How did you let the market run free? There were regulations to prevent this. If anything, this is an example of their ineffectiveness.
Arguably, neither a free market or a regulated market can prevent any criminal activity.
I don't believe the death penalty does much to deter murder or is cost-effective (although I still consider it just in most circumstances), because the perpetrator often doesn't value their own life that much. When you have to live with the punishment, I believe it is a deterrent for most, analogous to the prospect of living with a lot of debt: the price of stuff affects our behavior.