Note that none of this involves wacky spy gadgets

Nobody knows how exactly Charlie was killed and people speculating really doesn't change anything about the countless and incredible inconsistencies in the official story. So you're only poisoning the well instead of actually arguing.

or a dozen agents on the ground

Even in your MKUltra example you would have to have agents on the ground. Believe it or not.

or a coordinated dance around 50 civilian cameras

In this day and age every single person has a camera in their pocket. You always dance around them.

or recruiting local law enforcement or medical examiners.

That shit happens so often I don't really get how you could see that as outlandish.

Find a nut, gas him up. That's all it takes.

And that takes a lot of preparation and you have to get directly involved too to ensure he succeeds. Which takes time. It isn't exactly feasible when you decide to kill someone on a whim. And it wouldn't have an educational effect on your other cattle to stay in their lane either.