With Mir Aimal Kansi safely back in Pakistan, the FBI had to try to find him and bring him home. After a raid on Kansi's family home yielded nothing, authorities realized they were in over their heads, until a raise in the reward money for Kansi's capture led to new tips.
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Due to the nature of this killers crimes listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder and gun violence. Consider
when deciding how and when you listen your problem,
aware of the phrase
for an eye and the whole world goes blind. It refers to the net
running cycle of violence, one per
he strikes the other retaliates and on and on and on, but the wheel is difficult to say
because someone will always crave. The last word
on january, twenty fifth, nineteen, ninety three mere aim or Kanzi went on a vicious shooting spree outside the cia headquarters in langley virginia to take his revenge on the west. In just me
That's his rampage, killed two lancing bennett and
frank, darling and wool
three others afterward com.
Is he fled overseas and fbi agents followed his trail to pakistan searching
for one man in a nation of one hundred, thirty five million would be like look
for a needle in a haystack, but the vigour,
his family's, refuse to lead kanzi assault go unpunished, they d,
secretly wanted retribution of their own, but what's wrong
into the question we asked in part one
because a satisfying as it would be, to get justice for the victims. It does
If you wonder how do you get
justice without restarting the cycle of revenge
I am going pulsing this
serial killers, spotify original from power cast every.
monday and thursday. We dive into the minds and madness of serial killers, and today were
Turning to a special series about the most dangerous and heart pounding man, hunts and history will learn the top secret methods used to track down fugitives and the techniques they used to stay. One step ahead
this episode concludes the global manhunt for the nineteen. Ninety three cia shooter mirror
what currency and this
he'll series for now, I'm here with my co host vanessa richardson high everyone.
You can find episodes of serial killers and all other spotify originals from far cast for free on spotify last time,
We followed kanzi as he shot six people outside the cia headquarters, killing two. He skipped
to Pakistan soon afterward, but left plenty of clues behind
time will follow fbi agent grab garrett as he hunts the elusive terrorist in the remote cities of pakistan, Lhasa,
watch the surprising way the family members of congress victims turn the tide.
against him:
got all bad and more coming up stay with us.
By the spring of nineteen. Ninety three cia shooter mere able concept had fled to quota pakistan, his home town,
The americans would come knocking soon, but he wasn't worried. He felt pretty good on the run, relaxed now
he'd completed his goal,
even seeing as victims names in the papers gave him any pause, he stayed with his brother.
surprising them with his visit.
Seen them in many years. Not since kanzi
to the? U s likely
He had no idea what cons he had done back in virginia, then kanzi didn't tell them
at his brothers home he could sleep in peace would come.
Didn't know was that he really wasn't that safe across the world.
A man hunt was beginning.
fbi agent, broad garrett, had a big job to do the links.
families and the entire. U s. Government was counting on him.
Not only that, but the bureau and the cia had always been rivals
during the agency's most wanted criminal could ease the tension, go Brad,
was a hard working agent. He usually handled narcotics cases and robberies is key.
terrorism. Experience was basically zilch still he was caught
and he could bring the shooter to justice you
after the manhunt brad told washingtonian magazine quote, I was
trying to solve the double homicide. Call it what you want.
Call it terrorism, colleague, political, it was,
still a homicide, but
That might have been true once the suspect, mere able kanzi escaped to pakistan. The case was a bit more com
located than your average murder for one
had no jurisdiction in a foreign country, so we'd have to coordinate with pakistani law enforcement. From his point of view, that would be tough. He believed the
where these were corrupt, poorly paid, nothin, more beholden to local politics than national law. Without the right connections, you were out of luck,
and connections were the one thing kanzi had going for him in his home. Town of
near the border of Afghanistan. His family
supposedly owned an entire city block two hotels and
and full of orchards kanzi had play.
the places to hide. He was also part of
pass tune, tribe, which adhere to a strict code of honour
them. Loyalty was paramount, rather
in punishing one of their own they'd, be much more likely to protect him
If all else fails, it was pretty easy for kanzi to cross the border to neighbouring afghanistan, which
would be a nightmare for the fbi based on the political tensions at the time it looked like the bureau,
we face roadblocks every step of the way
all day had to start somewhere. The fbi distributed thousands of bright
red match books with countries face and the word reward,
In all caps. We also set up a tip line.
