Find Yura: Manhunt on the Dark Web

Summary

48 Hours: "Find Yura: Manhunt on the Dark Web"

CBS News | July 6, 2026

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Episode Overview

This gripping episode of “48 Hours” investigates the disturbing world of murder-for-hire websites on the dark web, focusing on the chilling case of Alexis Stern—a Minnesota teenager whose life was upended when she learned someone had paid for her assassination using cryptocurrency. CBS News Correspondent Peter Van Sant and cyber intelligence expert Lisa lead listeners through the digital manhunt for “Yura,” a shadowy dark web operator, exposing how online scams can have very real, deadly consequences. The episode spotlights key investigative breakthroughs and emotional interviews, and traces the global search for Yura and his network, revealing how “48 Hours” helped bring justice in similar cases worldwide.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Hit Order Against Alexis Stern

• Alexis Stern’s Ordeal
  • Alexis, a typical Minnesota teenager, finds her world shattered after receiving news from police that someone ordered a “hit” on her via a dark web site ([01:31] - [05:41]).
  • Quote (Alexis Stern, 03:41): “He was just like, I think you should sit down. Someone put a hit out on you and they want you dead. I was like, this is a joke, right?”
• Details of the Dark Web Order
  • The would-be killer had her picture, description, home and work address.
  • Site operator "Yura" (also seen as "Jura") advertised: “We have hundreds of gang members, criminals and people who love to kill for money. They are anonymous. You are anonymous. So come and get rid of those nasty problems.” (Yura, 02:19)
• Authorities’ Response
  • FBI and Homeland Security confirm the site is likely a scam, but stress the danger is real since someone genuinely wanted Alexis dead ([06:17] - [06:28]).

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2. Alexis’ Suspicions: The Ex-Boyfriend Connection

• Origin of the Threat
  • Alexis describes her online relationship with Adrian Fry, an older Englishman who reacted badly when she ended the relationship and started seeing someone new.
  • Quote (Alexis Stern, 11:14): “You deserve everything horrible that happens to you.”
• Digital Linguistics Fingerprint
  • The hit order language, timing (immediately after breakup), and turns of phrase match Adrian’s known writing patterns—such as using “inbox me” and writing “thankyou” as one word ([14:05] - [14:22]).
• Escalation
  • Dark web messages show the order escalating from kidnapping to murder. Alexis spots a chilling message: “Do you guys sell guns? I need a pistol with a silencer.”
  • Quote (Alexis Stern, 15:53): “It sounds like he is willing to take matters into his own hands if it doesn’t get done.”

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3. The Hunt for Yura: Who is Behind the Dark Web Marketplace?

• Profiling Yura
  • Lisa, a former intelligence community member turned dark web consultant, is recruited by CBS to help track down Yura. She analyzes his writing, financial traces, and operational network ([07:43] - [09:16]).
  • Yura’s sites are highly profitable scams—estimated $5M in revenue from would-be hitman clients, but no evidence of actual murders-for-hire performed.
• Digital Breadcrumbs
  • Lisa discovers a unique password “frunza22” linking dark web accounts to real-world digital activity, including a car ad in Moldova and an email in New York, leading her to suspect Yura may live in the U.S. now.
  • Quote (Lisa, 22:05): “Just on a Google search. Franza22 actually led us to Moldova... All places.”
• Suspected Identity
  • The investigation brings the team to a New York tech entrepreneur who matches many clues about Yura but remains publicly unidentified due to non-conclusive evidence.
  • Lisa assigns a 75–80% confidence that he is Yura, rising to 80–90% after observing his nervous reaction to confronting evidence ([39:14] - [43:31]).

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4. Collateral Damage: Real-World Crimes Sparked by Dark Web Scams

• Case Studies Prompted by 48 Hours' Investigations
  • Tina Jones (Illinois, 25:16): Nurse attempts to hire a hitman to kill romantic rival. Pleaded guilty to attempted murder; sentenced to 10 years.
  • Brandon States (Tennessee, 26:56): Army specialist pleads guilty after ordering hits on pregnant ex; sentenced to 15 years prison.
  • Beau Brigham (California, 30:16): Attempted to have his stepmother killed; convicted but received lighter sentence due to minimal BTC payment.
• Law Enforcement Impact
  • CBS investigation provides tips leading to interventions and arrests in several states and abroad. But some perpetrators, like Adrian Fry, remain at large.

