Where can one find a hitman?

Contact the cops. Or if you live near a prison, contact the warden’s office.

Yes, I would go with @WestRiverrat‘s suggestion. Unless you’re a professional investigative journalist, for example, with some contacts and some street savvy, @Ivy points out, I have to assume that professional murderers who want long and successful careers aren’t going to talk to strangers, or even friends and family for that matter, about what it is they do. And if you are able to find a “hit man” on your own, there’s good chance he, or she, is really an undercover police officer, rather than a real hit man.

I know a hitman who’s in prison for life. He’s been there 20 years, has NO chance of getting out, and he still won’t admit it (although he’s been convicted of 3 murders, with witnesses who stood trial and suspected of over 20 more) Even his family knows the truth and says he did it . . . but he won’t admit it.

These people who are incarcerated have no hope. So the hope they hang on to is the chance that they may one day find a way out. And it ain’t going to be to admit it to a reporter.

GOod luck though.

Go straight to the police and have them help you. Otherwise, we are all witnesses.

I think you might do best to read up a little bit on the type of crime you’re picturing, such as what are the earmarks of a professional killing, and then just invent the character’s particulars. Your readers are not likely to have better information than you about what it’s like to be a hit man, so as long as you get the details about choice of weapon and style of implementation right, it’s probably close enough. I’m all for authenticity in fiction, but a novel is not a textbook.

HITMENRUS… 555–666-UDIE

@Jeruba has some good advice too. You should be able to do sufficient research without ever talking to a real hit man.

You could also possibly find someone in law enforcement who has worked on “murder for hire” cases.

Those, and talking to an imprisoned “hit man” are probably your best and safest bets.

And, you might be able find one in the classified ads in Soldier of Fortune magazine. You would have to buy a hard copy though. The magazine is really about mercenaries and I think most of the people who read it are more mercenary wannabees than real mercenaries and they’ve been sued a couple of times over the years regarding people advertising their murder for hire services in the magazine’s classifieds so, either they may not do that anymore or your going to have to read between the lines to find one.

Other than all the ideas that have already been suggested I think that your pretty much on your own on this one.

Good luck and watch your back.