A 17-year-old from Western Iowa is now behind bars, charged with the solicitation to commit murder. According to reports, the teen allegedly tried to hire a hitman online to kill a 7-year-old child.
The young suspect reportedly used ‘rentahitman.com’ – a satirical website, where he shared personal details of the child. He included identifying information and their whereabouts.
The hoax website is full of faux testimonials and applications for people aspiring to be professional hitmen. It was initially created as a promotional gimmick for a failed cybersecurity start-up. However, the site has strangely led to the arrest of unsuspecting individuals who turned in real inquiries.
In this recent Iowa case, the site’s administrator cooperated with police and told them about the teen’s request. Following the tip-off, local police quickly identified both the intended victim and the suspect. An undercover officer then made contact with the teenager, which led to his arrest.
Evidence discovered on the teenager’s phone made the teen’s threat appear more credible. Fortunately, the child and their family remained unharmed and didn’t know about the potential danger.
Because of this alleged murder-for-hire plot, the suspect now faces a felony charge of solicitation to commit murder. He is currently detained at the Cherokee YES Center, waiting for a referral to a juvenile court.