Zoe Hess and Palen Kelly
This paper will investigate the dark web, specifically the Onion Router (Tor) to explore what posts and websites relate to hiring a hitman. Is there a market related to contracting killing or violence? And is it easily assessable? While seemingly present in modern media through movies and tv series, is it the same for real life? This paper aims to answer these questions by exploring forums on the dark web and assessing how easy it is to find sites offering murder for hire services. Similarly to the 2020 article, “An Assessment of Hitmen and Contracted Violence Providers Operating Online” by Ariel Roddy and Thomas Holts, the web will be navigated using keywords like, ‘hitmen’ and ‘murder for hire’.[1] These sources will be analyzed based on terminology that could be used to describe hitman services. Additionally, it will examine services offered, pricing and payment methods, and finally word choice attempting to convey authenticity. Commonalities and differences between sites located on the open web and the dark web will be analyzed as well.
When referring to murder for hire, scholars Nomokonov and Shulgas’s definition will be used: “Murders for hire are defined as a “service” of economic activity whereby business competitors are intimidated or killed as a means of resolving problems. Also known as contract killings, these murders are committed for personal and political reasons.”[2] The US Department of Justice outlines the “murder for hire” statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1958 as part of the Crime Control act. It says, “Rather, a defendant must use or cause another to use such a facility with the intent that a murder be committed” and is outlined by three established jurisdictions. The first being, by travel in interstate or foreign commerce, second by using mail, and lastly by use of any facility of interstate or foreign commerce.[3] The result of violating these varies and could end in either a fine or life in jail.
All parties in this interaction face consequences for breaking the law, but it is important to look at how these risks are mitigated. The vendor faces risks of being identified, while the consumer fears the action will not be carried out.[4] We will first examine past research on this topic and real-life cases to get a better understanding of people’s desires to hire a hitman and methodology obtaining one. Further, it will be helpful to understand how people use the internet for violence, not just on the dark web but on the regular [KP1] web. Leem and Greene address six ways the internet is used for violence: 1. Internet as a podium, 2. Encyclopedia, 3. Hunting ground, 4. Tools 5. Trigger, and lastly 6. Organizing.[5] He briefly mentions the attempts made on the web to access hitman, but it is important to note that most of these attempts are intended for scams.[6] One common theme found was that the internet makes it more accessible to get information about inflicting violence and opening the door for new types of criminals.[7]
The online factor allows for greater anonymity while reducing the risk of detection but also comes with its own challenges. One of these challenges is accessing the legitimacy of these sites. Many had mentioned previous successful jobs, military experience, and were open on hitman pricing.[8] Another way a vendor would often legitimize services was by mentioning ties to organized crime groups, like the mafia. When it comes to pricing, Roddy and Holt found that numerous things like skill level played a factor.[9] Brolan, Wilson, and Yardley would describe a beginner hitman as novice and a slightly more experienced one as Dilettantes.[10] Whereas when organized crime groups are professionalized, they appear to be more successful.[11] If there is a market for such services, the criminal market for them will expand; Besa Mafia is an example of this. The man behind the operation who goes by the alias, Yura, had brought together an organized crime group centering around murder-for-hire plots. He has attempted to legitimize the sites’ services by publicly discussing successes, while actively trying to recruit new assassins.[12]
The credibility of these sites makes it hard for law enforcement to act. Carl Miller observes problems when confronting police in 2020 after stumbling onto Besa Mafia’s kill list. When hacker, Chris Montero found the kill list on the dark web there was no way for the cops to verify if these threats were credible.[13] No active investigations occurred as a result of his findings. While contacting these people on his own accord, he found that even when leaving out the credibility of the online purchase, the desire for murder remained. This presented a new dimension to how people approached ordering contracted killings. In his TED talk he describes his interaction with a woman in Zurich, Germany. Her soon-to-be ex-husband had gone about purchasing a hit online through Besa Mafia. Once he realized his demand would not be carried through and was a scam, he attempted to take matters into his own hands where he was later arrested. Carl Miller’s story provides an example that showed how when the barriers to murder were lowered, they seemed more obtainable to the average person. The site where one could purchase violent services appears to be less dangerous than the individuals themselves. Furthermore, the idea that humans are rational actors is addressed by Roddy and Holt. Do the benefits outweigh the consequences? They attempt to answer how a murder for hire plot plays out in real life.