Some leaves the number one eight hundred
heroes, one while they waited for a bite there.
Coordinated with the existing network of afghan informants and pakistani spies. The? U s head cultivated
the soviet afghan war, combined with it
felicity campaign. They hoped to quickly zero win on their man, but Brandon
and happy to sit around and twiddle his thumbs. Key had training to to
Even if the bureau got a solid lead and were able to track down the suspect, kanzi
I now look like the photo they had on file. It might be difficult
identify him at first glance, the only
Way to really be sure once they had him in custody would be to compare, is fingerprint to the one founded the crime scene, so
Brad met with some experts to get a crash course in the subject.
Years earlier when moving to the. U s: kanzi submitted ten fingerprints to the immigration and naturalisation service, Brad studied each.
the distinct grooves on them. He need
to be able to recognise the unique lines and ridges with his naked eye
also learn how to take a fingerprint in the field from a suspect who was subdued and didn't want to cooperate. All this prep men
Jim garrison will be ready when the bureau finally picked up a lead, and luckily he didn't
to wait too long. The packet
Annie informants came through with a tip kanzi.
That is, brussels, housing quitter, the f b I sent the end
but a pakistani authorities its unclear how they were
able to get them on board. Considering the reasons we outlined earlier, but
that the shootings were dominating international news. They problem
didn't want to seem like they were harbouring unknown terrorist, the rate
it was a go back,
danny intelligence officers, search through the doors of a large quota home the countries where
upper class family who may have had no idea. Concierge done something wrong, so they were offended.
The soldiers streaming through their house scuffing their floors, the officers
turn the place upside down searching for currency, but in the end they came up empty the sauce
was nowhere to be found. It was
disappointing setback, but fbi officials weren't going to let it stall their investigation. They flew
all the way across the globe to demand answers from the currencies in person a few of his brother
told them that kanzi drop by soon after arriving in pakistan, but he only stayed with them,
for a few nights. After that he took off and the
brothers had no idea where he disappeared too
put bread in the other agents grimaced they already had a hunch
because he might have gone next. The tone of
is some sixty miles from the pakistani afghan border agents worried,
the kanzi made it across to afghanistan. He might have been
in better hiding spot according to brad. At that point in time,
it really had no central government that had control of afghanistan. So it's like good
We then go to to ask permission:
Pakistan, the? U s was able to get some help from the local authorities, but enough
ama stem unless they wanted to cooperate with the new taliban rule they
I have to do it all on their own. Coming up, the fbi gets help from an unlikely ally,
and now back to the story in nineteen,
three the f b, I followed mere ammo kanzi to Pakistan, hoping to bring him to just
as for going on a shooting spree outside the cia headquarters. But after a botched
it unconscious family. Home agents were empty. Handed
they were too late, kanzi had likely fled to Afghanistan.
Once again, the bureau's job had become a lot more complicated. It seem like it would take the fbi's full focus
to capture the terrorist would soon they have their
hands full with another deadly assault. Almost
one month, exactly after the cia shootings on February twenty six. Ninety ninety three- a bomb.
Up in the park and garage under the world trade center. The explosion
did a gigantic crater one
feed around and several stories. Deep arms and legs work
under the rubble
thousands were injured and six people were killed almost instantly
This was nearly eight years before nine eleven, but it just
goes to show that an act of violence is neither the beginning or the end its ongoing.
and after the ninety ninety three world trade center bombing, the federal government had a new terrorist to track down one bigger and potentially
More dangerous than rogue shooter kanzi so between the hunt
for the world trade center bomber and the extra challenges of afghanistan. The man huh
were kanzi started to stall,
garrett and his team were at a loss after a year of dead ends, the leads all dried up. There was none
to pursue
and, while the cia ideally wanted kanzi in handcuffs, the more time
past the less it seem to matter. It was like the world
had forgotten and that everyone had moved on everyone, except for one woman.
