Helaman 2 – 3
I notice that the designs of Gadianton were frustrated so long as the people were not steeped in his wickedness. In fact, had Kishkumen been able to murder Helaman I doubt that Gadianton would have become the chief judge. Odds are that there would have been many murders of chief judges before he gained his desire – and then either he would be killed by an ambitious member of his band (see Jaredite history) or he would have prosecuted Kishkumen or some other scapegoat for the murders of earlier judges in order to show what an effective leader he was.