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5. Confronting Suspects: Investigative Showdowns

• Confrontation in New York
  • Peter Van Sant and Lisa confront the man suspected to be Yura on a New York sidewalk.
    • When presented with the damning password evidence, the man shuts down, begins live-streaming on Facebook, and becomes aggressive ([40:50] - [42:07]).
    • Quote (Lisa, 40:50): “The minute you hit him with the evidence… He immediately then shuts down and starts going, ‘No, no, no, no. I don’t want to be here.’”
• Confrontation in England
  • The team attempts to contact Adrian Fry at his English home. His brother claims Adrian is away; further contact attempts fail ([35:55] - [36:57]).
  • Quote (Alexis Stern, 36:53): “Not unless he’s behind bars.”

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6. Challenges, Dead-Ends, And Lingering Threats

• Obstacles & Frustrations
  • U.S. authorities close Alexis’ case without prosecution or explanation, frustrating both Alexis and the CBS team ([36:57] - [37:25]).
• Ongoing Hunt
  • Despite significant evidence against both the scam operator and would-be hitmen, Yura and his core operation remain at large, protected by digital anonymity and global jurisdiction challenges.
  • Lisa remains determined: “Everyone can be found. Yura can be found.” ([21:06] & [32:30])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I love my family and my friends… Despite me trying to be a normal teenager, someone does want me dead.” — Alexis Stern ([01:31])
• “We have hundreds of gang members, criminals and people who love to kill for money. You are anonymous. So come and get rid of those nasty problems.” — Yura ([02:19])
• “Looking for criminals on the dark web is not for the faint of heart.” — Lisa ([07:43])
• “If there is a chance you may like me in years time, then I will happily wait.” — Alexis reading Adrian’s message, noting linguistic similarity to hit order ([15:07])
• “Jura had become so brazen, he actually was promoting his dark websites on the regular Internet by hiring a marketing specialist.” — Peter Van Sant ([32:56])
• “I have high confidence that this man is very likely Yura.” — Lisa ([39:14])
• “The minute you hit him with the evidence… He immediately then shuts down and starts going, ‘No, no, no, no. I don’t want to be here.’” — Lisa ([40:50])

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Key Timestamps

• 01:31 – 05:41 — Alexis Stern learns about the hit placed on her life.
• 06:53 – 09:16 — 48 Hours begins its broader dark web investigation; introduction to Yura.
• 10:00 – 11:17 — Adrian Fry’s background and the breakdown of his relationship with Alexis.
• 12:06 – 15:53 — Forensic email linguistics implicate Adrian Fry.
• 16:14 – 17:15 — Lisa analyzes the psychological danger of scam hitman sites.
• 18:21 – 22:26 — The search for Yura’s real identity: digital breadcrumbs from Moldova to New York.
• 25:16 – 28:13 — Real-world cases solved or exposed thanks to investigative tips.
• 32:51 – 34:49 — Unmasking Yura’s global network, including a marketing contractor in India.
• 35:55 – 36:57 — Stakeout and confrontation attempts with Adrian Fry.
• 39:14 – 43:31 — Face-to-face confrontation with the suspected Yura in New York.
• 43:36 – end — Reflections on the case, lingering questions, and closing thoughts.

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Conclusion

"Find Yura: Manhunt on the Dark Web" reveals not only the terrifying psychological toll of being targeted via dark web murder-for-hire scams but also the tireless digital detective work required to chase down anonymous perpetrators in cyberspace. Through interviews, field investigations, and expert analysis, CBS News shines a spotlight on both the dangers and difficulties of prosecuting dark web crimes—and the hope that comes from relentless investigative journalism and the resilience of victims like Alexis Stern.

Transcript

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[Alexis Stern]

I'm no different than any other teenager in. I love my family and my friends, my two dogs and my cat. I love writing. I love reading. Despite me trying to be a normal teenager, someone does want me dead. This is the picture of me, a description of me, where I lived, where I worked. That mastermind 365 posted about me on

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

the Murder for Hire website.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

Yes, hi, my name is Yura. We have hundreds of gang members, criminals and people who love to kill for money. They are anonymous. You are anonymous. So come and get rid of those nasty problems.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

This is deadly serious. This is talking about the murder of a human being.