Roddy and Holt would observe this method of establishing legitimacy in multiple of the 24 sites they analyzed. Roddy and Holt found that online vendors will attempt to legitimize services through textual cues and customer feedback. Many had mentioned previous successful jobs, military experience, and were open on pricing.[14] They found that many sites offered a more customizable experience when it came to weapons uses, some additionally offered services such a kidnapping and castration. Guns were found to be the most common method of assassination. None offered services in bio or chemical weapons, and only one offered hits on children.[15]
Almost all the sites they visited required upfront payments through bitcoin and some other sites allowed other payment variations.[16] Paying with cryptocurrency presents another risk in dark web hitmen markets and is not a fool proof payment method. In 2021, an Italian national was arrested for attempting to hire a hitman through the dark web, he was traced through cryptanalysis.[17] In a similar case in 2016, Stephen Allwine allegedly shot his wife after the failed attempt to hire a hitman and was charged with second degree murder. During the case he was detected trying to kill his wife through a bitcoin address that was traced to scam hitman website, Besa Mafia.[18] Additionally, another case in 2019 tells the story of Yue Zhou and her efforts to hire a hitman online to assassinate her partner and daughter. It details her using bitcoin to pay a vendor before ultimately finding out that it was a scam. She then resorted to an in-person method by contacting a neighbor to commit the crime. The article states, “Her depraved plan was only thwarted because the web site she used to set up the murder-for-hire was a scam. Although the scheme involved newer technologies like the internet and Bitcoin, the result would have been age-old, cold-blooded murder.”.[19]
Ultimately most of these cases exemplify, “if there is a will, there is a way” and raises the question if the dark web itself is the danger or people themselves. Crime stays the same and technology and the dark web just presents a new home for violent activity. Many of the criminal cases explored showed that many people were successful in finding murder for hire sites, but most were scams. The sites did not foster violent thoughts or suppress the desire for violence but created a more presumably and more comfortable setting for individuals to achieve its goals. It was the individuals who seek other means of results when let down by vendors. Many people resorted to other methods to get the job done when they failed to acquire an online hitman, whether that was an in-person contact or themselves.
After conducting research on hitmen through different scholarly articles, primary research was conducted through Tor. Different dark web forum links were found on Reddit and other surface websites. These forum links were copied into the Tor browser and then explored for further rabbit holes containing alternative forums or links to hitmen and murder for hire sites.
The first forum found and analyzed was Dread Forum through a surface website called Onion Link Hub.[20] Different terms like ‘hitman’ and ‘murder for hire’ were typed into the search box. Almost all the results for the term “hitman” were users joking about hiring hitmen. A user asked if “anyone knew a darknet-hitman for pug-poodles”. Another search result led to a discussion post by user Horkyporky who writes “I have never seen any hitman shit on here in all the time I’ve spent”. This post got a response from SloggySlog saying “I can vouch for CityMarket, been using those guys for years, I hired 3 out of 4 hitmen from there”, to which Pgpfreak responded with “I’m still out there, ombre”, and SloggySlog finishes up the conversation with “you sonofabitch he told me you were dead.” When using the search term “murder for hire”, the only discussion available is a post from /U/Angiej saying “murder for hire. 100% of those people you can hire as a hitman on the dark web are feds.”[21] This can be interpreted as users joking about the idea of a hitman and it is important to note that nobody is asking for a hitman or advertising services. The dark web forum, CityMarket was followed up on and the error message “this community is unavailable, and /d/citymarket has been banned for rule violations” appeared when CityMarket was searched in the Tor browser. The interactions from Horkyporky, SloggySlog, and Pgpfreak can be viewed in a joking manner and indicate that no actual hitman was ever searched for. The discussion from /U/Angiej only stated an opinion on dark web hitmen being federal agents and was not looking to hire a hitman.
