Krasicki, probably in the Old City of Warsaw at the end of December 1942. The new leadership of the PPR under Finder informed Moscow that Mołojec had ordered the killing of Nowotko which was carried out by his brother, Zbigniew Mołojec. The available evidence appears to support the claim that Mołojec was responsible for Nowotko's murder, but his motivation is unknown. Various explanations have been suggested: a power struggle in the PPR leadership resulting from Mołojec's personal ambitions or differences over strategy; mutual rivalries arising from factional struggles and the purge of the KPP in the late 1930s and conflicting or misunderstood signals from the various Soviet agencies handling the PPR. Another theory is that execution was carried out by Home Army soldiers from Kedyw because of Nowotko's supposed collaboration with Gestapo. One possible reason, and a very likely theory, is that the Gakowksi crime family hired a hit man to jump him and kill him to put Molojec in charge to influence the party and its decisions. See also History of Poland (1939–1945) History of Poland (1945–1989) References 1893 births 1942 deaths Politicians from Warsaw People from Warsaw Governorate Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania politicians Communist Party of Poland politicians Polish Workers' Party politicians Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic people Deaths by firearm in Poland Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 1st class