Soon. After the day, Kanzi murdered, frank darling in cold blood. His wife
judy quit working at the cia after three,
Ten years of service, she had to move back home to pittsburgh to recover the attack left
diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. She didn't die
for months and when she finally did she wouldn't pull up next to a car at a red light in case it
figured memories of the shooting.
All she wanted to do was move on. So in the agency offered her another job, she said quote: not there I'll
or go back there, but she
never forgot about frank the scene,
like the cia, flew at half mast after the attack was mounted in her home in a triangle frame.
the shooting Frank had yelled for duty to get down saving her life, but sacrificing his. She was determined that here
wouldn't die in vain, but but
fines heading into pakistan. Herself there wasn't much. She could do so. She became
activist to her
there was only one way to keep a vendetta from turning into a murder in august, just over six months after the attack,
Judy spoke out. A congressional hearing on assault weapons. She held up a picture
her husband to law makers and said quote: I am not an
spurred on gun laws, but I am,
expert on what guns can do and the devastation they can cause a matter.
seconds. My life went from Heaven to the depths of hell and quote she also
When did you see for the silent march on washington ringing,
frank size, thirteen running shoes she placed them at the steps of the capital
two thirty eight thousand pairs belonging to other victims of gun violence,
but still losing a loved one is about as painful as it gets on the
anniversary of the shooting judy attended. A private memorial service hell
the langley intersection where kanzi murdered Frank
who wedding ring dangled at the end of a necklace too.
crosses one for her husband, and
for the other. Victim rose from wooden flower boxes, a dark plaque red honour. Sympathy
and tears. For those who will not be forgotten
after a year and a half for good,
it is exactly how judy felt she couldn't believe her husband's kid,
was still at large, but when Judy
press the cia about the stalled manhunt. She was met with resistance and even criticized for speaking up her
Even the agency was shaken to the core ass. She
to the news, her eyes filled with tears. She said
I often wonder if they ve ever really tried defined kanzi. I can't let go of this,
Until they do, I live it. Every
single day for
two years. I've tried to get answers and the cia keep sweeping it under the rug as though it never happened,
Agency is a family, they say and we look out for each other. But what have they
For me, Judy was a firmer logistics officer. We achieve
like she was being treated like some bitter widow. If she
did you bring conceited justice. She was going to have to take matters into her own hands.
in January nineteen, ninety five, two years after the shooting she met up with her senator arlene spectre, to plead for action.
There was also the chairman of the Senate select committee on intelligence which oversaw the cia.
likely already knew about kanzi. But when he heard judy's plea, he was especially moved
He wrote a letter to president bill Clinton, urging him to declare kanzi and international terrorist and asking
for an increase in the reward money, one
in one thousand dollars, wasn't getting them anywhere. Meanwhile,
Judy and other family members. Are the victims spearheaded along lobbying effort to get the government to step up and she said,
to make some headway soon enough
The fbi and state department geared up for a massive publicity campaign inside pakistan. Instead of just match books, they plan to put of wanted posters
print pamphlets and run ads in local papers. It was much bigger
after more than two years, Judy was eating to get justice for frank and finally and looked like they were getting somewhere.
That is until the manhood bombed the world trade center ramsay use, if got in the way. Let me explain,
earlier. We said that the fbi fell off the kanzi case to focus on the terrorist behind the world trade center bombings will around the same time, Judy was meeting. The senator Spectre American
and pakistani agents were going after use if this
one through a boarding house in islamabad, Pakistan's capital and caught uses
in the raid here
thrown onto an american aircraft and sent to the u s for trial, which was ignored
they would Judy wanted for kanzi she couldn't
stan why they could so easily go in and grab use if, but they couldn't do that.
