Rent a Hitman

In this gripping episode of True Crime All The Time, hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson dive into the bizarre and fascinating story of Rent a Hitman, a parody website created in 2005 by Bob Ennis as a humorous play on the word 'hit' in web traffic. What began as a $9.20 domain purchase turned into a decades-long mission to prevent real murders, as Ennis received hundreds of serious inquiries from individuals seeking to hire hitmen. Despite the site’s obvious satire—complete with fake customer service awards, HIPAA parody, and warnings about the dark web—people continued to engage, often providing detailed personal information and even making down payments. Ennis, acting as a de facto vigilante, forwarded credible threats to law enforcement, helping authorities arrest individuals like Helen Kaplan, Devon Faber, Wendy Wing, Leif Heyman, and Josiah Garcia—each with disturbingly specific plans to kill family members or strangers. The episode explores the psychological profiles of these individuals, many of whom had intellectual disabilities or severe emotional issues, and highlights the chilling ease with which people attempt to outsource murder online. Ultimately, Ennis believes he has saved nearly 150 lives, all while running the site at his own expense and emotional cost. The story underscores the dark side of internet accessibility and the surprising role of irony in crime prevention.