[Alexis Stern]

It definitely changed my life. I kept looking over my shoulder. I didn't know who I could trust. I could be killed on my way to work. I could be killed on my way home from school. And that terrified me.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

You can submit your orders to kill the people you hate.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

We've got some significant leads on who Yura might be.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Do you Think you're getting close?

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Yeah, absolutely. As a Dark Web intelligence analyst, my job is to. To uncover that which is hidden.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Is there a chance, as I look up on your screen, that may be our guy?

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Everyone can be found. Yura can be found.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

So we are literally a car ride from where we're talking right now to where you believe Yura actually lives.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Yes. We're gonna make a left at the next.

[Alexis Stern]

Go slower, go slower, go slower.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Where's the house?

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

It's this one right here. Yeah, it's this house right here where Yora might presently live. Man, my heart is racing.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

I'm alive.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Go.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Are you Yura?

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

Stop recording right now.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Late on a frigid night in February 2019, 18 year old Alexis Stern was driving near her hometown of Big Lake, Minnesota, when she says she noticed a white van in her rearview mirror.

[Alexis Stern]

So we started driving around town, taking

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

detours, but the van stuck with her. In a growing panic, she called authorities, who later located and spoke with the van's driver.

[Alexis Stern]

He claimed he was lost. He didn't know where he was.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

You have no doubt you were being followed, right?

[Alexis Stern]

Yeah.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Alexis had every reason to be worried because of something that had happened just months earlier, when out of nowhere, the police had called her.

[Alexis Stern]

We have to talk to you. It's dire and you need to come now.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

It's dire? He says yes.

[Alexis Stern]

He said it was urgent. I had no idea what to expect. Did someone die? Is someone hurt? Like, am I in trouble?

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

When Alexis arrived at the police station, she got stunning news.

[Alexis Stern]

He was just like, I think you should sit down. Someone put a hit out on you and they want you dead. I was like, this is a joke, right?

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

It was not a joke. On the Dark Web, someone using the alias mastermind365 had gone to a hitman for hire site and paid about $5,000 worth of Bitcoin for Alexis to be assassinated. Giving chilling details.

[Alexis Stern]

Where I lived, where I worked, my picture of me, a description of me, everything.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

FBI and Homeland Security agents soon got involved. Although dark Web sites are scams, Alexis knew someone out there wanted her dead.

[Alexis Stern]

And that terrified me.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Authorities promised to investigate. The aspiring horror book author had read about the Dark Web, a hidden online marketplace where criminality ranging from human trafficking to illegal weapons is advertised for sale, even murder.

[Alexis Stern]

The more you start to dig, the darker it starts to get.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

It was in 2017 that 48 Hours first investigated Dark Web murder for hire. The next year, we exposed about 20 active murder plots. Police received a tip from the CBS News program 48 Hours. 48 Hours alerted law enforcement, leading to arrests in two states and two foreign countries. Our investigation also led us to this mysterious figure known as Jura, who has been operating hitman sites for about five years. We don't know his real name or location, but he sent us these video diaries.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

I am doing this video diary entry to give you official statements.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Looking for criminals on the dark web is not for the faint of heart.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

For most of her career, this woman has lived in the shadows.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

I was a member of the intelligence community.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Now she's a CBS News consultant who we hired to help us look for Yura.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

What makes it challenging is this isn't your traditional law enforcement investigation where there's DNA and there's fingerprints and a weapon and a crime scene.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Lisa, as we'll call her, has altered her appearance for this interview.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

In the world of the dark Web, DNA is email addresses, usernames, passwords.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Lisa analyzed Yura's writings.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

His English is very good.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

But she says the evidence suggests he is foreign born and doesn't work alone.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

There's definitely some support.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

She says the murder for hire sites are all about making big money and that she found millions of dollars of. Prof. In an online account she believes is linked to Yura.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Upwards of, I think 5 million.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Apparently about $5,000 of those profits was allegedly paid to kill Alexis Stern. When her parents found out, they weren't taking any chances. You left Minnesota?