in four kanzi which,
Didn't know was that the boarding house raid wasn't without consequence, radical muslim groups
We pakistan's prime minister had sold use of out and worse
only to gain favour with the? U s they were furious. Once again, the cycle of violence began to turn
on march, eighth, nineteen. Ninety five exactly one month after use of, was arrested. Three america
diplomats were on their way to work in karachi, Pakistan's large,
city. Suddenly a team
organize gunmen, brandishing assault rifles opened, fire on their embassy, man to the diplomats were killed and a third was injured, while no specific
group claimed responsibility again. Some believed
retaliation for use of the rest.
and the u S. Embassy was spooked, so there you are
bastard, pakistan cabled home with second thoughts about the campaign to get Kanzi an fbi spokesperson
even told the washington post, we don't want
but others in harm's way. For the sake of capturing currency,.
Judy darlings campaign for kanzi was put on hold indefinitely and his time
asked the? U s lost any track of where kanzi was, but with hindsight, we know
kanzi was no longer in quota. He was
safe and sound and afghanistan, and not at all worried about getting caught.
spent most of his time along the border. Drifting from village to village, never staying in one place for long by kanzius
it was easy to get into the country at the time comes
supposedly crossed back into pakistan, often too by newspapers or sealed friends. If you needed to he flash of
alcide de for border security. If that wasn't good enough, he'd handed
hard one hundred rupees about thirty,
eight cents in: u s dollars today, and aid
in through over the course
two years he was never interrogated. Not me
once at one point either
thought the? U s had given up on looking for him, so he fantasy.
used about killing more cia officials just to get their attention. If he could, he
get a job in greece then find a way
back to the states, then
would do it all again and terrifyingly
Maybe he would have if it was
four judy. Darling
after the man who installed she flew back to DC to meet with senator spectre. Again she was livid they
pull the plug on the fbi and state department campaign. With few,
their options. She likely knew that upping the reward money was the only real chance had getting kanzi the paltry one hundred
and dollar prize clearly wasn't enough to convince his contacts to hand them to their enemy. This time
the senator gave her a surprising assurance, the manhood
wasn't over kanzi was still
I already. Despite the previous attacks,
the state department made an announcement of formally designate mere able, kanzi and international terrorist, they weren't going to give in to the
fear of retaliation. They release
new bounty for information leading to currencies arrest.
a million dollars
for two years? They waited and waited and waited,
Finally, in April nineteen, ninety seven, an fbi agent of the: u s, consulate office received a call. It came from an informant they'd worked with before Apash tune, tribe,
Then the man said he'd been working with kanzi for the past couple of years now
but the reward had been increased. The reward money was too good to pass up. He was prepared to hand kanzi over.
The union was a little sceptical. It sounded like it could be a set up. It was almost too good to be true.
But even after those two years and a two million dollar offer, it was their only lead. They had to pursue it.
Coming up. A high stakes, operation runs into trouble and now
back to the story.
Following pressure from former cia officer judy darling and the fbi, the state department, finally,
labels, mere ammo kanzi, an international terrorist in April,
ninety ninety seven, nearly four years after the murders outside the cia headquarters, the f b I received a credible tipp with counties whereabouts at first
the agent was dubious, but the tree
men showed them currencies. Recent application for a pakistani driver's license complete with his photo album
comparing it to the one they had on file the f b. I realized the man story was no bluff thanks to duties,
resistance, mere able kanzi was now within their grasp. Although
To do now is get permission to head overseas and grabbed the suspect
for a variety of reasons. Capturing kanzi in afghanistan wasn't a viable option. There bestial
would be in pakistan where the- u s,
could count on local authorities backing them up. However, the
political landscape was fraught it's a little complicated.
But remember the last time, the? U s tried this. They only did so with the previous pakistani prime minister's permission
to get it again, even after so much backlash. Couldn't be done by brad alone? Luckily, a hyper
file figure intervened, possibly one of the only people charismatic enough to get the job done. The present
the united states
Around june bill Clinton called Pakistan's government announced that prime minister,
your nawaz sharif allow? U s agents to seize kanzi. While we dont know the exact
you're. The conversation meets possible Clinton dangled affair.
we're in return. One official noted quote: undone
Lee. Pakistan is hoping for some improvement in bilateral relations. As a result, Sharif was faced with an impossible choice.