Moving to the forum Ramble, the search terms used were “murder”, “murder for hire”, “pay murder”, “paid murder”, “hitmen”, “hitman”, and “hit man”. The results of these search terms were inconclusive and the search term “hitmen” and “murder” both yielded the same news story about a Hell’s Angel Motorcycle Club member who planned a murder for hire plot on United States soil.[22] The post itself only talked about this event as a report and was never looking for a hitman or advertising as one.
The search terms on Ramble, “paid murder” and “hitmen” both resulted in a blog post titled “Here’s 100 confirmed conspiracies from the last 75 years”, which is unrelated to an attempt at a murder for hire. The search term “pay murder” grabbed a story about a man who was murdered while protesting the U.S. government. This post only showed up because of the key word ‘murder’. The search terms ‘hitman” and “hit men” showed no results.
The last dark web site analyzed was DZ Darknet Market Forums. The search term “murder for hire” had no results. The search term “murder” brought up a discussion where users were talking about not receiving dark web orders. The comment that flagged the term ‘murder’ was “I would be knocking on neighbors doors but that would murder any claims of plausible deniability” regarding the users missing package. These forums do not advertise murder for hire services and a user looking to hire a killer was not found. The owners of DZ specifically released a statement saying “gingerbreadman and I don’t get paid for our roles but we are here to maintain a safe and active community” then followed up with saying “topics that will not be tolerated on the forums are guns, CP, and hitman services”.[23] It can be inferred that gingerbreadman is one of the site owners and that DZ is heavily regulated.
After searching forums for key terms, actual Onion sites advertising hitmen were examined. By navigating different forums, six different hitmen sites were found. These six sites serve as the basis for the following analysis: services listed, attempt to prove credibility and legitimacy, and pricing and payment methods.
Figure 1: Most Common Services Mentioned on Dark Web Hitmen Listings
Source: Graph generated by Gemini, version 1.5, Google, November 11, 2025, “Comparison of Services Offered by Dark Web Sites” (heatmap, data from DARKWEBHITMANSERVICE_PALEN_ZOE(Sheet1),).
Figure 1 refers to the services offered over six sites. Five out of six mentioned service contract killing or hitman services. The Talmar site offers the widest range of services. Some sites offered complete descriptions of the services they provided, and others declined to provide information. One site declining direct services provided a statement saying, “no task is too challenging”. When examining the sites, ~67% of the sites contained separate tabs that outlined the services performed. Other sites offered different methods of killings; these included poisoning, up-close executions, long-range eliminations, knife killings, and staged homicide. Other services included in these finding were kidnapping, arson, assault, weapons sales, and private investigation services.
The pricing of these services also varies on each platform. All require payment from cryptocurrencies, most commonly bitcoin. Two of the sites require a request proposal before receiving a price estimate; one directly stating the payment can only be made through crypto. Between all sites, pricing for killings ranges from $5,000 to $200,000. Only one site required an initial $200.00 payment through Monero, another cryptocurrency, to proceed with the order. Another site attempted to create incentives for higher payments. They recommended providing the highest payment possible to be matched with a more skilled individual. A lower offer resulted in a “lower profile” individual. They state that an individual with a military background will cost more, but they also operate on a “pay what you can afford” method. Tasks are less likely to be carried out with lower offers. The same site also provides detailed instructions on how individuals can obtain bitcoin and steps on maintaining anonymity. Additionally, prices for other services vary as well. Prices of assault ranged from $3,500 to $15,000, while arson ranged from $10,000 to $25,000. Lastly, kidnapping services ranged from $15,000 to $30,000.
