Step 1: Create a Murder Kit
The first thing you will need is a set of gloves if you do not want to leave any fingerprints behind. While leather gloves are often displayed on killers in movies, latex gloves are more flexible, very easy to obtain and far cheaper to replace than leather gloves and in my opinion, much safer to use. Of course, if you are sensitive to latex, there are non-latex gloves sold in bulk that provide the same quality and flexibility as latex gloves.
You may choose to wear a mask to hide your identity. Due consideration should be given to type of mask you wish to wear. Full-cover masks are ideal for holding your hair in place and reducing the amount of blood on your body that may arise from the murder, particularly in the case of a stabbing. Keep the mask in a hidden location prior to the murder and dispose of it afterwards as soon as it safe to do so.
It is best to wear clothing that you do not intend to keep. The tread of your shoes can be traced back to the style of shoe worn and thus back to their owner, so keep in mind what type of shoes you intend on wearing, how suitable they are for the location of the kill and the cost involved of replacing them.
It is vitally important how you choose your tools of the trade. The less exotic the weapon, the less likely it will be traced back to you. Common household items (such as a kitchen knife, plastic wrap or telephone cord to name but a few) are the best weapons to use when committing a murder as they are harder to trace back to any specific owner. It is important to consider which weapon will best suit your needs based on how you intend to kill someone.
You will need something in which to gag and bind your victim upon capture. Both gaffa tape and duct tape are easy to obtain from any hardware store and either can be used successfully as a restraint as both have strong adhesive properties that are ideal for binding which can be just as easily removed with the use of a sharp knife or scissors if required. An item of clothing can be used as a gag in order to keep your victim as quiet as possible.
Keep all items for your murder kit in inconspicuous locations but do not create your murder kit until you are actually ready to use it.
Step 2: Choose Your 'Killing Ground'
Before capturing your prey, it is wise to choose a location in which to safely perform the murder. If you intend to kidnap your prey, you will need to find an area that is both private and secluded in order to avoid potential witnesses. This can also be said for people who prefer to kill at the victim's location.
Be aware of your surroundings when hunting your prey. If you intend to kill the victim in their house or any other property, observe the exterior of the property as much as possible before entering it. Look for any possible security systems such as cameras and alarms and watch for any animals that may cause a disturbance. If you are unfamiliar with security systems, then it is best to choose a location that is more accessible and less security restrictive.
With the advancement of technology, a new hunting ground has emerged. Chat rooms and social networks provide plenty of potential prey to observe. If internet hunting is your preferred choice than it is wise to remember that information you share online can be compromised in a number of ways. Your conversations may be stored by the business providing the service and even saved by the person in whom you are communicating with and let's not forget the vulnerabilities exposed by security threats such as trojans and keyloggers. Your IP alone can be traced back to your Internet Service Provider and thus, to your current location.
If you are intending to hunt online then it is better to use a computer that will not lead any information you share back to your current location. This can be achieved by either using a public computer with fake identity given prior to the session (remembering that your physical identity can be still be viewed by camera's within the business) or a private computer that does not belong to you directly and obviously does not have an internet service in your name. Never give your real name or address to anyone online and do not share your phone number or any identifying photo. You may need to chat to the victim in order to find out some personal details about them. When doing so, deception is your best tool. To gain their trust, they may expect you to share some personal information about yourself, when doing so, lie.
I'm sure there are other ways your identity can be protected online, but I am not as computer literate as I would like, so you will have to find that information out yourself.
Step 3: Capture Your Intended Victim
While deception is effective in luring your victim, you will need to physically overpower them at some point in order to control them. Observing your intended victim over a period of time will allow you to determine the moments in which they are most vulnerable and the moments in which they are not. The element of surprise will be in your favour if you do not appear threatening to the victim in any way prior to capture. The more trustworthy you appear, the more trusting and vulnerable your victim will become in your presence, therefore making capture a far easier task.
Do not be seen with the victim prior to capture. With this in mind, it is better to choose a victim who you are not connected to in any way. Remain inconspicuous as much as possible. It is important to reduce the number of witnesses who may identify you during an investigation once the victim has been notified as missing or murdered.
Depending on location, you may prefer to lure your prey into your car or to an area that is private, away from prying eyes. How you lure them is up to you, as long as you remain aware of your surroundings at all times. The victim may resist and in doing so, a fight may occur. In some situations it may be better to leave that victim and find a more suitable one, but if the fight is not likely to cause much of a disturbance, then it is advisable to use a weapon of force in order to control them, such as a gun or knife. When possible, keep a weapon on hand at all times.
Step 4: Avoid Capture
After you have killed your victim you will need to be extra careful to avoid leaving behind any trace evidence of the murder. This can be achieved in a number of ways:
- Use cash only when purchasing products that you intend to use in a murder.
- Dispose of all clothing and items that are connected to the murder. It is better to burn them before burying them. Bury them as far from the initial crime scene as possible.
- Change your appearance if you feel it is necessary, but not so much that people who know you will find it strange or unusual.
- If you used a car, replace the tyres with different ones so that the tyre treads may not be traced back to the car used. Dispose of the previous tires as soon as possible. Clean the car inside and out, preferably in a private garage rather than a public car wash.
- Wash away all bloodstains as much as possible from the scene of the crime, even if you intend to leave the victim at the scene. There are various websites online that tell you the correct way to wash blood from fibres, non-fibres and hard surfaces.
- Remove any traces of fibre belonging to your clothing from the scene and any other item that may belong to you.
- If you take a trophy or a memento of the kill, be careful where you keep it. Make sure it is hidden extremely well from those who live with you.
Step 5: Prepare an Alibi
Preparing an alibi is not as easy as it seems. While your location at the time of the murder may be verified by someone who claims to have been with you, there is still the possibility of being caught in a lie. Make sure the person who is verifying your whereabouts can be trusted not to crack under pressure. An interrogation can be very confronting for many people.
If you intend on providing false evidence such as video footage of your whereabouts at the time of the murder, it is best not to take video footage that you have edited unless you know exactly what you're doing. If you do take footage, be aware of the date and time on the film and, if the footage is taken outdoors or in a windowed room, what position the sun would be in at the time the murder took place. The position of the sun and shadows on a film can give away the time the footage was taken.
On a final note: One way to throw off a forensic investigation is to change the decomposition rate of the body. Cold slows down the decomposition rate, while heat increases it. The idea of this process is to deceive the time of death of the victim.
Good luck and happy hunting.