Allowing americans to enter the country and apprehend Kanzi would anger domestic extremists.
But on the other hand, he wasn't in the position to ruffle the feathers of a? U S, president. In the end, Sharif agree,
The mission was on only
This time it wouldn't be just brad the operation
high priority, delicate and potentially lethal, it would take. A whole team
take down kanzi
agent Jimmy Carter. Second in command at the fbi's washington metropolitan field office, was on the job as well before he left
his superior said, quote, I
you know where this is going to take you or how long it's going to take you
better say: you're goodbyes if it doesn't
he'll right, pull out. There's always another day with that agent carter, agent, garrett and three others got on a plane to the remote desert town of darrow, gauzy con pakistan
carrying out an undercover mission and an unfamiliar environment put all of them on edge,
dera ghazi khan was not like us cities. It was
roads tangled electrical wires, overhead dusty.
small, geek air and
constant buzz of motorbikes and rickshaws. Yet they did know how
construct emission a team from quantity
secured a room across the street from us, shelly, more hotel, a city spot.
The idea was that the pasture tribesmen would lower kanzi there, possibly
pretence of smuggling russian goods by the eu
had no way of knowing whether their informant had followed throughout his enter the bargain. They just had to follow the plan.
the team would don shall work. Amuses, traditional dress that would hide their weapons. They'd heads
hotel in the morning hours since it
so early. They hoped no one would see them creeping down the dusty road, thankfully the informant told
the front door, the hotel would be unlocked the agents
could have no trouble creeping right in based
the informants description of the interior, the team,
secure the lobby. First then, the stairwell
kanzi room was on one of the upper floors. The front
It would be asked to knock on kanzi door to coax him out from morning prayer. The second here
when the door, the team would strike holding
kanzi down, while brad made the identification. Then
aid have their man in custody simple, but of
of the sting involve huge risks, brad worried about shooting the suspect in a struggle and about arresting the wrong man. Kanzi
dangerous, loyal friends, who'd protected him for years, others in
you stand called him. A hero
every member of brad's team was risking their lives. If
thing went wrong. They BC
dogs on june fit
ain't that four in the morning, brad agent carter and the rest of us,
I ops team arrived in demagogy, com, it was still dark and two brad surreal. That's because it was far from empty as they planned. Instead of vacant streets, the city was packed with people,
even at four a m local starting their day before the sun came up if it weren't for the disguises, the
of americans would have stood out like sore thumbs, they stopped through the justice
reed's slowly, making their way towards the shelly. Mar hotel
hopefully no one looked at them too closely. They'd know,
they weren't supposed to be there. They had to stay composed, though compose
It was difficult in such a high stakes operation, the team
grew antsy as they neared the hotel door in the desert dark
an agent grabbed the handle, but the door was locked and there was.
security guard inside
now. Brad and the other agents were trapped outside
went by moment. The streets filled with more and more people, the world
case scenario was coming true. The informed
information wasn't panting out worse, they were
reed they had been set up, they were,
exposed in the street vulnerable to being gun down. Just like the car
Let members in karachi rug,
we assess the situation,
There was no going back. The only way forward was to plough ahead
on the security guard to the door, then shut his way into the hotel by force.
No time for stealth guns out the
can secure the lobby and puzzled up the stairs toward currencies room. The funding
and called for morning prayer, and then they waited and waited.
Until someone inside counties room responded, it sounds
like a man groggy from being woken up by the called a prayer wheel, a team.
the waste any time as soon as the door? Cracked open
Rather, the team rushed in the agents
pounced on the man pitting onto the floor,
twenty screamed? They gave him, so he wouldn't wake the other guests. The struggle was quick and violent, but
we took seconds for the team to bring the suspects into custody. Brad looked him over
the man swore at the agents, though we wouldn't speak english or identify himself of clothes
Didn't really look like the right guy in every photo bates,
currency was clean shaven, but this aspect had a beard for a moment. Brad had a very important question. Was this even the right guy
because so far the informant had been wrong about several things. It's possible.
quantum was arresting an innocent man.