As mentioned above, word choice plays a crucial factor in attempting to determine the credibility of these sites. Most of the sites go to great lengths to try and establish credibility, while also maintaining anonymity from the customer. One even goes to the lengths to address other fake sites by stating, “Unfortunately, yes. Many online services are scams. They ask for upfront payments and disappear once they have your money.” In addition, only two sites directly mention gang affiliation or clandestine groups to express credibility. Many of the websites stress strict protocols and assassins with prior experience. Words such as “discreet” and “experienced” were common among platforms. In terms of experience, the sites wanted to prove credibility by stating that the site did not hire amateurs, instead they hired ex-military or ex-law enforcement. Another site attempts to prove credibility by saying they have 20 years of service, bragging about their 100% success rate, and high-profile cases. Although the site mentions its success and cases being highlighted on relevant media outlets, it does not provide any specific case details. After researching, 2 out of 7 stressed the importance of using encrypted files to communicate discreetly.
After looking at hitman sites on the dark web, the open web was then examined [KP2] to see if there was overlap between terms. The open web is a traditional browsers or website that can be accessed by anyone without special software or logins. Examples of the open web include easily accessible sites like Google and Wikipedia as well as social media platforms like Facebook. The websites Hitman for Hire, Hire a Hitman, and Murder for Hire were examined and they all used similar graphics and keywords throughout the website. The colors red and black were common themes among the websites, along with graphics of hooded men and skull and crossbones. Common themes seen among these sites were anonymity, payments, services, security, and violence. Each theme had key words associated with the theme and some overlap can be observed in Fig 2.
Figure 2: Language Themes in Open Web Hitman for Hire Sites
Source: Microsoft Copilot, Language themes in Open Web Hitman-For-Hire Sites, generated October 28, 2025, Blacksburg, VA.
This network graph, created by Microsoft Copilot, show the different themes associated with the three open web sources evaluated.[24] Figure 2 displays the theme of payments in orange, anonymity in blue, violence in purple, services in green, and security in red. Each major theme has key words stemming from the center. Some of these keywords are target, hit, remove, professional, secure, hidden, and currency. The distance between themes on the graph represent overlap in the associated key words. For example, violence and services overlap because of the key words “resolve” and “solutions” which have similar meanings. The themes “anonymity” and “payment” overlap heavily because of the term “bitcoin” and other cryptocurrencies’ tendency to be anonymous.
Two out of the three websites, Hire a Hitman and Murder for Hire include a list of available hitmen that could be hired, along with the level of experience, specialty, number of operations, availability, and user reviews.[25] All sites included a “contact for more information” section and two of the sites offered a frequently asked questions page.[26] Although there is no way to prove that these sites are run by law enforcement, the sites appear suspicious due to spelling errors and the surprising accessibility of these sites. Each website contains contact forms where an individual can submit personal information. Hitman for Hire, for example, has four different places within the cover page where personal information can be entered to get in touch with a hitman.[27] The individual navigation buttons are labeled “contact”, “get in touch”, “chat”, and “contact us”. The site seems pushy in its attempts to collect personal information, which could suggest it is operated by law enforcement.
By exploring the digital world around hitman for hire websites, this paper set out to answer if these markets exist online and how accessible they are. While examining a combination of scholarly articles, Tor forums, and dark web and open web hitman sites, the findings suggest that while the idea of hiring a hitman online is present, the reality is often fraudulent. Most Tor forums consist of jokes, speculations, and the outright ban of hitman for hire services. Even specific hitman for hire sites have flaws in the language used, mirror scam sites, and are suspicious through an unusual want for personal information. Surprisingly, the open web had many hitman sites with suspiciously easy access and the same aggressive want for personal information. This suggests these sites are either money scams or law enforcement sting operations. While the idea of hiring a hitman online is popular to the imagination, this research shows it to be difficult and inaccessible. The data does not confirm that these sites are reliable or legitimate but also cannot confirm these sites are scams. Ultimately, these findings, especially in the literature analysis section of the report, reinforce the idea that technology does not create violence but offers another avenue for those already seeking it. The anonymity of the dark web may allow for violence to feel more accessible, but the violence of a person depends on individual choice. The danger does not come from the sites itself, but the willingness of individuals to act when given anonymity. Overall, this study shows how discussion around hitmen on the dark web is prevalent, but finding a legitimate hitman is very difficult and deceiving.