[Alexis Stern]

Yes. We just started driving. It was scary.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

But who would want her dead? Alexis thought she Knew. Back in 2016, she was a high school sophomore struggling with her self esteem. She was just 15 when a friend introduced her to an older man online.

[Alexis Stern]

I ended up meeting a guy named Adrian.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Adrian Fry?

[Alexis Stern]

Yes, Adrienne Fry.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

She was intrigued to learn that Adrienne Fry lived in England.

[Alexis Stern]

I was always partial to British accent, so I thought it was kind of a bonus.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Adrian was 20. He said he was training to be an accountant and liked to stream video games online. His screen name, Rocket Wind.

[Alexis Stern]

What is up, ladies and gentlemen? My name is Rocket Wind. And welcome to another patch notes. I wanted to have a boyfriend and it was the perfect opportunity.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

In August of 2016, Frey flew to Minnesota and got a hotel room near her house. This is Adrienne right here?

[Alexis Stern]

Yes.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Do your parents have any idea this is going on?

[Alexis Stern]

No, they had no idea.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

The two began a relationship. Alexis had just turned 16.

[Alexis Stern]

He was already pretty much talking about getting married. Honestly, he was 100% set on being with me.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Adrienne Frey visited Alexis twice more in the summer of 2017 and. And in the spring of 2018, she says her feelings were changing.

[Alexis Stern]

He really started trying to control my normal everyday life.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

They had considered themselves a couple for about two years. When Alexis told Adrian it was over, he freaked out.

[Alexis Stern]

He did not like that at all. There was a lot of pleading, a lot of begging.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

A few months later, when she told him she had a new boyfriend, she says he became angry, pretty much saying,

[Alexis Stern]

you deserve everything horrible that happens to you.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Do you sense that he's basically sending you a message?

[Alexis Stern]

100%.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

And what is that message?

[Alexis Stern]

That's not gonna end that great for me. Someone could sneak into the house and kill me. I could be killed. On my way home from school, we

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

asked Alexis Stern to read the disturbing emails between the person who wanted her dead, codenamed mastermind365 and Yura, the alleged murder for hire kingpin on the Dark Web.

[Alexis Stern]

I can see on your website that the services you offer are murdered. Assault, arson, a kidnapping is the job that I had in mind.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Mastermind 365 sent this picture of Alexis to Yura. Then for some reason, about a week later, he upgraded his order from kidnapping to I would just like this person dead.

[Alexis Stern]

I would just like this person to be shot and killed.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

It was another cold and clinical Minnesota hit order that triggered our original Dark Web murder for hire investigation. In 2016, a 43 year old dog trainer named Amy Alwine was killed in nearby Cottage Grove. Police questioned her husband, Stephen. We're a normal family. There is nothing, nothing unique, Nothing strange like mastermind 365. Stephen Alwine had paid Jura thousands of dollars to arrange a hit. When it didn't happen, Alwine took matters into his own hands and shot his wife in the head. In 2018, he was convicted of murder. Do you have any doubt in your mind who put out the contract on your life?

[Alexis Stern]

I have no doubt in my mind that it is Adrienne Fry.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Adrienne Fry, her ex boyfriend from England. When she saw the kill order dated July 15, she says the timing suddenly made sense to her. What had happened the day before July 14th.

[Alexis Stern]

That is when I told Adrian that I was dating someone else.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

And it wasn't just the timing of the hit order, she says, it was the language too.

[Alexis Stern]

It sounds very British. I would just like this person dead. But if there's any more information you would like, inbox me. I don't know anyone in America that uses the term inbox me. Adrian, on the other hand, often would say that

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Alexis noticed mastermind360 sometimes referred to himself with a lowercase I. She says when Adrian wrote her, he did the same thing. She also saw that mastermind365 wrote thank you as one word in Adrian's messages to her. He'd done that too. It's a quirk that would become more significant later in our investigation. And there was more.

[Alexis Stern]

Mastermind 365 to your. My problem is that I don't currently have an extra five grand, but I will have it in about a week's time. This part is from Adrian to me. If there is a chance you may like me in years time, then I will happily wait.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

The phrases weeks time and year's time are common in British English. In writing them, both mastermind365 and Adrian Fry had left off an apostrophe. So there's a couple of phrases that matches Adrian's patterns.