There was only one way to know for sure: do
had ordered the agents to turn him over. He whipped out of me
fine glass grab, the suspects thumb and pressed it into a flip. Open ink pad identifying
Fingerprints accurately with only a magnifying glass, is no easy task. With the naked
their hard to tell apart so
according to the national forensic science technology centre, analysed
for three known shapes, called ridge patterns on the part of the finger loop,
whirls and arches Brad peered into
magnifying glass examining each of these. In turn, he looked at the rear.
characteristics of the fresh print, then compared them to this.
blonde file with concepts.
Still fighting the agents brad zero dead on the snaking spirals, the curving loops and the waves of the black lines. Finally, he nodded looked up at his team
and said the three magic words we,
goddamn. It was enough for kanzi, just
fighting the man hunt was over at
a brief stay in a holding facility. The whole team, with kanzi,
Did a military aircraft painted in camel with an american flag on the tale? The flight was refuel, mid air, so kanzi couldn't ask for asylum. While touching down in another country, he had
the situation cause. He was a man with no regrets. During the twenty one hour flight. He openly confessed to the shooting.
They wouldn't have any issues charging him
back at langley, cia headquarters agents rejoiced the terrorist added.
earned their safe haven into a danger zone was finally captured,
Turning to one cia official, there wasn't a dry in the place and what
the f b, I landed fugitive in hand. The agents visited
building for themselves, their
were given an unusual reception from their rivals stand
innovation button
that compared to the relief that flowed through Judy darling when she heard the news now she thought there could be closure. There would be justice for frank,
seven months later, at kanzi sentencing, hearing judy held back her tears on the stand.
kanzi was poised, he said quote, I dont feel proud
or it. This is the result of the wrong policy toward islamic countries. I dont exe.
Any justice or mercy from this country or court. The jury
He was only too happy to prove him right. They sent
kanzi to death,
over the next few years, Brad visited kanzi in prison several times to glean intelligence about pakistan in time. The two
parties developed a sort of respect for each other. Brad wants
gate, kanzi, money for toiletries and kanzi on death row paid him back,
in contrast brand to attend his execution and when the
I'm came. Brad stay true to his word. In november,
two thousand to bread stood next to Kanzi ass. He was killed by the state, the f b, I age,
must have had mixed feelings in an interview. He hinted that
and though we got his man, it was took to chase someone capture them and then what
them die later
he told the washingtonian, he wouldn't recommend anyone attend an execution
we all know the saying revenge is sweet but
We heard earlier in real life, the after taste. Can
be bitter and there are always-
consequences.
Just twenty eight hours after a jury charged kanzi with murder by employees of attack,
Oil companies sat in a traffic jam in karachi, pakistan or red car, pulled up beside them and unloaded a hail.
bullets into their station. Killing all for
spanned the driver, and this time a group did claim respond
ability for the attack. No one
heard of them before, but their name was the aim,
secret action committee,
Pakistani officials believed it was in retaliation for mere a mole kanzius sentence.
thanks again for turning into serial killers
and find all episodes of serial killers and all other spotify originals from parkhurst for free on
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Day safe out there
Serial killers is spotify original from parkhurst executive produced by max cutler, our head of
grammy's julian black robe
revising some designers, Russell mass with nick johnson us ahead of production and quality control by spencer, howard stacy
make us our supervising, editor and Derek jennings, as our writing led this up
Serial killers was written by Ben carol, edited by terror. Wells fact checked by Kevin Johnson researched bible
petersen, Chelsea would produce by bruce couteau bitch and
designed by Michael motion our home,
southern us richardson, and me gregg pulses.
Transcript generated on 2023-06-19.