the country right now. >> if you have to talk to the cops there's only seven words you need to know. yes, sir, no, sir, and thank you, sir. >> reporter: the scene struck a news for jennifer lewis who grew

>> i was warned as a child never to go to ferguson alone. that ferringguson had a movie theater. so ferguson was personal for me. >> reporter: kenya barris created "blackish" to fill what he said was a void on tv. >> there's so few examples of people of color on television. a lot of times the few examples that are become sort of the voice piece for america. >> reporter: in fact, "black-ish" pride the itself on being politically incorrect. >> were you worried about the name "black-ish" in the beginning? >> i was worried about it and now i can't think of it being called anything else. >> that was the difference between us and "the cosby show." that's why i stuck to the name blackish. that was a family that happened to be black. this is about a family who's absolutely black. >> we want to know how you think a black guy would say good morning. >> hm. probably just like that. >> reporter: some people of

squeamish sometimes. they worry that getting close to stereotyping and also some of the subject matter. does it bother you that some folks find it a little uncomfortable? >> no, it doesn't bother me. that means we're in our groove. that means we're doing what we set out to do. you know, any time that you're trying to say something of relevance and importance, it's going to make people uneasy. >> did you feel, when you were raising your kids and you are first generation successful, that there were times where they're just kind of blackish, not quite -- >> oh, yeah. my son came to me at 12 years old and said he didn't feel black. i understood where he was coming from, being a 12-year-old kid, born into privilege. and then my family still living in compton and in watts. and we see what's going on around did country with young black men. and that's not his experience. >> reporter: still, comedy is the cornerstone of "black-ish." we got a taste during our set visit.

as they say on cribs, this is where the magic happens. >> reporter: for people who know the show the magic is inside dre's closet. >> all i'm concerned about are my shoes. >> this is crazy. >> reporter: anderson feels free to borrow his character's shoes, since he lends moments of his own life to the show. remember this episode? >> i want to have a bar mitzvah. >> that was a real event? >> that was a real event. son, we cannot have a bar mitzvah, that is not who we are. son, your friends are jewish, that's why they're having bar mitzvahs. and i was like, this is what we'll do. i will throw you a party. and you know what we'll do, we'll call it a bro mitzvah. >> reporter: the cast hoping these stories not only give viewers a laugh but something to relate to as well. >> it's liberating to be part of something that's relevant and that's relevance nating with the american people and the highest compliment i've ever received

family up there, i see my family. >> reporter: for "nightline," this is deborah roberts in burbank, california. >> "black-ish" airs wednesday night at 9:30 right here on abc. next, the visitor in this white house video couldn't help but dance when she met the president and the first lady. "beth" by kiss beth, i hear you calling... but i can't come home right now... me and the boys are playing... ... all night text beth, what can i do... [siri:] message. pick up milk. oh, right. milk. introducing the newly redesigned passat. from volkswagen.

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smiling. 106-year-old virginia mclaurin invited into the white house. >> she's 106! >> no, you are not. >> reporter: she was so excited she couldn't help but dance. >> what' the secret to still dancing at 106? >> just keep moving. viral, viewed more than 42 million times. such an encounter beyond a dream. >> i thought i would never live to get in the white house. >> well, you are right here. >> reporter: that white house dance party now bringing smiles to so many people. >> and i tell you, i am so happy. >> how sweet is she. tomorrow night we're going on a journey to africa. a look at the modern war to save an ancient animal. here's abc's t.j. holmes with a sneak peek into the wild. >> south africa is home to over 80% of the world's rhino population. but they're facing extinction in

coveted horns. i'm on patrol with rangers in the oldest game reserve in africa. >> what's a bigger threat to your rangers the animals or the poachers? >> it's the poachers, definitely the poachers. they've got deadly weapons. >> reporter: tonight the rangers have air support. this is the latest attempt to combat the killing of rhinos in south africa. >> nighttime operations have always been very, very difficult. besides possibly meeting up with poachers you might be tracking, other dangers are the animals out there. you walk into a herd of buffalo, you're in big trouble. you probably are going to be dead. >> and there will be much more from africa tomorrow. tune into gma first thing in the morning as we take you live on safari. tune in tomorrow night on night lin for an epic expedition for a series "into the wild." thank you for watching. as always, we're online 24/7 on our "nightline" facebook page

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