[Alexis Stern]

Yes.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

She also realized mastermind365 seemed to have grown impatient with Yura over time. And that's when she saw one particular message that sent a shiver up her spine.

[Alexis Stern]

Do you guys sell guns? I need a pistol with a silencer.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

He's asked Yur to help him get a gun with a silencer.

[Alexis Stern]

Mm.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

What does that tell you?

[Alexis Stern]

It sounds like he is willing to take matters into his own hands if it doesn't get done.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Just like Stephen Alwine. And that's what worries our dark web expert, Lisa. She believes Jura's websites are a scam and that frustrated clients may be moved to violence.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

The fact that he's a scammer, as opposed to an actual hitman for hire provider, does not remove the fact that he is a threat or is a criminal.

[Alexis Stern]

There are people out there who believe it is a real hitman website.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Alexis Stern says after more than a year with little apparent progress on her case, she became frustrated and agreed to try her luck with us.

[Alexis Stern]

I decided I might as well take a chance and see what 48 hours can help me with. Give me a second.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

She is determined to see justice catch up to the man she says ordered her murder and the person who promised to arrange it. Lisa, we have always thought in our investigation that you're a must live overseas. Are we right?

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

No, Peter. I live right here in New York City.

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[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

A hitman marketplace is like any other auction site. It brings customers and vendors together.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

He's still out there somewhere. The cyberghost. Yura, still uncatchable in a hidden world. Still a confounding mystery. It's probably no surprise that our global manhunt for Yura began on a computer. So I ventured into a very strange place for the first time in my life. The dark web. In 2018, we wrote to him on his website asking for an interview. Much to our surprise, he agreed to sit down with us on camera in London. We were already there to interview a self styled cybercrime researcher named Chris Montero, who'd been monitoring Jura and his Hitman sites for more than three years. And sort of people attracted to the website are very, very nasty individuals. So we've flown from New York to London, rented this studio. You can see the lights behind me for the big interview, and we even brought in a master of disguise who's going to camouflage Jura's face. Now all we need is him. The elusive Jura never showed up, claiming we could have been followed by police. But he did start sending us those video statements.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

We will be waiting for you to come, place your orders and get rid of your problems.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Jura, who seems to enjoy taunting 48 hours, sent us this email in June 2019. Unfortunately, after your show, the business has decreased tremendously. People concluded that the site is a scam. Yura even claimed he's going legit, moving away from the murder for hire sites into the real world. I opened a restaurant business and I live nice. Lisa, our Dark Web expert, doubts Jura has left his criminal past behind.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

He's still very much in business.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

He still works.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Absolutely.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

And as the cases of Amy Olwein and Alexis Stern show, even if Yura's hitman sites are scams, the customers paying him to have people killed are horrifyingly real. A lot of people want other people killed.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Correct?

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

All across the United States and the world, yes. Lisa is determined to unmask Yura.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Everyone can be found. Yura can be found.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

And she quickly spotted her first clue. A massive trail of hacked digital data. Digging through that treasure trove, Lisa believes she's unearthed a few gold nuggets.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

Hi, this is Ura again, including Yura's

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

likely password from one of his early murder for hire sites.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

In this case, we've got this very

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

unique password of frunza22.f r u n z a22. So this sounds like a lead.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

From a digital forensics perspective, this is a huge lead.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Lisa immediately launched a worldwide search across the dark web and the regular Internet for that password, possibly linked to Europe. In a matter of hours, she zeroed in on two hits from different sides of the planet.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Just on a Google search. Franza22 actually led us to Moldova. All places

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet state in Eastern Europe. There's a village here called Franza. It's also a common last name.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Franza 22 gave us all this intelligence with which to work with and narrow down who Yurik possibly could be.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Lisa discovered that the online seller of this car in Moldova had also used Franza 22. Could there be a link?

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

The license plate for this car obviously gives us more information.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Do you have an answer yet as to who owns this vehicle?