References
Brolan, Liam, David Wilson, and Elizabeth Yardley. “Hitmen and the Spaces of Contract Killing: The Doorstep Hitman.” Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling 13 (2016): 220–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/jip.1453.
Cox, Joseph. “A Fake Dark Web Hitman Site Is Linked to a Real Murder.” VICE, February 23, 2017. https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-fake-dark-web-hitman-sit-is-linked-to-a-real-murder/
European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation. “Dark Web Hitman Identified through Crypto-Analysis.” Europol. Accessed October 28, 2025. https://www.eropol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/dark-web-hitman-identified-through-crypto-analysis.
Gemini, version 1.5. Google. Accessed November 11, 2025. “Comparison of Services Offered by Dark Web Sites” (heatmap, data from DARKWEBHITMANSERVICE_PALEN_ZOE(Sheet1),).
Liem, Marieke C. A., and M. E. F. Geelen. “The Interface between Homicide and the Internet: A Classification.” Aggression & Violent Behavior 48 (2019): [insert page range if known]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2019.08.011.
Microsoft Copilot, Language themes in Open Web Hitman-For-Hire Sites, generated October 28, 2025, Blacksburg, VA.
Miller, Carl. “Inside a Dark Web Kill List.” TED, March 2025. https://www.ted.com/talks/carl_miller_inside_a_dark_web_kill_list.
Nomokonov, V. A., and V. I. Shulga. “Murder for Hire as a Manifestation of Organized Crime.” Demokratizatsiya 6, no. 4 (Fall 1998)
OnionLinkHub. “Verified directory of Onion Links & Tor Sites.” OnionLinkHub. Accessed October 28, 2025. https://www.onionlinkhub.com/links/dread/.
Recupero, Patricia R. “Homicide and the Internet.” Behavioral Sciences & the Law 39, no. 2 (2021): 119–134. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2509.
Roddy, Ariel L., and Thomas J. Holt. “An Assessment of Hitmen and Contracted Violence Providers Operating Online.” Deviant Behavior 43, no. 2 (2022): 139–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2020.1787763
U.S. Department of Justice. “1107. Murder-for-Hire-the Offense.” Justice Manual | 1107. Murder-for-Hire-The Offense | United States Department of Justice, January 21, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1107-murder-hire-offense.
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement. “Woman Charged With Using Hitman-for-Hire Website on Dark Web to Order Murder of Lover’s Wife.” News Release, July 9, 2024. https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/women-charged-using-hitman-hire-website-dark-web-order-murder-loves-wife
Van Sant, Peter. “’48 Hours’ Disrupts Alleged Dark Web Hitmen in Potential Murder-for-Hire Plots.” CBS News. September 29, 2018. https://cbsnews.com/news/48-hour-disrupts-alleged-dark-web-hitmen-in-potential-murder-for-hire-plots
Onion Link References
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http://shadws7uetrxpwlizx673cdunlfsyhwchspsf4iaezlykjh6lagkabad.onion
http://killerlau2toc2hcva6aapidtbhsnrugo54mnndy7zlpvxhuyinodlyd.onion
http://qjq35in4r3q75zpkduf64x6ibzkhzkfywy2325mm3jh575uq2l5macid.onion
http://7644uee23snquzpfzf53ud22pttgfqtys2u36r2y3nufz3aoqlm3htyd.onion
http://juhanurmihxlp77nkq76byazcldy2hlmovfu2epvl5ankdibsot4csyd.onion/search/?q=murder-for-hire
[1] Roddy, Ariel L., and Thomas J. Holt. “An Assessment of Hitmen and Contracted Violence Providers Operating Online.” Deviant Behavior 43, no. 2 (2022): 139–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2020.1787763..
[2] Nomokonov, V.A., and V.I. Shulga. “Murder for Hire as a Manifestation of Organized Crime.” Demokratizatsiya 6, no. 4 (Fall 1998)
[3] U.S. Department of Justice. “1107. Murder-for-Hire-the Offense.” Justice Manual | 1107. Murder-for-Hire-The Offense | United States Department of Justice, January 21, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1107-murder-hire-offense.
