Hiring a hitman

You could check here:

http://www.instanthitman.com/

Anyway...

From what I've read and watched on crime shows (nonfiction), the going rate depends entirely on who you hire. You can get a guy looking for the next fix to do it for a couple hundred; a international professional can cost thousands.

I wouldn't worry too much about googling stuff - the researching I've done would have me on the no-fly list, at the very least, if anyone was paying that close attention.

The rate would depend on the hitman, the client, the victim, and the location. If the hitman is an amateur, then ten thousand would be high. For a top grade pro something between five and fifty thousand might work, but that depends on the client and victim and location also. In NYC professional job would be more expensive than in Lima, Peru. How well connectwed is the client? Someone who knows the ins and outs of crime probably would get a better deal than the unknown.

AO who are the characters? Where is the job?

How many readers would know the 'going rate' anyway?

Make it fit your story.

The hitman will be looking for as much as he can get. And he would be keeping himself as much in the shade as possible. Is there an intermediary? Does your character have the cash to pay or the savvy or connections to have the remotest idea what the 'going rate' is?

Everything hinges around the details you haven't revealed.

Wikipedia sez:

A study by the Australian Institute of Criminology of 162 attempted or actual contract murders in Australia between 1989 and 2002 indicated that the most common reason for murder-for-hire was "the dissolution of an intimate relationship". The study also found that the average payment for a "hit" was $12,700 and that the most commonly used weapons were firearms. Contract killings accounted for 2% of murders in Australia during that time period.[1]

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So about £8,500. Hmm, not cheap, but not that expensive, either.

I googled it for you!

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/19010503/hinckley-man-who-hired-hit-man-arrested-for-stalking
$150k

http://iwidk.com/2012/07/17/doctor-...an-to-kill-co-worker-in-tragic-love-triangle/
$9k

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/killtarget-mum-fronts-court-on-kidnap-count-20120726-22tnh.html
$15k

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/07/23/police-woman-hired-man-to-kill-ex-boyfriend/
Marriage + $600

http://www.10news.com/news/31265425/detail.html
$1k

Looks like I am going to have to adjust my rates ...

Well I know that one woman was arrested for hiring a hitman through Tor. Of course that is the underworld of the internet.

Torgo said:

Wikipedia sez:



So about £8,500. Hmm, not cheap, but not that expensive, either.

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So, if i win a million on the lottery tonight, I can have my 117 least favourite people "taken care of" and still have enough money for a very nice suit to wear to the funerals.


Craig

Anon

fireluxlou said:

Well I know that one woman was arrested for hiring a hitman through Tor. Of course that is the underworld of the internet.

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Nonsense. I mean, I know they're a Macmillan imprint, but even so...

Torgo said:

Nonsense. I mean, I know they're a Macmillan imprint, but even so...

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Lmao

I've seen on those 'true crime' shows instances where a hitman asked for five thousand, then was bargained down to half that. This was in a middle class community with a wife of a lawyer looking to murder her husband.

And from watching too many of these shows, I'd say the average rate was around that, five grand, give or take a thousand.

I always thought that every single hitman for hire turned out to be an undercover FBI agent?

GradyHendrix said:

I always thought that every single hitman for hire turned out to be an undercover FBI agent?

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I don't know if it's 'every single one', but around here, there's been several incidents of women going to bars to hire hitmen and being directed to undercover policemen.

"Yes, this place may have a rough reputation, and the regulars are kind of tough and grungy-looking, but nobody's going to whack your husband for you, lady!"

GradyHendrix said:

I always thought that every single hitman for hire turned out to be an undercover FBI agent?

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Only on certain TV shows.

pinkrobot said:

Thank you for all the responses! I guess maybe I'm too paranoid when it comes to Googling things.

Bufty, you make a good point--chances are, my readers won't have any idea. (Well, at least I'd hope not many people would have any idea...) My character doesn't have a lot of money to work with, but based on the responses it'll work out just fine.

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I would hope that any readers who might be in a position to know the current rates for a hitman, would have the sense to keep quiet about it.

Can I ask what on earth the above link for that website is? Guessing it's a joke, but I didn't want to click on it.

It depends who you talk to. I'm sure you could find some guy who needs a fix who would do it for a thousand or even a couple hundred.