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Unfortunately, we do not. We're coordinating with people on the ground in Moldova to see who this car is actually registered to.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

But the most compelling clue, Lisa says, connects Yura's possible password to a standard email address here in the United States.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

I was able to identify that with a very high probability with an older Russian woman in New York.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Lisa thinks the woman could be Yura's relative. The cyber search for Jura and his anonymous dark web connections will involve a tedious, time consuming process of following digital breadcrumbs.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

One piece of evidence stands on its own, and you look at it as a breadcrumb and you try to chase that for a bit, and then you find another breadcrumb. And collectively, when you start to add all of these things up, you have a higher confidence assessment.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

I keep my identity private. Everything that could help with recognition.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

As our global hunt for Jura intensifies, we're reminded that his borderless reach from the bottom of the Internet has left shattered lives in his wake. Amy Alwine, murdered and others marked for death, living in perpetual fear. There are people around the world in danger, and I had to do something about it. What Chris Monteiro did was secretly hack into Jura's websites, dredging up disturbing emails from clients, ordering grisly hits and passing them on to 48 hours. We immediately informed law enforcement. Three cases we investigated in 2018 in Illinois Tennessee and California have led to explosive conclusions. Do you understand the terror that you have caused? Woodridge, Illinois. Tina Jones, a registered nurse, got involved with a married colleague. When he ended the affair, she allegedly paid Jura about $12,000 to kill the man's wife.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

18 CF gate certified Tina Jones. Jones.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

And approaching the bench. This was a nurse. Someone who saves lives. Truth really is stranger than fiction. So Woodridge Police Sergeant Daniel Murray, acting on the 48 hours tip, brought a chillingly calm Tina Jones in for questioning. The easier it'll go for everybody involved. So I'm just gonna ask you right now, did you make any threat or did you try to have somebody do something on your behalf to Jeff's wife?

[Alexis Stern]

No. Okay.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

You sure about that? Pause. You buying it?

[Alexis Stern]

No.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Why not? She just doesn't come off as believable. I really don't know. Moments later, the truth. But you gotta tell me now.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

I did. You did?

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Yeah. Tina Jones just pleaded guilty to attempted first degree murder. In August 2019, Tina Jones learned her fate. She will spend the next 10 years in prison. 418 Alpha century, 48 hours. Also tipped off Detective Michael Ulre in Clarksville, Tennessee, who broke the news to then 22 year old Sydney Minor. I got you a single mom. Someone went on the dart web. There is a murder for hire website and someone has paid to have you murdered.

[Narrator/Host]

What?

[Alexis Stern]

What?

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Sydney, who was pregnant with her second child, quickly identified the father of her unborn baby as a suspect. Brandon States, Sydney says he had pressured her to get an abortion.

[Alexis Stern]

He's married. Didn't know it. At the time.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

The only person in our mind was Brandon Staintz because. Because it was his child and she refused to get rid of the child. Brandon States eventually pleaded guilty to attempted premeditated murder. In March 2019, the Army Specialist was sentenced by a military court to 15 years in Fort Leavenworth. By his final court hearing, Sidney had given birth to a little girl named Sailor. Brandon States asked to meet his daughter before going to prison. Sidney reluctantly agreed and handed the little girl to the man who had paid money to kill them both. Give me a sense of what was going through your mind at that moment.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Fear.

[Alexis Stern]

A lot of fear. She had to meet him in a courtroom with police officers and armed guards. I told him, I'll never forgive you

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

for what you've done.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Around the same time in San Luis Obispo, California, this man awaits trial. We know that you wanted your stepmother murdered, but we don't know why. Why did you do it? Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun. An army hung on her every word.

[Commercial Announcer]

My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana. Twas a lovely suv, an inexplicably queen like offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Tonight we feast. An offer you can feast on.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

In late 2019, Beau Brigham, a one time YouTube star I never did it for the money. I did it because I had a

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

lot of time on my hands.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Is on trial for solicitation of murder. After 48 hours tipped authorities to his case. In 2018, Brigham allegedly had paid Jura to arrange the assassination of his stepmother. During questioning by detectives, he seemed to acknowledge ordering the hit. I remember going on some stupid site and I was in a rage just

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

sending a bunch of stuff.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

I do not deny he went to the site. I absolutely deny that he had any intention whatsoever of hurting his stepmother. Defense attorney Ilan Funky Bielew says Brigham wasn't serious. Evidence shows Brigham paid less than $3 in Bitcoin toward the $5,000 hit. If there was true intent, it wouldn't stop at $2.95. After nearly three weeks of testimony, it takes the jury seven hours to find Brigham guilty of solicitation of murder. And a month later. So I just came out of the courtroom. He was sentenced to just three years in state prison, but with credit for time served, he was released in January 2020. Alexis Stern is frustrated that in her case there hasn't even been an arrest. 48 Hours tracked her ex boyfriend, Adrian Fry to this house in the city of Bath, England. And we're watching the place. So far, he hasn't emerged.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

The Hitman marketplace is like any other auction site.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

The man who took the kill order Adrian allegedly made is still at large too. But Lisa says finding Yura may partly depend on exposing and flipping the people who work with him.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Everyone has a network, right?