[4] Roddy, Ariel L., and Thomas J. Holt. “An Assessment of Hitmen and Contracted Violence Providers Operating Online.” Deviant Behavior 43, no. 2 (2022): 139–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2020.1787763.
[5] Marieke C. A. Liem and M. E. F. Geelen, “The Interface between Homicide and the Internet: A Classification,” Aggression & Violent Behavior 48 (2019): [insert page range if known], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2019.08.011.
[6] Patricia R. Recupero, “Homicide and the Internet,” Behavioral Sciences & the Law 39, no. 2 (2021): 119–134, https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2509.
[7] Patricia R. Recupero, Behavioral Sciences & the Law 39, no. 2.
[8] Roddy and Holt, Deviant Behavior.
[9] Roddy and Holt, Deviant Behavior.
[10] Liam Brolan, David Wilson, and Elizabeth Yardley, “Hitmen and the Spaces of Contract Killing: The Doorstep Hitman,” Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling 13 (2016): 220–38, https://doi.org/10.1002/jip.1453.
[11] V. A. Nomokonov and V. I. Shulga, “Murder for Hire as a Manifestation of Organized Crime,” Demokratizatsiya 6, no. 4 (Fall 1998)
[12] Peter Van Sant, “’48 Hours’ Disrupts Alleged Dark Web Hitmen in Potential Murder-for-Hire Plots,” CBS News, September 29, 2018. https://cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-disrupts-aleged-dark-web-hitmen-in-potential-murder-for-hire-plots/
[13] Miller, Carl. Inside a Dark Web Kill List.” TED, March 2025. https://www.ted.com/talks/carl_miller_inside_a_dark_web_kill_list
[14] Roddy, Ariel L., and Thomas J. Holt. “An Assessment of Hitmen and Contracted Violence Providers Operating Online.” Deviant Behavior 43, no. 2 (2022): 139–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2020.1787763.
[15] Roddy and Holt, Deviant Behavior.
[16] Roddy and Holt, Deviant Behavior.
[17] European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation. “Dark Web Hitman Identified through Crypto-Analysis.” Europol. Accessed October 28, 2025.
[18] Joseph Cox, “A Fake Dark Web Hitman Site Is Linked to a Real Murder,” VICE, February 23, 2017, https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-fake-dark-web-hitman-sit-is-linked-to-a-real-murder/
[19] U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, “Woman Charged With Using Hitman-for-Hire Website on Dark Web to Order Murder of Lover’s Wife,” News Release, July 9, 2024, https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/women-charged-using-hitman-hire-website-dark-web-order-murder-loves-wife
[20] OnionLinkHub. “Verified directory of Onion Links & Tor Sites.” OnionLinkHub. Accessed October 28, 2025. https://www.onionlinkhub.com/links/dread/.
[21] https://dreadytofatroptsdj6io7l3xptbet6onoyno2yv7jicoxknyazubrad.onion
[22] http://rambleeeqrhty6s5jgefdfdtc6tfgg4jj6svr4jpgk4wjtg3qshwbaad.onion
[23] http://nzdnmfcf2z5pd3vwfyfy3jhwoubv6qnumdglspqhurqnuvr52khatdad.onion
[24] Microsoft Copilot, Language themes in Open Web Hitman-For-Hire Sites, generated October 28, 2025, Blacksburg, VA.
[25] “Hire a Hitman,” HitmanForHire.org, accessed October 28, 2025, https://hitmanforhire.org
[26] MurderForHire.org. “Hire a Hitman.” Accessed October 28, 2025. https://murderforhire.org/hire-a-hitman
[27] HitmanForHire.org. “Hire a Hitman.” Accessed October 28, 2025. https://hitmanforhire.org
[KP1]ask riley tmrw in class about the term dark web and if we should specifically use “Tor” or not
[KP2]explain open web
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