The Man Who Knew Too Much

48 Hours Mystery Reports On Murder Of U.S. Journalist In Moscow

(CBS)  Less than two blocks from the Forbes office, the car made a fast, left turn, and cut Klebnikov off. Glushchenko says Klebnikov was shot nine times. He was gunned down with a 9-millimeter Russian Makarov pistol.

His assailants vanished within seconds, their getaway car speeding off into the shadows of the Moscow night. A passing ambulance was first to call in the shooting and quickly radioed for full medical backup.

Cops from the local precinct rushed to the scene. Despite multiple gunshot wounds, Klebnikov was still alive. When asked if he knew who shot him, he managed to say, "No, I don't know. No."

"I was working when somebody called and told that Paul Klebnikov is dying on the street," says Newsweek reporter Michael Fishman, who rode in the ambulance with Klebnikov.

"At that moment, I understood very well that he was very bad, and he started losing consciousness. The nurses and myself we were trying to get him back, shouting 'C'mon you're strong, you can do it.'"

The ride to Hospital Number 20 took only a few minutes, but Klebnikov's injuries were devastating. He couldn't be saved.

The murder of an American may be unusual, but unfortunately, contract killings in Moscow are not. By one estimate, there are as many as 500 a year. It's said you can arrange a contract hit for a little as a bottle of vodka -- but not a hit like this one.

"To kill a person like Paul Klebnikov, you can't hire an amateur," says Glushchenko, who seems sure that the intricate planning of the murder points to a very professional hit. "They knew when he's leaving his office, when he was on his way to the underground station. They knew where to put the car - and to shoot."