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

We uncovered information about an important thread in Yura's web. A thread stretching all the way to the sprawling city of Kolkata, India, and a computer contractor named Santos Sharma.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Jura contracted Santos Sharma to assist him with digital marketing and promotion of him.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Jura had become so brazen, he actually was promoting his dark websites on the regular Internet by hiring a marketing specialist. Our producer in India, Arshad Zargar, spent weeks looking for Sharma.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

But we managed to track down both his addresses.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

We tipped authorities who summoned Sharma to the police station. After they questioned him, Sharma agreed to an interview with us. We asked him about the sites he created on the regular Internet to advertise Jura sites on the dark web. What are the websites that you created for him?

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

I have created murder for hire.com besamafia.com

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

hireahitman.com he insisted he was just an everyday Internet marketer hired on a freelance job. Have you ever spoken to him? No, I just chat with him. Chat and email. I have asked her phone number. How he didn't send me. He said they're not in touch at all anymore. And that he doesn't know Yura's real name or location, but wishes he did because Jura scammed him too. Jura still owes him about $400 and. And he has been trying to get in touch with him, asking for the money. Sharma was released without charges. But hacker Chris Montero says Jura's operations took a body blow. The work of 48 hours investigating Santos Sharma in India. That was very important in shutting down his advertising operations. Lisa wants to see Yura shut down down completely. And she believes she's getting close to finding him.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

And it'll be right up here, right on the right.

[Alexis Stern]

I'm gonna drop my head down, man.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

My heart is racing.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

And we're closing in on Adrian Fry, too. He lives in this house west of London.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Here we go.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Let's see what happens. Hey, good evening.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Plus they can handle claims in as

[Commercial Announcer]

little as two seconds. So before you turn into a complete helicopter pet parent, get a [e-mail] pet.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

We staked out Adrian Fry's house in England. The young man, Alexis believes ordered her murder and asked Jura about obtaining a gun. For days it seemed like nobody was home. Then one night in February 2020. Take a look at this. A car has pulled up in front of the house. So we're gonna head over now and go knock on the door. Let's see what happens and see if we can speak face to face with Adrian Fry. Hey, good evening. My name is Peter Van Santa. I was wondering if Adrian's here. Adrian's brother answered the door saying Adrian was visiting friends. He gave us the name of a nearby town and we went to check it out but couldn't find him. Would you ever meet with Adrian Florida try again?

[Alexis Stern]

Not unless he's behind bars,

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

but that now seems unlikely. In November 2019, Alexis Stern received a letter from the FBI saying the case was being closed because the United States Attorney's Office has declined to prosecute. But authorities never explained why the case was dropped and refused to tell 48 hours what, if anything, they had ever done to investigate Adrian Fry or Yura.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

To all law enforcement, just try and close our site if you can.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

In our own two year global search for Yura, we've been stood up in the uk. What did he say? I don't think he's coming. Found Yura's marketing guru in India. I have created murder for hire.com besamafia.com but not Jura himself. And hit a dead end with that car ad in Moldova where we had hired a local researcher to track down the owner. Lisa now believes it's just a coincidence that Franza, 22, appeared in the car ad.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

There's no direct correlation.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

In January 2020, we followed Lisa's lead to a woman in New York City who Lisa now believes is Yura's mother in law. We've just left Manhattan. Where are we heading?

