21.   The underworld has been rapidly improving the mechanism of contract killings, even in outlying regions.

22.   These include people convicted of serial contract killings, the killing of law enforcement officers, killing by torture and the like.

23.   Tipped off by an informant, investigators said they taped conversations in which Miss Garcia, a psychology student at a Long Island college, arranged the contract killing.

24.   Too, his demise was one of a series of contract killings.

25.   When he was in college, his father was sentenced to life in prison for a second contract killing.

26.   Why limit ourselves to executing murderers of peace officers, multiple murderers, contract killings and the like?

27.   Organized crime increasingly uses contract killings, bombs and arson in its efforts to control Russian companies.

28.   Police said the killing bore all the earmarks of a contract killing.

29.   Police were investigating the incident, which had all the hallmarks of a contract killing.

30.   Police have created a new division to investigate the rising number of contract killings in the Russian capital, a news report said Sunday.