Table Of ContentProfessional
Killers:
An
Look
Inside
Rapp
Burt
3~
Professional
Killers:
An
Look
Inside
Veteran police writer Burt Rapp is author of Loompanics
Criminal Justice Series. These other fine books by Burt Rapp
are available from Loompanics Unlimited:
• S.WA.T. Team Operations
• The 211 Book:ArmedRobbery Investigation
• Shadowing andSurveillance
• Undercover Work:A Complete Handbook
• Sex CrimesInvestigation
• The Police Sniper: A Complete Handbook
• Vehicle TheftInvestigation
• The B & EBook: Burglary Techniques andInvestigation
• Bodyguarding:A Complete Manual
• Shoplifting andEmployee TheftInvestigation
• Interrogation: A CompleteManual
Homicide Investigation
Deep Cover: Police Intelligence Operations
Armed Defense: Gunfight Survival for the Householder
andBusinessman
Professional
Killers:
An
Look
Inside
Rapp
Burt
Loompanics Unlimited
Port Townsend, Washington
This book is soldfor informationalpurposes only. Thepublisher will
not be held accountable for the use or misuse of the information
containedin this book.
PROFESSIONAL KILLERS: An Inside Look
® 990 by Loompanics Unlimited
1
USA
Printed in
All rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced or stored
in any form whatsoever without the prior written consent of the
publisher. Reviews may quote brief passages without the written
consent ofthe publisher as long as proper credit is given.
Publishedby:
Loompanics Unlimited
POBox 1197
WA
Port Townsend, 98368
Loompanics Unlimited isa division ofLoompanics Enterprises, Inc.
Photos by Burt Rapp
Illustrations by Kevin Martin
ISBN 1-55950-054-9
Library ofCongress
Catalog Card Number 90-063507
Contents
Introduction 1
1. The Professional Killer in Fiction 5
Day of the Jackal; The Mechanic; Brass Target; Sword
ofGideon; TheLiquidator;Prizzi'sHonor;Fiction vs.Reality
2. Killing is Easy 12
3. History 15
Rome; TheArabs; TheRenaissance; TheMafia;
Murder, Inc.; SomeRecentHits
4. Today's Hired Killers 25
One Case: How Not To Do It; Today's Pros; Training
andBackground;FindingandHiring thePro;
Protocol;Discretion
5. Government Killers 36
Stalin Purge Liquidations; The Gas Gun Assassinations;
The Bulgarian Incidents; American Efforts; Israeli Hit
Teams; The Future ofGovernment-SponsoredKillings
6. Tools and Techniques 58
Assassination or "Accidents"; Weapons; Firearms; Edged
Weapons; Impact Weapons; The Garrote; Poison;
Explosives; Exotic Weapons
7. Acquiring Weapons 95
Firearms; Explosives; Poisons
8. Stalking the Target 102
Pointing the Way; Improvising; Compiling Information;
Hidden Dangers; Professional Techniques;
Planning theJob
9. The Approach and Escape 116
Travel; Keeping a Low Signature; Watchingfor Surveil-
lance; Aborting the Mission; Witnesses; At the Scene;
Evasion; Disposing ofthe Weapon;Disposing oftheBody;
What Can Go Wrong; Complacency
10. Defeating Hired Killers 133
The Target; Self-Protection; TheBodyguard;
Relocation andIdentityRevision
Appendix: 140
Identification ofCorpses
Glossary 144
Index 152
Introduction 1
Introduction
Killers for hire probably have been with us as long as there
have been people on Earth. Killing for pay is a trade at least as
old as prostitution, but not as widely acknowledged.
Researching this book quickly showed that the subject is vast.
There have been many professional killers in history, and
probably more than ever are operating today. It would be
possible to fill an encyclopedia with information on all types of
hired killers and related topics. This is why it's important to
draw a few lines, and to narrow the definition.
Today's definition isn't as broad as those of the past.
Mercenaries operate as organized bodies, not as individuals, and
their purpose is usually to seize power or territory, not kill a
specific individual. Mass killers, such as those who place bombs
aboard aircraft, are usually terrorists seeking to commit an
atrocity, not kill a specific person. State-paid executioners
operate within the criminal justice system, enforcing the law,
although one segment of opinion considers capital punishment
cruel, inhumane, and uncivilized. Vigilantes and lynch mobs kill
for idealism, not for pay. Police "death squads," as seen in
several South American countries, operate with the protection
of the law.
We'll omit various psychopaths and killers for pleasure. The
story of Charles Manson and his gang is fascinating, but ir-
2 Professional Killers: An Inside Look
relevant, as they didn't kill for pay. Robert Smith, who
committed mass murder in a beauty shop in Mesa, Arizona, in
1966, was a thrill killer, doing it for yuks and not for bucks.
We
must also skip over certain ideological killers, such as the
killer of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. Although this in-
cident precipitated World War I, it was not a contract hit.
Today's professional killer operates strictly outside the law.
He may work for a private party or a government. As a govern-
ment agent, he kills the enemies of his country on foreign soil,
subject to foreign law. If he's caught he's liable to prosecution,
beyond the protection ofhis government.
Today's contract killers vary from unskilled street thugs to
highly skilled and trained professionals, using high-tech tools of
assassination. Some contract killings are so neat and professional
that the police don't even spot them as murders. Others are
bungled jobs, bringing grief to everyone, including those who
paid for the assassination.
There really are no rules. Some private contractors are very
skilled, lucky, or both. By contrast, there have been some in-
stances of ineptitude among state-hired killers and their
employers. We'll see some instances of amazing incompetence
by major espionage and intelligence agencies.
Assassination is an art form more than a science. There's
room for individual style, because most "jobs" are approachable
in several different ways. Reviewing many professional hits
shows that most killers executed them in ways that reflected
their styles and preferences, as well as operational dictates.
There's a certain amount of confusion about professional
killers, their tools, methods, and targets. This is partly because
many operate in secret, but also because of propaganda. If
political objectives are involved, each side will try to discredit