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Queens. Maybe we'll find Yura.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

I hope so. It took three months of digging through digital clues for Lisa to uncover what she called calls strong evidence against the man she now believes is Yura. It includes a link to that unusual password. Franza 22 and 48 hours discovered an email address that included Gun and killa connected to the man Lisa found in New York City.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

It was enough to make me pause when I saw that email address.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Lisa believes the man had moved to the US from overseas in the 1990s and now owns a large repair business, registered some kind of tech company, and most recently bought a restaurant.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

I have high confidence that this man is very likely. Ira.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

What's that confidence level? If you put it in a percentage,

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

75 to 80, which is, in intelligence terms, quite high.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Lisa says there's no such thing as 100% certainty on the secretive dark Web. That's why we decided not to name the man or show his face. And we're in a position where we can take a look down a sidewalk and see if he approaches. We spotted him on a public sidewalk.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

That's him.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Hey, how you doing? I'm Peter Van Sant with CBS News, and we have some questions we'd like to get answered if we may assemble. Our investigation of murder for hire on the dark web has led us here. And I wanted to ask you, are you Yura?

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

Who?

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Yura.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

I don't know who they are.

[Netflix Game Narrator]

My name is.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Yura is a person who runs. Has run various murder for hire sites on the Dark Web.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

What are you talking about? Can you explain yourself?

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

I then asked him about Franza22, that potentially incriminating password. How do you explain that? On the Besa Mafia website, the administrator uses a password, franza22. Lisa says to pay special attention to the man's reaction after I mentioned the password.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

The minute you hit him with the evidence. That is the key piece of evidence in this case, the password. The password. He immediately then shuts down and starts going, no, no, no, no. I don't want to be here.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

He then did something I've never seen before.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

Before we start anything, I want to make sure the whole world knows what's going on.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

He started streaming our conversation live on Facebook, where he began speaking more to his followers than to me.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

What's up, guys? Something is going on. I got some guys over here.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

This in itself is taking control of the communication. He wants his words and his voice to be heard and not yours.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

You can answer my question.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

There's no juras here.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

We also tried to ask the man about another striking similarity between him and Yura in the real world. Well, Yura wrote us and said that he recently taken his money and opened a new restaurant, which you've done that.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

And what restaurant are you talking about again?

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

This restaurant not far from where we met him. He opened the place in 2018. Just six months later, Jura wrote 48 Hours that he had done the same. Do you run these murder for hire

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

websites calling me some stupid names? Stop recording right now.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

As his anger grew.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

I'm gonna smack the out of your camera right now, I'm telling you.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

The man suddenly made us an offer. No cameras allowed. I have no idea who is.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

Your honor.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

I have no idea who's your is. You want to talk to me privately? Let's go to the office, me and you. Sit down. We'll talk without this.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

I turned him down because the situation was starting to feel dangerous. Oh, hey, guys. And our conversation.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

Who you think you are? I'm just telling you who you think you are. You make.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Was about to take a major hit. I'm a reporter, investigative reporter that's been following this for over a year. Come on now. Don't do that. That was just on video. That could be. That could be an assault. Don't do this.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

You're assaulting me right now.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

I'm asking you a question.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

Yes, we need the police to be. Yes, sir.

[Yura/Jura (Dark Web Hitman Operator)]

You hit.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

I didn't hit you. I hit your camera. And you did it with your own hands.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

We quickly left the scene.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

They chickened out right away.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

And the man, still angry, continued to stream live.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

Stupid website. Some freak created something. Use my identity.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Someone's using my identity. He's confirming that the information that we've presented to him is legit.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Yes, I'm asking you a question.

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

Based on all of the evidence that has been accumulated, my confidence is still quite high.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

In fact, she says, having seen the

[Lisa (Dark Web Expert/Consultant)]

video, it's even higher, around 80 to 90%.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

Over the next two weeks, we reached out to the man four times, requesting an on camera interview at CBS News. Do give a call back and let us know your decision. We were eager to hear any explanation for the apparent links between him and Europe. He apologized for his actions.

[Suspect/Interviewee (Possibly Yura or Adrian Fry)]

Who you think you are.

[Peter Van Sant (Investigator/Reporter)]

But never sat down on camera. Adrian, this is Peter Van Sant, correspondent. Neither Adrian Fry, though he did text us. Hi, Peter. I can assure you that I did not go onto the online web to hire a hitman or anyone to kill Alexis. But it was his last text declining our interview request that startled us. Thank you for the opportunity, he wrote. We realized that just like mastermind365, Adrian had once again written thank you as one word.